Senator Puerto Plata Spa Resort - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

2888 reviews

• 

  First time, probably not our last time!

  To start, the resort was beyond expectations. The rooms were clean and spacious. The king bed was comfy. Each room has its own patio table and chairs on the balcony. Added bonus was the rack to hang wet swimwear mounted on the wall of the balcony. The staff were phenomenal. Very attentive and quite pleasant. The food was quite tasty, a little repeat at the buffet, but never went hungry. In addition to the buffet, the a la carte restaurants were quite tasty. There's Embers (steakhouse), Grappa (Italian), and Zao (Japanese). Expect a bit of a wait to try to book Embers, it's very popular. There's also Legends (sports bar), good eats but a tad slow. The ice cream parlor was a guest favourite. Across from it is the pizza place, which was quite enjoyable. And the coffee shop was a daily visit. Drawbacks has got to be finding a beach chair at both the ocean or by the pools. Guests would show up early, stake their chairs with their towels and then disappear for what seemed like hours on end. All in all, really enjoyed our first stay there. Got a feeling it won't be our last.

  Jan 22, 2025
• 

  Excellent time

  Excellent resort. Had lots of fun. Our maid Juana was amazing at keeping the room clean and was a very sweet lady. The food was amazing. Make sure to try the donuts at breakfast. Also make sure to wear water shoes at the beach as it’s very rocky. Definitely want to come back again soon!

  Jan 21, 2025
• 

  Decent Value, But Far from Perfect

  The Pros • Potential for Improvement: Senator acquired this property from Riu, and while it still needs significant upgrades, there’s noticeable potential. • Our Stay in Building 7: Though this building had some quirks—issues with pumping, outdated chest of drawers, and older electrical outlets—it felt justified for the price. We were offered an upgrade to Buildings 2 or 3 (Ultimate Club), but for an additional $500–$800, it didn’t seem worth it. The rooms were similar in size and also lacked functional chest drawers. • Access to Playabachata: The neighboring property added variety to our stay with more pools and amenities. • Beautiful Landscape: The resort’s setting is stunning, with lush greenery and natural shade from palm trees. There are also long walking paths and multiple pools spread across three properties. However, be sure to pack bug spray! • Entertainment & Amenities: Entertainment was typical, but having two theaters between the properties was a nice touch. The market street stood out with its delicious coffee and free ice cream shop. The Cons • Food & Health Concerns: o Several guests experienced stomach issues, and we observed questionable food safety standards at times. o The food itself was inconsistent—some meals were enjoyable, others not so much. Still, there was always something I could eat. Shoutout to Juan, who provided excellent service at the outdoor buffet tables! • Beach Quality: o The beach wasn’t ideal. The sand is coarse, and the water entry is steep and rocky. o Garbage occasionally floated into the bay, and the water visibility was poor—not great for snorkeling. • Crowded Pool & Beach Areas: o There aren’t enough lounge chairs to accommodate all guests. Many chairs were “reserved” with towels early in the morning and sat unused for hours. o The central pool area, for example, has only two umbrellas. • Cruise Port Visitors: Being next to a cruise port, the property is often flooded with day visitors, making chairs even harder to find. Final Thoughts This resort delivers fair value for the price, but it’s not without its shortcomings. The beautiful surroundings and access to additional properties are strong positives, but challenges with food safety, overcrowding, and aging infrastructure can’t be overlooked. It’s a case of “you get what you pay for,” but it’s worth comparing other properties in the area for potentially better options.

  Jan 20, 2025
• 

  Some remarkable highs as well as lows

  The best asset of Senator is resort itself and staff. Hotel -massive resort, literally 3 hotels somewhat interconnected. Hearing from guests from other hotels, it was said Senator is the best out of the 3 - can do nice outdoor run (sunrise cca 7am, sunset cca 6.30pm), can do gym, tennis court is not available - fabulous "shops" street with coffee shop, ice cream (great coffee and ice cream, cakes-don`t miss it), pizza pick up place - and all these are part if all inclusive package for Senator guests Room - not new or freshly renovated, but decent. Cleaned daily. Given the fact you won`t spend much time in the room, was ok Food - huge variety of choices, compliments to chef. Salads, meat, seafood, fish, fruits-all good Pools - from cca 8.30 - 18.00 - spacious pool for swimmers, not too busy. Separate pool for small kids, another 2 small chill pools and another pool with bar Weather - if you are after "sunny every day" book from Jan 10th earliest - Puerto Plata is not "200% Caribbean" and weather is a bit unpredictable-some rain, some clouds and some mosquitos - if weather forecast says 27degrees and sunny, you will turn into lobster in 2 days Sea - not the "so see through I can see my toes" but ok clean - waves - more for chilling than swimming - no lifeguard - do recommend to wear shoes Beach - all good, walk for 8-10min to part of the beach where locals go, you won`t regret Security - secure Kids - if travelling with kids, choose a different hotel - not so much for kids to do Animation - just right and team is genuinely funny. You will laugh a lot especially during the daily activities - and this comes from someone who is not into animation - music at the pool from cca 10am till 1pm and then from 3pm till 6pm Trips - walk 15min to get a very good taxi service for way better price than booking with hotel/travel agency and book your trips there. While walking to taxi place, give it a try to get a drink or local snack at one of the tiny eating spots-the view is spectacular Things to consider - restaurant does not have vegetarian/vegan/lactose free etc. meals marked - if coffee, go for a machine - and you will queue - sports bar is opened 24/7 for drinks and some food - do not expect to see drinks menu though - same for pool bar - that is a miss for me big time - hearsay coctails served are not the best, but can`t comment on that-have not tried. Wine-avoid unless rose - pool with pool bar - I firmly believe kids should NOT be allowed to be there. Same for allowing smoking for people who are just chilling in the pool - majority of guests would be from Canada Restrooms - always clean Staff - attentive, polite, smiling, friendly - you will not be chased after by locals trying to sell you trips or souvenirs, they would politely offer but that is it Trips - get taxi to Puerto Plata and spend the day walking - architecture and atmosphere is very much worth it - do not miss waterfalls - if you only do one trip, make it this one - overall tons of things to do Side note - if you want very quiet, private atmosphere, ask for a room in part of the hotel that was once Riu Merenge ( as part of resort, you have Senator, Playa Bachatta and the 3rd a bit secluded part)

  Jan 20, 2025
• 

  Beautiful, but a couple issues

  Beautiful resort overall, nice pools, ok rooms, comfortable beds, nice amenities, friendly staff and clean! There were 2 drawbacks, lack of pool chairs - people rush out at the crack of dawn and leave their things to reserve the chair for the whole day whether using the chair or not, so generally unless you are an early bird, you won't get one. They should not allow that. Also, the smoking, so many smokers, smoking in the pool, around the pool everywhere I'm not sure I had fresh air in the week we stayed. Cruise ships also dock at the resort and their passengers spend the day there.....which leads to it feeling a bit overpopulated Still a lovely resort, we had a lovely vacation.... Just a few issues.

  Jan 17, 2025