You are way too generous. The beauty of the hotel is not going to make up for bad food that makes people sick, poor service, hot buffet areas, boring entertainment. These are deal breakers. This resort gets an F.
My husband and I were just there at the end of September, for our 25th anniversary, and we had an amazing trip. Not everything was perfect, but definitely disagree on service because we had the opposite experience. We found that staff went out of their way to help us and were always very friendly. Also, the steakhouse was our very favourite restaurant and we ate there twice during our stay. We also loved the relaxed vibe, as we are not big party people. We're actually planning on going back soon!
Like I wrote in the disclaimer everyone's experience is different, We were not looking for a party vibe either but during the day their is nothing going on which can get boring if your used to a resort that has actual entertainment during the day
Sorry to hear about your food poisoning issue . And thanks for your honesty . Resorts sometimes try to get by on their looks alone . Service and food and entertainment are huge factors
I'm not going to lie,the fact that it doesn't sound super rowdy in terms of vibes sounds like a huge plus to me...I would hate loud music around the pool (esp if I didn't pick it😂)
Not looking for rowdy party since me and my wife are in our 30s but the pool has zero vibe and zero activities, if you like boring peaceful time than you will enjoy
Thank you for the review! I literally canceled my Lopesan reservation after watching your review and booked a new reservation at Hyatt Zilara yesterday! I don’t regret my decision :)
It was very good and I can fully recommend the hotel. No problems with food, a very huge variety, nice staff and a wonderful po and beach. Only the people who reserved their loungers early in the morning were annoying.
Great video. Please tell me this. I have knee issues and going up and down stairs is a problem with me. Does this resort have facilities in place (elevators, ramps, golf carts etc) to help me get everywhere I might want to go? (ie: from room to restaurants, beach, pool etc..) Thanks so much, Steve S.
@@stevenschindler8342Hi Steve, Lopesan has lots of stairs & not many elevators, It is also a huge resort so i don't recommend it for people with knee or walking issues, Cheers!
@@Rotvic17 i have another video on my channel where i talk about what other hotels i recommend, the link for that video is also in the description of this video
Check trip advisor or the facebook group, a lot of people have said the food is average or below average. A lot of the reviews on here have been sponsored sadly.
I visited last April and our whole group thought the food was below average. Very salty and bland. They had a wide variety, but that doesn't necessarily = good food. We also got terribly sick from the food and it took my gut MONTHS to heal when I returned.
We just got back on Tuesday the food is hit or miss. The French and steak house was the best, everything else was average for one reason it wasn’t consistent because we went to the same restaurants sometimes twice a night without reservations that’s how we can tell you was hit and miss.
Can you please recommend a resort that is great. We have a group of 12 wanting to go in January and after reading all the reviews bad and good and not knowing if they are valid I am about to curl my hair. We were leaning toward this one but not now. PLEASE HELP
I do have another video about Lopesan on my channel where i go over other hotel recommendations, feel free to check out that video. Also you can also reach out to a local travel agent and see what other hotels they recommend in punta cana beside lopesan..usually they have pretty good recommendations
I just wanted to jump in here to mention how great the resort was in my experience. I was just there last week 9.24 - 29. The unique was what I recommend. You will enjoy the value more with food / room/ service options. The entertainment team hit my spirit! The pool form party and the night show will bring you to another level. I'm actually taking my parent in Jan 2025. I will go back for there gastronomic experience as well! I love love love all about Lopesan! ❤❤❤
My husband and I stayed at Lopesan last February and I agree with what you said. Gorgeous resort but needs to improve service and food. The boulevard was very beautiful, great spaces all over the resort but it was dead every night. Sometimes we didn't get towels in our room and my husband would go to the bathroom on the first floor , where it's for people who have checked out but staying until it's time to go to the airport and would get towels there. So much potential, it is literally the most beautiful resort I've stayed at so far. Thank you for the honest review.
Thanks for the support, One of the biggest problems with this resort is all these other youtube videos saying its perfect, it really works against the resort because it sets the expectations very high for the guests coming to this resort.
@@GoExploreMatt - Oh snap. That's where I based my decision (other youtuber reviews). Hopefully they make changes when I get there in 2 weeks. Thanks for your honest review
Thank you for the HONEST opinion with facts.im convinced some of these holiday bloggers get paid to give good reviews i was going to book but it's definitely a no now I will subscribe
Thanks for the support! I am glad i was able to help you with your decision and to help you save thousands of dollars which you would of spent on a lackluster experience at the lopesan.
