Serenade Punta Cana Beach & Spa

Disappointing Experience — Serious Maintenance and Management Issues We stayed at Serenade Punta Cana Beach & Spa Resort from August 23 to August 30, 2026, traveling with friends and both of our families. The hotel has an excellent appearance, and I want to recognize the many employees who are professional, courteous, and genuinely committed to their work. Unfortunately, the condition of the facilities and the apparent lack of proper management significantly affected our experience. The biggest problem was the air conditioning. Several restaurants were not properly air-conditioned, and the theater was particularly unacceptable. There was no proper air conditioning, only large commercial fans, making the theater extremely hot and uncomfortable—more like a sauna than a place where guests should enjoy a show. During our stay, we also encountered cockroaches in the room, a door that did not close properly, broken garbage containers, and towels that were heavily worn and discolored and sometimes appeared poorly washed. At times, replacement towels were not available when needed. To be fair, the employee responsible for cleaning our room did an excellent job, and several members of the staff deserve recognition. Unfortunately, others appeared much less concerned about guest satisfaction and seemed more focused on selling memberships and making additional money, sometimes through promises that did not appear to reflect the actual experience. I had the opportunity to attend the 38th ASONAHORES Commercial Expo the following week, where tourism developers, investors, and industry suppliers showcased the quality and investment taking place in Dominican tourism. This made the condition of this resort even more disappointing. The hotel clearly has potential, but the facilities require serious maintenance, investment, and stronger management. Beautiful surroundings and good employees cannot compensate for problems with basic services and deteriorating facilities. As a guest who has just completed a stay, I cannot currently recommend Serenade Punta Cana Beach & Spa Resort for a family or friends' vacation. My low rating is primarily directed toward ownership and management. The employees who work hard and provide excellent service deserve better support and leadership.

We are well taken care of by Nicole when we visited with our 15 family members in Aug 2026. She was smiling and happy to see us every evening when we gathered in the lobby area to enjoy drinks and spend time playing cards and board games! Made our stay at Serenade Punta Cana Even better!

English family here, just finishing up our stay. I read the reviews as you do before our arrival and they filled me with horror. Here is my honest review. Staff - yes, they speak Spanish first, why is anyone surprised? They love to help and every request I had was met. Download the app as soon as you arrive and you can book restaurants or report issues. 5/5 Food - we went to the buffet restaurant twice, absolutely great. Other times we tried the specialised restaurants and they were great. There were beach options that we didn't try but the point is there are loads of options 4/5. Entertainment - the majority of people here were central/south American. The daily entertainment reflected it as it should. I found it a bit repetitive, but people seemed to enjoy it. They have options at night that they seem to outsource to other people and it's much better than some hotels I've been to. The white party was a highlight. Daytime 3/5. Nighttime 4.5/5 Overall I loved it. Good gym with modern equipment, beach on the doorstep (lots of seaweed so didn't go in the sea) Couple of pools with a lively and chilled option, plenty of food options, chance to book trips which we took advantage off. Would recommend to anyone.

