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Students will learn curricula focusing on language functions in afternoon classes. Pair and group activities related to the language functions improve Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing skills. Everyday English is also covered in the afternoon classes. There are 16 levels. All students are placed in separate levels according to their grammar and conversation skills.
We offer you following courses:
* English Speaking Courses:
- Communication - Each level of our school's afternoon communication classes is based on a four-week curriculum that focuses on functional English designated to the level through speaking and listening with some emphasis on reading and writing.
- Language is Culture - In this course, we study cultural similarities and differences. We look at gestures, body language, intonation and English conversation styles. You can communicate better in English if you are culturally aware. Know the culture. Know the language!
- Morning Conversation - Teachers use weekly themes in conversation classes. Pair and group activities related to the theme improve listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Everyday English is also covered in the conversation classes.
- Pop Culture - Learn contemporary English slang, idioms, and everyday English by watching and studying popular television shows and movies. This is the English that native English speakers use with each other. This course is fun, informative and practical. Speak everyday English like a Canadian!
- Pronunciation - Reduce common pronunciation errors and develop more natural intonation and stress patterns. You will learn about English consonant and vowel sounds, intonation, word stress, word reductions, sentence rhythm, and blending words in conversation.
- Survival English - Study the English you need to live in Canada or the United States. Learn to get through everyday activities easily, using the English language to achieve your goals. In this course, you will learn new vocabulary through practice dialogues and role plays. Weekly contact assignments help you practice what you learn in real situations.
- Word Power - The objectives of this elective course are: to teach ESL students 300 English core words and word parts indispensable for bettering reading and writing skills, to provide students with vocabulary acquisition techniques to use on their own, to give a general idea about English morphology, to provide with vocabulary from a variety of other fields.
* English Grammar Courses:
- Morning Grammar - grammar classes is based on a four-week curriculum that focuses on the practicing of grammar structures designated to the level, listening comprehension, pronunciation, vocabulary development and idioms.
* English Listening Courses:
- Listening - Improve your listening skills through exposure to a wide range of listening materials, such as taped speech, songs, and radio and television shows. This course focuses almost entirely on listening skills.
* English Reading and Vocabulary Courses:
- Reading & Vocabulary - Learn specific reading skills: scanning; previewing and predicting; determining topics, main ideas, and organization patterns; skimming; inferencing; summarizing. Develop vocabulary through readings, guessing from context and practicing differentiating function words from content words.
* English Writing Courses:
- Writing - Develop essay writing skills, develop descriptive writing techniques, and increase and improve vocabulary.
* English Test Preparation Courses:
- IELTS Preparation - IELTS (test) the complete range of English language skills students encounter when studying or training in English. IELTS tests Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Academic IELTS is suitable for candidates planning to undertake higher education study.
- TOEFL Preparation - The TOEFL test evaluates the English proficiency of people who speak English as a second language. TOEFL test scores are required for admission to 2,400 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Since October 2005, the TOEFL Internet-based Test (iBT) has been in use. We prepare students for the TOEFL test quickly and efficiently. Our Resource Development Team constantly prepares and purchases new resources, to ensure our students have the latest TOEFL preparation software and textbooks. Our TOEFL Preparation Program includes 4 levels.
- TOEIC Preparation - Our Preparation Programs help students achieve high TOEIC scores. There are three separate TOEIC Preparation levels. The Preparation Program is suitable for students who have at least an upper-intermediate English language level and want to take the TOEIC Test in Canada.
* Business English Courses:
- BC Economy - Economic concepts and vocabulary in an overview of the economy in British Columbia. Discussion topics include: Tourism, Film and Television, Hospitality, and Information Technology.
- BINT - The Business Internship (BINT) morning and afternoon classes are mandatory for all internship students. BINT am involves interview and telephone techniques, business meetings and negotiating.
- Business English - Study the key concepts and vocabulary used in marketing, the key concepts and vocabulary used in the global economy, learn on-the-job communication skills which include: program policies and procedures, North American business culture, workplace etiquette and communication strategies.
- Grammar for Business Purposes - Introductions, Job Descriptions, Business Letters, Common Abbreviations, Prepositions, Business Verbs and Nouns, Verb Tenses, Orders, Invoices, Employee Morale.
- International Economy - Study the key concepts and vocabulary used in the global economy.
- Marketing - Study the key concepts and vocabulary used in marketing.
- Professional Customer Service Program - Improve your English language skills, while learning professional customer service practices.
- Public Speaking - Learn how to plan and deliver speeches and presentations.
* Special English Programs:
- Academic Preparation Diploma Program. Prepare for college or university in Canada or the United States. After earning an Academic Preparation Diploma, you will have the skills and confidence you need to learn quickly in an English language environment. This program is suitable for all students who want to develop their academic English abilities. Improve your listening, writing and test preparation skills by earning an Academic Preparation Diploma.
- Business Internship Program: The Business Internship Program helps people develop the language skills they need to function effectively in an English-speaking work environment. Language skills are developed through stimulating, communicative activities.
- TEFL Certificate Program: Teachers with TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) training are in demand in Canada and around the world. A TEFL certificate is a passport into a career that will help you continually develop new skills and meet people from exotic places. Teaching opportunities arise frequently as the TEFL industry grows.
- Ski / Snowboard + English Program. The Ski & Snowboard Plus English Program in January and February combines morning English classes with 11 afternoon skiing or snowboarding lessons per month. This program is offered as a total package, with one fee.
-Vacation Study Program Venture Program. The Vacation Study Program combines morning classes with afternoon sightseeing and leisure activities. At least one sightseeing activity is offered each weekend. This program includes 15 hours of morning classroom instruction per week, as well as afternoon and weekend activities. Your Canadian family will help you improve your English and you will cherish your new friends and memories forever.
As well as a variety of fun sightseeing excursions, our summer activities include many sports activities, such as hiking, beach volleyball and river rafting. From December to February, our winter activities include skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing.
* Homestays in Vancouver Canada:
Enjoy immersion in the English language at Vancouver English Centre. You will make Canadian friends, enjoy sightseeing in Vancouver, and be taught by experienced Canadian ESL teachers. Learn more about Canadian language and culture living in a homestay in Vancouver Canada.
We has thousands of host families that meet the various needs of our homestay students. We will arrange a homestay to suit your personal preferences. For example, if you request a North Vancouver homestay with pets and children, we will match you with such a homestay.
* Virtual Tours of Vancouver Canada:
Watch virtual tours of Vancouver and our school. Look around our campus. Enjoy Vancouver's English Bay, or the Vancouver Art Gallery. See 164 tours of Vancouver's best attractions. Improve your English skills while exploring beautiful Vancouver. Vancouver is one of the world's cleanest, safest, and friendliest cities. The United Nations and the Corporate Resources Group have rated Vancouver as the nicest city in the world.
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This event is in the past.
April 15, 2014 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Category: Recruitment
Location: Franklin High School
31000 Joy Rd
Livonia , MI 48150
Livonia , MI 48150
Cost: Free
Calendars: Salesforce, Recruitment Schedule, Main Events Calendar, Admissions
Audience: Prospective Students
Adanna Smith, WSU Admissions Counselor, will host a Wayne State University information visit at Franklin High School. The information visit will be an opportunity for prospective students to speak with an Admissions Counselor, find out about admission requirements and learn more about Wayne State University.
For more information about this event, please contact Adanna Smith at 313-577-3577.

subset: commoncrawl


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Anthony Castronovo designed the Heliotropis, a combination of bronze, ceramic and glass in the shape of a flower. His outdoor sculpture features petals that will open during the day, close at night and are illuminated with an LED array. Solar panels in the leaves collect the sunlight and Arduino microcontrollers let the flower to respond to such environmental aspects as temperature, barometric pressure, light, and wind. The Heliotropis will be erected in Rumson, New Jersey with a target date of sometime this year.
Via Anthony Castronovo
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At Colorlines.com, we pride ourselves on making a lot out of a little. It's a cliche of indy publishing and grassroots activism, but it's a hard fact: Every dollar counts. I've practiced this kind of journalism my whole career, and as a result I've got a keen understanding of the thin line between solvent and broke. So it's not lightly that I tell you the following: The scrappy, grassroots work that keeps a city like mine churning desperately needs a foundation like the North Star Fund. I believe that so strongly, that I'm taking the unusual step of using this space to ask if you will join me in supporting North Star's crucial work.
I'm humbled to be among the people that the North Star Fund is honoring at its Community Gala on May 8. I'd be delighted if the Colorlines.com community would join me, either by attending the event or supporting the work with a donation.
Since its founding in 1979, the North Star Fund has awarded approximately $37 million to over 1,700 community groups--from kitchen table activists fighting for better housing, to citywide movements to protect civil rights. Scores of New York's most effective grassroots organizing groups got their first grant from North Star--maybe even some of you.