@@markbroadstock that makes sense, thats why you always see on the google reviews "Jimmy was the best bartender" or "Jessica was the best waitress in the steak house"
What resort do you honestly recommend. Want to go with my 2 girls 16&21 and my husband . Looking for entertainment and good food and nice beach . It’ll be our first time ever so I’m nervous what to choose . Thanks for your video
I’m going to Lopesan in August. My two cousins went last year with a small group and they had a blast so they decided to book another trip for my 50th birthday and bring me along! I’m very excited because they have nothing but great things to say about this place. They obviously loved it otherwise they wouldn’t be booking there again. Nobody got sick, except for maybe a hangover, and nobody had any issues with the service either. The group was more on the mature side so they loved how relaxing and tranquil it was. I guess it’s not the “vibe” for some but for others it’s wonderful to just get away and relax without having a bunch of drunk partygoers blasting reggaeton at the pool. If that’s your vibe then I’m sure there are plenty of resorts that will accommodate a party setting. As far as the language barrier, their group had no problems either because we’re from Miami so we’re all bilingual and they were all able to communicate with no problem. It’s unfortunate that they treat non Spanish speakers differently though. That’s unacceptable and I will definitely be on the lookout for that. In conclusion, I enjoyed your video a lot. As a matter of fact I’m more excited after watching it. I’m sorry you got sick so I’ll also be watching what I eat. Nothing with mayo and no sushi in 90 degree weather. Got it!! Thanks again for the video.
@@dannypereira8671 thanks for the comment, i had a friend who just got back in march and said he had a great time, i have also been seeing posts on the facebook group of the resort recently of people posting about getting sick. It really is a hit or miss it looks like. Unfortunately when it comes to the language my wife is a native speaker of Spanish and still felt like she was talking to a brick wall when ordering. Regardless i hope you have a great trip and post a comment when you get back to let me know how it went 😃
@@GoExploreMatt I sure will! I’m sure it’s gonna be great. I can’t wait!! Thanks for replying and thanks again for the video. You have a new subscriber now.
@@kymiisayoo4006 It was amazing! We had a great time. The service was great and so was the food. Luckily none of us got sick. Maybe a hangover or two but besides that everyone felt fine. The place itself is huge and beautiful and very well kept. We enjoyed the resort and booked a couple of tours so we did it all. We ate at all the restaurants and we watched all the theater productions. I also spent a lot of time at the beach. Overall it was an amazing vacation. Thanks so much for reaching out. It shows me that you actually care about your subscribers. I hope you’re having a nice day and I’m looking forward to watching more of your videos!!👍🏻
This resort also gave me food poisoning & made me very sick, i was disappointed with the food & service also! So many misleading videos on youtube, thanks for your honest review!
@@GoExploreMatt I think 7/10 was very generous of you Matt, as advised on another video the entertainment is non existent and I ended up with food poisoning and ended up in Hospital, while I was in hospital and my wife was upset they tried getting her to sign a disclaimer to say they weren’t responsible for the food poisoning. I found this approach abysmal, there was no apology and despite many requests to speak to a manager they were ignored. When we checked out we were asked if we enjoyed our stay and we explained our discontent and they just laughed. I have travelled the world and stayed in many hotels and I have to say I have never experienced such an incredible level of incompetence and rudeness as I did at Lopesan Costa Bávaro.
@@markbroadstock i was reading a trip advisor review the other day & the reviewer also got terrible sick from the food at the resort and they also mentioned when checking out the staff just laughed it off when they mentioned that they got sick from the food, Its obviously super common at this resort to get sick and the staff is trained on how to deal with this situation. They have zero standards for customer service at this resort.
@@GoExploreMatt Amazing how they just don’t care. This was the thing I could not understand. I did speak to a waiter in the Restaurant and he said that Mucho Mucho People get sick and management do nothing, in his words they don’t care and most of the employees don’t enjoy working there but they have no choice hence why no one cares. A badly run business and I probably would not return to the Dominican Republic for this reason.
That’s unfortunate, we are headed there soon. We chose it based on the reviews of many TH-camrs, specially Coolist. Too late to cancel. If that is their MO, fake publicity will only get them so far before consumers catch on. Puerto Plata many years ago used to be like Punta Cana is today. But poor, careless service destroyed tourism in that area.
I’m here now. Actually I’m at the hospital because my 6 year old got food poisoning. Several days wasted. Agree with the review. Facility is amazing but food standards and service are grossly lacking. This could be the best resort in Punta Cana if they fixed those things. Seems like management is trying to cut costs by hiring fewer people than necessary which impacts all aspects of service. I will say that the resort is not that full so this could also be a factor.
