Diego López-Mobilia

Beware: Deceptive sales practices and unauthorized charges. Our experience was ruined by the dishonesty of the front desk staff: * Upgrade Scam: We were upsold a "Premium" upgrade for $200 with the promise of walk-in access to restaurants (no reservation needed). This was a lie. We still needed reservations, and many places were fully booked. Other staff later admitted the front desk "says that just to sell the upgrade." * Theft/Unauthorized Charge: When we asked for a partial refund, we discovered the actual upgrade price was $150, not $200. The agent had pocketed the extra $50 as a "tip" without our consent. She only returned the money after we confronted her directly. Aside from the scam, the rooms are in poor condition and the buffet quality is not good. However, there were some positives. The bars were well-stocked and never crowded (no long lines), and the pool is very good. There were also other members of the hotel service staff who provided excellent service. Finally, I want to highlight the great attention from the external staff: Jonathan (who sells tours) and Orlando (who drives the boat and helps with water activities).

Mariana ZN

Even though the resort is a bit old, it was very well maintained. The property is beautiful with two large pools and the beach front is always clean and sargassum free, I was very impressed by that. There are plenty of chairs by the pool and beach, no need to stress about that. Food was good. If I could point out something I wish was a little better, I'd have to say that the staff needs to have some customer service training. I loved my stay there.

Vickie Smith Burgon

We went for our anniversary trip and was very pleasantly surprised by how beautiful the resort is!! The rooms are a little dated but the resort in all was very well kept and clean! I can't speak much on the food as I was sick n survived on mainly fruit the whole time but there was plenty of options at the buffet as well as the specialty restaurants to choose from. The pools were big and beautiful with different heights for different enjoyments, the bars had great service n never had to wait more than a minute or two! We took the premium level 4103 two bathrooms a living area and the bedroom. There was a balcony off the bedroom and another off the living room directly facing the pool and ocean! n it was nice with our own lounge n check in area with free snacks n premium drinks. I'll definitely return!! Plenty for kids of all ages as well with many activities and a mini water play area too

K pravallika

We just came from occidental over all I would rate 2/5. Bad experiences 1.After arriving at the reception with baby it took 2 hours to check in and already other customer who already checked in screaming that room was dirty. 2. We got bed bug bites asked to change room and the receptionist without any explanation gave us a room which is too far from everything and a degraded room. After mentioning it he gave a room which is too small and no view We paid extra for beach view. 3. Room service was too bad asked for hot water for baby and no one showed up. After toilet clogged waited for 3 hours to get a person made multiple calls to room service. 4. Requested for information about getting a birthday cake. They didn’t help and just reverted us to multiple departments in the end no answer from any. 5. Don’t be surprised the staff suddenly jumps from one balcony to others without any intimation. We didn’t feel safe Good experience 1. Food was good 2. Activities were good .Something is happening all the time. 3. Had all facilities inside.Shopping ,food, clothing , pool, drinks etc

eva pannunzio

Not enough words to say how impressed I was with that resort. The place is amazing. The beach was amazing.Cleaned every morning.The pool's very well maintained. My granddaughter had the opportunity to use the spa.5 or 6 girls were doing her hair.That's how great they are I will definitely come back and recommend this resortThe people are great. The food is excellent and it's one of the best experiences I've had in Caribbean resorts. For all the people that have complained it's Bologna. They just want to say something. So please ignore all the negative garbage.

Dayana Carmona Darias

We had a great experience at Occidental Punta Cana! The staff was welcoming and helpful from the moment we arrived. The resort is beautiful, clean, and full of tropical charm. The beach is stunning with soft white sand and clear water, and there were always plenty of loungers. The pools were also great, with both fun and relaxing areas. The food and drinks were okay; we’re just used to a different type of cuisine, but there was variety and always something fresh at the buffet. The à la carte restaurants could use a more special menu. The bartenders were friendly and kept the drinks coming. The entertainment was one of our favorite parts, with live music, shows, and lots of daytime activities. But it was also easy for us to find quiet spots to relax. Overall, we felt the resort exceeded our expectations. It was the perfect mix of relaxation and fun, and the staff goes above and beyond. We would definitely come back!

