Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa

We booked a Wedding and a week stay at Dreams resort and spa in MAY 2019. We liked the pictures of the venues but we were a bit apprehensive about the quality of services, wedding experience, photography, food, etc. However, we were guided by our hotel reservation contact Maria Nikitiadis and wedding coordinator Jouberkys Mercedes and they were a pleasure to work with. They were very professional and quick to respond. Our wedding party ( 20 people) had an amazing experience. Food was excellent, drinks, pool that stretches thought the entire resort, beach, entertainment, excursions, etc. Our wedding was gorgeous and everything we hoped for. Photography as well. I would do it all over again. The only problem is the sales people who are trying to sell you dinner packages ( not worth it since you have access to every restaurant anyways) and others who are trying to sell u your future stay at the same hotel or different one. I have included some pictures we took including the decor of our wedding gazebo. Read less

Travelled with spouse, 3 year old and a few family members during march break shortly before the COVID-19 closures started to take impact. Overall, despite some uncertainty about the rapidly changing pandemic situation, we had a really good vacation. Highlights included staff/service, hotel facilities, resort grounds, pool, beach and food. The rooms were a low point, but we did end up with a nice room in the end (see details below). Staff/Service – as many others mentioned, amazing staff and service. As the pandemic concerns increased, staff went above and beyond to keep everything disinfected and clean. For the first 6 days of our trip (mid-March) it was business as usual and we appreciated how often they were cleaning everything. They installed hand sanitizer stations everyone and cleaned everyone’s hands coming in and out of restaurants etc. Issues or inquires always resolved promptly and with a smile. As concerns over the pandemic grew, the hotel did unfortunately have to close most services except the buffet on our last full day before leaving. However, given the situation we weren’t too upset and felt fortunate that we had 6 days of the full hotel experience before the closures so really can’t complain or fault the hotel for that. Food – Overall very good. On the negative side, some of the buffet food in trays was not so great, especially if had been sitting out for a while and wasn’t very hot. On the plus side, there were several made to order stations at the buffer which provided lots of fresh, hot and tasty options that we really enjoyed. The standard buffet tray items were refreshed often and new items regularly, so you definitely won’t go hungry and should always be able to find something you like. Generally tons of variety and fresh cheese, fruits and baked goods galore (largest selection of fresh breads we’ve ever seen at in AI resort). A la cartes were all very good as well. The a la cartes had options that were not found at buffet, cooked to order and all very good, so worth checking them out. We enjoyed the no reservation system although we sometimes did have to wait around to get in. They give you a buzzer and you can wonder around so it’s no big deal. Café in lobby served up great coffee/espresso etc. One notable thing not served was specialty coffees (i.e. coffees with liquor), which was a bit disappointing. Drinks were pretty good overall, most bars did have some brand name liquors which was nice and members of our group had preferred club access where they did have lots of premium liquor options too. Rooms – Definitely some highs and lows here and took us a few tries to get a room we were happy with. Overall, they were quite dated and in need of renovations to make them acceptable or anywhere near typical Amstar/Dreams/4-5* quality. The quality of our first room was unacceptable at this price point and for a Dreams hotel. Very small, facing construction site, dark bathroom with poor lighting, peeling paint, bad caulking, rusty and chipped bathtub, could have been cleaner etc. We immediately asked for a change and they showed us a second room in a different building on top floor which had nice high ceilings and was in slightly better condition, but still very disappointing at this price point and for the quality we expected at an upscale resort. After some negotiation with hotel management (they were easy to talk to and a pleasure to deal with), we paid a few hundred dollars extra to be moved to a suite for the rest of the week and wow, what a difference. Although still a bit on the dated side in terms of decor, the room was 2-3 times larger, much brighter, nicer bathroom with dbl sink and shower, enormous balcony with our own lounge chairs, jacuzzi tub etc. Would highly recommend the suite upgrade. Our suite was on the top floor, building 6 and even had partial oceanview. Beach – Very nice. Tons of chairs, shade options, nice white sand, very few rocks in water (water shoes not needed). Wait service on the beach was great and the bar was only a few steps away too. Beach snack bar was pretty good (made to order burgers, gyros [excellent], etc. but pizzeria near the beach wasn’t that great) Pool – quite impressive. Definitely the largest pool any of us had ever swam in. Lots of floaty things in the pool to share, swim up bar, a small waterfall, great overall. Everyone loved the no towel card system, so you can get new towels as often or as many as you like. Chairs near the pool were sometimes hard to come by due to ppl saving them but we could usually find a space. Hotel facilities and resort grounds – Excellent. All common areas very well maintained, nothing felt dated and was in great shape everywhere (unlike some of the hotel rooms unfortunately) Generally had a nice, upscale but simple and tropical feel. Lush vegetation definitely gives this hotel a Caribbean vibe. Lots to see and do here in terms of activities, entertainment etc, no one should go bored. If we had one complaint, the beach party one night was excessively loud, and kept going until 10-11pm or so, which I’m sure many people weren’t a fan of as it’s not really a crazy party resort. Some people in our group also had the Preferred Club upgrade, which they enjoyed. The 3 most notable perks for preferred club were beach beds in a special section on the beach, a private lounge with premium drinks and an a la carte restaurant that was only accessible at breakfast/lunch for preferred guests. One downside of the facilities was the kids club. They had an excellent facility with kids pool, slides, playground etc. but only the kids who were checked in to the kids club without their parents could use it (except for 1 hour a day I think). It would have been nice if we could just stop by and use it any time without having to drop our son off so we really couldn’t take advantage of this. Overall, we would recommend this resort but would suggest upgrading to a suite if you are used to upscale resorts typical of this price point or in Dreams/Now/Amstar family etc. Read less