Very poor service there. I went there last year had issues with privacy in our room, ac malfunction and hot water in the shower. Staff not focused on customers
My husband and I were there 2 weeks ago….such a gorgeous resort, but like you said horrendous customer service. Even standing at the bar with no one around we were not served and we tipped too. No waiter service around the pool the 8 days that we spent there. None on the beach. Food mediocre limited labeling of food…no communication. Telephone did not work in the room for 8 days….fridge not cold really just a shelf. Asked for Coke Zero was told they did not serve diet drink in room. On our last day receptionists not attentive we waiting to check out no one at the counter until I finally asked what we are supposed to do. The bell boy argued with my husband about putting our luggage in the car. We practically ran out of there never to return.
I was expecting the service to be amazing after watching the other youtube reviews before going, so disappointing..we even spoke Spanish to the staff and still felt like we were talking to a brick wall half the time
@@hollyc9135 In the new year i am going to be doing a video series going over the resorts I recommend..keep an eye on my channel for when that gets released
My friend is there at the moment. Apparently, the employees ask people towrite a good review and stay with them until the review is complete. My friend says that he witnessed an employee telling the cuatomer what to write.
Was there in July 2024. Awesome experience. People can get sick anytime. We found the food, service and rooms great. We were in Unique section. It is our new go to resort. Don’t let this guys one experience put you off.
Thanks for this video. Helped me cross this off my list. My husband is a foodie and this video was very helpful. Any comments on the food at majestic mirage?
I just posted on your other video… currently at Lopesan. A+ plus for aesthetics. Customer service and customer service D-. It’s hard to get staff to service you around the pool and beach areas. It’s like they don’t want you to order. The rooms throughout the campus are ~75C and feel humid. It’s hard to find cold bottled drinks. I do disagree on the Mexican restaurant. I don’t know what they serve, but it’s not Mexican. Thank you for posting an honest review.
They didn't charge me any incidental deposit, i did book my reservation with air canada vacations and not directly with the resort so maybe that is why. When checking in i just had to show my passport and did not have to hand over my credit card.
@@olivierjajko9381 i also heard of this practice at this resort, They ask for a review on the spot after you have had a few cocktails..not a very ethical practice.
Your food reviews were very limited! Did u eat at the French, Italian, Mexican and others…seems u didn’t? So how can u knock the food without trying a lot more than they offer! Love to hear your reply. U seem to have a negative attitude or u were really not enjoying yourself!
Did you watch the food section completely? I talk about the steak house, asian, Italian, Mexican, lunch + dinner buffets and room service! The only restaurant I don't talk about is the french since i never ate there because 3 days into the trip i got horrible food poisoning from the food at the resort which i also talk about in the video. I was so sick from the food that i almost required hospitalization so that would explain why i did not enjoy my vacation. please next time you comment watch the video before you post a comment.
I'm really looking at this resort and out of like 5 reviews this the first one that the food wasn't good. Most said lopesan has the best food and it's really good. But everybody pretty much loved it! Hope to be there june 2025 unless one of the adult only resorts is equal to this. We only looked at a few short reviews of other but this one is leading. Only knock is its not adult only and we going to DR for anniversary😅😅😅 you understand I hope lol
Great review! We visited last April and I agree with your review. We got so sick from the food and were constipated for 6 days and then had diarrhea for days after we returned home. We found the food t be very salty, no flavor, and questionable most of the time. The resort was soooo beautiful though!
We are currently at Lopesan now and we would 100% agree on customer service and food. We travel a lot and always do all inclusive but this was by far the worst we have seen. We got here didn’t know which side was check in, was not greeted at arrival, at the Valley restaurant (disgusting) the waitress wanted us to sit at a table with tons of food on the floor under the table, at the buffet we waited over 5 minutes to even be sat bc there was no one at the hostess stand, at the Mexican restaurant we sat for 20 minutes before the waiter actually came to the table, so many issues which is so unfortunate because the resort is absolutely beautiful but the staff and their lack of attention to these details will keep us from returning to this specific resort
Unique is not worth it at this resort, you can use the unique section of the beach without having it since no one checks, same for the bars and restaurants as long as you tip your way in. People also got sick from the food eating at the unique buffet so i really don't see the logic behind your comment.
