Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9459 reviews

• 

  Very nice relaxing vacation and resort.

  I would have given the Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda hotel 5 stars but we did have some issues our very first night. We had trouble with our door closing, you had to slam the door hard to get it to shut (which wakes up people in the rooms around you). The wife found a huge cockroach run from one corner of the room to the other while I happen to be in the shower. I went to get into bed to retire for the night and the bed sheets were dirty and the pillows smelled like dirty body parts (un washed). We went straight to the front desk, at this point it was around 11:50pm. We talked to a great guy named Eduard and he immediately found another room for us and quickly got us settled. He said it was his job to make us happy during our stay. This room was clean and the bedding smelled fresh. From this point on our trip was great. The grounds are very nice with very nice looking trees and bushes around the whole complex. They have electric trolley cars to take you to the front of the complex by Fantasia (a Disney themed hotel). It was very safe walking around the complex but you do have to be careful of the electric trolley cars on the paths when you walk. You are sharing the path with the electric trolley cars. One night we walked to Fantasia and a worker told us kind of rudely that we are not supposed to walk around Fantasia area. Apparently the wrist band color identifies what hotel you are staying at in the complex. There are quite a few different hotels. The staff other than that guy at Fantasia were very friendly and helpful. The food was good at the Carney buffet. We did make reservations for the Japanese restaurant, Greek restaurant and the Dominican restaurant. They were okay, but your best variety is at the Carney buffet. Breakfast had plenty of choices for all different tastes. Dinner was the same, a large variety of food. The beach bars and grills were fine too. You won't go hungry or lack any alcohol. Speaking of the beach, it was loaded with seaweed. I talked to a few of the hotel workers and they did say July and August tend to have some seaweed, but this was an unusually large amount. They had tractors moving the seaweed trying to clean the beach. They did the best they could and we did swim in the beach 4 times during our stay. If we go back again I would go earlier in the year February to May as I was told the water is great then (not much seaweed). Overall I would stay at the Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda or any of the other hotels in the complex. It was a nice relaxing time. Our grandson, kids, and ourselves had a great time. There are a lot of activities for the kids and really cool water park pools for them. The hotels are kid friendly but if you want 18 and up hotels Bahia Principe has those in the complex too.

  Jul 09, 2025
• 

  4 stars - maybe?

  The hotel is ok. As a family we’ve not really enjoyed it so much. On arriving you have to wait at a neighbour hotel for a ride with your luggage to Esmeralda. We waited 30 minutes, in the evening time with a toddler. It doesn’t sound bad, but if you’ve been travelling for 10 hours with a kid, then those 30 mins can push them over the edge. But not a deal breaker. Then comes to the room. The fridge is broken, so no hope in having cold drinks. Even after speaking to reception, they just smile and say they’ll get someone to look at it. The shower temperature is nearly impossible to get to a reasonable level - basically always too hot. The bed is very comfy though. Top points for that. Air conditioning was also working great in our room. Cleaners cleaned everyday. The area around the hotel is pretty empty. So you are stuck at the hotel unless you pay hundreds for excursions (which we did do). The excursions were ok, but everywhere you go people are trying to sell you stuff. Cocoa, coffee, mama juana (a popular drink here). So be prepared to say ‘no thank you’ a LOT. Apart from the pools, which are average, there is not much to do at the hotel. We couldn’t swim in the sea due to sea weed. The a la carte restaurants are ok if you can manage to book a table. But they’re terrible for kids. The adults get a good choice of food, but kids are only offered the same meat and fries dishes in every restaurant. In one restaurant they didn’t even offer our kid desert, after giving deserts for the adults on the table. Some staff and nice, some staff are not. Same as any hotel I guess. Drinks at the buffet are served by the staff at the table. That means you can’t help yourself and are often waiting 15 mins or more for your drinks. This is at breakfast, lunch and dinner. That’s if they even remember to take your order. It’s a shame to be finished with your breakfast and not even have a coffee ready. It’s hard to recommend this hotel, but I can recommend it more if you’re a couple as opposed to a family with young children. There’s only so many days they are entertained with swimming in the pools. I’d say the location is the biggest issue. Overall I would say this hotel is a weak 4 star.

  Jul 08, 2025
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  Stellar customer service 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

  Excellent customer service and fantastic food at the buffet. Everyone went above and beyond, and I would recommend this hotel. I give it 10/10.

  Jul 07, 2025
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  Bahia Principe Emeralda Puna Cana Disaster

  We were very excited to go to this all inclusive hotel to attend a wedding of dear friends. The concept is excellent but living up to the concept is difficult. The hotel is aged and a lot of time was expended on filing complaints. Our bathroom had a jacuzzi tub that did not function. We did not have soap in the shower the first night. The food was mediocre at best. The pillows smelled of sweat. The shower flooded and overflowed. Our friend’s TV did not work. The list goes on. They did offer to move us which we could not accept as we were on a schedule and time was of an essence. The nonmanagement staff was accommodating and friendly. This was their only forte. I would not recommend this facility unless you want to throw your money away.

  Jul 06, 2025
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  Beautiful Place, But Too Many Issues

  Disappointed with our stay. Pool rules weren’t enforced - guests reserved chairs early, and a fight even broke out. Loud music and drunken behavior at the swim-up pools made it hard for our daughter to rest, and staff did nothing. The app map was outdated, almost causing us to miss a reservation. Pool towels were unavailable in the afternoons, and our pool was overcrowded with guests from other resorts. Service from some waitstaff was poor - they only started treating us well after we gave a generous tip. The beach was covered in sargassum for most of our stay and was only cleaned the day before we left, likely in preparation for the 4th of July weekend. As loyalty program members, we expected better. Unfortunately, this didn’t feel like a relaxing or well-managed experience.

  Jul 05, 2025