We were “upgraded” to the Grand Reserve a couple of weeks prior to our departure. Upon asking more questions in Punta Cana (as well as reading other travelers’ comments), the Paradisus Real resort we initially chose was closed even when we booked our reservation in late 2020 and isn’t reopening until this month. It shouldn’t have even come up as an option to book, yet still showed as available! While the Grand Reserve is overall nice, the Paradisus Real sits right on the beach and is exactly what we were looking for during our week stay in the DR.
I’ve had the opportunity to travel extensively and stay at various resorts in different countries. This wasn’t my first time in Punta Cana, and our group agreed that the customer service is NOT the most hospitable. I do, however, have to point out great service by the following employees: Ermogenes Almonte, Lucy Sanchez, Samuel Manzano and Yuderqui Javier.
We are asked to fill out a form prior to arriving to the hotel, where we can list preferences and any dietary restrictions. We were also assigned a concierge upon check-in (our group had Enrique), and I made him aware about a severe nut allergy for one of our kids, as well as my gluten allergy upon arrival. He was in charge of making our dinner reservations every evening, but it wasn’t until the last two nights (after complaining to management) that anyone made a note about the allergies in our group. If you are GF like myself, the food options are very limited.
