Bahia Principe Grand El Portillo – All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

8483 reviews

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  hope this helps

  I will try to give a very honest review. FOOD AND DRINKS I am very pleased with the offer, diversity and high quality. Boavista restaurant was a whole experience and we felt very welcomed (a la carte restaurant) but the further they served meat it got more dry, it wasn’t as good as the first one’s. Near the pool there was a guy Joander who was serving drinks while you were sunbathing! We felt taken care of when he was approaching us. Also bar in the pool 10/10. I recommend fruit punch mojito and margarita fresa. ROOMS They were a bit old fashioned but it’s okay, they were clean and the cleaning ladies were trying hard. ENTERTAINMENT To be honest interaction with everyone was an entartainment. Rosalin, Jesus Playa y Marcos Antonio, Yoanely very nice stuff, energetic. David and our friend from burgers- we love your food guys! It was so fun to talk with everyone. Dominican Republic fuels you with positivity, wherever you go everyone is smiling and trying to chat with you. Bingo Bongo, Limbo, volleyball, tennis it all sums up and we couldn’t get bored. TRANSFER It was long (4h) but worth it BEACH, TRIPS etc Beach was pure, the sea cristal. There was a coral reef, gorgeous. We went to waterfall Limon and I thought (from pictures) that’s gonna be more jaw-dropping but it was a quick trip from Bahia Principe so it was worth it to have another view. Don’t get me wrong it’s beautiful but it looked better on pictures. Remember to take swimsuits on the trip. OVERALL very high standard combined with quality I hope this has helped you, if you are looking for a way to destress from life, sunbath, eat well and have fun Bahia Principe is an excellent choice.

  Feb 27, 2025
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  Our New Happy Place

  Large well kept resort. All areas of the resort were clean and well maintained. Plenty of activities and entertainment throughout the day and evening, something for everyone of all ages. Food was plentiful with a large variety and there are lots of a la carte options. Our junior suite was spacious and very clean. Elizabeth was fantastic and ensured that we had everything that we needed. Added touches of flowers on the bed made us feel special, thank you Elizabeth. The beach and water were very clean and you could safely walk the beach. The only complaint was the difficulty in getting a lounger. While on vacation I don't feel that I need to be hunting for a lounger at 7 in the morning! The resort felt very safe and there were lots of security cameras throughout the resort. As the resort was very large they offered a transportation service throughout which was very welcome when checking in and out. On check out day our bags were kept in a monitored room and we were allowed full use of the resort until we left. Washrooms and showers, including towels were provided on departure day. This is a welcome service so that you can fully enjoy your last day. Thank you from snowy Canada to all the staff for making our vacation relaxing and enjoyable. Gracias

  Feb 26, 2025
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  Great Family Trip

  Amazing trip to Samana. Beach was great, hotel staff were exceptional. They were friendly and always helpful. Food was good. Italian restaurant, called Portofino was excellent! Lots of hot water and internet was good. Could snorkel right off beach at resort and even feed fish by hand. Did Whale watching and zip line through Air Transat rep and both were excellent. Do not book tours through Viator- they don’t pick up in Samaná, wanted extra money then cancelled the night before-horrible!

  Feb 25, 2025
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  Great first all-inclusive experience

  This was our first all inclusive and really enjoyed the week. Bahia Principe Grand El Portillo is relatively quiet, mostly couples and families and predominantly Canadian. Nightly entertainment which was not too bad finished 10:30-11:00, we didn’t go to the disco. The beach party was a fun event. Although quite a few children, we never felt like they were loud or annoying (we do enjoy kids, just not on vacation). The rooms were very clean and daily maid service kept it clean, restocked as needed. Although not a newer resort, the rooms were well maintained The buffet had great selection at every meal. We did find the food was not as hot as we would have liked, but mostly very tasty. If you get fresh made eggs, omelettes, pasta, they were hot, but you waited in line ups (not too long). The a-La-Carte meals were fresh and hot. We had dinner at Boavista, Brazilian restaurant, it was very good. Lots of meat choices, carved at our table The Greek restaurant was good but they didn’t have souvlaki or tzatziki, which I was expecting. The Greek salad and Greek fish were excellent choices My husband has lactose intolerance so we did have a few issues having servers understand what he could or couldn’t eat. Customer service provided an allergen identification card for him to show, but some didn’t understand what it meant. No dishes in the buffet have allergen labelling, cross contamination could be a concern for people with specific allergies. Lots of choices of drinks and bottled water always available. We had no issues with water/ice. The beach is beautiful, great for long walks. The water was clear, shallow for quite a ways out, especially good for kids. I would rate this resort a firm 4-4.5. Only particular drawback was food not hot enough on the buffet or poolside grill.

  Feb 23, 2025
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  Overall good week with a few comments

  Travelled with my friend for 9 days to the El Portillo. We had requested a ground floor/close to main area room, due to mobility/physical requirements........Also 2 beds are we are not a couple. Upon arrival, our room was located in a building just in from the main road, so getting to the beach/lobby & main areas was a challenge to say the least. I had also emailed the hotel 3X before departure - no response.........I understand they cannot guarantee, and we did find out later, that the rooms in the closer buildings were standard/1 bed rooms - so that would not have worked. We did however get a ground floor which we appreciated. Beach is not as wide as Punta Cana but more beautiful - the views in either direction are lovely and you can walk in either direction for quite a bit. The washrooms/towel are all close to the beach.............water is crystal clear and all sandy bottom. I also loved the fact that we may have been the only hotel on the strip of beach, there were other buildings, maybe private homes etc, but it was nice to not walk passing hotel, after hotel............... Room - needed a bit of lipstick - little old but fine. Shower in bathroom - wicked slippery floor. I don't know why most resorts have tile or marble floors that are deadly slippery when wet - all around the main pool you took your life in your hands - honestly why?? Food - buffet by far the best one I've every experienced. The ala carte's on the other hand, with the exception of the Italian were sub-standard. The Greek - don't waste your time.......terrible. We couldn't get to visit the Fish restaurant. The very hard working staff - We had terrific support from Rosa and Victor Jose at the Front desk - very kind and helpful. Also - the bar tenders Rosanny and Ana (quite pool) very sweet and attentive. Our housekeeping lady Ramona did a great job!!! It rained almost every day mostly morning, but all in all great weather and good week.

  Feb 16, 2025