Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9580 reviews

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  Horrible Hotel.

  The check-in experience was absolutely horrible and set the tone for what became a very disappointing stay. We booked two Junior Suites with swim-up access and connecting rooms—one with a king bed and one with two queen beds. Before arriving, I called the hotel twice to confirm that we would have connecting rooms and was clearly told both times that everything was confirmed. That turned out to mean absolutely nothing. When we arrived, they suddenly did not have our rooms and wanted to separate us from our children by placing them in a completely different building far away from us. We spoke with three different managers, and each one gave a different excuse. First, the room was not clean. Then there was some kind of issue with the room. Finally, the third manager flat out said we were booked and they did not have connecting rooms for us. He suggested we could move the next day or maybe the day after, but even then we would not be in connecting rooms and would still be about ten rooms away from each other. When I insisted that connecting rooms were a must, he actually lied and told me that our room category does not even offer connecting rooms. After four and a half hours of stress, arguing, and getting absolutely nowhere with management, Rodrigo came to help us. He was not a manager—just the person assisting with the trolley. Somehow, he managed to do what management claimed was impossible. Miraculously, he found us two connecting rooms, one with a king bed and one with two queens. If it were truly impossible, that would not have happened. If it were not for Rodrigo, I would have left the resort on the first day. To make things worse, the check-in process included zero explanation of the hotel. No one told us where anything was, how many restaurants there were, what activities were available, or anything about the pools or beaches. We were essentially handed keys and left to figure everything out on our own. The service and food throughout the stay were just as bad. At the buffet, food constantly ran out and was rarely replenished. Even something as basic as pizza would disappear and never return. For five out of seven days, there were no veggie burgers despite them being listed on the menu. As vegetarians, this made eating extremely difficult. The buffet had very limited options, and the food at the restaurants was poor quality and honestly did not taste good. Housekeeping was a nightmare. Every single morning between 7:00 and 7:30 AM, housekeeping staff would gather outside our room yelling, talking loudly, and banging things around. This went on until about 9:00 or 9:30 every morning—before they even started cleaning rooms. It happened every single day, and we were repeatedly woken up by staff noise, not guests. Trying to get basic items was ridiculous. If you wanted extra towels, forget it. For three days, I repeatedly asked for face towels and hand towels and was told over and over that they did not have any. When I finally spoke to a supervisor, she told me it was because I was asking for “extras,” even though I had not received a single one to begin with. Facial tissues were never replenished either. You basically get one of everything when you check in, and nothing is replaced unless you complain repeatedly and make it an issue. The beach situation was also a mess. We were never told that Esmeralda has its own beach section, so for the first four days we were on the Fantasia side surrounded by kids. We only discovered the Esmeralda beach on our own. Unfortunately, that beach is extremely small, overcrowded, and full of seaweed. Trucks constantly drive by trying to clean the seaweed while you are attempting to relax. The beach was dirty, chaotic, and completely disorganized. Chairs were stacked on top of each other, and people would just pull chairs and place them directly in front of you. There was no hotel staff managing anything at all. There was absolutely no beach or pool service, which is shocking for a hotel that claims to be a luxury resort. Instead, every five minutes we were harassed by vendors trying to sell excursions and products. This happened every single day. The hotel allows this, which makes you think these vendors are trustworthy—but they are not. We rented a boat and were completely scammed. The vendor showed us one boat and, on the day of, tried to give us a much smaller one and cut the time down to three hours. Be extremely careful buying anything on the beach. Maybe instead of allowing nonstop salespeople, the hotel should focus on providing actual beach service. The room itself was not well maintained. There was mold and rust in the shower, and the soap dispensers were broken. And to put the final nail in the coffin, I accidentally left two prayer books in my room that had tremendous sentimental value to me. I noticed as soon as I arrived at the airport and immediately contacted friends who were still staying at the resort. They went to the front desk numerous times, and no one would help them. I personally sent several emails and received no response. Finally, after my friend became fed up, they told him, “Have her email us.” I sent my fourth email, and they finally responded—asking me to provide receipts for the books before they would investigate further. Receipts? These were not books with monetary value; they were irreplaceable items with deep sentimental meaning. In my opinion, they were likely thrown away instead of being placed in lost and found. This level of disregard is unacceptable. Overall, this resort is not luxury by any definition. At best, it is a three-star hotel. I would never return, and I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a nice or relaxing vacation. The only two people who made this stay tolerable were Rodrigo and Alfredo. Alfredo was the only person who took the time to explain the resort, walk us through the restaurants, and help with reservations. And Rodrigo was the only one who genuinely cared about us enjoying our stay. Never again.