Avoid Xpand Members Club / International Vacation Club. I am writing to formally document an extremely disappointing experience my family and I had at Serenade Punta Cana and to request that this matter be escalated directly to executive management. After everything that occurred during this vacation, I have lost confidence in the value and standards of my Xpand Gold membership. I am therefore formally requesting a review of my membership cancellation, reimbursement/refund options, compensation for this stay, and a complete investigation of the experience documented below. Before traveling, I also communicated with the Vacation Club and specifically asked about my membership benefits and whether we would be able to enjoy the three Serenade hotels, including the new property. I traveled based on the information and expectations communicated to me as a member. Unfortunately, what happened after our arrival was completely different from the experience I expected. Arrival – Where Was the Preferred Member Experience? We arrived at Serenade Punta Cana at approximately 3:45 p.m. As an Xpand Gold member, I expected at minimum a simple welcome and some guidance from the Vacation Club. Instead, no Vacation Club representative was waiting to welcome us, acknowledge our membership, explain our benefits, or direct us to the Preferred Lounge. I had to find out myself where the Preferred Lounge was located. I am not asking for extravagant treatment. Sometimes it is the smallest things that demonstrate whether a member is valued: knowing we are arriving, welcoming us, knowing our reservation, and helping us get settled. Those simple things did not happen. My Reservation Was for Three People – Not Two When I finally spoke with Alex, I was told that my reservation was for only two people. I could not understand this because I had the official voucher with me. I showed the staff my voucher, which clearly confirms: 2 adults + 1 extra guest. As a member, I should not have to stand at a desk after traveling and prove information that is already documented on an official reservation issued by the Vacation Club. Approximately 6:00 p.m. – The First Room After waiting for more than two hours, at approximately 6:00 p.m., we were assigned a room. The room was unacceptable. It was small, had a strong humid/musty smell, and presented cleanliness and maintenance concerns. There were visible areas of deterioration and possible moisture-related damage, and the bathroom configuration did not provide the privacy we expected for three guests. I have photographs documenting the conditions we encountered. At that point, we were already tired from traveling and frustrated from waiting, and this was supposed to be the beginning of our family vacation. The Proposed Solution – Approximately $900 More I returned and expressed my frustration to Alex. Instead of simply correcting the problem, we were presented with an option to upgrade the room for approximately $900 additional. I found this extremely troubling. After investing significant money in an Xpand membership, traveling to the resort, waiting hours, having to prove that my reservation was for three people, and receiving an unacceptable room, the proposed solution was for me to spend another approximately $900. I said clearly that this was a serious situation. I subsequently spoke with the manager on duty, Manuel Baldomero, who advised me that we would not be charged the additional amount and that I needed to sign a document. I expect written confirmation that no approximately $900 upgrade charge has been or will be applied to my account, membership, or hotel bill. Approximately 8:30 p.m. – Finally Able to Settle Into a Room After further discussions and escalation, we were finally able to settle into another room at approximately 8:30 p.m. We arrived at approximately 3:45 p.m. We finally settled into a room at approximately 8:30 p.m. That means nearly five hours of the first day of our vacation were lost dealing with a reservation discrepancy, an unacceptable initial room, cleanliness and maintenance concerns, and a proposed additional charge. After traveling from the airport, we should have been enjoying our vacation. Instead, we spent most of our first afternoon and evening trying to obtain accommodations and service that had already been reserved and paid for. Moving us to another room did not give us those five hours back. No Air Conditioning in Restaurants Unfortunately, our concerns did not end with the room. During our stay, we also experienced a lack of adequate air conditioning in the restaurants we visited, making dining uncomfortable. In Punta Cana, with the heat and humidity, properly functioning air conditioning in indoor dining areas is not an unreasonable expectation, particularly at a resort presented as providing a high-end/five-star experience. Serious Concerns About the Condition of a Resort Presented as Five-Star I also need executive management to review the overall physical condition and cleanliness of Serenade Punta Cana. This is not simply my opinion. I have photographs documenting what we encountered throughout the property. The photographs show conditions including dirty and visibly stained stairways and walking surfaces; dirt and buildup on railings and common-area surfaces that transferred to a white napkin when wiped; doors and door frames with significant visible damage and deterioration; worn or poorly maintained elevator areas and finishes; corroded and deteriorated outdoor fixtures; staining and possible moisture-related deterioration on walls and architectural surfaces; insects observed in guest/common areas; and multiple locations where general cleaning, preventive maintenance, and attention to detail appeared significantly below the standard I expected. I understand that every hotel requires maintenance. I understand that things break. I understand that no property is perfect. But my concern is the number and variety of conditions we encountered. This was not one scratched door or one area that needed cleaning. It became a pattern. When I combine these conditions