And it's not just grants. North Star supports both individuals and organizations in developing themselves as leaders, working collaboratively and building coalitions across the boundaries that the right creates.
But perhaps most importantly, to me, North Star Fund understands that the best solutions to community problems come from the community itself. That's our starting point at Colorlines.com, too. We don't seek understanding by asking power brokers; we turn to the people and communities confronting the issues we cover daily. Similarly, North Star puts resources in the hands of people directly affected by injustice. Funding decisions are made by a community funding committee, not by a staff sitting on high.
So if you're not familiar with the North Star Fund, I hope you'll check out their work--and the work of the leaders they support. And then I hope you'll join me in supporting that work. Because every dollar counts when you're building community from the ground up.


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We made a version of this recipe. Plus chick peas and some red pepper flake, extra garlic and ginger. To be honest, the night didn't start well.
That's a broken Wustoff knife handle, in case you were wondering.
Nothing happened when I added a pinch of saffron to my rice.
Yup, still brown rice. Booooorrrrrring....
Lookd like curry, smells like curry, tastes like something decidedly less delicious than curry.
Matthew was clearly not impressed. It's also important to note that we didn't even eat at the table. Lame.
Rowdypants however, in true Rowdy fashion, still wants a taste of whatever we have. Unfortunately, it's too tomatoey and too spicy for LBD, he had dog food instead. Also lame, says Rowdy.
Another interesting thing that Matt and I have noticed since not eating out is probably obvious, but for whatever reason, surprised me. We've been running out of things. There is more room in our cabinets, there are more empty shelves in our fridge. We usually keep a pretty hefty running stock in our pantry and in our fridge, and now, in addition to using all the things we buy, we're using up what's we have and what's been in the cabinet for awhile. In addition to fresh ingredients like produce and proteins, we've been having to add pantry staples to our shopping lists. I can't remember the last time I used up the very last bit of coriander in jar. That happened this week! Instead of throwing leftovers away (pretty regularly, which used to happen) we pack them as lunches or use them as fill in dinners. I'm suddenly aware of how wasteful we were (and are, still, in some ways) and how lucky we are to have a full pantry and fridge. Even when there is "nothing to eat" at our house, we still have plenty, and that is something we should be thankful for.


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It pays to be a glass half-full sort of person early in an AFL season. If you're a supporter of one of the seven teams still without a win you can console yourself with the fact your side is nevertheless just one game out of the top eight.
Yes, even Melbourne, though the Demons' percentage of 28 is already nearly 100 behind that of the eighth-placed Western Bulldogs. That in itself should be enough to smash any rose-coloured glasses Dees' fans might have chosen to don.
And now, here's a little dose of reality for those who follow the other half-dozen yet to earn four match points. Your teams might well rebound from here and go on to great things in September. But history suggests very strongly they won't.
In the last 37 seasons of AFL/VFL football, just one club has managed to win neither of its opening two games and gone on to a win the premiership.
That was North Melbourne in 1999, which lost to Geelong by a kick, then Essendon by 35 points. Indeed, the Roos would be sitting 1-3 before not just turning it around, but winning 19 of their final 21 games, the last victory a 35-point win over Carlton on grand final day.
But you have to go all the way back to 1975 to find an even worse immediate start that ended up still delivering a flag. That was also the Roos, in the year of their first premiership, under Ron Barassi.
North Melbourne, despite having lost the previous season's grand final to Richmond, looked to be in desperate trouble when it lost its first four games, including defeats to stragglers Melbourne and Fitzroy.
But the Roos would rebound brilliantly to end up with a 14-8 record, finish third on the ladder, then survive a four-game finals campaign to clinch the flag.
The best example of a shocking start to a year retrieved in more recent times is that turned in by Adelaide in 1998. The Crows were 5-6 after half the season and sitting 10th on the ladder, with a host of stars, including Darren Jarman, Tony Modra, Andrew McLeod, Nigel Smart and Mark Ricciuto, all out injured or suspended.
Ricciuto has recalled previously the long haul back. "We had some injuries after '97, we were a long way from our best at the start of the year, and we really only started to hit our straps, I reckon, about three weeks after round 11," he told Fairfax Media last year.
"I remember a defining moment in that season was when we went to play Sydney in Sydney. We beat them by six goals, and everyone started to take us seriously again. I reckon that was when we started to hit top gear."
The stragglers of 2013 at least have more time than did the Crows to find their stride.
So how do the winless stack up, and what about prospects of rehabilitation at this early stage? One thing already patently clear is that, to adapt George Orwell, some are clearly more equal than others.
There's a yawning gap between the levels reached by North Melbourne, which at least pushed Collingwood and lost on virtually the last kick to Geelong, and Melbourne, which in last week's debacle against Essendon managed to nearly double the 79-point losing margin to Port Adelaide in round one. And there's plenty in-between . . .
The negatives are some very sloppy execution in the first-round loss to the Magpies, then last week letting slip a near seven-goal lead against Geelong. The positives are greater. Namely, having challenged Collingwood late despite its inefficiency, and in the first half against the Cats, playing a quick, slick brand which, were it to be sustained for longer, would cause massive headaches for just about any side.
With plenty of still-young midfield bodies, that's going to be the big "if". But when the on-ballers do win enough of it, forwards like Drew Petrie, Robbie Tarrant and Lindsay Thomas showed last week they can find enough space to capitalise.
PROSPECTS: Tough draw already taking a toll on win-loss tally, but Roos capable of overcoming it.
Another in the "played better than 0-2" camp, the Blues have turned in six pretty reasonable quarters of football from eight, but a poor first half against Richmond left them too much ground to peg back, and they were overrun by a seven-goal final term from Collingwood.
Carlton has looked a little vulnerable down the back, particularly when the ball has hit the deck, and its midfield has tended to play in fits and starts, but its good patches have been particularly damaging, and its forward set-up productive enough, particularly in the absence of Eddie Betts last week.
PROSPECTS: The opponents don't get any easier, Geelong Saturday night and West Coast next week, but the Blues' run and posse of small forwards will be causing enough teams trouble.
Very hard to draw a line through the Saints still. Loss to Gold Coast might have been a shocker in 2012, perhaps not this year, particularly away, in difficult conditions and against an opponent which appears to have improved significantly. Ditto on the latter score for the loss against Richmond.
Effort has not been in question in both defeats, but execution certainly has, the delivery forward lamentable at times against the Suns, too much left in the lap of skipper Nick Riewoldt against the Tigers. Defence looks an issue, too. Sam Fisher was badly missed in round one. Sean Dempster and James Gwilt's absences are likely to be equally costly.
PROSPECTS: Very tough month coming up for the Saints after Saturday's game against GWS. Look to be up against it, but won't be throwing in the towel just yet.
Few expected the Eagles to be 0-2, even taking on local rival Fremantle and grand finalist Hawthorn. A mediocre pre-season has spilled over into April, however, and like last year, the absentee list is proving significant.
Imminent returns of Eric Mackenzie, Mark LeCras and Daniel Kerr will help – and ruckman Nic Naitanui is an obvious key – but the return of the intensity and rebound out of defence West Coast appears to have temporarily lost would be more welcome still.
PROSPECTS: Too early to be hitting the panic button, and a string of very winnable games coming up, but needs some spark sooner than later.
The Giants have won just two and lost 22 in their brief history, but the two defeats to begin 2013 would have to be among their most encouraging, GWS having kept reigning premier Sydney accountable for nearly a whole game, and pushing Port Adelaide away for well over a half.
PROSPECTS: The learning process continues, but the Giants are getting visibly bigger and stronger, and staying competitive for far longer periods. Look like they'll clock up more than two wins this year.
Terribly disappointing in round one, with, unlikely as it sounds these days, the title of pre-season premier appearing to have gone to a few heads. The Lions were lethargic and lacking any sort of competitive drive against the Bulldogs. Much better against the Crows last week, but outgunned by midfield class in the end.
PROSPECTS: First two games might have revealed what could be the Lions' biggest enemy, inconsistency of effort. Couple of winnable games coming up, followed by very tough run. Can't afford not to have at least couple of wins under belt by then.
Do we need to spell it out again? Lack of confidence, lack of execution, and most disturbingly, seemingly lack of effort. Already overtaking Giants and Suns as popular wooden spoon favourite.
PROSPECTS: One word. Bleak.


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Earn your master's degree in education, business, information technology, or healthcare today with Western Governors University, a trusted, nonprofit university ideal for adult learners. In addition to offering the flexibility of fully online master's degree programs, Western Governors University offers a comprehensive, affordable, and high-quality education. Our graduate programs allow you to broaden your career path, learn new essential skills, and take control of your academic success. If you're looking to earn your master's online, you're probably looking for some key features: a quality education, a flexible and supportive online environment, an affordable cost, and the opportunity to accelerate your studies based on real-world knowledge you already have. Western Governors University is the institution you're looking for, offering all of this and more.