We have stays at the Resort multiple times and have enjoyed the experience greatly. The units surrounded the extensive infinity pool with swim up bar. There is an option for swim up accommodations if one desires that. The grounds are lushly landscaped with a beautiful dedicated area for weddings. It is family friendly. There is a playground, scheduled child activities, pool floats and the swim up bar has a plethora of fruity and fun non-alcoholic beverages for the asking. The pool area is large enough that adults can find a quiet area to read and there is never a shortage of chairs. There is a pool grill and outdoor venues on the beach with a grill and pizzeria if one doesn't feel the need to change out of their bathing suits for lunch. The buffet is available for all meals and their are 5 a la carte restaurants for your dinner dinning pleasure including French, Italian and a Steak House. There are activities throughout the day for adults at pool side and professional entertainment each night. They even offer scuba lessons. The only downside is that the ocean is often red flagged, but we didn't miss it much because we were constantly entertained poolside. Our last trip was cut short due to hurricane Maria. We were able to get a flight out and didn't have to go to "vacation camp" but did get to watch the staff prepare and they were amazing, securing the resort and preparing people for an the inland evacuation. They were upbeat and encouraging through out. I would highly recommend this resort to anyone wishing to vacation in Punta Cana. (I had to select a visit date in 2019-2-2020, but our last visit was Sept 2017) Read less

Had paid extra before hand for a swim up pool room and we were glad that we did, We were pool side and not facing the hotel being built next door (to be fair there wasn't much noise so this did not impact us at all). Jan'20 The room was clean, great big & comfortable bed with regular free stocked mini bar - the only thing that was a little dated was the bath rooms (we believe they are refurb'ing the blocks?). A bit of noise in the corridors at night so the lower numbers means you are further away from the restaurants and less people to walk past your door! IMPORTANT - WIFI worked fine all around hotel but we limited our use on phones/tablets as on holiday!! The restaurants are great, amazing variety, no booking required for the ala carte but you might need to wait 20 mins at the bar for some (hey your on holiday). We didn't think much of the buffet restaurant at night but was great for breakfast & lunch. The choice in the array of restaurants includes Italian, Grill, Fish, Asian, French etc. No wrist bands, lovely soft beach towels can be changed as often as you like and the waiter/waitress service around the pool is exceptional. The beach at the end of the complex, there was the barefoot grill that did fast food so no need to walk back for lunch and the bar and toilets were close by too so you could settle there all day listening to the waves. The pizzas were a bit hard all around the complex as stated by other guests - had one straight out of the oven & that was lovely & soft. Plenty of entertainment throughout the day to keep all ages amused but no forced fun so up to you. The grounds and gardens are amazing and kept very tidy inc resident flamingos !! there was a sports area at the top of the hotel with pool tables, table tennis, darts, lots of other things (for when it rains as it did on our first day!) Evening entertainment was available every night, which was ok. We booked a couple of trips out - these are not cheap! The Outback experience was great (140$) but the Scape Park (180$) was ok but expensive for how long you got there. Service from ALL staff was fantastic and the layout of hotel very good. Would happily return again but there's too many other places in the world to see! Read less

My husband and I have been booking our yearly dream vacations for over 3 years. We booked our trip for March 16 - March 21, 2020 at Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa. The beginning of our stay was nice and staff were kind and friendly, however things took a significant change in the middle of the week. We happen to travel when the nation had the virus outbreak. We contacted resort to get reassurance that it was still up and running and we had no worries. During the middle of week we began to get notices to our room. Per orders of the Dominican Government, all resorts were closing March 23, 2020. With that said, everything, i mean everything was closing. All the bars, restaurants, games, excursions etc. Staff began to pack up pool chairs and close all outside boutiques etc. We had three days left on the island and it felt like a ghost town, nothing to do, no variety of food. Nothing at all. I would not recommend this resort to anyone. Upon arriving home, we contacted our travel agent and send an email . They reached out to resort and claimed there was nothing they could do. We did not get the all - inclusive trip we paid for. Unhappy Couple from the South. Read less