What We Love
- There's something for everyone at this resort. From catamarans with a captain, to the Etra Spa with professional spa treatments.
Things to Know
- If you're looking for something to do this is the place - water sports, land sports, golf and more.
The ivory shores of Bavaro Beach beckon sunbathers while snorkelers and scuba divers find bliss off shore. What's more, the resort offers non-motorized water activities free of charge. Skim over the waves on a complimentary catamaran excursion, or head to the resort's pool for a game of water polo. If you'd rather just relax and bask in the island atmosphere, though, the resort also provides loungers, palapas and towels for you to do just that. A refreshing beverage from the beachside Bucanero Bar tops off a perfectly beachy afternoon.
When dinnertime rolls around, check out El Mirador to sample the theme-based evening menu this buffet has in store. If you want Caribbean-style meals, La Proa serves up meat and seafood dishes with signature Island flair. In the mood for Italian? Don your best "smart casual" ensemble and make an appearance at La Trattoria for pasta dishes served A la carte. On Fridays, the decision is easy. Head straight for El Cano, where guests enjoy a fun seaside barbecue under the stars.
After dinner, the party keeps going at Calipso Bar until 5 am. If the night's still young, though, the Fun Pub is the best spot to get groovin'. Then, if you feel like you're on a roll, venture to the Towers Casino to see how Lady Luck treats you.
If gambling is a step too close to the wild side for you, get a good night's rest instead, and prepare for the relaxation experience of your life at Etra Spa. From private parlors for couples massages to a full-service hair salon, the resort's on-site spa pampers you until the cares of ordinary life become distant memories.
This hotel is All-Inclusive. Features include:
- Buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
- A la carte dinners at specialty restaurants from special menu
- Day and night snacks
- Unlimited domestic drinks 24 hours a day and wine with lunch and dinner
- Non-motorized water sports, including snorkeling equipment, boogie boards, kayaks, catamarans (30 min with captain per stay), pedal boats, windsurfing
- Scuba lesson in the pool
- Daily and nightly entertainment
- All taxes and gratuities
Location
Punta Cana - BeachProperty Information
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Resort Details
Dining
Amenities
Activities
Hotel Advisories
General Policies & Fine Print
Check-in Policy - Hotel requires a credit/debit card authorization or cash deposit upon check-in for incidentals; this will place a hold on your funds.
Convention Policy - Individuals attending a convention cannot book this property for their stay. If found attending a convention, guests may be subject to higher room rates upon arrival.
Hotel Spring Break Policy - No Spring Breakers Allowed.
Transfer Policy - A price may display when children stay free, if your vacation includes transfer to your hotel.
General Information - Room taxes and service fees are included in vacation price.
Minimum night stay restrictions may apply.
Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.
Customer Ratings & Reviews
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
3956 reviews
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Mar 12, 2020Rep Dom vacation
I came here for 12 days I had the best time ever everything was perfect the food the service the reception the animation especially Princesa he is adorable person you come here and you will feel the enjoyment of your lifePlus the housekeeping keep hers and the people they were bartenders everybody was excellent everybody and all the animation guys you will love I don’t remember the names but I remember Princessر I also always always you don’t leave you she help you if you need anything so you have to come to Vick Arena to try to see in your eyes what I’m talking about thank you Dominican republic thank you❤️🌹
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Mar 11, 2020
Nice Resort
A fantastic small resort. Wonderful white sand beaches. We checked in with great ease, no waiting. There are no water sports here, but lots of things to do along the beach. (ie parasailing, kite sailing, banana boat rides, etc) If you have your own snorkeling equipment, there are small weeded areas with nice fish to watch. The only complaint is there was no hot water for the duration of our vacation in the room. 4 of the 5 blocks of rooms did not have hot water. This information was not communicated to us upon check in. The staff were very accommodating with allowing us to use another room to have a warm shower. Highly recommended this resort.