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Western Governors University was created by 19 U.S. governors in 1995 with the needs of hardworking, busy adult learners in mind. This bipartisan group of governors wanted to expand the reach of quality, nonprofit education using distance learning technologies and a competency-based approach. Choosing to award degrees based on competencies rather than credit hours means that when earning your master's degree, you can choose when and where to study, as the majority of your projects and assessments can be completed online. You can complete your master's degree online, anytime, anywhere; you just need a connection to the Internet. Also, your current career knowledge may allow you to accelerate your degree as you test out of specific subjects.
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Brandon Heginger allegedly chose University Hill sex assault victim at random
Photos, video and more below.
University Hill in Boulder is heavily populated by students who attend classes on the nearby University of Colorado campus -- and plenty of them are terrified by a recent sex crime even though local police have made an arrest in the case.
Why? For one thing, Brandon Heginger, the man accused in the incident, apparently chose his victim entirely at random. For another, he doesn't live in the area, but came there to "party."
The Boulder Police Department has not yet released a mug shot of Heginger, and we're refraining from sharing photos from his Facebook page in light of the ongoing investigation. However, that page, peppered with pics showing him posing with his grandparents and friends, identifies the 22-year-old as a longtime resident of Iowa who attended Iowa State University and Ellsworth Community College. Last August, he posted the following message: "Moving to Colorado this Tuesday. Last party night in Ames!! Hit me up!!!"
Heginger is said to be a resident of Lakewood, not Boulder. But investigators believe he was in the latter community on April 13, partying with friends into the wee hours.
Meanwhile, a young woman was sleeping in her home on the 100 block of Grandview Avenue on University Hill when she was awakened in the rudest way imaginable.
Another photo near Grandview Avenue.
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In an interview with 9News in which her identity is concealed, she reveals that she woke up to feel a stranger's hands running up and down her body. That she was unconscious when this abuse started only makes what happened that much more disturbing, she concedes.
The estimated time of the attack: between 2:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.
When the woman confronted him, the man left -- but he took a laptop computer with him. And that proved to be his downfall.
Officers were able to trace the computer to Heginger's place, on the 12100 block of West Nevada Drive in Lakewood. The area is captured in the following interactive graphic; if you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map."
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Afterward, the BPD says Heginger admitted that he'd broken into the woman's home -- a residence he'd chosen at random -- and sexually assaulted her.
Anyone with more information about the incident or Heginger is encouraged to contact Detective Jeremy Frenzen at 303-441-1890 or Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. Here's the aforementioned 9News report.
Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.
More from our Colorado Crimes archive circa July 2011: "Sex assault suspect in Boulder wanted for attacking woman during 4:30 a.m. fast-food run."
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I'm exploring the web to find sites I like
Playa Bavaro, Punta Cana, República Dominicana
"no selling point, simply amazing"
Posted by: ariana on Aug 25, 2014
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Located on the legendary Bávaro Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the Paradisus Palma Real is the ultimate five-star, all-inclusive luxury Dominican Republic resort.
Share your experiences with others. Don't forget to send your review to Debbie by using an easy form.
"* One of the nicest weve stayed at"
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Debbie on Nov 1, 2006 >
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Visited on: Nov, 2006
574 people found this review helpful
November 2006
We flew Air Transat Club Class from Toronto. Good flight, everything was on time. We arrived at Punta Cana Airport around 8 p.m. and it was pouring with rain. The plane was close to the airport entrance, but we still got soaked. The girls that take your picture when you arrive werent too happy, as we were all soaked and no one wanted their picture taken. Immigration was quick, as usual, and we got our luggage and grabbed a taxi to Palma Real. Not one of our better taxi experiences. We told him we wanted to go to Palma Real and he repeated it, but somewhere along the way, maybe after he stopped at a gas station for 15 minutes to get gas, he forgot where we were going and thought we were going to Ocean Blue. We said no, were going to Palma Real, so he had to turn around and spent the rest of the time apologizing in Spanish. Taxi fare was $30.00 U.S.
Paradisus Palma Real is located about 25 minutes from the airport.(depending on your taxi driver). It is just north of Melia Caribe Tropical. With a total of 554 rooms, it is one of the smaller resorts in Punta Cana.
The hotel is absolutely beautiful. They had beautiful Christmas decorations and lights everywhere.
As you enter the hotel, the front desk is to the left, and to the right is a large carpeted lobby bar with comfortable seating. A large central staircase takes you to the ground level, where you will find all of the restaurants on the left side, and the Onyx Bar/Disco, Casino, Games Room, and Theatre on the right side, with fountains and seating areas in the middle. There is also an elevator that goes to the ground level.
Checkin was quick and we were given our wristbands and taken to our room with our luggage in a golf cart. The bellboy showed us how everything worked in the room and showed us the shortcut across the gardens to reach the lobby/restaurant area.
Our room was a Deluxe Garden View Suite, Room 1051, which is one of their regular suites. It was in a location convenient to the lobby/restaurant area, and about a 2 minute walk to the pool and beach. It was next to a pathway, so was a little noisy at times. I will describe the various rooms in more detail later, but basically the rooms are the same, its just the included amenities and room location that are different.
Our room was large, 520 square feet. Rooms have a plasma TV, a huge Jacuzzi tub big enough for 2, and a separate shower stall with European spa jetshower (should come with an instruction manual), and toilet stall with frosted glass doors. While there are shutters that can be closed between the Jacuzzi tub area and the rest of the room, it is still not totally private when using the tub. Water was only lukewarm the night we arrived, but got progressively warmer the next day and was fine the rest of the week.
Bathroom amenities included a hairdryer, makeup mirror soap, bath gel, shampoo/conditioner, body lotion, travel toothbrush kit, q-tips and makeup removal pads, razor with shave cream, sewing kit, shoe polish pad, and Kleenex..
An electronic in-room safe is included, and is large enough to hold a laptop computer. I had my 15.4 widescreen laptop with me, and by putting it in on an angle horizontally to get it in and out, it fit nicely.
Our room had two double beds, with good pillows and a comfortable mattress. My only complaint is that the beds are not attached to the headboard, so if youre sitting up reading or watching TV, the bed tends to slide away from the wall. The room also contains a living area with sofa bed and table and chairs. It was very nicely decorated, and had mahogany furniture. The air conditioning worked very well and there was also a ceiling fan.
A mini-fridge contains 2 cans of Presidente, Pepsi, Pepsi Light, 7-up, 7-up Light, and bottled water, which is restocked daily. If you want more of one thing, just leave a note.
There is also a coffee maker, stereo with radio and MP3/CDR/RW playback, highspeed internet access, ironing board and iron., umbrella, bathrobes and slippers. Lots of closet and drawer/shelf space for your clothes.
Outdoor terrace has a table and 2 chairs. We had turn-down service one night, and one night I declined it, otherwise it didnt seem to happen (possible we had the Do Not Disturb sign out a couple of times?). There are 4 large bath towels in the bathroom, we were never short of towels. Getting facecloths was sometimes a challenge.
Hint: The bathrooms in the common areas have baskets of facecloths to dry your hands with, just grab a couple from there if you dont get them in your room.
Room service is free, and you will find a 24-hour room service menu in your room, including things like Continental breakfast, salads, hamburgers, club sandwiches, beef, chicken, and fish entrees and desserts, as well as pizzas. We did not try room service.
They have a Serviexpress hotline you can call that promises a 1-hour resolution to problems with room appliances or missing room amenities.. We did have a minor problem with our TV the first night. I think we hit the sleep button and then could not get it to come on. I called Serviexpress and told them the problem, they said they would send someone. An hour later no one had come but in the meantime Pat was able to reach behind the TV (mounted on the wall) and unplug it and then plugged it back in and it worked.. I called and they said someone would be there in 5 minutes, I said forget it, we fixed it. Im sure this has happened before, they really should tell people on the phone how to fix it.
Room types at Paradisus Palma Real are as follows:
Deluxe Garden View Suites (regular rooms) 520 square feet located on right side of property (as you face the entrance to the resort).
Regal Ocean View Jacuzzi Suites same as above, but with ocean view.
Imperial Romance Ocean View Jacuzzi Suites (honeymoon suites)
As above, but with 400 thread count sheets, romantic room setup, luxury amenities by Etro, his and hers sarong-style bathrobes, fresh flower arrangements and chocolates.
For Families
Luxury Junior Suites 560 square feet with garden view or ocean view Located on the left side of property as you face the entrance to resort. Includes a Jacuzzi for two, separate living room area with sofa bed, equipped kitchenette, daily stocked minibar, and connection available with a one bedroom Master Suite.
One-bedroom Master Suite with Jacuzzi This is the only accommodation that allows 2 adults and 3 children. - 815 square feet with Garden View or Ocean View, one kingsize bed, bathroom with Jacuzzi for two and double sinks, Luxury amenities, separate living room with sofa bed, daily stocked refrigerator, equipped kitchen, separate dining area, and connection available with luxury junior suite for larger families. This is really nice, its just like an apartment.
