Impressive Punta Cana

Jessica Bujacz

Our first time at an all-inclusive but a wonderful time. Booked through Costco, shuttle to and from resort included and not far from hotel, wonderful entrance and relaxing atmosphere, smooth stay from beginning to end. Make sure to go to BB King to book excursions in the main lobby, get chocolate and caramel fraps in the main lobby coffee and cocktail bar, they helped us nicely to our room, gave us an info brochure, easy to book dinners online from your phone, rooms clean and well-maintained, loved the big bathroom, cleaning carts out in the hallways every day for hours, fresh towels and fridges always full, very nice and respectful staff, we had a room close to the beach, went in the off season and didn’t mind the seaweed it was still absolutely beautiful and beach maintained and clean always, beautiful views and good drinks. Umbrella in room in case it rains a++. Only thing I wish I did was get a massage and pizza not the best but it sits under a heat lamp so it’s to be expected. Fantastic omelet bar and yogurt bar in the buffet, loved the selections of bread, French toast, pancake section, etc. Special thank you to Rosa for the amazing breakfast service and mimosas!! Fantastic job. Also special thanks to our favourite bartender Karen, and truly the entire staff at the beach bar were awesome, literally every single one. Diomaris makes the best mojitos. Daniel at on the grill also awesome, everyone was really nice and amazing so please make sure to bring tip money for the awesome staff. I can see why some reviews say the food could be repetitive but it’s why you should also book dinners at the other places in the resort. Events and activities unites every day and night too. Overall beautiful time.

Sarah H

Impressive Punta Cana is a 900 room all-inclusive hotel with some lovely staff and a perfect location right on the beach. Bear in mind a lot of seaweed can cover the beach, which is constantly being removed. The beach was not very crowded and there were ample amount of lounge chairs available. The hotel also has a Premium service which you can pay to upgrade to, giving you access to other areas and restaurants. My son and I stuck to the standard service. I had a bit of a bumpy start as I had booked an ocean view room but I ended up with a view of the pool and bar with the ocean obscured. I made a complaint and they changed the room the next day. It was a bit better but still obscured by trees. The actual ocean view rooms are the junior suites which I think is a bit misleading. Also before I could go to my room, I was accosted by Querby who took me to the tour seller even though I said I was tired. I did end up booking some excursions which I have reviewed elsewhere. The next day, I was told I would have 'breakfast' with a rep from the Heritage Travel Club. I was getting time share vibes and I asked if I was going to be sold anything but Querby did not explain. When I got there I was told it was a membership which involved paying a fee. Right off the bat I said I was not interested so did not want to do the tour. Querby got annoyed and was quite rude which I mentioned in the hotel survey. Apart from that, all the other staff were lovely, from the room cleaning staff, the restaurant staff and the bell boys. Tipping is well appreciated, so bring your dollars. The main bedroom was spacious with a balcony. The bathroom could do with a bit of modernisation. Also, toilet paper needs to be placed in the basket available, not in the toilet due to clogging issues. Tap water also should not be drank or used to brush teeth. The buffet serves traditional Dominican food, of bean stews, as well as desserts, fruits, vegetables and salads, pasta, rice etc. I found the food quite monotonous and the meats quite dry. The hotel itself is very lively with music in the bars, the foyer by the pools where aqua aerobics takes place even in the buffet restaurant. I found it a bit too noisy at night as our room was right next to the bar at the sea front. There was even a cleaner who sweeps outside and he is singing very loudly quite early in the morning before 7am and noise carries a lot from the corridors. The are a few English speaking staff so we were able to get our needs met. Over all, the hotel is a beautiful well kept resort which could do with a few modern touches as mentioned. I personally would have preferred some where a bit quieter.

Joshua Batey

My wife and I have just returned from our honeymoon, and we genuinely couldn’t have asked for a better experience. From the moment we arrived until the day we left, every member of staff made us feel incredibly welcome and went out of their way to make our stay special. The resort itself was beautiful, with well-maintained grounds, excellent facilities, and plenty of choice when it came to food and drinks. Whether we were relaxing by the pool, enjoying the beach, or dining in the restaurants, the service was consistently outstanding. A special thank you has to go to our butler, Robinson, who was absolutely fantastic throughout our stay. Nothing was ever too much trouble for him. He was always friendly, professional, and genuinely cared about making our honeymoon as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. From helping with reservations to checking in on us each day and making sure everything was perfect, Robinson went above and beyond. He is a real credit to the resort. We also wanted to mention that we had the pleasure of leaving Robinson a tip as a thank you for everything he did—it was thoroughly deserved. This was a honeymoon we’ll never forget, and that’s largely thanks to the incredible staff and the atmosphere they’ve created. We left with amazing memories and would happily recommend this resort to anyone looking for a relaxing, luxurious getaway. We hope to return one day!