@@RYEDAYFRIDAY Go read the trip advisor reviews or join one of the Facebook groups of the resort, Their is tons of people that have had the same experience as me. The fact that you have watched 30 reviews on TH-cam and they all have said the resort is perfect, that alone should be raising red flags in your head
@@GoExploreMattwhich group? "Fans of" or do you believe that is monitored by the hotel? We were looking to book here with our 4 young kids after watching several other TH-camrs videos. Do you have a suggestion on where to take them? We wanted to surprise them for their first all-inclusive and open to anywhere. Thanks!
We went to that resort right after pandemia and food was amazing 10 out of 10 service excellent the only problem was the pool area was extremely boring no music no entertainment and in general the entertainment was not very good and i thought it was because it was right after pandemia
I don’t know if it’s an AI thing or the DR in general. We’ve been wanting to try the dr abs almost pulled the trigger then I saw your review. Everyone I k ow who has been to the dr has gotten sick! Trying to find a affordable carribean island to take our entire family is just not easy. Think we will look for a different island. We were deciding between this and the majestic mirage. Turns out the mirage has roaches eveyhwere. Honestly that water at the beach you showed was crushed with sea grass. Thanks again for the review.
This is a really accurate review specially around customer service. We had to jump through hoops to get 2 rooms close by which was a 2 day hurdle but we did get moved. Pool drinks service shocking, bar service poor most the time and yeah reception really can’t be bothered at all !
@@GoExploreMattagreed the grounds are very pretty, and the resort itself is so well laid out. Personally it would work better being adult only in my opinion
Unfortunately, my girl and I got here this week for a good friends wedding and more than half of the friends/family that came (over 60) either got food poising, fever, even admitted to the hospital… it just comes to show you how bad this experience is that I’m currently still here and writing this comment… it’s so bad that the groom is really sick and now has to move the wedding date. Horrible and unfortunate experience. I will NOT be back.
I went there recently and l agreed with everything you said. For me the only good thing of this resort it is the decor l found it good for people who likes to take pictures.l was disappointed with the food and entertainment l felt boring during the day by the pool. There is better resorts in PUNTA CANA.
I also expected a lot more entertainment during the day by the pool, like i knew it coming in it wasn't a party hotel but the entertainment was non existent sadly
@@kylejohnson5371 I am not comparing Lopesan to those two resorts, Just after this experience i had i would not stay at a cheaper resort in Dominican Republic and risk spending a lot of money to be left disappointed at the end of my stay.
@@freespiritforlife3782 I've been there, its super clean and i recommend you book a room near the beach . Food was great , you won't even have time to try everything. Mexican, Japanese and Steakhouse was very good, Italian was the only one i found average. Service is great. The only thing i complained about was the fridge in room isn't cold....thats it! P.S. if you smoke, all the cuban cigars they sell are fake.
The resort is amazing u gave a 9/10 just because the wi fi signal and the pool a 8/10 because the vibe and also again the Wi fi ? You’re suppose to enjoy your stay and your life not stay in a hotel to be connected with the world outside
Hmm thats weird, why are there so many positive videos about it on all other youtube channels? How could you explain this. and the food idk but i feel like you made the video to stand out and get more views
If you go to the Lopesan facebook group a lot of people booked the resort based on other youtubers reviews, other people also felt disappointed with the resort. I watched all those videos too before going and it set the bar VERY high for me which also made me feel disappointed with the resort. We went during low season so maybe the resort is better during the high season? When it comes to the food you can see in my video they are not following proper food handling procedures in this resort and it is mind blowing none of the other youtubers mentioned this in their review of the property.
That's what I got from this. Considering the title is "I was wrong" that stands to reason the original review was positive but then posted this one to get more hate clicks. The other videos you see from travel bloggers and reviewers rated positively.
@@yourstruly5772 this is the only review i ever posted on Lopesan and it is an honest review of the resort. All those positive amazing reviews are going to lead to a lot of disappointment for people. i watched all those videos too before going but the reality of the resort was way different then what those videos showed...thats why i titled the video "i was wrong"
@@GoExploreMattwhat’s considered low season (cheaper) on the dr ? Hurricane season ? Prices are pretty high to my surpise for June. As for the hype, those TH-camrs get their stays Comped and perks to influence.
