Joshua Payne from Johnson City, Tn
"First off I would like to say we read a bunch of reviews, and noticed the bad reviews, but trying to be fair we gave this hotel the benefit of the doubt and figured maybe those guest had a bad experience and were venting, but we found out otherwise that they are true!!!
First off, as soon as we arrived at the airport we had pre-booked a transfer to our hotel through bookit.com. The gentleman from VIP travel took us to our van and as we got in demanded a $20 tip, and would not shut the van door until we gave him a tip. We told him we did not have that much money, and had pre-paid for this transfer and he told us that we needed to give something. So we scrambled to come up with $5. Now I have traveled extensively, and anyone who wants to help with my luggage I will always give a tip. This gentleman did nothing, we loaded our luggage, opened the door, got in, and then he still DEMANDED a tip. I'm sorry but being strong armed for a tip before we could depart the airport was a little much, especially after a long day of travel, getting in at midnight, and not knowing exactly where ur at or if its safe. So needless to say things didn't start off good, but we let that go and were ready to relax.
When we arrived at the hotel around 1am, the lobby was very nice and we were very surprised, but the hotel could not find our reservation, so it took forever to get a room, but the gentleman at the desk was friendly and accomodating and worked it all out. We walked into the room, eventually figured out how to turn on the power, and when the lights came on the room was very dirty! We are 2 college kids by the way, so we never expect 5 star, but when you feel like you can't sit on the toilet or walk barefoot in your own room then things are pretty dirty. Also we were starving, and ready to grab a bite to eat at the 'snack bar' which was open until 6am. So we walk into the 'snack bar' figuring that they will have late night snack foods. As we looked at the hamburgers and hot dogs, they looked delicious, until I grabbed a dry, crusty bun and saw bugs crawling around the vegetables that had been sitting out in the hot humid air for who knows how long. So we just decided to starve instead of get sick from eating spoiled food. Still though we gave them the benefit of the doubt and figured it was late and no one was really up, so they didnt really staff the snack bar. So we went to sleep and called it a day, except the beds were soooo hard that even though we were wore out we could not sleep because we tossed and turned trying to get comfortable on a brick of a mattress.
The next morning we got up ready to go nap on the beach, for breakfast they served hot dog pieces with some weird sauce, pastries dripping with honey and gnats, and some other other deli meats that were purple. Needless to say we didn't eat again. On the walk back to the room, 2 of the hotel staff offered to get us drugs, and another hotel person wanted a tip and a cigarette for walking with us to the beach, REALLY??? At the beach, though it was pretty, the locals would not leave you alone for nothing even when you asked politely, I understand that traveling to the caribbean several times before, but this was worse, even when you would ask politely to leave you alone they became hostile towards you, and we could not relax all day! This is an all-inclusive resort by the way, so we would frequent the bar often, and just as in America we would tip on occasion, but that wan't good enough, even though the Europeans never seemed to tip, we were told each time we went to the bar to leave a tip, not in English either but by the bartender shaking the tip jar in our faces. When we told management, and we were looked down upon, and told they work for tips and we should always tip, but like I said I would pay attention every time and no one else seemed to be tipping at all!! As our day ended we were ready for a shower, and as soon as I turned it on the spout came off and the water went everywhere!! Eventually we just decided to drink until we passed out because we could not stand it much longer. Instead of the hotel having any empathy for our experience, they tried to charge us more to cancel our resevation., we paid a couple hundred more and moved hotels to a place in Santo Domingo where we were not close to the beach, but at least we had a clean, comfortable room, a shower, and food that was edible. It was the Occidental El Embajador, and the staff was amazing, they even understood our past situation and they went above and beyond to make us comfortable, even giving us free drink coupons, because this was not all inclusive. So please heed my advice and find somewhere else, the pictures of the rooms are misleading and they do not even resemble the picture!! I have tried to be fair and not let my feelings guide my review, but been completely honest and objective. I just want future guest's to know what they are getting before they book. Pay a little more and ENJOY your stay, its a beautiful island with lots to offer, so do not let this hotel ruin it for you. We heard from passengers on our plane the BeLive, which is not much more at all than this hotel is definately worth it, so pay the tiny bit extra and know what ur getting. This place was rude, misleading, and didn't care about their guest's!"
Posted: Wed, Apr 03, 2013
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