Alexandra Bustean

Absolutely Disastrous Experience – Do Not Waste Your Money I honestly don’t know how this resort can describe itself as a premium holiday destination. Our experience was beyond disappointing — it was genuinely shocking. From the moment we arrived, we were left wondering where the “premium” experience actually was. We paid extra expecting better facilities, better service, cleanliness and somewhere to actually relax. Instead, we felt like we had paid more for almost nothing in return. The food was extremely disappointing, with very limited choice and quality that was nowhere near what you would expect from a resort of this standard. After a few days, eating at the resort became something we simply endured rather than enjoyed. The pool was another major issue. It was visibly dirty and poorly maintained, which completely ruined any desire to spend time there. A swimming pool at a holiday resort should be one of the main attractions — not something that makes you question whether it is actually clean enough to use. What shocked us most was that there wasn’t even a proper, pleasant place where we could simply sit down and enjoy a coffee. Something as basic as having a decent coffee and somewhere comfortable to sit should not feel like a luxury at a supposedly premium resort. The rooms and general facilities also felt tired, outdated and poorly maintained. For the amount of money guests are paying, the standard is simply unacceptable. The whole point of paying for a premium holiday is to relax, enjoy yourself and feel that you are being looked after. Instead, we spent our holiday frustrated, disappointed and constantly asking ourselves why we had paid so much money to stay here. There were some friendly and helpful members of staff, and we genuinely appreciated those individuals. Unfortunately, that could not compensate for the overall experience. This was not a small disappointment or one bad meal. It was a combination of poor food, dirty facilities, disappointing amenities and a complete lack of the premium experience we were promised. This is easily one of the worst resort experiences we have ever had. If you are considering paying extra for the Premium package, my advice is simple: save your money. We absolutely would not return to this resort and, based on our experience, we would not recommend it to friends, family or anyone looking for a relaxing holiday

Tim Barnett

Let me start by saying that you will still enjoy your holiday, but the Impressive feels like a shadow of its former self. The first thing you notice is the smell. There’s no getting away from it – a pungent odour regularly wafts across parts of the resort, and it’s far from pleasant. The reception staff were, without question, the worst I’ve ever dealt with. They allocated the wrong rooms on arrival, meaning we had to wait until the following day for the issue to be corrected. After repacking and returning to reception, our names weren’t even on the room-change list, and the manager, Roy, actually accused me of lying. Thankfully, the gentleman I’d spoken to the previous day came on shift and confirmed what had happened. Even then, there was no apology from the manager. Check-out was equally poor. Everyone is expected to leave by midday, yet there were only two members of staff dealing with both check-ins and check-outs. The overriding impression is that they simply don’t care. Arrogant is probably the best word to describe the reception team. The rooms are old and dated, certainly not luxurious in any way. Ours had mould, deteriorating mastic around the bathroom, and broken drawer fronts – all signs of a hotel that needs significant investment. We spent most of our time around the Relax Pool, but unfortunately that too felt neglected. The water wasn’t being skimmed properly and, even first thing in the morning, there was a visible layer of sun cream residue on the surface along with numerous dead insects. Shade is also in very short supply, so don’t be afraid to reserve a sunbed early if that’s important to you. The food was generally good with plenty of variety, and I have no major complaints there. Service, however, was inconsistent. Sometimes drinks were offered promptly, while other times you had to actively seek someone out. A self-service drinks station would make a big difference. One real highlight was the coffee shop. The staff there were genuinely friendly, and it was a lovely addition to the resort. The on-site shops are incredibly expensive. Expect to pay around $33 for sun cream and $35 for insect repellent. Bring plenty of both with you, as the mosquitoes are relentless and good protection is essential. Overall, the hotel feels tired and in need of refurbishment, and too many of the staff seem to have forgotten what hospitality is about. That’s a real shame, because the rest of our trip to the Dominican Republic was fantastic and filled with genuinely positive experiences.