Rooms for People with Disabilities
There are specially-equipped rooms for people with disabilities wider doors for wheelchair access, grab bars, etc. There is an elevator in the lobby area to get to ground level.
The resort is built in the shape of an M (for Melia). The lobby, common areas and restaurants are located in the middle, with the rooms to the left and the right. It is possible to walk under cover from one end of the resort to the other.
In the area between the rooms and common areas are beautiful, well-manicured gardens, with ponds, fountains, and wildlife turtles, fish, and flamingos.
Weather and Bugs
The weather was beautiful for the most part. Even though it rained at some point nearly every day, showers were brief. Temperatures were in the mid-80s, dropping off to comfortable mid-70s at night. So if you are looking at forecasts for Punta Cana, dont be alarmed when you see rain forecast every day! There was only one day during this week where it was cloudy and rained off and on most of the day. It did get a little windy the last couple of days of our stay here.
No problem whatsoever with bugs or mosquitos the week we were there.
Beach and Pool
This hotel is located on a beautiful stretch of beach that was kept very clean. The hotel was at about 60 per cent occupancy the week we were there. There was never any problem finding chairs in the shade, either at the pool or on the beach. They also have a couple dozen Bali beds (big mattresses under a palapa) . These are so comfortable! One morning when it was raining we got one of these and just relaxed and read, keeping perfectly dry. The pool is very large, with a swim-up bar, and numerous jacuzzis (cold) and fountains throughout the pool, as well as built-in tiled sunbeds you can lay on and be partially submerged in the water.
There are no towel cards at this resort! The beach towels are large and luxurious, you just go and get them at the Clubhouse by the pool/beach. You will see wicker baskets with lids throughout the pool area, these are for your dirty beach towels. Some people tended to just leave their towels on the chairs when they went back to their rooms, and pool attendants had to go around and collect them. Be considerate and return your towel when you leave for the day, or take it to your room with you for the next day.
Bar waitresses go around and take your drink orders where you are sitting at the pool or beach. For that matter, if you sit down anywhere at the resort, someone will quickly appear and ask you if you would like something to drink.
The main buffet restaurant is called Naos. It is located right at the beach and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The seating area is open air, but the buffet is in an enclosed air-conditioned area in the centre of the restaurant. It opens from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. for continental breakfast, breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and dinner from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Breakfast offers a large assortment, everything you can think of. Good omelettes made to order. Toast is somewhat of a problem, takes about 3 times through for bread to toast (I find this to be the case at most resorts). Some items could have been hotter.
At lunch and dinner there is a good selection of coldcuts, salads, meat (steak, pork, chicken, lamb), fish and vegetables, fresh breads and rolls, and desserts. Their cheesecake was wonderful. There is always a pasta bar with a selection of different types of pasta and sauces.
Within the restaurant there is also a separate Mexican buffet section Algarve, open at lunchtime and dinner.. At breakfast this is the area where you can get fresh juice made to order.
The Market Grill is located next to Naos Restaurant, and is usually open 24 hours a day. There is an entrance from the beach, and at lunchtime they serve hamburgs, hotdogs, fries, salads, etc. You can also get grilled meats here.
The first night we had dinner at Passion, (open for dinner only from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.) which was excellent and my favourite meal. Wait staff very good in this restaurant. This restaurant is for adults only (16 and over). I had the Black Angus stuffed with mushrooms, served nouvelle cuisine style. There is a good selection of included wines, from Chile, Spain, and Argentina.
Bana Restaurant (open for dinner only 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.) is an a la carte Asian fusion bistro 3 dining options in one restaurant. There is a sushi bar, tepanyaki tables, contemporary Asian fusion, as well as a Martini Bar. We didnt try the sushi or the Tepanyaki tables, but ate in the contemporary Asian fusion section . It was very good. Vento is a Meditteranean restaurant featuring a la carte international specialties. Food was good. It is open for dinner for all guests from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and there is an a la carte breakfast and lunch served there as well for Royal Service/Family Concierge upgrades only.
No reservations were required for any of the restaurants.
The a la carte restaurants are all very nice, and the food was good, but I felt there wasnt a lot of difference in the food offered from one to the other. It seemed very similar in presentation, just in a slightly different atmosphere.. (Now I dont eat seafood so my choices are somewhat limited and I tend to always have the beef). And we didnt have the Sushi, or eat at the Tepanyaki tables (Japanese where they cook the food in front of you).
It is stated that a dress code applies for all the a la carte restaurants - No shorts or sleeveless shirts or sports shoes or sandals allowed for men. (although we did see some men wearing shorts, so I dont know how strict they are in enforcing this.)
Gabi Beach
There is also a section of the resort called Gabi Beach. It has its own bar, restaurant, entertainment and beach area. This is all-inclusive for Royal Service and Family Concierge guests only, except for Fridays, when anyone can go there all-inclusive. I didnt really see much going on here the week we were there. It seemed pretty much deserted during the day. We did have an opportunity to have dinner there one night. It was a nice atmosphere, open air restaurant by the beach, with food choices of rib eye steak, lobster tails, chicken and fish dishes. Food and service was very good. The highlight, though, was that David Ortiz (Big Papi) from the Boston Red Sox came in with a group of people for dinner (hes Dominican). He was signing autographs and people were taking photos of him. He graciously agreed to let me have my picture taken with him! A very nice man.
One night we went to the Jellyfish Restaurant for dinner, which is about a 10 minute walk down the beach, almost right next to the Melia Caribe Tropical (or a $10.00 cab ride). We met owners Gabriel and Wanda, and had an excellent dinner (Im not a seafood person, but they had a nice pasta and chicken dish on the menu which was excellent). They are open for lunch and dinner. Unfortunately the night we were there it had turned quite windy, so they had the tarps down, otherwise would be a beautiful ocean view at night.
There are 8 bars serving Caribbean cocktails and international premium brand drinks (Absolut Vodka, etc., and they have Canadian Club). Bottled water is also available at all the bars. There is 1 lobby piano bar, 2 pool bars, 1 swimup bar, 1 casino bar, 1 Onyx disco lounge bar, 1 sky bar and 1 beach club bar. Included beer is Presidente, Presidente Light, Budweiser, Bud Light, Heineken, Miller, and Coronna. They also make very good Caesars!
We saw a couple of shows while we were there a Latin show and yet another Michael Jackson show. Effects were good, but the shows were disappointing, but were not really into that kind of thing. Another night they had a Jazz band playing, and on Dominican night a Dominican band played and they had Dominican dancers in beautiful costumes out by the restaurant/pool area. There were also vendors stalls set up where you could buy souvenirs, cigars, jewellery, paintings, rum, etc.
There is a casino at the resort, open from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. We just went in and looked around, they have Roulette, Blackjack, Caribbean Poker, Texas Hold Em Poker, and some slot machines.
The disco is in the Onyx Bar, located next to the Casino. Cant comment on this, other than poking our heads in one night, we did not go too late for us.
Paradisus Spa
Although I didnt use any of the services, I toured the spa, and it is beautiful. There is a full selection of services available, as well as a gift shop. They have a Water Ritual Center (sauna, herbal steam, contrast thermal shower, experiences essence shower, Jacuzzi, chromotherapy shower, bithermal foot bath) that overlooks the pool, you can buy a daily admission to be able to use these facilities. They have the indoor spa, as well as outdoor treatment cabins in the garden area. There were no massage beds at the beach. They also have Pilates,Yoga, Tai Chi, and guided meditation classes.
Prices for spa services are what you would expect to pay at home.
A well-equipped gym with a personal trainer is located adjacent to the spa. It is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is free for guests to use.
Royal Service (RS)
This is an upgrade for adults only, that includes extras not available to other guests, including:
Same room types available, but in a better location, closer to the beach. More room amenities, including pillow menu, aromatherapy menu, butler services, expanded room service menu, luxury amenities.
Services of a concierge for planning tours and excursions. Preferential reservations for golf, tennis and other activities.
Separate roped-off beach area with their own pool. They can also reserve chaise lounges and Bali beds on a daily basis.
There is a Royal Service lounge for private checkin/out, that also has complimentary internet access, a daily continental breakfast buffet, coffee and beverages, international newspapers, and evening cocktails and hors doeuvres.
RS rooms have a DVD player and guests can check out DVDs from the Business Centre.
Access to Vento Restaurant for a la carte breakfast and lunch.
Includes use of Gabi Beach facilities.