Donald Putz

4th Stay at Occidental Punta Cana – Mixed Experience This was our 4th visit, but our first not booking through OVC. Unfortunately, OVC wouldn’t allow bonus time for guests this year, and my sister-in-law found it cheaper to book directly through Barcelo.com than through OVC—even for a junior suite with a seaside view. Grounds: Beautiful, clean, and well maintained (5/5). Service: Ranged from fair to excellent (3/5). Check-In: Confusing. I prepaid 50% online, but the hotel tried to add an unexpected $100 “tax.” I’ll be following up with Barcelo (3/5). Room: Good overall. A/C couldn’t be adjusted but issues were resolved quickly (4/5). Beds & Housekeeping: Excellent (5/5). Dining: Very mixed. • Buffet: Generally good with plenty of hot, well-prepared options. • The Oriental: Unfortunately our worst experience—slow service and cold dishes. • Italian & Steakhouse: Best food and service of the trip. • Snacks: Burgers weren’t great, but the pizza/taco station was excellent. We’ve loved this resort in the past and still enjoyed parts of our stay, but the inconsistencies this time—especially with dining and OVC policies—were disappointing.

Jose Sanchez

I had an amazing experience at Occidental Punta Cana! From the moment we arrived, the staff was warm, welcoming, and always ready to help with a smile. The resort itself is absolutely beautiful — the grounds are clean, well-kept, and full of tropical charm. The beach is stunning with soft white sand and crystal-clear water, and there are plenty of loungers so it never feels overcrowded. The pools are also fantastic, with lively areas for fun and quiet spots if you want to relax. Food and drinks were excellent with lots of variety — the buffet always had fresh options, and the à la carte restaurants were a nice touch for something extra special. The bartenders kept the drinks flowing and made every cocktail with care. Entertainment was another highlight — from live music to nightly shows, there was always something fun to do. During the day, activities like water sports, games, and dance lessons kept the energy high, but it was also easy to find peaceful areas to just unwind. Overall, Occidental Punta Cana exceeded my expectations. It’s the perfect mix of relaxation and fun, with a team that truly goes above and beyond for guests. I can’t wait to come back!

Lucas Mascotto-Carbone

Overview: I stayed at Occidental Punta Cana previously in April 2024 and loved it so much that I rebooked a year in advance for December 2025. After losing my mother earlier this year, I hoped this trip would be peaceful and restorative. Unfortunately, this visit was chaotic, stressful, and nothing like my previous stay. Room Issues: Our room’s A/C was broken and stuck at 15°C. Water literally chilled on the nightstand! Despite reporting it twice, no one ever came! The lock on our room door was also faulty. On several occasions we were stuck outside the room repeatedly scanning the lock with no response. A repair worker happened to walk by, jimmied a screwdriver into the mortise, and left. It was never fully resolved and it became a serious issue once all of us fell ill. Food Quality & Illness: By Sunday, all four members of our group developed diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramping. I became severely ill and was bedridden for an entire day with vomiting and a migraine. The food this trip was drastically different from 2024. The buffet lacked variety and leaned heavily on cheese and dairy-based dishes, which is difficult for guests with sensitivities (like myself). At one lunch, three different salads were just variations of cheddar and mozzarella salads, and even the fruit tasted bland and under-ripe. Many meals repeated daily with minimal rotation. More concerning, several red meat dishes including burgers and ribs were consistently undercooked and pink in the middle. I had to send back multiple plates because they were unsafe to eat. I’ve been to Punta Cana and have never experienced food issues like this before, and it likely contributed to our group becoming sick. Finally, one member of our party discovered a maggot inside their broccoli at the main buffet during dinner. We reported it immediately; the staff member apologized and took down our room number, but no follow-up or explanation was provided. Excursions: An externally booked excursion was turned away by resort security without warning, leaving us scrambling. We rebooked through Air Transat at a higher cost. Parasailing with Mariana Water Sports went smoothly, but snorkeling turned into a multi-day ordeal: repeated rescheduling, being turned away for “rough seas,” being asked to physically help push their boat into the water, and finally getting towed back when the engine failed. Refund Issues & Unprofessional Behaviour: On the day of our early repatriation (due to the Air Transat pilot strike), we requested a refund from Mariana Water Sports. The staff member became confrontational, questioning why I hadn’t snorkeled earlier despite my being bedridden and vomiting. After waiting over an hour, I was given only a partial refund, supposedly from his “personal cash.” When three members of my group tried to cancel the Air Transat excursion due to illness, the staff member at their storefront, Johnathan, talked over them, refused any refund, and even called one of our travelers “uneducated.” This was unprofessional and unacceptable. Overall: I once considered this resort a favourite, but the December 2025 stay fell drastically short because of unresolved maintenance issues, poor food quality, widespread illness, and concerning behaviour from staff partners made this trip far more stressful than relaxing. I hope management takes these issues seriously, as the resort is certainly capable of much better.

