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"Old Wolrd Charm, Lovely Setting, Wonderful Staff"
Prior to departing, we read the reviews that others had posted, and were quite concerned that we had made a mistake in selecting this resort.
Boy were we wrong! From the minute we walked out of the airport in Samana we knew that we made the right choice
The airport is small - one runway, minimal staffing, no shops or restaurants, etc... but they moved us through quite quickly. The Air Transat rep met us as soon as we cleared "security" and directed us to the appropriate bus. The bus ride really opens your eyes to life in Domincan Republic. Make sure you sit on the passenger side of the bus as the views are spectacular. (The ride was advertised as 45 minutes, but it is at least 75 minutes, assuming you do not stop to drop people off at Cayo Leventado on the way.)
We were greeted at the resort with dancers and singers, a cool drink and a quick check in.
This is an isolated resort in a Spanish speaking third world country... the staff speak Spanish, and do their best to understand our English requests. The reception desk staff, and a few other key people speak nearly fluent English, but do yourself a favour and get a Spanish phrase book, load some Spanish lessons on your iPod, etc... as it makes a world of difference.
The tour offered a number of optional excursions that could be had at an additional cost. We went whale watching for $100 per person. After returning to the resort we learned that we could have done the same thing for $50 US per couple had we went into town and booked it ourselves. The same goes for most of the trips. The perk of the tour offering is that you simply sign-up and pay - they take care of everything else.
After learning of the cheaper alternatives, we hired a minibus taxi and, along with 2 other couples, went sightseeing to Playa Rincon, Las Galeras and El Limon Falls. Our total cost: $120 USD ($20 per person for the full day. The tour offering would have cost approximately $960 total - but you would have seen Las Terranas as well.)
The staff are very energetic, and will do their best to satisfy your requests. If you want English speaking staff who do things the way they are done in Canada/USA, go to a resort in Canada/USA.
The town of Samana is small, and not a tourist destination, although Grand Bahia are building a "mall" in town in an attempt to improve the tourist experience. You can hop on the back of a motorcycle with a local for $1USD and they will take you into town from the resort. By taxi the fare is $11USD for up to 6 people. The trip takes about 15 minutes.
All in all this was an excellent vacation. Have fun!
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"Well worth the gamble"
Location, location, location. A quaint, colonial gem in the city of Samana. This resort is the perfect place to relax and unwind. A medium sized, star-like "home" ontop of a hill over looking the bay of Samana. A few minor items still need to be worked out since its reopening in Nov. '06, but everyone and everything is well on it's way to excellence.
This region is a whale watching mecca from Jan to March and we were able to enjoy this experience from the comfort of our third floor balcony. Doesn't get much better than that!!
So, go, enjoy and relax....you won't be disappointed.
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"a true gem...."
Well I would like to say that this resort is truly a beautiful one... it is still being upgraded to the 5 star that it will be one day... My friend and I were truly lucky to be there to experience the great resort and its staff....
The food was good.... the buffet was always different...and as for the past reviews that it wasn't always warm ... well here is a great idea... if there is a lid on it... close it after you done getting what you want out of it... that way the heat stays in.... simple idea but it works.....
Drinks... well most of the reviews are right there.... the bar in the hotel is fine but the one by the pool isn't well trained in all the different drinks.... but they do try hard. Carlos is the manager for the bar in the hotel... so he is a great one for getting your drinks done.... You can buy bottled wine at dinner... its not expensive and worth it... the house wine is not great...
Rooms.... well there are rooms 301-304 that are over the garbage area... we changed from that room and got a great room that over looked the bay.... 331 ... wow it was so beautiful... always clean... the only thing about the room was that because it was the last one... it sometimes didn't get cleaned .... not that we minded...
Beach.... well small it is very beautiful... so warm , clean.... the view is amazing.... there isn't a bar on the beach so bring a travel mug with you on this resort... it will save you from going back and forth to the pool bar.
Entertainment.... well considering they have only been together for just over a couple of months... they do try hard.... but you have to have a light sense of humour... so don't expect a broadway presentation... keep it light and you will laugh alot.
The staff do try hard and always laughing and trying to get you to join in .... they work long days 10am-12am for 2 weeks straight and are always smiling... so thank yous go along way for them.... also they love anything you want to give them with canada on them.... so bring lots and they will be your best friend and wear it with pride... so thankful for anything.... as for the maids... we tipped well and got nothing in return... the entertainment staff was well worth giving the little extras too...
Language... well they are trying hard to learn english... but there are some that are well versed in english.... just speak slow for them... i wish i brought a spanish phrase book with me.
The bus ride... well it is about an hour ride so take in the scene... its both beautiful and a true realization of the poverty this country lives in.... its airconditioned so you will be comfortable.
Airport is beautiful but like others have posted on here its not done yet... there is nothing to eat or drink ... so raid your room frige and take some food from the buffet... but otherwise its clean and easy to find your way around.
So take the opportunity to go to this resort.... cause in a few months it will be very expensive as it will be a 5 star....
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10 km
Bar 