There are also Royal Service Presidential Suites (2) - 1,670 square feet with huge terrace, 1 king-size bed, spacious livingroom, 2 bedrooms with Jacuzzi for two with luxury amenities, exclusive butler service, and connection available to Royal Service Imperial Romance Oceanfront Suites
Family Concierge (FC)
This is an available upgrade for families, the family counterpart of Royal Service. There is a Family Concierge lounge with a private checkin area, specially appointed Family Concierge Suites, and the all-day assistance of a Family Concierge to coordinate needs and entertainment for the family. On checkin you are given a radio that gives you instant access to the Family Concierge. Staff will come and pick up your children to do activities, and you can check via radio at any time to see where your kids are. Kids receive a beach kit containing a hat, t-shirt, float and tanning lotion. They are given a kids menu in each restaurant. Accommodation is in Family Concierge Luxury Suites and/or One-Bedroom Master Suites with extras such as a Play Station in the room upon request, childrens mini bathrobes and slippers, childrens amenities kit in bathroom, kid-size towels and pillows, kids activities menus, minibar stocked with childrens drinks, turndown service with milk and cookies, all-inclusive at Gabi Beach, and a separate pool area.
Kids Club
The Kids Club (called the Paradisus Club) is located down the hall to the left from the lobby area.. It is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and is for children 5 to 12 years old. They will take the kids for lunch at 12:30 p.m. and dinner at Naos Restaurant at 7:30 p.m. There is a full schedule of planned activities for each day, as well as evening activities such as mini disco, mini karaoke, magic show, movie night, mini Miss show, Minis Playback Show, and a camping night every Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. including dinner, a movie, mini disco and bonfire.
There is a games room next to the Theatre where they have Playstations, X-box, etc. This is free for guests, and seemed to be a popular spot.
Day Activities for Adults
There are all kinds of daily activities, pick up a brochure at the Clubhouse. Things like horseback riding, bicycle tours, snorkeling excursions, scuba diving, and boat trip are all included, as is tennis at the 3 courts located at the front of the resort. Non-motorized watersports are also included - see the Scuba Caribe people at the beach to arrange use of the equipment. paddle boats, catamarans, windsurfers, kayaks, kite surfing, diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing (extra cost), and motorized water sports (extra cost).
The activities staff also arranges volleyball games, water polo and beach soccer. Also available are table tennis, table games, billiards, darts, giant chess, and bocci ball.
During the week there are also cooking classes, a wine tasting class, flower arranging class, painting classes, Tango and Salsa dance classes, and Spanish lessons.
Golf is included at the 27-hole Cocotal Golf & Country Club with unlimited green fees.. However, there is a mandatory cart rental at $35.00 per person (double) or $45.00 per person (single).
You will find the tour desk in the lower lobby area, where you can book off-site day trips such as jeep safaris, boat trips, Manati Park, etc.
There is a new shopping centre which was scheduled to open in December, near the front entrance of the hotel. This will include restaurants such as Hard Rock Café, Tony Romas, and some high end stores (not souvenir shops). There was only one store in the hotel itself, which sold a little bit of everything. Take what you think you will need as prices are higher than youd pay at home, although not as high in this store as Ive seen in other places, ie. They were selling paperbacks for $12.00 U.S. and suntan lotion for $9.00 U.S.
From the beach, if you walk to the right past the Melia Caribe, there is a little mall of souvenir stores.
Paradisus offers free Internet in all rooms if you have your own cable with you. Otherwise I am told you can purchase a cable for $14.00 U.S. (although the front desk did tell me you had to have your own cable). There is also free wireless in the lobby and salon areas of the resort. If you do not have a laptop with you, you can use the computers in their Business Centre, located on the lower floor under the lobby. Cost is $4 for 15 minutes, $7 for ½ hr., or $12/hr. They also have DVD players you can check out for free, as well as a DVD library.
For information and pricing on weddings at Paradisus Palma Real, see their website at: http://www.romancebyparadisus.com/packages/weddings_anniversaries
There is a pharmacy and medical staff on call 24 hours.
Car and motorcycle rentals are available.
Vacation Club
Sol Melia Vacation Club does have a desk on the lower lobby level, but never once were we bothered by anyone. Vacation club accommodations, I believe, are on the left side of the resort as you face the lobby.
Money Exchange
Money can be exchanged at the front desk. If you have U.S. cash, you can use it for virtually everything without having to change it into pesos.
This is a very elegant resort, one of the nicest weve stayed at, one of the best in Punta Cana. Virtually anything you want to do can be arranged at the resort. There is a full assortment of activities available, or you can just relax by the beautiful pool and beach. Animation staff is somewhat low-key, they arent asking you to participate in things all the time. There is no loud music. While Royal Service and Family Concierge upgrades are available for a total experience, in my opinion they are not needed to have a great vacation at this resort.
The staff at this hotel were excellent. Very friendly and many spoke English very well. Service was consistently good.
If you have any questions about Paradisus Palma Real, you can contact us.
Special thanks to the staff of Palma Real, and to Vilma Flaquer for all your assistance.
"Our best vacation to the DR. "
Posted by:
Greg and Cathy from Cobourg Ontario on Feb 1, 2009 >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Visited on: Feb, 2009
607 people found this review helpful
We were to be in Puerto Plata but could not land due to weather. After spending two days in the Punta Cana airport they decided to keep us in Punta Canna for the rest of our week. We flew Skyservice and I would give them a poor review just for the lack of comunication through this ordeal. We were told practically nothing. Unfortunatley, our Nolitours rep was not allowed into the secure area of the terminal to give us updates. Once were let out of the termianl on the second day and allowed to retrieve our luggage, the Nolitour reps were very good. We were put on busses and taken quickly to the Melia Caribe where we were to finish our week. We we relieved as we knew this was a good resort in a good area. We were at the back of a slow moving line at reception when we were aproached by a Nolitours rep who wanted us to change resorts. Aparently, they were going to be short 12 rooms and needed some people to change reosrts. Mos people were reluctant, but once we heard the name of the resort, we were excited. They were moving us to the Paradisius Palma Real. We were a group of 12 that grew to 18 while spending two days in the airport. It took about a half an hour to pick us up and transport us over to the new resort. Once there, we had to wait for the paperwork to be done.It took over one hour to get us checked in, but Nolitours had a rep with us and we were allowed to get a few drinks at the bar. The view from the loby here is the best in all of Punta Canna. Once the paper work was completed, the check in was very fast. Thery did ask for a $600 deposit in case you charged things to your room, but some in our group refused and it was not an issue.
We had family suites with full sized kitchens a dining area a living area and a seperate bedroom area with king sized beds. The rooms were by far the largest and nicest I have ever seen. The linens and towels were very high quality. We were asked what we wanted for our fridge and it was brought imediatley. Things like milk,orange juice, apple juice, all sorts of pop, water , beer up to 18 at a time, chocolate ect were all available just for the asking. We had two walkouts to a nice balcony with an ocean view.
Restaurants and Bars::
The main buffet was open for 3 meals a day and was more than adequate. The dinner was just average though. There were very few people in the main buffet at night.There was a Market Grill open for lunch that had great burgers fries ect. These two restaurants had actual salad bars with quality romaine lettece and many other north amewrican style salad items to choose from. In the evenings this resort specialized in alacarte dining. the selection included Asian,Sushi, japaneese ( hibbatchi grill) Italian, French, Steack and Seafood and Mexican . We ate at most of them and the quality of the food and service was second to none. The food was alomost too pretty to eat.I ate steak that was just like home there was a nice wine list that was included with all meals and a larger list if you want to pay more ( up to $600 us per bottle) We felt underdressed at a few of these. We packed for a much more casual resort. Men needed pants and closed toed shoes.( no sandals of any kind) I had to go purchase a nice pair of shoes at the Palma Real Mall
The beach was spectacular with more Palapas and chairs than would ever be used. Even around the pool, there were ample chairs and palapas for everyone. There were a lot of actual Balli beds that were avaiable at almost any time. While we were ther, we could go to the beach or pool at any time of the day and get chairs in the shade. There was no towel game being played. You could have as many towles as you wanted all day long. At the end of the day we just left them behind or put them in containers around the resort. The grounds were spectacular as everything is well layed out. This is a small resort for Punta Canna standards.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel::
This is a quiet layed back resort. There is no loud music or animation team running around. There were acivities, but you had to look for them a bit more. Some of there activities were things like yoga, palates,flower aranging,wine tasting,cocktail mixing,the art of sushi, free horseback riding ect. The music throughout the resort was a peacefull zen type music and could be heard through rock speakers on the beach and throughout the gardens.
Other Comments::
The service at this was unbelievable. We orderd room service several times and they were very quick. They would call nd let you know when it was on it's way and call back to see how you enjoyed it. We had a problem with our airconditioner and they had someone there within minutes. They called later to confirm that it was working and to see if everything else was ok. Overall this was our best vacation to the DR and if we could get a good price, we would go back anytime.
"Absolutely a beautiful and relaxing resort that is well worth it!"
