Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9573 reviews

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  Far from luxury and newly renovated

  ⭐️⭐️½ (2.5/5) Unfortunately, this resort fell well below expectations for an all-inclusive stay that is advertised as luxury and newly renovated. Negatives: The food was a major disappointment. The buffet was not good at all, and most of the à la carte restaurants were underwhelming. The only restaurant we genuinely enjoyed was the Mongolian restaurant, Yurta. Service throughout the resort was poor, and our rooms were never restocked when items ran out. Including inconsistent towel changing, no Kleenex, mini bar, and shampoo etc. On top of that, many things were broken across multiple rooms for example: shower heads didn’t work properly, shampoo bottles were broken off the wall, and general maintenance was clearly lacking. The stairs and hallway floors are always dirty. We had five rooms in our group and all experienced similar issues. There was also a strong sewage smell in many areas of the resort. Our toilets were plugged for unknown reasons although service to fix was quick. My brother had to change rooms because the smell in theirs was unbearable. The most concerning issue was when my 86-year-old mother became locked in her bathroom in the middle of the night because the door handle broke when she tried to open the door. Another downside was the constant haggling from staff pushing excursions and spa services. After a few days, it became very annoying and made it hard to relax. Positives: The beds were very comfortable, we never had trouble finding chairs by the pool, and getting fresh towels at the pool was always easy.

  Dec 25, 2025
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  Another spectacular stay with Bahia Principe!

  Another spectacular stay with Bahia Principe! Two years ago, my son and I stayed at the Luxury Ambar and were so impressed that I decided to bring my three teenaged grandchildren and their parents to the Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda in Punta Cana for a family vacation. Once again, we were not disappointed. The culinary experience was a major highlight. The buffet offered delicious variety, and the à la carte restaurants were truly spectacular. We dined at Yurta, Casa Bella, Flame, and Naan—everything was so good that our family couldn't even agree on a favorite! The service was equally impressive. After arriving at 1:00 AM starving, we ordered room service, and the food arrived in just 9 minutes, hot, delicious and fresh. We also appreciated the proactive management; on our second day, a representative checked in on us during breakfast. I mentioned a slow-flushing toilet and that the AC could be colder. He promised they would be fixed by 11:00 AM, and true to his word, they were perfectly resolved. "The staff consistently went above and beyond, anticipating our needs before we even had to ask. It’s rare to find a team that seems so happy to help". This level of care made our family vacation truly special. We can't wait to come back! Sincerely, Doreen Copeland

  Dec 25, 2025
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  A+ review

  We stayed here Dec 12th and I want to give a shout out to the following : Eudis, Greily Martinez, and Jean at front desk...I do not remember his name but the wonderful man at guest services in building 94 (he has green eyes). All these people offered the best customer service ever!! It made our trip very special to be treated with such kindness!! Soranyi and Rosa from housekeeping were also very sweet. I love how the staff all look happy, and seem to be friends. Overall, the restaurants were AMAZING! The buffet got a bit repetitive from lunch, we never had a chance to try it at dinner. Also, There were insufficient signs to know what soup was being served etc, which is unfortunate. We didnt try a lot of food as we did not know what it was. We loved room service. The app could be improved, it did not list schedules and the QR codes would not drill down to the specific bar/menu. Tips for the resort: Please provide hand towels, and access to pick up our own water bottles rather than getting delivery if we do not want room service. Also : it is so hot; please don't make employees where silly/tacky xmas hats. I loved how large the room was, but the walls were diry and there was not much attention to detail. (inner nooks of bed etc) It was clean "enough" but could be better. The beach was beautiful, I loved that they gave us fresh coconuts one day at the bar. The entertainment was weak and the signage was bad. No one had more information and they gave me incorrect information for the souvenir-making event. The "train" system was really good and reliable/frequent. The coffee was amazing - especially the impressive Ambar cafe!! The kids water parks were great (under age 8 I would say) and the drinks at the Ambar bar were awesome : Smoky treasure and Passionfruit cafe are a must-try! Having access to the other resorts was a huge, awesome bonus as I love exploring. Lastly, the mosquitos were BAD. We stayed at majestic last year and there was 0 same time of year. I found out that this resort does not spray for mosquitos which is a shame as we couldnt sit out and enjoy our balcony. Overall: We were really happy with our trip and would come back again! I give it 4.5 stars

  Dec 21, 2025
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  Terrible, worst vacation , terrible service , sketchy , not safe, a burden , disgusting, the list could go on and on

  THIS PROPERTY SHOULD NOT BE OPERATING We paid ~$600 for an “upgrade” after staff promised broader access to hotels, buffets, and amenities. That was false. We were denied access based on wristband status. No substitutions, credits, or remedies were offered. The “upgraded” resort (Esmeralda) was worse than our original booking. The room was unsafe and poorly maintained: broken bathtub handle for days, exposed jet inlet that repeatedly pulled in my girlfriend’s arm, intermittent hot water, fridge that does not cool (staff said this was “normal”), loose sink fixtures, toilet door that does not close, and sliding door with no exterior handle. The property felt unsafe. Individuals wearing hotel employee badges openly offered illegal drugs. Badge-wearing staff repeatedly harassed us to buy items and would not take no for an answer. Golf carts speed through pedestrian walkways, forcing guests to move to avoid being hit. Service was unacceptable. At the only buffet we were allowed to use, staff often failed to offer drinks until meals were nearly finished. Staff were dismissive when issues were raised. When leaving, no one would transport us to the front, forcing a half-mile walk to meet our Uber. Avoid this property.

  Dec 18, 2025
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  Very good but watch out for Mosquitos this time of yr

  Very well laid out resort, everything is close which is great for families. Pool was very dirty the first few days, it cleared up day 3 so not sure what the issue may have been. Caution around the pool, there is a strip of marble around the pool that is very slippery, saw several kids and adults slip on this area. MOSQUITOS!!!! They are brutal, little guys that you don't see until you observe the damage around your legs and ankles, maybe due to the fact its end of rainy season but they are nasty at dusk, no problem during the day. The hotel does try to control them with smoke bombing but not sure it helped. Food was good, Italian needs a menu refresh, most of the dishes were seafood related, Mongolian is very good and fun, buffet I would say a solid 7 out of 10. Overall, a very good resort.

  Dec 18, 2025