Dreams Macao Beach Punta Cana - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9680 reviews

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  Honest review for families over Thanksgiving week

  To start off, I've always prided myself on doing lots of research before family vacations (wife plus kids ages 10, 7 and 4), and I felt really good about choosing Dreams Macao Beach. It checked almost all the boxes: waterparks on site, nice beach, reputable chain, etc. But I'm left pretty underwhelmed and disappointed after putting so much thought into coming here for Thanksgiving week. I would not recommend this resort, even though it has a lot of great amenities to offer. For starters, our 10-year-old got seriously ill -- he's still sick and we're back in America. He lost five pounds so far, which is a lot when he began at 75 pounds. I know travel-related illness is a gamble anywhere in the Caribbean or the world for that matter, but it does seem that there's a particularly high rate at this resort. Not only did we hear several people mention getting sick at the resort, but we SAW several people in and out of the on-site doctor's office when we were there with our son. Again: I KNOW this is a gamble, and maybe the resort didn't make him sick. But we have traveled to Jamaica, St. Lucia, Mexico (twice) and Antigua and have never had so much as a tummy ache. Our son couldn't leave the room for two days, and we had to put him in a wheelchair to get him through the airport on the way home. We splurged for a villa and butler, and although our butler was fantastic and helpful, we really didn't need him for much. We were preferred club, and yet I can't think of one thing we actually got, other than access to an underwhelming preferred lounge with average food, to come with the added price. (We did not visit the preferred lounge once after check in.) There are marked preferred areas all over the resort and yet no one asked us once for our room number or whether we were actually preferred members. That whole aspect seemed like a waste of money. Despite being preferred club, we still had to pay $300 for arcade access for the week, plus tip the butler, plus tip other people all over the resort. I could just feel the money adding up. I was hoping being "preferred" would come with some sort of perk but it did not. At all. It's also a reputable resort, and yet the vendors on site, stationed all over the grounds, were so aggressive we literally plotted ways to walk AROUND them so as to avoid them. One vendor literally stopped one of my sons, put a necklace on him, forced four more necklaces into our hands and insisted we take them and come back later and give him $60. I was like, "Sir, I don't want these. I don't know. Let me talk to my wife." And he was like, "Oh come on, yes, I know you want them. I was going to charge you $80. Just give me $60. It's fine!" I'm not sure how the resort allows this. We almost always buy from local vendors, and we are always happy to browse and support the locals. But any time you stopped to look for even a split second they were on top of you in an instant. It sucked to have to deal with that as you're walking to lunch with your family. Lastly, the food is average to below average. People are right about cold food at the buffet. The restaurants had great service, smiling wait staff. I appreciated all of it. But the food was just okay. I had a filet at the Ocean spot that was really nice, and fish tacos at the Mexican place that were dynamite. And the ice cream at Cocoa Cafe is yummy. Nothing else notable. Oh, and this is really my last negative: They really do water-down their liquor drinks or not put in a lot of alcohol. I saw those comments here before booking and I was like, "Come on, people. How picky can you be?" And then I drank the drinks myself and I was like, "There's no liquor in these!" It happened over and over and over. Eventually I started asking for extra shots, but even that sometimes didn't make a difference. All that said, here are the high points: * The resort has two "grill" food places open from noon to 6 serving burgers, hot dogs, fries, nachos, etc., and these were great. The burgers were very good. So were the fries. And it was nice to have this food option available almost around the clock. Any time you were hungry you could grab something in seconds, and that was great. * The two waterparks for both big kids and little kids were really great, considering we have 10 and 7 year olds who wanted to do the scary, big kid stuff, and a 4 year old who loved the smaller waterpark. It's just really nice having both options for families with kids of varying ages. * The arcade was worth the price tag. We bowled as a family every night, most nights multiple times. Our boys spent a ton of time there every night. * The beach was gorgeous and the waves are really fun. I saw a lot of comments about the surf being rough, and it is, to a degree. It just depends on what you're used to. For our family, the waves were perfectly rough, but not in a bad way, and they break really smooth and are ideal for boogie boarding and body surfing. (There is A LOT of sargassum in the water and on the beach. Not ideal, but it's not the worst thing in the world.) * The service: The vast majority of the service and servers are phenomenal and pleasant. * The resort itself is beautiful and well maintained. Overall, it was okay. It's not like we're wishing we never went. But I don't think it was worth the money, and I'm disappointed my kid got so sick. I just think that for the price point, combined with all the negatives, I would consider something else, and especially consider a place without so many instances of food-related issues.

  Nov 29, 2025
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  Amazing Family experience

  Beautiful Resort and great for our family with teenagers. Lots of pool options and great food. The Activities staff was amazing!

  Nov 29, 2025
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  Good times.

  I had a blast but it was my first all inclusive. The staff made it amazing. I really liked a couple of the restaurants. It was my first all inclusive and Im easy but I couldn't imagine a much better experience.

  Nov 28, 2025
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  Phenomenal Hotel

  The hotel itself is exceptionally well maintained, spotless at all times, with absolutely no signs of cockroaches, bugs, or any other pests. Naturally, there are lizards, moths, and butterflies around the grounds, which actually added to the charm of the environment. In terms of overall cleanliness, this is genuinely one of the cleanest hotels I have ever stayed in. The evening entertainment was consistently impressive. The acrobatic and gymnastics-style performances in particular were outstanding and genuinely exceeded my expectations. The only drawback was the music played around the pool from about 10 a.m. It was loud, high-energy party music, which felt out of place so early in the day when most guests were still waking up or trying to relax. A more considerate approach to the morning atmosphere would make a noticeable difference. The food at the hotel was superb, easily among the best I’ve experienced abroad. Everything was fresh, flavourful, and, importantly, felt safe to eat. I often struggle with food sensitivity in other countries, but this was not an issue here beyond the usual adjustments when travelling. The staff were outstanding throughout our stay. They were consistently helpful, friendly, and attentive. I was unexpectedly taken to hospital during the trip, and the hotel contacted me directly to check on my wellbeing and offered additional support when I returned. Their care and responsiveness were genuinely appreciated. The only negative aspect of the trip, which was unrelated to the hotel itself, involved the TUI representatives and the Bavaro hospital.

  Nov 28, 2025
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  Domingo, our Butler crushed it

  Amazing grounds and amenities. Get the arcade and zip line package. It is worth it. Our butler, Domingo, handled everything flawlessly for us.

  Nov 28, 2025