Posted by:
Megan from Washington, DC on Mar 1, 2009 >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Visited on: Mar, 2009
665 people found this review helpful
The Punta Cana airport is probably the most beautiful I've ever seen, but CRAZY! You must pay a $10 (USD) per person entry fee, and then go through customs. While waiting for our bags, we were bombarded by men who wanted to take the bags to our shuttle. We had heard to be careful and since we had so many bags, we chose to do it ourselves. This choice made us VERY unpopular and in the end, caused a lot of confusion. But we did it and it was fine.
Checking in at the hotel was a breeze. Drinks immediately upon arrival. Lots of friendly faces and all but one room was ready.
GORGEOUS! Absolutely EVERYTHING you could want in a room, including TWO jacuzzi tubs (one of which was on our balcony!). Free mini bar with lots of alcohol, snacks, drinks, juice, etc. A nice sink, counter, and huge family dining table. Beautiful view of the pool and very comfortable. We were traveling with kids, including an infant, so the resort made every effort to make sure we had a crib and highchair in the room.
Restaurants and Bars
The main restaurant at The Reserve was a buffet, open for all meals. The breakfast was DELICIOUS and included lots of Dominican specialties. The lunches were great in the beginning of the week and got worse as the week went on. Same thing for dinner. Curiously, a beautiful bar in the pool area remained closed the entire week. ?? The other restaurants at the main resort were nice. Great food at the Thai/Hibachi restaurant!
One word of caution. Most of us developed Montezuma's Revenge by the end of the week, and we were OVERLY cautious with our water, drinks and meals. We did notice a chef serving grilled meat at lunch use the same utensils for serving as he did for transferring raw meat to the grill.
Grogeous, immaculate and impeccable. Like a dream.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Great kids center at The Reserve with friendly staff. The snorkelling was a lot of fun (and free!) and definitely worth it. The golf was great too.
Other Comments
Brush up on your spanish, as most people speak English only fairly well. We had several miscommunications which was more our fault than their's. And be sure to make dinner reservations WELL in advance. Although the restaurants are empty, they won't let you in without a reservation (ridiculously annoying and unnecessary).
Absolutely a beautiful and relaxing resort that is well worth it!
"This resort is very expensive."
Posted by:
Jeannine from Minneapolis on Mar 1, 2009 >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Visited on: Mar, 2009
662 people found this review helpful
Arrival was fine, flew in on Delta from MSP to Atlanta, Atlanta to Punta Cana. I was with a big group so they has a special table to check in
The rooms were nice, however there is major construction at the back end of the complex thats starts at 6:00 am anyone who is staying there that has a room that begins with a three get moved
Restaurants and Bars
The pool bar was great. The reservation system at the restaurants was ridiculos, they would be empty and the staff would say that you did not have a reservation and not seat you this was frustrating, you had to stand in line for a the Breakfast and lunch buffets even if the entire place was emply, service was terrible
Other Comments
This resort is very expensive and I have been to alot of all inclusives, I would not recommend this as a place to stay
"We absolutely loved it."
Posted by:
Matt from Baltimore on Jun 1, 2009 >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Visited on: Jun, 2009
669 people found this review helpful
Arrival: May 26 - May 31:
My wife and I just returned from a 5 day honeymoon at Paradisus Palma Real, and we absolutely loved it. First, we are not big all inclusive vacationers and generally prefer places where we can kind of adventure around on our own and try many different restaurants, beaches and bars. We decided that for our honeymoon, since we were only going for 5 days due to our wedding being on a Sunday, that we wanted to try an upscale all inclusive so that we could focus more on relaxing. PPR was the perfect place for us to accomplish this. I must also say that I read all of the reviews on various sites before choosing PPR and the conclusion that I reached prior to booking PPR still stands - certain people will work very hard to find things to complain about...at every resort everywhere in the world, things go wrong everyday and the key to enjoying yourself is not to let these minor issues bother you. We are a very easy going couple and the minor things that did go wrong did not bother us at all, we still thoroughly enjoyed our stay at PPR. We did not get Royal Service and I do not personally think it is necessary if you tip well and don't expect to be waited on hand and foot every second of the day. After listening to the Royal Service benefits listed by a few other couples who were staying in the Royal Service Section, our vaction concierge at the front desk did almost everything that the RS butler did for them and our maids left everyting we asked for in the room every day.
Our check in was quick and our room was ready, we were served a delicious cocktail while we met with our vacation concierge who booked our dinner for a few hours later and we were then quickly whisked away to our beautiful room.
ROOMS: Grade A+++ We stayed in an Ocean View Room (not Royal Service) on the 3rd Floor and it was excellent. We requested a 3rd floor room close to the beach while we were checking in and we were very pleased with our room. It was located a short walk from the lobby and beach. The room itself was beautiful, furnishings very nice, nice balcony too. There was a 32 inch flat screen tv, small fridge/minibar loveseat with coffee table, desk with chair and two other chairs with a small table. The balcony also had a small table and two chairs. We had a nice view of the pool and ocean. We tipped our maid $3 - $5 every day and left a list of what kind of drinks we wanted. I usually asked for a few Budweisers and a bottle of red wine and every day when we returned from the beach, our room was impecably clean and the drinks we requested were there. (Room service will also bring you pretty much anything you want if you call). Bed was very nice and comfortable but the biggest surprise was the number of tv stations available. The tvs get nearly 100 channels, most of them in english, including espn, hbo, showtime, starz and other movie channels. The craziest thing about the tvs was that the power goes out almost everyday at the resort and every light, clock etc. would turn off, but the tv would still be running, wow. We usually came back from the beach in the afternoon and enjoyed a few beers or bottle of wine while watching a movie and getting ready for dinner, very relaxing. The Jacuzzi was also excellent, very large and open to the rest of the room. The room also had a nice safe that you use your room card to set your own code to so no one else knows it.
Restaurants and Bars::
BARS: A All top shelf liquor, including my favorites Jack Daniels and Stoly were avaialble at all of the bars, most bars have a few beers but it seems like they run out of Bud and Corona from time to time and only have Presidente. I must say, I did not like Presidente when I had tried it a year ago in the Caribbean, but it does not taste bad out of a tap. They also have Presidente Light and a Dominican Corona substitute that is very good with a lime. We enjoyed the lobby bar a good bit, although it can be a bit hot and muggy and does not get a good breeze. The bar near the Naos buffet and Market Grill is a better bet at night as the ocean breeze makes things very comfortable. The pool bar is a lot of fun beginning around 2pm every day, very nice beds in the pool with tables for drinks and palapa huts overhead. We always met the other couples that we became friendly with at the pool bar in the afternoon for drinks.
STAFF: Grade A+++ I did not encounter any staff that did not speak any English at all. For the most part all of the staff spoke enough English to communicate and give us whatever we needed, absolutely everyone on the staff had a great helpful attitude and gave us great service in all aspects of our stay. A few times I asked the hostess at a restaurant if it was possible for us to sit at a table up near the ocean and the response I always got was anything is possible here. From the bartenders to the waiters to the hostesses and bellhops, everyone was super nice and helpful and always made their best efforts to speak English to us. A few of them even asked us for pointers on their English, which we happily gave.
WINE: Grade A I chose to give the wine its own section because we really enjoyed it. I am not a wine snob by any means, but I am an avid red wine drinker and I drink red wine several times a week with meals and have a fairly educated palette for wine. The wine included in the all inclusive package 5 or so reds and 5 or so whites is very good. While I only sampled one of the whites, I really liked all of the reds. They have a few Chilean cabernets that would stand up to any $20 - $30 bottle of cab you get in the US. Our favorite was the Maipo Cabernet. There were also a few malbecs and blends that were very nice as well.
FOOD: Grade B+ Overall, we really enjoyed all of the food we had at PPR. As many others who have reviewed Dominican resorts have indicated, for the most part, the food is not exactly of the consistent quality that you get in the US, so if you go in with that in mind, you will really enjoy almost everything. That being said, a few of the meals we had at PPR far surpassed our expectations and would rate right up there with some of the finer restaurants in the US.
Passion, Vento and Bana all have different specialty cocktails (bellinies, martinis, etc.) and a bar just outside each restaurant (but still in air conditioning), I would recommend showing up 15 minutes or so early for dinner to these places to sit at the bar to sample the drinks. Also, they request you to wear long pants and collared shirt and closed toe shoes, so pack accordingly.
NAOS breakfast/lunch buffet Grade B- The variety and selection of food at Naos is very good and some dishes are d brilliantly while some staples fall a little short. One example of this would be breakfast food. Without a doubt the best thing at breakfast is the made to order omelets. You pick out your ingredients and hand them to the omelet cook who always did a great job, we usually spiced our omelets up a bit with some of the spicy green chile sauce near the condiments, delicious. The breakfast food that fell a little short was the buffet bacon, sausage and eggs which were usually a little over/under cooked. The fruit was always plentiful and fresh as well. Surprisingly, they had very good cheeseburgers and decent French fries on the lunch buffet. A few days they had a good Paella with rice, chicken, shrimp, mussels and calamari and many many other options. We never had dinner at Naos so no idea what they served there.
