Our Host Hotel for the Romance Travel Forum 2017 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic was the Paradisus Palma Real. I have to admit I did not have much chance to actually enjoy the resort because we had a very full schedule for the conference and had nightly events off property at other resorts. This review is based on my room and the small amount I was able to experience the resort.
What I Loved
- Large Jetted Tub in Room
- Large Towels & Robes
- The Resort Grounds are Very Beautiful
- The Resort Staff is Friendly
What Was OK
- Most Rooms Were Very Dated & Need Upgrading & Maintenance
- Service was Slow (70 Mins for Room Service)
- All Dinner Restaurants except Buffet Require Reservations
- Mini Bar was Stocked With Only Soda & 1 Beer
- No Snacks in Room
- Toiletries Lacking
- Vibe of Resort & Guests
- Obvious Time Share Presence
- Have to Upgrade to Royal Service to Really Get 5 Star Experience
- Food was Better than Some of the Other Resorts but still not Amazing
Overall, I wasn’t really impressed with this resort. I think it may have been because I had high expectations because they describe themselves as a Luxury Resort and I didn’t feel like it was luxurious there. Especially compared to some of the other resorts I stayed at or visited during my two weeks in the Dominican Republic. I had a bad experience with the Melia Company that owns Paradisus early on in my career and am skeptical of some of their policies and practices. I did try to go into the experience without being biased as much as possible. I do however feel my opinion of the property was not biased because I heard many of my fellow agents voicing the same concerns about the property as I had.
I do have to admit the resort grounds and the beach were absolutely beautiful and were some of the nicest I visited overall. I just wish the rooms would have been nicer so I would have more positive to say about the resort. You just cannot stay relevant if you don’t keep up with the times in this industry. I wonder if the Melia brand doesn’t worry about this as much because so much of their business is their timeshare business and you don’t have to work as hard to impress your timeshare clients because they are stuck having to visit the properties regardless of updating and service. It could also be that they are a European Company and they don’t put typically put as much value on new and shiny.
Another of many reasons I would never buy a timeshare. You don’t know what the standards of that property or company will be like in 10 years after the newness has worn off and you can’t decide to take your business else where because you are stuck in a lifelong contract. But enough of that…