Any Favourites in Peurto Plata
Question:
We will be booking a last minute trip to Puerto Plata next week for a inexpensive getaway. I am looking at Grand Flamenco or Gran Ventana but any other suggestions would be appreciated. My husband is hesitant because of the problems in Haiti. Should this be a factor? Thanks Susan from Canada
Response:
I don’t have experience with either of the hotels you mentioned but when we went to Puerto Plata we stayed at the Riu Merengue. It is on a resort with 2 other Riu hotels (the Mambo and the Bachata). You can eat at any of the hotels, swim at any of the pools, hang out at any of the beaches. You do not have to wear a wristband of any sort as the resort is on it’s own so there aren’t any other hotels near by. In fact, there are guards with guns at the resort entrance and at either ends of the beach to keep people out who are not paying guests at the resort. The grounds were beautiful, the service was awesome, the weather was great, drinks were fantastic (they make a good mojito, grind the mint right in front of you. Oh and a nice blended drink is the "bikini"). Our room had a safe included with the price (we didn’t have to pay extra) and the mini bar was also included which included beer and bottled water in your fridge and then hard alcohol in bottles above the mini fridge. They had a standard amount supplied everyday but if you wanted more you just had to ask. The room was very clean and had a nice balcony. The beach had a few rocks, but no big deal. There is no drink service at the beach but the bars are close by so easy to get a drink if you need one. The sports beach (where you can go in a pedal boat, windsurf, get snorkeling equipment, etc.) had a bar of it’s own. At the end of the sports beach, if you want to wander past the armed guards, there is an area with vendors if you wish to pay too much for jewellry. There are NO vendors allowed on the resort beach, thus nobody bugs you to buy things. There was LOTS of choice at the buffets, lots of fruit. There were 3 restaurants to make reservations at. I wouldn’t say the food was amazing, but it was perfectly acceptable for a week’s vacation (I may have been bored of it over 2 weeks). Everything was always fresh and always cooked. Neither of us ever felt ill (okay, except for the day on the Catamaran after a night of WAY too much rum 
). As for the trouble in Haiti, I wouldn’t be worried if I stayed at a resort such as the Riu because it is so private and protected. I probably would worry more if I was staying at a resort on or near a public beach or right in Puerto Plata. Whether or not this worry would be warranted, I don’t know. Have a great trip! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > We will be booking a last minute trip to Puerto Plata next week for a > inexpensive getaway. > I am looking at Grand Flamenco or Gran Ventana but any other suggestions > would be appreciated. > My husband is hesitant because of the problems in Haiti. Should this be a > factor? > Thanks > Susan from Canada
Response:
Ok, no sarcasm or offense intended but WHY does ANYONE want to stay at a property with guard with GUNS? ??? Annie www.bonairecaribbean.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I don’t have experience with either of the hotels you mentioned but when > we went to Puerto Plata we stayed at the Riu Merengue. It is on a resort > with 2 other Riu hotels (the Mambo and the Bachata). You can eat at any > of the hotels, swim at any of the pools, hang out at any of the beaches. > You do not have to wear a wristband of any sort as the resort is on it’s > own so there aren’t any other hotels near by. In fact, there are guards > with guns at the resort entrance and at either ends of the beach to keep > people out who are not paying guests at the resort. > The grounds were beautiful, the service was awesome, the weather was > great, drinks were fantastic (they make a good mojito, grind the mint > right in front of you. Oh and a nice blended drink is the "bikini"). > Our room had a safe included with the price (we didn’t have to pay > extra) and the mini bar was also included which included beer and > bottled water in your fridge and then hard alcohol in bottles above the > mini fridge. They had a standard amount supplied everyday but if you > wanted more you just had to ask. The room was very clean and had a nice > balcony. > The beach had a few rocks, but no big deal. There is no drink service at > the beach but the bars are close by so easy to get a drink if you need > one. The sports beach (where you can go in a pedal boat, windsurf, get > snorkeling equipment, etc.) had a bar of it’s own. At the end of the > sports beach, if you want to wander past the armed guards, there is an > area with vendors if you wish to pay too much for jewellry. There are NO > vendors allowed on the resort beach, thus nobody bugs you to buy things. > There was LOTS of choice at the buffets, lots of fruit. There were 3 > restaurants to make reservations at. I wouldn’t say the food was > amazing, but it was perfectly acceptable for a week’s vacation (I may > have been bored of it over 2 weeks). Everything was always fresh and > always cooked. Neither of us ever felt ill (okay, except for the day on > the Catamaran after a night of WAY too much rum ). > As for the trouble in Haiti, I wouldn’t be worried if I stayed at a > resort such as the Riu because it is so private and protected. I > probably would worry more if I was staying at a resort on or near a > public beach or right in Puerto Plata. Whether or not this worry would > be warranted, I don’t know. > Have a great trip! > We will be booking a last minute trip to Puerto Plata next week for a > inexpensive getaway. > I am looking at Grand Flamenco or Gran Ventana but any other suggestions > would be appreciated. > My husband is hesitant because of the problems in Haiti. Should this be a > factor? > Thanks > Susan from Canada
Response:
> Ok, no sarcasm or offense intended but WHY does ANYONE want to stay at > a property with guard with GUNS?