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Feb 26, 20202019 Christmas Vacation
First off, check who are writing the reviews. We met a lot a self-centred, self-entitled Europeans on this trip. What an eye opener!! We went at Christmas time for two weeks. I booked knowing the reviews were not the best, but the price was very reasonable. I am super happy I did. The VIK Arena Blanca is not a five star resort, period. It is a boutique resort situated between two five star resorts. The lobby and rooms, while very cozy, are not opulent enough for 5 a star rating. Fine by me since I really booked for the price and the location, alone. The lobby has Wi-Fi service and was very comfortable, once the new European guests realized what “no smoking” means. The rooms were like rooms in any motel on the planet. You want 5 star pay for 5 star. These were very clean and well maintained, and had everything you require. TV, Air conditioning, a safe, a closet, telephone, hair dryer, mini fridge ad a ceiling fan. We hadn’t planned on spending much time in there anyway. They were well maintained and kept very clean. We were in building 3, top floor, which had a great view of the pool and a very nice view of the Ocean. Building 5 is on the beach and building 1 is beside the Lobby. Pool and Beach – Unbelievable. Multiple frond cabanas at both, no need to get up early and reserve. Please note, the pool is salt water, no problem, just an FYI. Drinks and food are very close to both areas. Very clean and no pressure sales from the hawkers on the beach, unless you ask for it. Our room was within 50 feet of both the pool and the beach. Staff – 5 star all around, including the Manager I talked to – Mr. Alexander Reyes Cepin. The VIK had people serving drinks in the lobby, for those who were too lazy to walk 10 feet. The front desk went above and beyond their job description, especially when my daughter ended up in the Hospital. Clinic and first aid is above reproach, BRING INSURANCE. Buffet staff, beyond amazing, were very tolerant to people who thought they were waiters/waitresses, snapping fingers and yelling at them to get drinks, etc. They complied smiling all the time, even though people were dining in flip flops and wet bathing suits. Really people, would you do that at home? Food – Breakfast had all the usual things you would expect with a few different items daily. Lunch had a great variety, fish, pork, chicken and beef. Mostly light dishes, which you would expect. Supper was delicious, and items varied from day to day. There was a great variety and the food was a very nice surprise. They also offered a vegetarian section for those who wanted it. Desserts were awesome. They really out did themselves on Christmas Eve, Day and New Year’s Eve. Also a continental breakfast was available at 5:00 am so you had food before your excursions, if you booked. Pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs were available all day, if you really wanted it? The food was 5 star, period, and I have cruised in the past. Entertainment – There was something different every night and when we went we enjoyed ourselves immensely. You had to participate in some events which added to the fun, even to the embarrassment to my daughter. Even when I had to sing La Bamba on the stage. By the way I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, but we had fun. We went to 8 events and enjoyed them all. Nice variety. Was it perfect? Of course not, what Vacation ever is? The power fluctuated in the mornings on occasion, for minutes at most. Big deal, open the curtain in your room. Don’t be like some and yell at the staff and Managers. It was all over Punta Cana, what are they going to do? Cold water – yes, over Christmas they had issues. There was either no hot water or once the front desk was notified, they had limited warm water in your room. They acknowledged that and that they were trying to fix it. They offered us to change rooms, as many others were doing, but we decided not to waste time as they told us it was a whole resort issue and really wouldn’t help. Why move for no results, and we liked our room. I don’t think screaming at the front desk staff in public was warranted, but it seemed like a lot of people did it, usually in a language they couldn’t understand. The hot water was restored in the second week. In all I, and my family, loved our holiday. We knew going in that this is a smaller resort in a third world country, but we were very impressed. I would and am going back as soon as possible.
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Feb 23, 2020
Peaceful, Relaxing, Stunning Beach
This is a small resort, perfect for families and people who don’t want to be overwhelmed by the mega resorts. I loved the coziness and of course the price. The beach, the buffet, the restaurants and Lobby area are all a 5 minute walk from the rooms. The beach is STUNNING and you can walk for hours, we never felt unsafe and if a vendor approached we would politely decline their offer and they would immediately leave us alone;I would go for solitary walks frequently. Our rooms were in the #3 Building and they were large and airy with high ceilings; the room had a very large balcony with towel bars that were very handy for hanging wet clothes. The beds were comfortable and sometimes you had to run the water for a few minutes before it became piping hot but hot water was always available. I never saw any insects in the rooms and the grounds were spotless and beautifully landscaped . There were always plenty of lounge chairs at the pools and beach and the two large pools are well used but never too crowded. We found the food at the buffet to be quite good, lots of variety and they have a great Chinese stir fry station and pasta bar. They also have a carved meat station that changed daily. The only restaurant we tried was the Mexican and their fajitas were very tasty. They also had an outdoor buffet area where they make pizzas from scratch in an outdoor oven; you could also get here excellent juicy hamburger patties that that were freshly cooked in small batches and a plentiful supply of crispy French fries. This is a very relaxed resort, no reservations needed for the alacarte restaurants and at the buffet don’t expect to be seated and served drinks. Everything is self serve which felt a little strange initially but the flip side is that there is no pressure to tip; the staff are friendly but keep their distance. The resort has a great Activities team which can keep you busy all day if you choose to participate in all the activities, my daughter and I loved the aqua fitness classes. The only evening show I watched was the Circus Largo one which was surprisingly very good considering I am a big fan of Cirque de Soleil. My daughter watched some of the others and quite enjoyed them. The Lobby area is very spacious with a large scattering of sofas and chairs and was a favourite hangout for people to play cards and games or just chat. This is also where all the cappuccino machines which make all the yummy coffee drinks are located along with a bar. We met quite a few people who have been coming to this resort for many years and I can understand why; we were sad to leave this lovely special place and having stayed at some overpriced big shiny resorts I far preferred staying here. After 10:00pm it is very quiet, well at least the week we were there. A few improvements that I can think of:1) irons in the rooms 2) Magnifying makeup mirrors 3) better labeling of food in the buffet. As a vegetarian I was getting very frustrated by the mislabeling, many dishes labeled as vegetable based would contain meat. I want to give a special thanks to Santosh at the checkin counter, always very pleasant and accommodating and the activities staff who have a wonderful program; my adult daughter had so much fun hanging out with them. Also I booked a half day Catamaran trip with the Air Transit people at the hotel. It was by Bebe Catamarans, highly recommend it!!
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Feb 18, 2020
Always a good time
Our 6th visit here with our family. This year we were 7 , we all had an amazing time, Pedro, Carlos , and Ricardo always greeted us with a smile . 4 Rooms in building 4 were great but prefer a shower stall over the jacuzzi tub that doesn’t work lol. Beach is beautiful, we just got a bad week of strong winds and random downpours . We spend most of our time by the beautiful pool. 🏝🌞😀 see you later Petro🍹🏝