jim b

Nice resort, very nice landscaping, staff all nice & attentive, our front desk concierge Ricardo Sanchez was top notch , he gave us his cell # upon checking and stated text him for anything . He escorted us to our room along with the bellman , we went to tip him and he refused saying, im just doing my job and I really didnt do anything for you. He found us daily by pool & stopped to check in, great person. We woke to a flooded hallway & bathroom after a few days in, texted him and he replied from home and stated he would be in soon and already made the call for maintance,. Within 2 hours he found us, advised we would need to change rooms and had it done very promptly. Rooms cleaned daily, no issue at all with towels or fresh sheets. , mini fridge re stocked daily. The food was OK, if you got anything from the buffet that was in the "steamtable" that was supposed to be hot, it was lukewarm at best unless it was a fresh tray that just came out. The ala carte ones were decent. Bartenders very nice, always a smile, Sandy at the pool bar was top notch, always singing and engaging with guests. The fried chicken at the pool was amazing, always hot & juicy. ! Will we go back , probably not , but we just like different resorts unless they are amazing for a return.

Ewelina Domagala

The hotel is large and has a lot to offer: a beautiful beach, pools, games, attractions for children, and restaurants from around the world. Everyone will find something for themselves. I really liked the hotel app on my phone, because I could make restaurant reservations at any time and check the attractions for a given day. A note to all spa lovers: you can't miss it. These are top-notch services. I had the full Rainforest package: hot stone massage, sauna, and jacuzzi. I'd like to thank Elba, who gave me the best massage ever.I will never forget that feeling.

Undefined Name

If you’re from an English-speaking country, this may not be the resort for you. English is almost never spoken here, and it makes even the most basic interactions extremely difficult. The outside grounds are nice and well-maintained. The spa is genuinely impressive—one of the only highlights. The spa staff were amazing, the pools were okay, and the slides were fun with no lines. Drinks were mediocre but not undrinkable. That’s sadly where the positives end. The rooms are rundown, the AC barely works, and housekeeping repeatedly entered without knocking—even when we were undressed. Health-wise, this was the worst vacation I’ve ever had. I was bitten by a spider in the room which caused a massive infected welt on my arm. Both my girlfriend and I got food poisoning more than once, despite being extremely cautious—no tap water, no ice, only bottled water, even brushing with bottled water. The food itself is awful; even the simplest dishes taste off, and honestly, expect to get sick. The beach water gave both of us severe rashes, and there are sand mites. I’ve been on hundreds of vacations and have never gotten this sick. The guests at this resort were another major issue. Many had zero respect or manners—stealing beach chairs, cutting in lines at bars, buffets, and slides, refusing to move out of the way on sidewalks, and even walking right into you without acknowledging it. As a 23-year-old guy, I found myself nearly in fights multiple times because of how aggressive people were. Security was regularly stepping in to break up situations. Most staff were generally nice, but a few made the experience uncomfortable. The sports staff were overly aggressive when joining guests in games—especially basketball—pushing, shoving, and even taunting people who were just trying to casually play in sandals. A bellman flat-out told my girlfriend and me to go get him two coffees while we were waiting for the airport shuttle, which left us shocked. There were also creepy moments: staff dancing with much younger teenagers, and staff hitting on my girlfriend while I was right there. If you’re booking through Air Canada Vacations, prepare for more frustration. Our assigned rep was unreachable most of the trip, admitted to being hungover, and at one point it genuinely seemed like we might have to arrange our own transportation home. Overall, this was a terrible experience, even though we tried to stay positive. Please take this review seriously—I strongly recommend not booking this resort. If you do, good luck. We absolutely hated it.

Yuliia Sheinina

My husband and I stayed at this hotel from September 21st for 12 nights, and we absolutely loved it! The beach was incredibly beautiful and clean. We stayed in the Sun Club area, we had a private zone in the beach. I sow a lot of reviews that there are a lot of stones an ricks in the sea but really we didn't see anything. There were plenty of themed restaurants to choose from, and the entire hotel was spotlessly clean, which was really important to us. The hotel’s territory is gorgeous, with a lovely garden and a pond. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, always going above and beyond to assist us. We’d like to give a special shout-out to Tayla, who won us over with her warmth and helped us solve an issue with our air conditioning by moving us to another room. It truly felt like a paradise vacation, and we recommend it to all!

Ashley Reed

Diango at the Tortuga bar is Fantastic, always greeted us with fantastic service! Diango went out of his way to get us whatever we wanted. If his bar did not have it he did not hesitate to walk across the resort to get it. Hands down the best! He accommodated our large group (10-12 people) with excellent customer service!

richard rennie

Amazing time at the whole resort. There is a bar close to the beach called Tortuga and we met the nicest guy at the whole resort! Diango Made sure we were always taken care of and very knowledgeable of the area. Also, I would like to say if you want to experience the best massage ever request Mercedes! Not only did she give the best massage we lost a valuable piece of jewelry and she found it for us and came looking for us to let us know they found it! Thank you to Diango and Mercedes for making this a very unforgettable trip!!