I don’t take any offense, I didn’t choose the resort because of the guns (in fact, I didn’t even know they had them until I was there). What I was told is that it’s for the safety of the guests within the resort. It protects the guests from locals (or non-locals) that may wander in to try and scam you/sell stuff to you/or rob you. Paying locals are welcome in the resort, it is non-paying ones they are trying to keep out. Much of it is to do with the fact that the resort has a private beech and guards/guns keep the vendors off the beach and allow guests to not be pestered. Other resorts closer to Puerto Plata share a public beach, and pestering by vendors is unavoidable. I’d expect that the guns are also for protection of the lone security guard who sits at the post on the beach and perhaps would not be able to defend himself from a large group of no-good doers trying to get in the resort?? Not sure how accurate any of this is, it is just what I was told at the resort. And it’s a guard at either end of the beech and one at the main gate, and these are much better things to do at the resort than stand around staring at the guards at either of these 3 remote locations. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> ??? > Annie > www.bonairecaribbean.com >I don’t have experience with either of the hotels you mentioned but when >we went to Puerto Plata we stayed at the Riu Merengue. It is on a resort >with 2 other Riu hotels (the Mambo and the Bachata). You can eat at any >of the hotels, swim at any of the pools, hang out at any of the beaches. >You do not have to wear a wristband of any sort as the resort is on it’s >own so there aren’t any other hotels near by. In fact, there are guards >with guns at the resort entrance and at either ends of the beach to keep >people out who are not paying guests at the resort. >The grounds were beautiful, the service was awesome, the weather was >great, drinks were fantastic (they make a good mojito, grind the mint >right in front of you. Oh and a nice blended drink is the "bikini"). >Our room had a safe included with the price (we didn’t have to pay >extra) and the mini bar was also included which included beer and >bottled water in your fridge and then hard alcohol in bottles above the >mini fridge. They had a standard amount supplied everyday but if you >wanted more you just had to ask. The room was very clean and had a nice >balcony. >The beach had a few rocks, but no big deal. There is no drink service at >the beach but the bars are close by so easy to get a drink if you need >one. The sports beach (where you can go in a pedal boat, windsurf, get >snorkeling equipment, etc.) had a bar of it’s own. At the end of the >sports beach, if you want to wander past the armed guards, there is an >area with vendors if you wish to pay too much for jewellry. There are NO >vendors allowed on the resort beach, thus nobody bugs you to buy things. >There was LOTS of choice at the buffets, lots of fruit. There were 3 >restaurants to make reservations at. I wouldn’t say the food was >amazing, but it was perfectly acceptable for a week’s vacation (I may >have been bored of it over 2 weeks). Everything was always fresh and >always cooked. Neither of us ever felt ill (okay, except for the day on >the Catamaran after a night of WAY too much rum ). >As for the trouble in Haiti, I wouldn’t be worried if I stayed at a >resort such as the Riu because it is so private and protected. I >probably would worry more if I was staying at a resort on or near a >public beach or right in Puerto Plata. Whether or not this worry would >be warranted, I don’t know. >Have a great trip! >>We will be booking a last minute trip to Puerto Plata next week for a >>inexpensive getaway. >>I am looking at Grand Flamenco or Gran Ventana but any other suggestions >>would be appreciated. >>My husband is hesitant because of the problems in Haiti. Should this be a >>factor? >>Thanks >>Susan from Canada
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Response:
Go at http://www.videovoyage.ca/ you will have 6 minutes of video for this hotels, 200 photos, many 360 degres virtual photo, You will have picture for each restaurant, each bar, beach, pool, …. http://www.videovoyage.ca/minisite/puertoplata/granventana/site.htm for gran Ventana http://www.videovoyage.ca/minisite/puertoplata/grandflamenco/site.htm for Occidental Flamenco – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> We will be booking a last minute trip to Puerto Plata next week for a > inexpensive getaway. > I am looking at Grand Flamenco or Gran Ventana but any other suggestions > would be appreciated. > My husband is hesitant because of the problems in Haiti. Should this be a > factor? > Thanks > Susan from Canada
Response:
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