Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9590 reviews

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  Luxury Esmeralda will not disappoint! Book here with peace of mind! Stay away from the Punta Cana side; just aweful!

  Amazing Resort! We stayed at this resort for the second time! Loved every minute, the food, beach and service were all AMAZING! We had originally booked over on the Punta Cana side, what a mistake that was. We upgraded to the Esmeralda and enjoyed the vacation we had hoped for.

  Feb 03, 2026
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  Not a luxury upgrade, just a resort

  Basic and to the point. We had a swim up that was one of the closest room to the beach. Great location, room was nice enough, it’s DR, not like you should expect a 5 star in T.O. We go away a lot and always upgrade, swim out, diamond club, whatever each resort offers. This was our first time here. “Luxury Esmeralda” is not an upgrade. It’s a normal resort next to a really packed low end resort. There’s like 5 resorts with like 8 lobby’s and shuttle lines all over. This place is massive. Esmeralda was the size of an average resort. Beach is insane busy. People will pull chairs up right next to you, like 1 ft away to get a spot or shade. When I say busy, it’s the busiest beach I have ever seen. There’s a person every 2 feet all the way to the water, from one end of the resort to the other. Doesn’t matter that you are at “luxury Esmeralda”. There’s a spot on the beach just for Esmeralda but it’s jammed too, people everywhere. Think Canadas wonderland on the busiest day of the year and you bought a fast pass but showed up and everyone has a fast pass. I believe all the resorts together have 3500 rooms, now think the beach is only so wide, Google earth it, there’s just not enough space to support this many people. Buffet was good enough. A-la-cart are not great, I’ve been to better, the steak house was sad, guy came over with meat on a skewer and cut off some, it was basic sausage, basic chicken, beef etc, same stuff as the buffet, lol, not fancy but good effort. Other meats were way over cooked and not even close to a steak. Drinks - we are use to Corona and Heineken bottles for upgraded people, not everywhere in the resort but the upgraded bars. It’s all Presidente draft. Hard stuff is all no name, like no name baileys etc, which was still good enough. But you can’t get a canned or bottled beer anywhere in the resort but your room fridge, ask them for Presidente light and tip them well and your fridge will get filled. I just started bringing those to the beach etc. Advise, if you want to pay for “upgraded services” go somewhere else. Other option, just go to the Bahia grand and pay way less and party. We hung out over there a few days and it was fun, big lines and garbage food, but fun. Peoples rooms were like a 5 minute golf cart ride away and from what they said, sometimes the golf cart shuttles were full and had to wait forever. All and all, this is not any sort of upgrade or luxury, only actual upgrade was having a swim out.

  Feb 01, 2026
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  Awful

  We stayed for a week in November 18-25th and during our time at Bahía we was injured at the hotel on day 5 of our trip. The bathrooms are poorly designed because the toilet cubicle are so small with swinging toilet doors and a sharp handle that my boyfriend went to sit down and banged the top of his head. We immediately went to a&e and 3 stitches later we came back to the hotel and complained. We said a complaint at reception and filled out formed but nothing was even done about it, not even a follow up concern or check from any staff at the hotel. We complained again once we left the holiday and returned back the the uk again no accountability. Others- The pools were diets and some days the pools was closed because kids would pop in them… I also had raw chicken from room service No friendly service from ANY staff at the hotel. Really rubbish hotel which is a shame.

  Jan 28, 2026
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  Exceeding our Expectations - Group of 8

  This resort exceeded all of our expectations (group of 8). The resort is very clean, the food was amazing. We enjoyed the buffet and the many restaurants. We had no issues making reservations using the app. The staff were friendly and attentive. It is a smaller resort so everything is easy to access. The rooms were kept incredibly clean. We enjoyed every element of this place and plan to return in the future. Highly recommended.

  Jan 28, 2026
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  Sexual harassment!!!

  Upon arrival at the hotel, we were informed that our allocated room was not yet ready. We were offered an upgrade to a swim up pool room located close to the beach, which we accepted at an additional cost of £900. We were then accommodated in a swim up room at Grand Esmeralda. While the upgraded room itself was acceptable, there were several maintenance issues on arrival, including damp bed sheets, a broken toilet seat, and a lack of basic amenities such as clothes hangers. I would like to acknowledge that a receptionist named Artemisia was extremely helpful and responsive, arranging repairs promptly and handling the situation professionally, although the toilet seat was never fully resolved. Her assistance was, without question, one of the few positive aspects of the stay. Unfortunately, our experience quickly deteriorated due to serious and ongoing issues in the buffet restaurant. From the very beginning of our stay, my sister was repeatedly subjected to inappropriate behaviour from waiters. She was persistently asked for her phone number, invited to go elsewhere for kisses, and subjected to suggestive comments. This behaviour occurred morning, noon, and night and was relentless. This situation was particularly distressing as my sister suffers from chronic PTSD following a violent assault four years ago in which she was left for dead. The repeated harassment caused her significant emotional distress and anxiety, to the point where she became fearful of attending meals. We raised formal complaints with the hotel, yet no meaningful action was taken until the final days of our stay, when some waiters were finally removed. By that point, the damage had already been done, and our holiday had effectively been ruined. No guest should ever feel unsafe, intimidated, or unable to access basic facilities such as restaurants. Spending ten days largely confined to a room in order to avoid sexual harassment cannot reasonably be described as a holiday. It is also important to note that the hotel operates very much as a timeshare focused resort. Guests are frequently targeted. We were approached and invited to attend a one hour presentation, with a gift promised upon completion. We attended the presentation in full, only to be told afterwards that we were not suitable candidates because we already own a timeshare. When we attempted to collect the promised gift, we were informed that we were not eligible. A written complaint was submitted to the hotel regarding this matter, but no response was received. The beach experience was also disappointing. It was overcrowded, noisy, and lacked any sense of peace or relaxation. Guests were constantly approached by individuals attempting to sell excursions, goods, or services. As a result, we spent the majority of our stay by the pool outside our room simply to avoid continual interruption. There were some positive elements. The food quality was excellent overall, particularly in the speciality restaurants, including the fish market, and room service was consistently very good. These positives, however, were significantly outweighed by the overall experience. At checkout, we were assisted by a staff member named Alex, whose manner was rude and unwelcoming, with no effort made to offer courtesy or professionalism. During our stay, we also witnessed numerous other guests raising complaints about similar issues, with little evidence that these concerns were being taken seriously. Despite submitting a formal written complaint more than ten days ago, we have received no response. Would I recommend this hotel. Absolutely not. Anyone seeking a calm, respectful, and restorative holiday should look elsewhere. This hotel may suit those who are comfortable being repeatedly approached regarding timeshare opportunities, but it does not provide a safe or supportive environment for all guests. It is deeply disappointing, as this resort has the potential to be a lovely place. Unfortunately, the overriding impression is that financial gain is prioritised over guest wellbeing. Maintenance is inadequate, guest concerns are not properly addressed, and the overall focus appears to be on extracting as much money as possible rather than delivering a quality and respectful guest experience. A timely response, accountability, and meaningful action would have gone a long way. Regrettably, none were forthcoming.

  Jan 27, 2026