  Jan 07, 2026
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  Anti-LGBTQ+!

  This resort is not LGBTQ+ friendly! My partner and I were disrespected, ignored, and discriminated by the staff and still by Bahia Principe customer service. The rooms were dirty, the staff will not serve you unless you are white and straight.

  Jan 03, 2026
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  A Complete Scam at the Beach Activities

  The beach activities service at Bahia Esmeralda is extremely disappointing. Staff are unmotivated, unprofessional, and seem irritated by guests. Activities are poorly organized and often cancelled without any explanation. Worst of all, even for activities that are already paid for, guests are asked to pay extra money on the spot, with no transparency or justification. This feels dishonest and unacceptable for a resort of this level. There is absolutely no sense of hospitality here — just indifference and greed. Definitely not the experience you expect from a supposedly premium resort.

  Dec 29, 2025
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  Do NOT Stay at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda

  Do NOT Stay at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda is by far the worst resort experience I’ve ever had. This place is falsely advertised as a “luxury” all-inclusive, and that could not be further from the truth. Check-in experience: Cold, unfriendly, and dismissive. We were treated like an inconvenience, not paying guests. No hospitality, no professionalism, and no effort to make us feel welcome. Room & cleanliness: We paid extra for a swim-up room, and it was a joke. The AC didn't work for the first night due to a faulty door sensor, The pool was ice cold, filthy, and covered in bird droppings. Inside the room, we found cockroaches, stains all over the walls and "white" stains on the ottoman (praying they were sunscreen) bathroom just overall felt dirty and moldy. Activities (false advertising): Every activity they advertise as “free” is never available when you try to book it. Always full, canceled, or suddenly unavailable. This feels like intentional bait-and-switch marketing. Each time I would ask someone they would tell me to go check with someone else and it was an endless cycle of "no, try again tomorrow" Food quality: The food was terrible and very difficult to get reservations at the A la Carte restaurants— low quality, poorly prepared, and borderline inedible. Mystery meat, no flavor, and zero consistency. This is not even close to what a 5 star all-inclusive resort should offer. How the heck is Jack Daniels top shelf and not included?? Not a single other beer selection other than Presidente...come on....for the money I paid at least throw me a freakin Corona! Staff attitude & language barrier: If you don’t speak Spanish or French, do not come here. American guests are treated poorly. Instead of trying to help or find someone who speaks English, staff will dismiss you, send you elsewhere, or pretend not to understand. It felt intentional and extremely disrespectful. Overall experience: I don't travel a ton but often enough to know what to expect, and I always want to extend my vacations. This is the only trip where we couldn’t wait to leave. Calling this place “Luxury” is misleading and embarrassing. This was the worst money I have ever spent on a vacation. Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda should be avoided at all costs. Save your time, money, and sanity — stay anywhere else in Punta Cana. Couple honorable mentions, Alfredo at guest services was helpful and accommodating but obviously doesn't work 24hrs a day. Ruben at the main bar, very nice guy! And the pool entertainment staff were fun, they did what they could to make the experience more enjoyable. I hate to have to write this type of review because I typically look for the positive in everything, but overall I just felt like we got ripped off. Saved our money all year for a family trip and just didn't hit the expectation especially for the price we paid.

  Dec 29, 2025
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  Outstanding service turned everything around 🌟🌟🌟

  Let me start by saying this review would have turned out to be very different to what it is now after the start of our trip if not for Adriana, who was truly a godsend and completely turned things around. Special thank you for her to make my mum’s birthday trip truly memorable!’ Despite the initial hiccup, she — along with Albi (front pool bar), Alberto (pool bar), Jesús at reception, “King Kong” Wanderson and Erick from the entertainment team, Tania and Yoel at the bar, Rubén in the restaurant, and Aquilino at the Limbo bar — made our stay memorable and enjoyable. Thank you all (the uno ladies 🙂)

  Dec 28, 2025