I was there last year and I can’t tell anything bad about Lopesan! The review from this guy is an absolute shame. Food was amazing, the buffet restaurants served a great variety of choices and the theme restaurants were absolut gorgeous, especially the French (La Boheme), the mexican (El Charro) and the Italian one (Gondola). But all of the theme restaurants were great. I also recommend booking the unique program. It comes with an upsell, but what you get as an unique guest is really stunning. Service staff was really good. They were always nice to us and we were never waiting longer than 5 minutes. We were satisfied from check-in until check-out. Every staff member was always smiling and greets you. I can also don’t understand the rating of the entertainment. You have so much variety to choose. Bowling, arcade, night club, theater, live music at the boulevard, live music in front of the lobby bar, sportsbar with Billard tables, the valley restaurant at the lobby section where you also can play Billard and table tennis. I’m sure I did forget some things. But you have to remember that the Lopesan is a family resort. If you are looking for a party resort, Lopesan ist not the right one for you. We had only one day of our 12 day trip where they did a foam party at the main pool. All other days it was quite, calm and chilling atmosphere. Just what we are looking for to relax from the stress at home. I really recommend not to listen to that review, it’s simply not right.
I gave a fair and honest opinion of my actual experience, i am sure if you experienced horrible food poisoning and being sick for 5 days straight you would be saying the same about the food. If you listened to the video my problem with the entertainment is by the pool during the day time, i dont want to pay extra for bowling & acrade to be entertained during the day. I went to excellence oyster bay in Jamaica before coming to this resort, if you want to see REAL entertainment go there..The animation team actually trys to get to know you! They have different activities to do every hour by the pool from bingo, to trivia to water sports. Also the entertainment at lopesan never starts on time from what it says in the app and no notice posted on site! and they cancel events without giving any notice, just last monday night they canceled the white party on the beach without any notice, sorry bud but everything i said in this video about the entertainment is a current reality at the resort.
posted today on the facebook group: Anyone currently here and get food poisoning? We landed yesterday and ate at the Unique restaurant for lunch and Italian for dinner. I woke up at midnight and puked all over my bed and hotel room floor. Not sure what’s going on.
We had the same experience as you! We upgraded to a swim up room at check in and they were so great and had the room ready pretty fast. Everyone was so helpful and friendly. I'm just surprised at this review and definitely had the opposite experience.
We just got back from Lopesan. Resort was amazing, great looking. Had everything you want. Lacking is the entertainment. It was nonexistent. We were so bored It wasn’t even funny. Have some Dominican flair some live bands playing for at least 2-3 hours not 30 minutes and if you want to socialize on this resort with other people, it’s not existent for what reason I have no idea for the amount of money we paid and to be bored, I wouldn’t recommend it. We’ve been to over 40 resorts and honestly, this is the best looking resort, but that’s it. Please they need to stop playing one song for 24-7 at the lobby bar. P.s they made me pay $100 USD FOR LATE CHECKOUT WHICH WAS PAID FOR ALREADY. Boring boring boring.
You are way too generous. The beauty of the hotel is not going to make up for bad food that makes people sick, poor service, hot buffet areas, boring entertainment. These are deal breakers. This resort gets an F.
My husband and I were just there at the end of September, for our 25th anniversary, and we had an amazing trip. Not everything was perfect, but definitely disagree on service because we had the opposite experience. We found that staff went out of their way to help us and were always very friendly.
Also, the steakhouse was our very favourite restaurant and we ate there twice during our stay. We also loved the relaxed vibe, as we are not big party people. We're actually planning on going back soon!
Like I wrote in the disclaimer everyone's experience is different, We were not looking for a party vibe either but during the day their is nothing going on which can get boring if your used to a resort that has actual entertainment during the day
Sorry to hear about your food poisoning issue . And thanks for your honesty . Resorts sometimes try to get by on their looks alone . Service and food and entertainment are huge factors
I'm not going to lie,the fact that it doesn't sound super rowdy in terms of vibes sounds like a huge plus to me...I would hate loud music around the pool (esp if I didn't pick it😂)
Not looking for rowdy party since me and my wife are in our 30s but the pool has zero vibe and zero activities, if you like boring peaceful time than you will enjoy
Thank you for the review! I literally canceled my Lopesan reservation after watching your review and booked a new reservation at Hyatt Zilara yesterday! I don’t regret my decision :)
Thank you for this great and honest review. I’ll be there in the next week. I will follow your tips for eating.
Hi, how did it go?
It was very good and I can fully recommend the hotel. No problems with food, a very huge variety, nice staff and a wonderful po and beach. Only the people who reserved their loungers early in the morning were annoying.
@@commupolobro not a chance, I just got back from here today and the food was terrible. Don’t even get me started on the drinks or the staff.
this video was helpful in helping me decide which resort should i book! Thanks..I Subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing! I appreciate the support!