with the initial room’s humid/musty odor and maintenance concerns, the nearly five-hour arrival ordeal, the reservation discrepancy, the proposed approximately $900 additional charge, the restaurant air-conditioning issues, and the lack of a proper Vacation Club welcome, I have to question whether the experience being delivered matches what was represented when this membership was sold to me. I Also Want to Recognize the People Who Cared I want this complaint to be fair, factual, and balanced. Many of the associates we encountered at Serenade were very friendly, respectful, and welcoming, and my complaint should not take away from employees who genuinely tried to help. I especially want to recognize Domingo from Security. During a very frustrating situation, Domingo took the time to listen to me, understand what my family and I were experiencing, and genuinely try to help us with the inconveniences we were facing. Sometimes hospitality is as simple as stopping, listening, and showing someone that you care. Domingo did that, and I believe management should recognize him for it. I also want to acknowledge Edisa from Xpand, who contacted us a couple of times during our stay to ask how things were going. I appreciate that she followed up. When she contacted me, I did not explain everything that had happened. At that point, I simply told her that we wanted to rest. After everything we had already experienced, my family and I were exhausted and frustrated. I did not want to spend the remainder of our vacation continuously discussing problems. I wanted to recover some of our vacation time and enjoy my family. My decision not to explain the entire situation to Edisa at that moment should not be interpreted as meaning everything was satisfactory or that all of the issues had been resolved. I mention Edisa and Domingo because this complaint is not an attack on individual employees. My concern is with the standards, systems, maintenance, management oversight, communication, and overall Vacation Club member experience. If This Is “My Home,” Where Was My Vacation Club? When I purchased this membership, I was told that these resorts would essentially become “my home.” That statement stayed with me. But after this experience, I have to ask: If this is supposed to be my home, why did I have to fight to feel welcome in it? Where was the Vacation Club when we arrived? Why did no one welcome us? Why did I have to find the Preferred Lounge myself? Why did I have to prove that my reservation was for three people when it was clearly written on my voucher? Why did my family wait from approximately 3:45 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. before finally settling into an acceptable room? Why was approximately $900 more initially presented as the solution? Why did we encounter the maintenance and cleanliness conditions documented in the attached photographs at a property presented as a high-end/five-star resort? And most importantly: What exactly did my membership purchase? I invested significant money because I believed I was purchasing more than hotel rooms. I believed I was purchasing a long-term relationship with a Vacation Club that would take care of my family when we traveled. My Formal Requests I am requesting that Xpand Members Club / International Vacation Club executive management provide a formal written response addressing the following: 1. Formal cancellation of my Xpand membership and clear written instructions regarding the cancellation process. 2. A complete review of the money I have invested in the membership and the refund/reimbursement options available to me. 3. Appropriate compensation for this stay, including the substantial inconvenience and nearly five hours of vacation time lost on our arrival day. 4. Written confirmation that the approximately $900 upgrade charge was completely waived and will not appear on my account, membership, or hotel bill. 5. A formal investigation into why my reservation was treated as being for two people when my official voucher clearly confirms 2 adults + 1 extra guest. 6. An executive review of the condition, cleanliness, maintenance, and safety concerns documented in the attached photographs. 7. Review of the lack of adequate air conditioning experienced in the restaurants we visited. 8. Clarification of the member benefits and access to the three Serenade properties, including the new hotel, that were communicated to me before this trip. 9. A review of the Vacation Club’s arrival and member-welcome process, including why no representative was available to welcome or guide us when we arrived. 10. Confirmation that this complaint, my reservation voucher, and the attached photographs will become part of the formal record associated with my membership and complaint. Final Thoughts I am not sending this email because I expect perfection. I am sending it because there is a significant difference between an occasional inconvenience and a pattern of problems that causes a member to lose confidence in what they purchased. The photographs are not being attached simply to criticize Serenade Punta Cana. They are evidence supporting my concerns and explaining why this experience has changed the way I view my Xpand membership. I paid a substantial amount of money because I believed I was investing in years of quality vacations and experiences with my family. The financial investment is significant, but the loss of trust is even more disappointing. I respectfully request that someone with the authority to address membership cancellation, reimbursement, and compensation personally review this complaint rather than treating it as a routine hotel service complaint. Please confirm receipt of this complaint in writing and provide a substantive written response addressing the requests above. Sincerely, Ernesto sanchez

Excellent resort, personal is amazing, entertaining team top 1 - Beyoncé the BEST… we absolutely love you, your energy is all we needed for this trip. The bar had amazing drinks, food was great and the attentions from the entire team was over the top. La habitaciones ❤️❤️