ROOM SERVICE: Grade C, The room service menu is somewhat limited, for breakfast they only have cereal, fruit, yogurt, etc.; for lunch they have a few different salads, a club sandwich, cheese burger and fries but the burger was decent. Actually the thing we liked most from room service was the cheese and fruit platter they offer with a bottle of wine.
VENTO: a la carte dinner Grade A, We dined at Vento twice, very cool relaxing, romantic setting. They have a fantastic mushroom risotto that we had both times we were there. Also the shrimp au gratin was amazing. I had the same entre both times as well, the Filet, which was served atop gnocchi and was cooked to my liking, medium rare. My wife had a sea bass that was also tasty. I would rate the steaks as being a half step below what you would get at a restaurant like Ruth's Cris.
BANA: Grade B, Bana serves Japanese, sushi, hibachi style and thai. We ate at the hibachi grill, our chef was not very skilled or entertaining but the food was decent and it was a nice change from the other dinner places, which have some similarities in their offerings.
PASSION: Grade B+, Passion has a great setting, nice decor and the food is very good. I got the grilled lobster which was had a very good flavor but was a little on the tough side. Overall the food was very good at passion.
MARKET GRILL: Grade A+++, this was our best meal and favorite restaurant of the week. First of all, we had a 7pm or so reservation and it was not very crowded so I requested a table closest to the beach/ocean, and we got the best table there. The view, scene and ocean breeze could not have been more perfect, the most romantic setting for dinner. I got surf and turf, this time the lobster was perfect, right on the money, grilled tender with a squeeze of lime juice. The steak was also cooked perfectly, melted in your mouth, everything was great. We were having such a nice time that we lingered over our meals and ordered a 2nd bottle of wine, the wait staff was great and very accommodating. Market Grill is closed on certain days when they do a special Dominican dinner, I believe it was Saturday and Sunday, if we had known we would have booked our dinners differently so we could eat at Market Grill twice instead of Vento.
RESORT: Grade A+++ The grounds are absolutely breathtaking, the place really does look like it appears to in the pictures. The furnishings and architecture throughout the resort are absolutely top notch. The grounds and landscaping are beautiful, including the many flowers, fauna and lagoons. The flamingos near the lobby were neat too.
WEATHER: Grade A+ everyday was sunny temps in mid 80s and only one night was pretty humid, otherwise there was a great breeze coming in off the ocean.
BEACH: Grade A The beach is very nice and large with plenty of chairs and palapa huts. The sand is sugary and soft. I do not think the resort was very crowded during our stay, but we generally stopped by the beach to claim chairs and a hut around 8am each day and we always got the same chairs and hut for the entire 5 days. The towel stand by the pool never had any problems giving us 4 towels for just the two of us each day, we always got a hut and chairs up close to the ocean. The workers at PPR come out each morning and rake and remove the sea grass from the beach, there is always a little left over but not a problem at all. The clear water only goes up to about chest height and then you can see the sea grass on the ocean floor after that. There was a pleasant waitress at the beach by about 11am or so everyday, that brought us whatever we wanted from the bar, we usually tipped her a dollar or two for each order she brought back. There are also security personnel from PPR on the beach at all times to chase away any pushy vendors or non-PPR guests who pop up on the beach. I will say that the only thing that I was jealous of as far as the Royal Service Amenities was the padded beach chairs and beds on the beach in the RS section, the regular section had only standard beach chairs.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel::
SPA: Grade A+++++++, the 25,000 square foot Yhi Spa is located at the Reserve. You will see a smaller Yhi Spa in the main part of the hotel but once the Reserve section was finished in May 2009, all spa operations are there. First let me say that I had never had a massage before this trip and I was of the mind set that I would not enjoy one. Boy was I wrong. My wife and I booked a 50 minute couples massage for the second day we were there. You want to get to the spa about 30 minutes before your massage (just catch a golf cart at the main lobby) as they have a huge hydrobath area with all kinds of different baths, water pressure, etc. I called it the spa amusement park. We had a great time in the hydrotherapy section playing in all the pools and getting massaged by all the different water pressure outlets. I enjoyed going from the Vitality Pool which was ice cold water into the huge hot tub. They also have huts with beds that you can relax on. We liked it so much we went back 2 days later for a 75 minute couples hot stone massage. I would highly recommend the hot stone massage, it was an amazing experience. My masseuse was Maria and she was awesome, really work the kinks out. We tipped our masseuse $20 each for both massages. Also the fully private but outdoor showers for after your massage were a slice of heaven, the cool breeze coming in from above was invigorating.
CASINO: Grade B, My wife is not a big gambler, but we had a great time at the casino. The casino has numerous slots, video poker machines, Roulette, BlackJack and Caribbean Stud Poker. We mainly played black jack and roulette. It was never crowded while we were there which was nice as you did not feel crowded trying to play. $5 min bet on black jack and outside bets on roulette. It was also always easy to get drinks at the bar in the Casino.
SHOWS: I am not going to grade the entertainment because we only say about 5 minutes of a dancing show, which was ok. Their biggest night is the Dominican Michael Jackson Show, which we did not make it to. However, on a few nights, they had live music on a small stage outside of the casino and it was great, live singers, musicians and salsa dancing.
NIGHTLIFE: We preferred to drink the afternoon away, have drinks at dinner and then a few at the casino and we were usually in bed by 10pm or so, so we never even went into the disco. I did hear from a few guests that it was sweltering hot in there though.
EXCURSIONS: We only did the complimentary horse back riding, which was a lot of fun. We only had 2 other couples on our trip so it was not hectic at all and we were all beginners at riding horses so there was a feeling of comradery among us. It was fun and worth doing, they even let the horses go into a full gallop on the beach. A woman from the ranch follows your group around by car and takes hundreds of pictures, then shows them to you on a laptop afterwards and asks if you would like to buy a cd of the pictures of you and your wife/husband for $20. At first I was like yeah right but once I saw how many pictures of us on the horses there were and how good the pictures were I purchased the cd, it was delivered to our room the same day.
Other Comments::
1. As I said, the power goes off almost every day at some point, so bring a battery powered clock or watch with an alarm, you can't rely on the alarm clocks there since they go off every night with the power.
2. Tip, just a few dollars, especially to the people who you will be encountering every day. Especially if you leave a list for the maids to stock your minibar, leave $3-$5 each day and they will give you what you want. A little goes a long way and a few dollars here and there can really help make your vacation more enjoyable.
3. Don't forget your toiletries/sunscreen, etc. While the resort provides, soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc., my wife wanted better conditioner. The shop at the resort is overpriced, for a bottle of conditioner and one other small item it was $25!!!
4. Go to the spa, at least once, you won't regret it.
"Honeymoon Nightmare!!! DO NOT STAY HERE!"
Posted by:
Joanna on Sep 27, 2009 >
2 contribution(s) United States of America
Visited on: Aug, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
762 people found this review helpful
BUGS, DIRTY, and Rude People. I got so sick from the food or bugs and it was our honeymoon. Coch Roaches everywhere and small bugs on the food trey. Grosse. I was sick for two and half weeks when I returned home. The quality of the food was horrible and they were not friendly or accomodating at all. Total let down. Expected much more. Also, don not waste your time listing for 3 hours about the time share. It's not a good deal, unless you have an extra $80,000 to throw away. We got suckered into this when we arrived and just decided to listen so they would leave us alone. What a waste of time and energy. I have also stayed at the Iberostar in Punta Cana and it was much better, food was great and people were more friendly there for sure. No bugs. I would never stay at a Paradisius again or go back to punta cana now. Too bad of an experience unfortunately.
"Beautiful resort but needs improvement"
Posted by: April
on Aug 8, 2010 >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Visited on: Jul, 2010 | Leisure | Family and Kids
1217 people found this review helpful
This resort is beautiful - both architecturally, interiors and landscaping. Lovely. Service was spotty. We had some great service and than again we had some terrible service. We are not the type to complain but you should be aware of the good and the bad with this resort. Don't stay at the Reserve - it's too far from the beach - you will only have a pool. You are better off at Palma Real in a garden suite. We paid for a beach view and you could not see the beach.... Loved eating all the shrimp and mussels at lunch. The fruit was good too. The smoked salmon on toast was delicious for breakfast.
Arrived by cab ($35)from the airport. Had to wait for our suites past the 3:00 time and than the salesman wanted to give us a tour before handing us over to yet another salesman. We were on vacation not shopping for a timeshare.
The Punta Cana airport is very nice and well laid out. Get your own luggage off the carosel and go find your own cab. Otherwise the men hanging around the carosel will take the luggage out and want money.
We had two suites - one for us and one for our two daughters. Missing remote controls for all tv's. Broken lock on girls sliding door. Suite smelled like paint. Overall it was clean but missing washclothes. Ordeal everyday to get them sent to room so we could scrub off sunscreen. Suites were clean and nicely laid out. Don't bother with an ocean view room - they are all garden view.
