Ocean Blue & Sand

Wanted to share about the the new updated workout area at Ocean Blue and Sand Punta Cana. They have added new machine to include a Squat rack, newer treadmills, Stair master equivalent, a good amount of free weights., Yoga balls and a new area for Dance or other exercise. Kelvin who works in this area is there daily from 7am til 5pm. He was so helpful and I was able to workout with him for a few days of my stay. I approached him and said if you are free can you help me stretch my arm as part of my PT program at home. We danced, cardio and core and also showed me ways to gain some strength and muscle back in my arms with lower weight. Please don't hesitate to ask for help when there. Kelvin is very helpful. He hopes to be able to add some classes like zumba in the near future. Oh and the gym is very clean! Gracias Kelvin por ayudar me. Beatriz P.

We stayed at the OBS August 2026 for two weeks travelling from the UK. I have left it a few weeks since returning to write our review as I wanted it to be considered. Overall we had a wonderful holiday. Our family ranged from age 75 to 9 and there was something for everyone. We enjoyed the pool, beach and thought the rooms were well equipped. We stayed in block 4 which we found an ideal location to access everything in the resort. The white party was fun, we also enjoyed the excursions available. The only downsides we had was the check-in and check out. The checkin the process was long winded and took far more time than it needed (especially after 18 hours of travelling!) The check out was extremely disappointing, people were checking in which took a long time and check out took seconds. In our opinion there should be two queues and the priority should be those checking out at 12 noon! The reception staff I felt when this was raised were quite rude and prioritised Spanish speaking guest in our experience and let them jump the line! This was sadly our last impression of the hotel. On some occasions in the buffet restaurants it was difficult to find staff to request drinks, mainly in the evenings. However, we were looked after very well by some waiters, our special thanks go to Carlos and Victor who went out of their way to make us feel at home. Also thanks to Kelvin in the gym! Upon reflection the positives out way the negatives and although a long way to travel we would definitely consider the OBS again the future if we are to come back to the DR.

