Ocean El Faro - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9088 reviews

• 

  Best resort ever

  Amazing resort, great staff!! Rooms are so nice, beds are the comfiest we’ve ever had! So clean and cozy it’s really our home away from home ! We recommend the privilege upgrade it’s worth the extra, we have a butler Alexander and he has booked all our a la cartes and made everything so much easier ! Third time on this resort ! Absolutely love it here, Jhon at the swim up bar is amazing! Juan Luis with the blue club was great checking in to make sure all was well

  Apr 23, 2025
• 

  Awesome Trip

  This resort is fantastic. Sure, you can find little things but there's no fun in that. Food is good, people are amazing especially Wanda and Emmanuel. They make the activities fun. It reasons everyday a bit but then it gets sunny again! Relax and enjoy your vacation!

  Apr 23, 2025
• 

  Fun times around the pool

  Emmanuel was a great activity coordinator. He encouraged us to play games by the pool and ensured we had a great time. Wanda was an awesome announcer helping to make the games entraining to watch. Thanks to the entertainment team for helping make our family holiday the best!

  Apr 23, 2025
• 

  Memorable Family Trip to the DR

  Fantastic Stay at Ocean El Faro We stayed at Ocean El Faro for 5 nights (April 2025) and had a great experience overall – this was my fourth trip to the Dominican Republic and by far my favourite resort. We travelled as a family of three, including our 6-year-old daughter, and the resort delivered a great mix of relaxation, comfort, and entertainment. Arrival & Check-in Our transfer to the hotel took about 45 minutes – we arrived during a rainstorm and encountered some flooded roads, so the drive was a bit longer than expected. That said, check-in was smooth and quick, even late at night. (On a side note, if you are booked through a tour operator and have transfer to hotel included but are choosing to get a private transfer instead, please let the tour operator know on your way out of the airport so that the other passengers don't have to sit and wait for you.) Room We stayed in a rooftop Junior Suite in Building 3 on the family side (no Daisy or Priviledge add-on). While our AirTransat app said “garden view,” we were thrilled to find we had an incredible panoramic view of the pool, ocean, lighthouse, and even the mountains. The room itself was spacious (2 stories), comfortable, and cleaned daily. Having a second bathroom upstairs was super convenient when getting ready in the evenings. The only downside is that the rooftop terrace and balcony don’t offer much privacy – standing beside the rooftop tub, I could easily see into the neighbouring one. Luckily, Building 3 wasn’t very full, and we never actually saw our neighbours. Food & Dining We mostly ate at the buffet for breakfast and dinner, and were pleased with the variety. Sure, not everything was perfect – a few items were cold or not to our taste – but there was always something we enjoyed. The bread, fruit, pizza, and themed stations were highlights. Service was consistently great, and we never had to wait long for drinks/coffee. Our only à la carte meal was at Sakura (Japanese) on our final night, and it was a hit – delicious food and an entertaining teppanyaki show. Pools, Beach & Activities We spent most of our time at the smaller, quieter pool and loved it. The lazy river wasn’t exactly relaxing (lots of water features and playful chaos), but lots of fun! We only hit the water park once (mini foam party!) and the beach twice – the ocean is rough on this side of the island, but the lagoon was calm enough for swimming. (The kiteboarders loved the waves and were fun to watch!) One note: while there are signs asking not to reserve loungers, everyone does. We had one minor incident where someone got snippy about “our” reserved spot (someone put their bag between our sunbeds with our towels and floaties while we went to get a coffee/snack at Mike's cafe), but there were plenty of other loungers nearby (including 4 right beside ours), so we just shrugged it off, and the lady took her bag and took off. Entertainment & Extras There’s a ton to do for kids – activities like cotton candy treats, wax hands, and Easter events were a big hit. Our daughter also loved the “disco room” in the family lounge. We didn’t try the bowling alley or VR games but heard good things. Check the App for scheduled activities. We only caught one big evening show (Michael Jackson), which started late (9:30 p.m.). Unfortunately, there were technical issues, and we didn’t enjoy the performance enough to stay. We much preferred the earlier evening entertainment outside the theatre e.g. Ocean Drummers. Standout Positives WiFi worked great everywhere Mike’s Coffee – worth the wait for coffee and snacks Comfy beds, soft towels, and a well-stocked mini fridge Ocean Burger became our lunch go-to Feeling safe – tons of cameras and attentive staff Cleanliness – room was cleaned daily, and fridge restocked (tipped both staff every day) Allergy-friendly – staff asked about allergies at every meal and were attentive Stunning lobby Lighthouse - loved climbing the lighthouse for photos Mike's coffee (from the cafe and in-room packages) and the “Dirty Monkey” drink from the bars were favourites Minor Cons Rooftop terrace and hallway tiles were very slippery when wet Minor leak in building 3 hallway on night 1 caused paint to bubble and peel off the ceiling Spotted a mouse in the buffet seating area (building is closed in but there are spots in walls and roof vents that let birds, etc. through) Rooftop tub took forever to fill Pools close early (6 p.m.) – we wished for a later swim option (other than ocean/lagoon) Big Evening shows start too late (for my preference) Elevator in Building 3 had an awful smell Suggestions: Bring your own mugs – staff happily fill them we brought damptraps from Dollarama and didn't need them; however, another family staying in building 1 on the first floor used them Dollarstore floaties come in handy (and are often left behind for others - posted a photo and location to Facebook page) Don’t stress about weather apps – brief downpours but plenty of sun in between Stroller or wagon is helpful, especially for tired little legs in the evening Plan a siesta – we took an afternoon break daily in our room (our 6-year-old is not a napper but fell asleep around lunchtime every day), which made evenings way more enjoyable for everyone Sunscreen - lotion is better than spray because of the wind and bring aloe/after sun lotion Final Thoughts We've previously stayed at Bahia Principe Grand Samana, VH Gran Ventana (Puerto Plata), and Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana – and Ocean El Faro has been the best by far. I rarely consider repeating resorts, but I’d absolutely come back here if the price is right. A few hiccups, sure, but nothing that took away from a beautiful family vacation. Highly recommend for families looking for a mix of fun, food, and relaxation. It's not a 5-star but better than any 4-star I have stayed at.

  Apr 22, 2025
• 

  One of the best trips vacations I’ve ever taken and I have been on many trips all around different islands east west sou

  From the moment we walked in the place was beautiful. The staff front desk at the bar at the pool, housekeepers the gentleman in the drove you on the. The rooms were clean. They were big clean bedding, lots of chairs lots of chair, chairs around the pool and the beach. If you do go bring yourself a water floaty for the La-lazy river. We had the best time of all. I’m that lazy river. There is a kids here further up. They have water slides daycare for them. Didn’t even know. There was a lot of kids there. The swim pool bars are fantastic. The waiters are great. I’ve have taken many many vacations, different places all around the world and it was nice. I truly enjoyed it. I will be back.

  Apr 21, 2025