Restaurants and Bars:
Make sure to make your dinner reservations when you arrive. Even if restaurants look half full - they will not seat you without a reservation. Food is marginal. Lobster was mushy at Gabi at the Reserve and no air - very warm. Aqua was very nice and excellent service by Ezkeial. The tereyaki grill was good at Palma Real. Skip the Market Grill - not good. Tip - eat a yogurt for breakfast - might help you from getting Montezuma's Revenge. The bar in the lobby is the best - wonderful Mojito. For some reason, the restaurants with air are very warm. Turn down the temp a bit so people can enjoy the meal. Gabi Beach was a wonderful restaurant - food and service were good.
The pool was beautiful and clean. The beach had nice sand but lots of weeds in the water. Only a bit of beach had clear bottom - the rest was grassy. Loved laying under the huts on the beach and having a drink. Don't walk on the beach past the resort - you will be bombarded by people hawking shopping and hair braiding and rides on the banana boat.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Did the 2 hr horseback ride on the beach - fun. It was bit disconcerting to see the guy with the gun strapped to thigh accompanying us on the ride and slso the guy in the hut with the gun in his waistband. They were there to protect us and I can live with it. Remember to bring tip money for the guys on the horses who rode with us.
Don't leave the resort on your own - risky at best.
Other Comments:
Did not like the pushing of time shares on us. We spent alot of money on two suites for a vacation and did not appreciate being bothered. Skip it! They are persistant so avoid them at all costs.
Don't buy the Mamawana bottle with sticks in it that you add your own rum, honey and wine to. They WILL CONFISCATE it at the agriculture check point at the airport. Strangely enough - you can buy the same thing at the airport shop on the other side of security.
Service is not so good at this resort. I would ask everyday at breakfast and lunch repeatedly for water and tea - at least 3 times. Same with wash clothes in the room - I would call in the morning before heading down to the beach. Than I would call two more times and they would finally arrive at 5:30.
Make sure to lock all your valuables in your safe (even when you are sleeping). Did hear that someone came into someone's room while they were sleeping and took things out of the room Better yet - don't bring expensive jewelry and watches. And don't bring anything of value and leave it on your lounge chair while you are in the pool or in the ocean. It might not be there when you return.
We made the best of our time and actually enjoyed ourselves. Would I go back? No - once was enough in Punta Cana.
"Azulina in Paradisus Palma Real"
Posted by: leonardito
on Sep 27, 2010 >
28 contribution(s) Canada
Visited on: Sep, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
1253 people found this review helpful
We had a good time at the Paradisus Palma Real.
The service was impeccable. The staff were attentive to your needs.
The quality of the food is exceptional.
The restaurants were well appointed and service wonderful.
They have entertainment every night and activities during the day.
It is kid friendly. The beach is beautiful and well kept.
There are plenty of chaise lounge chairs and bali beds for everyone.
I would reccommend this resort for all of the above reasons.
Hotel's administration lacks some knowledge and experience.
However we feel that the hotel is overpriced.
photos on : http://leonardito.com/paradpr1009n/paradpr1009.php
"5 star decor, 3 star experience"
Posted by: Lora
on Sep 26, 2010 >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Visited on: Sep, 2010 | Leisure | Family and Kids
1276 people found this review helpful
The usual deal with Punta Cana - get off plane, walk to the main hangar, avoid the photographer that wants to sell you the photo of you after you spent several uncomfortable hours on plane, wait for luggage, scramble to pay your 10$ each to customs, avoid the throngs of taxi drivers and get on bus to the resort.
Check in started off on the wrong foot as we were in the Reserve, but brought to the main hotel and were bounced around several different receptions for about 45 mins.
Am deathly afraid of bugs, so the room at first given to us on the first floor, with direct access to the pool, didn't thrill. They were more or less easy in trying to give us what we wanted, and wound up letting us have a choice of 3 different rooms to pick from. The rooms at the Reserve are truly beautiful, as is the entire resort. Huge, granite and mahogany. Amazing shower. Great balcony with a jacuzzi and couch and chairs - like a second living room. All the rooms we looked at smelled of mold, and we had to dryclean most of our clothes to get rid of the smell on the way back. Maids clean room daily and there is a turndown service, but on the "face" only. Tons of dirt/dust in corners - found out when trying to reach an item that rolled under couch. Probably contributes to musty smell.
Restaurants and Bars:
Beautiful restaurant decor, inedible food. In the lounge of the Reserve, there were usually snacks/coffee/cool drinks provided. It all looked gorgeous. However the food was completely inedible. Blocked the names of the restaurants but with the exception of Gabi Beach, nothing was good. Dont bother with breakfast at the Reserve - 20 minute wait for coffee. Breakfast generally was the high point meal wise, and service was very good in the main restaurant, friendly and quick. Do try the many fresh fruit juices - another high point. If you just want a cup of coffee and juice or fruit for breakfast, go in, get your cup and sit at one of the tables that front the beach - they will not like it, and only "allow" it to spanish speaking families, but once you brazen them out once, they will accept that they'll have to clean there as well. The smallish outdoor restaurant with columns between the manl large one and the "family concierge" pool was mostly decent for lunch. The Japanese Grill at the Reserve was disgusting. So was one of the reservation restaurants by the fountains on the main walkway. Got room service once - came an hour late, brought shrimp cocktail instead of a club sandwich, shrimp texture gave us the heebeejeebies. Went down to the Reserve buffet,which turns into a reservation only wait for service forever place at night. Pointed at stomachs, made faces, and walked out with a tray of plain pasta and bottle of wine to take up to the room. Followed by yearning glances of everyone languishing for service there.
Beautiful grounds. Cleaned constantly. The pace of the main hotel was somewhat frenetic - way too many people at the pool and by beach.The main pool was very good architecturally. The ugliest area is the "family concierge" pool. Concrete and pounding sunshine. Dont agree with poster saying not to stay in Reserve. True its a 5 minute walk to the beach, but its worth it in complete tranquility you gain, the quiet pool that meanders around the property and is a welcome respite at the end of the day after spending time on the beach. The kiddie pool at the Reserve looked amazing, and so did the inside area for kids (mine are much older, so didnt use the facility itself, just an outside observation). The main pool next to the bar was fun for a post-beach, pre-get ready for dinner hour.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
The staff at the water activity hut very friendly, and windsurf instructors great. Didnt do any trips since its not our first time to Punta Cana, and all we wanted was a relaxing beach vacation.
Other Comments:
All in all, the concept of the hotel, especially the Reserve is great. Visually pleasing. Actually whoever was the decorator is a true master. Even the uniforms of waiters at Gabi Beach were perfect. However, it all seems lost 1) on most of the crowd, 2) because of the surly service from most staff 3) terrible food.
"Terrible service and management!"
Posted by: Giovani
on Mar 20, 2011 >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Visited on: Mar, 2011 | Business | Family and Kids
1191 people found this review helpful
Where to start with my review, let's go from the very first impression:
We have been coming to the sol melia resorts for 5 years straight now ( Melia Caribe Tropical Royal Service) this year we decided to come to the new Melia Resort next door The reserve at Paradisus Palma Real.
It was supposed be an upgrade to the Melia Resort we usually go to.
We booked a concierge family suite with an automatic upgrade to a Concierge 1bedroom master suite, we booked it with American Express Travel as we always do?
Upon arrival at the resort we were told that we had to check in at The Paradisus at Palma Real and not a The Reserve.
We learned that an American Corporation had booked the entire hotel for themselves and we needed to wait until the next day at 3pm to move to be able to move into the Reserve Section.
Nothing really was explained other than we are are sorry, we will make it up to you.
So we could not unpack because the next day we were moving again to the Reserve.
We were promised free spa treatments, free seagway tours, they even offered us a week free at the Paradisus Side of the hotel.
All Good if all they promised would have been true, we were lied to from the beginning of the stay, we would have dinner reservation at 8pm, sit down by 8:30 and be served by 10:00pm with the food all wrong!
Our kids were asked for money for drinks at the reserve pool bar.
( all inclusive Resort), massages were schedule by the concierge and never booked at the spa, pool parties scheduled and changed without notice to us and much more grief that is not worth spending the time to write about.
I found out that the reason we were downgraded to another resort is because dish network booked the entire reserve area for some of their executives from the US and were having a Hot time if you know what I mean ( this came from employees of the resort to my ears)
This is unacceptable, we would never think that a Sol Melia Resort that has what they call Family Concierge service would allowed such thing to happen.
We and the other 50 Families that went through the same thing have been talking and we will never come back to this resort again, if you are thinking about spending family time here, please STAY AWAY!
Upon expressing our feelings on the Paradisus Facebook Page we were blocked and our comments removed completely!
We are still here as I write this review, it is sad that I can not get am Flight Earlier out of this terrible place, but we thought everybody should know the truth about this resort.
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