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Occidental Gran Flamenco, Punta Cana 11/30/2003 Reviewers Rating: FairMy husband and I are two of Air Transat Holidays unfortunate clients who spent the week of November 7 to 14 in the Dominican Republic staying at the Occidental Gran Flamenco, Punta Cana. Their brochure and website rate this hotel as a four and half star property, but at the time of our visit it did not meet the standard of a three star property. At the time of our visit, the buffet, beach club and several restaurants were under renovation. Our decision on this property was made based on the information in the Air Transat Holidays brochure and the Occidental Gran Flamenco website, neither of which mentioned any renovations. The renovations to the buffet resulted in the buffet being served in the stage area and the Grill Restaurant. There was not enough seating for the number or guests and because the buffet was divided into two sections; it was necessary to go to both lines to obtain a complete meal. The result was if you ate at the buffet, you had to wait for a table and stand in two lines to obtain your meal. Not once during our stay were we able to enjoy a hot meal from the buffet. We had to eat at dirty tables, surrounded by dirty dishes to consume lukewarm or cold meals. It was very difficult to obtain a reservation to dine at the a la carte restaurants. The reservation system allowed only you to reserve for the current day or the day following. There was so much demand that all spots available were filled before 9:00am. During our stay, we were able to obtain reservations for only two dinners. For our meal at The Grill restaurant, my husband was served tenderloin of beef that was rancid. The staff at the restaurant were unapologetic and made no effort satisfy the problem. We reported this incident immediately to guest services at the hotel, but there was no further response from the hotel. It was at this time we tried to contact the Air Transat Holidays representative for Punta Cana, she did not answer at the number we had been given at any time between 7:30 to10:00 pm. We left a detailed message the following morning but received no response that day and the following day was her day off. If we had been able to contact her, we would have requested a change in accommodation. Since we were not able to do so we remained at the Flamenco, where the next morning a note under our door informed us that more renovations were planned which interfered with the operation of the both the Mexican and the Italian restaurant. That made all their restaurants under some degree of renovation with no clear plan on how to provide food services to their guests. In addition to the problem with food services at the Flamenco, we had one complete day with no running water in our room and the service at the beach left much to be desired. Often we were not able to obtain beach towels, some days the wait was an hour, on others days the staff had no idea when more towels were coming. We had to keep our dirty towels or go without. The brochure advertises that windsurfing, kayaking, and sailing are included. During our stay, despite many requests we were never able to persuade the staff to put a sailboat in the water. The constant explanation was that it was either too windy or too wavy. The resorts on either side of us must have completely different weather as their sailboats and kayaks were constantly in the water. The beach staff at the Flamenco were interested only in selling us the motorized sports that were not included in our package. If we had been informed about the renovations at the Gran Flamenco when we were making our reservation, we would have chosen a different property. I spoke directly with Air Transat reservations to assist in choosing a property because this was our first visit to the Dominican. The other services we received from Air Transat for this vacation were exceptional; the staff at the Vancouver airport was helpful and polite. The flight crew on our flights were wonderful. The transfers worked smoothly and our accommodation in Vancouver was just as advertised. However, what should have been the best part of our vacation the time in Punta Cana fell far short of our expectations, because of the inferior food service and inadequate service at the beach. I am sure that our complaint is not the only one they will receive about the problems at the Gran Flamenco, Punta Cana as there were many unsatisfied guests there. Neither the staff of the hotel or your representative in Punta Cana showed any interest in resolving any of the problems we encountered; we certainly hope that this is not indicative of your company policy. The problems at the hotel resulted in our having a vacation from hell instead of a vacation in paradise. The complaints we have expressed in this letter are a brief overview and do not constitute a comprehensive list of the problems we encountered at the hotel. If you wish to hear more details, please contact us and we will be glad to provide them. Sue_wilman @hotmail.com http://suewilman.fabpage.com/ Sue Wilman favorite hotels & resorts
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