Arrival and Check-in We arrived at the resort after around a 30-minute transfer from the chaotic Punta Cana airport. It was so busy that staff had stopped X-raying luggage, and nobody asked to see our visa barcode. My advice at the airport would be to keep your head down, get through as quickly as possible and make your way out. You really don’t need help from anyone, as everything is within a relatively short distance. Check-in at the resort was quick and straightforward. We were given a brief introduction to the hotel, including information about the restaurants and facilities. We were also handed a pamphlet with a QR code that took us to the hotel app, where you could check daily activities, book restaurants and find other useful information. We were then taken to our room in Block 4 by buggy. Our Room The room was clean, well-equipped and had everything we needed for our stay. There were two large, extremely comfortable king-size beds, along with a sofa and desk. We had no complaints about the room and found it a comfortable place to relax after a busy day. Restaurants and Food We took full advantage of the speciality restaurants during our stay. American Diner ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The food was great every time we ate here. My daughter absolutely raved about the pork belly burger, while I had the brisket, which was lovely. We both enjoyed a fantastic milkshake as well. Italian Restaurant ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We ate here twice, and the food was excellent on both occasions. We tried a variety of dishes, all of which were very well cooked, beautifully presented and extremely tasty. Steakhouse ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Again, both visits were excellent. We didn’t stray from the picanha steak, as it’s a cut of meat you rarely come across in the UK. If you enjoy steak, I would definitely recommend trying it medium-rare. Fantastic! Japanese Restaurant ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The food itself was excellent, but unfortunately, the overall experience was let down by the behaviour of some of the other guests. You are seated with around 12 other people in a U-shape around the hotplates, where the chefs cook your food in front of you and interact with the guests as they go along. Sadly, one family occupied much of our table, and three members of that family were constantly on their phones. I’m not sure whether this annoyed the chef, but it certainly annoyed me. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much interaction between the chef and the table. The food was good, with chicken, beef, shrimp, salmon and fried rice. It’s a restaurant where the experience should be about enjoying the food and watching the chef cook, so it was a shame that the behaviour of others detracted from it. Main Buffet Restaurant Like most all-inclusive buffets, the food can become a little samey from day to day. However, there was plenty of well-cooked, tasty food to choose from throughout our stay. Our personal favourite was the butter chicken, which was served a couple of times during our visit. Mike’s Coffee House ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This place was amazing! Fantastic coffee, plenty of cakes and, without a doubt, some of the friendliest staff in the hotel. We were always given a warm welcome, no matter when we walked through the door. A lovely place to stop for a coffee and something sweet. Pools and Sunbeds The pool areas are vast, and I suspect we may have been visiting during the off-season. Apart from the weekends, when there was an influx of Dominican guests, the pools were generally very quiet. We never had an issue finding a sunbed with an umbrella, although I imagine this could be a different story during peak season. We also noticed a couple of accommodation blocks undergoing maintenance, which would presumably have reduced the hotel’s available capacity during our stay. The pool nearest reception seemed to be the quieter pool, while most of the daytime entertainment took place in the pool next to it. Entertainment The entertainment seemed fairly similar to what you find at most resorts in this part of the world. We’re night owls, so we didn’t catch everything, but we did see a decent rock band and a Dominican band during our stay. Overall, there was nothing offensive about the entertainment, although it wasn’t something we particularly went out of our way to experience. Beach The beach area is fine, but it’s not somewhere we would choose to spend most of our time. The seaweed was a bit of a pain, although I appreciate there’s only so much the resort can do about a natural occurrence like that. Staff and Wildlife All the staff we encountered were lovely, friendly and more than willing to engage in conversation. There is also plenty of wildlife to have a nosey at as you wander around the resort, which adds a bit of interest to your walks. If you’re not particularly steady on your feet or simply don’t fancy walking everywhere, there’s a constant golf buggy service that goes around the resort, stopping at each accommodation block, the main restaurant and reception. Gym and Running Although I didn’t use the gym myself, it looked very well-equipped. I preferred to get out and run along the roads instead. Overall Experience We had one issue during our stay, but the hotel dealt with it promptly, which was appreciated. Overall, we had a really enjoyable stay and wouldn’t hesitate to return, particularly at this time of year. The resort has plenty to offer, the rooms are comfortable, the speciality restaurants were generally excellent, and the staff made us feel welcome. For us, it was a relaxing holiday with plenty of good food and comfortable surroundings. A Few Recommendations for the Hotel There are just a few things I think the hotel could address to make the experience even better. 1. Mobile phones in the Japanese restaurant I would strongly recommend introducing a no-mobile-phone policy during the Japanese restaurant experience. If guests need to take a call, they should step outside rather than disturb everyone else who is trying to enjoy the meal. 2. FaceTime and loudspeaker conversations Please discourage guests from using FaceTime or having loud conversations on speakerphone in restaurants. Having someone talking to family members over FaceTime while you’re trying to enjoy a nice meal is not acceptable, and unfortunately, this was a constant disturbance during our experience. 3. Smoking and vaping around the pools Smoking and vaping around the swimming pools should simply be a no. It’s not pleasant for people who are trying to relax, swim and enjoy their holiday. These are all matters of basic common courtesy, something that unfortunately seems to have been forgotten by some people. Final Verdict A very enjoyable stay, with excellent food in the speciality restaurants, comfortable accommodation, friendly staff and plenty of space to relax. There are a few things that could be improved, particularly when it comes to guest behaviour in restaurants and around the pools, but these issues didn’t stop us from having a great holiday. We would happily return, especially at this time of year.

Good location, most of the staff are friendly and helpful, walk past you and do not even speak to you, buffet staff very friendly, clean the tables to fast though, includes what you left there to come back to. Clean rooms except my TV, totally filthy, extremely comfortable beds,16 inches deep that plug in to the outlet, now running the TV is a challenge. A wagon drives around to give you a ride any where in the complex he drives. Good selection of restaurants and a great coffee shop with all kinds of goodies in there . The buffet is loaded with every kind of food you want .

I like everything!!!! But SPECIAL THANKS to JUANA from beach bar, she amazing ,happy person , make everyone happy!!!!