Puerto Plata Village the best holiday ever - Lee Gilmour, Frank Gilmour, Pat Gilmour. Date of travel: Aug 2007
I loved the Puerto Plata Village cause there was a few people we met from England and the staff who worked there, mostly a guy named Chicken Legs and Big Mama who were the best and the location was fab. The food and service was great! Puerto Plata Village was the best holiday I ever had by far. I would certainly go back there next year. I don't know how someone could have a bad thing or word to say about it cause me, mam and dad would stongly disagree with them. I miss everyone there!

Off Site - Jodi Houghton, Richard Wood, Kellie Wood. Date of travel: Jun 2006
PUERTO PLATA VILLAGE.. 2006 (2 ADULTS 1 CHILD) We visited this hotel from the 11th June to 25th June 2006 and apart from the bad flight experience we arrived at the hotel. From the first appearance everything seemed nice and we was greeted with a fruit punch drink and immediately told our rooms were upgraded. Sounds good so far until we got to our room. *ROOMS* The doors had massive gaps leading out to the balcony where a regular infestation of mosquitos would fly in and make a meal of you in your sleep and yes we had every mosquito device in there possible. The beds were hard and too small for a couple to have a comfortable nights sleep. And the pillows were lumpy and hard. The television had the worst reception. Channel 5 when it first started was better. Enter the bathroom and you have a jungle safari with the toilet and walls being covered in small ant like creatures and a rather evil looking spider. Asked for the room to be fumigated on more than one occaision, and finally got it done the day before we were leaving. To get the lights working we had to give them a tap to get them working and the wiring is sub standard. For one day we had no water at all in the bathroom and for a further two days no hot water full stop. After enough complaining we were given a set of keys to go and shower on the other side of the complex. A fifteen minute walk away. Don't hold your breath in getting your room made before lunch, on many occasions our room was not cleaned until gone 3pm, and we had to call reception to chase things up to get this done. (This was during the quiet period) *ATTITUDE* We had a football field 25mtrs away which during our stay a helicopter decided to land on it. We thought there may have been an emergency as it was not a designated helipad, but it stayed there overnight and in the early hours of the morning it decided to shake our room and wake us up by starting up the rotors for a good 30 minutes. My boyfriend promptly told the pilot to lift off or shut down as he had woken us all up. Complained to reception and unless you are dominican you are not treated as priority. They even go off and talk to someone else whilst dealing with you. The helicopter and pilot was actually the owner of the hotel complex who should know better. *FOOD & DRINK* The food was inadequate and very similar every day, and pineapple looks so nice with ants all over it and the bread looks really good with birds flying in and sitting on top of it. The food was raw in the middle and the drinks were awful. Everything it seems has to have coconut in it. Even the mash potatoes in the a la carte restaurant. *LOCALS* *(PART 1)*.... We had paid extra to go to a quieter hotel instead of the fun tropicale, and at the weekend we had over 250 locals enter the grounds and stay there. (So much for a quiet resort) Staff are helpful but locals are the opposite, rude arrogant, and go for food like vultures. One dominican actually grabbed food from the tongs I was using. You could not get to the bar and there was drunk and disorderly people all over the site which was really impressive for my partners child. *ENTERTAINMEMT* ( 0r Lack Of ) The Entertainment was dire and if you ever hear the "Chocolate" song again you will scream. They couldn't dance, mime or sing, or even speak clear english. The ones that could speak clear english did not even use the mic. The animation team decide to ask ladies to shake their boobies and other sexual gestures and the only prize was brugal rum, which was referred to as dominican viagra. Not good in front of a nine year old. *LOCALS* *(PART 2)*..... As for the first weekend being overcrowded with locals it didn't get any better the second weekend with over a 1000 locals arriving in a hotel that has 386 rooms. CRAM THEM IN.... Trouble was brewing at the hotel and the First Choice holidaymakers were getting to the point of exploding and our rep was pulling her hair out. The hotel could not cope. *TRIPS & SHOPS* When you go on trips all the tour guides seem to mention is the "Carwash" which is their reference to a brothel. All the shops have signs saying we sell Viagra, even can be drunk by women. *HEALTH* Be warned if you feel ill as the medical centre stings you for every penny they can muster out of you even if you have got travel insurance. *ON SITE* The market stalls inside your complex try to rip you off, they wanted to charge 5,000 pesos for a photo album which works out approximately £85.00 and they tried to charge another couple 27dollars for a small doll. Bartering is ridiculous and you have to be on your guard, and you get hassled left right and centre. AVOID THIS RESORT AT ALL COSTS!! As I am sure Basil Fawlty must have bought a timeshare here. Tour Operator: First Choice