Great video. Please tell me this. I have knee issues and going up and down stairs is a problem with me. Does this resort have facilities in place (elevators, ramps, golf carts etc) to help me get everywhere I might want to go? (ie: from room to restaurants, beach, pool etc..) Thanks so much, Steve S.
@@stevenschindler8342Hi Steve, Lopesan has lots of stairs & not many elevators, It is also a huge resort so i don't recommend it for people with knee or walking issues, Cheers!
Which resort would you recommend in punta cana
@@Rotvic17 i have another video on my channel where i talk about what other hotels i recommend, the link for that video is also in the description of this video
@@GoExploreMatt thank you. I'm gonna watch that now
@@GoExploreMattDo you have a link for it or even the title description?
@@Dania34 its in the description of this video and is the topped pinned comment, its called "Lopesan Punta Cana - Watch Before Booking"
You're the only one who has said the food was hit or miss. Every other review has said the food is amazing.
Check trip advisor or the facebook group, a lot of people have said the food is average or below average. A lot of the reviews on here have been sponsored sadly.
I visited last April and our whole group thought the food was below average. Very salty and bland. They had a wide variety, but that doesn't necessarily = good food. We also got terribly sick from the food and it took my gut MONTHS to heal when I returned.
We just got back on Tuesday the food is hit or miss. The French and steak house was the best, everything else was average for one reason it wasn’t consistent because we went to the same restaurants sometimes twice a night without reservations that’s how we can tell you was hit and miss.
Can you please recommend a resort that is great. We have a group of 12 wanting to go in January and after reading all the reviews bad and good and not knowing if they are valid I am about to curl my hair. We were leaning toward this one but not now. PLEASE HELP
I do have another video about Lopesan on my channel where i go over other hotel recommendations, feel free to check out that video. Also you can also reach out to a local travel agent and see what other hotels they recommend in punta cana beside lopesan..usually they have pretty good recommendations
I just wanted to jump in here to mention how great the resort was in my experience. I was just there last week 9.24 - 29. The unique was what I recommend. You will enjoy the value more with food / room/ service options. The entertainment team hit my spirit! The pool form party and the night show will bring you to another level.
I'm actually taking my parent in Jan 2025.
I will go back for there gastronomic experience as well!
I love love love all about Lopesan! ❤❤❤
Is it different when you go in high season ? For the service that is
It might be, I don't plan on going back so i won't be able to tell you
My husband and I stayed at Lopesan last February and I agree with what you said. Gorgeous resort but needs to improve service and food. The boulevard was very beautiful, great spaces all over the resort but it was dead every night. Sometimes we didn't get towels in our room and my husband would go to the bathroom on the first floor , where it's for people who have checked out but staying until it's time to go to the airport and would get towels there. So much potential, it is literally the most beautiful resort I've stayed at so far. Thank you for the honest review.
Thanks for the support, One of the biggest problems with this resort is all these other youtube videos saying its perfect, it really works against the resort because it sets the expectations very high for the guests coming to this resort.
@@GoExploreMatt - Oh snap. That's where I based my decision (other youtuber reviews). Hopefully they make changes when I get there in 2 weeks. Thanks for your honest review
@@markm9940 glad it was helpful! Enjoy your vacation
@@markm9940, hey man, two weeks has come and gone... curious how your experience was?
Ate the sports bar , ic23 cream parlor and owling included. Or is it pay as you go
@@Rotvic17 ice cream is included, bowling you have to pay for
Thank you for the HONEST opinion with facts.im convinced some of these holiday bloggers get paid to give good reviews i was going to book but it's definitely a no now I will subscribe
Thanks for the support! I am glad i was able to help you with your decision and to help you save thousands of dollars which you would of spent on a lackluster experience at the lopesan.
The staff are incentivised to get good reviews and if they get enough they get 4 days off when they go home instead of 3.
@@markbroadstock that makes sense, thats why you always see on the google reviews "Jimmy was the best bartender" or "Jessica was the best waitress in the steak house"
The buffets didn’t have air conditioning? Did I hear that correctly?!
Yes, No Ac in the buffet where the food is being served
We’re not TH-camrs, but will consider posting a review after our stay if we think that it will help others make a more informed choice.
Please do!
That would be great
Please do, your opinion will be so helpful!
I will post one after I return from this resort in February.
@@DrDinBhow was your trip? Going there soon for the first time.
What resort do you honestly recommend. Want to go with my 2 girls 16&21 and my husband . Looking for entertainment and good food and nice beach . It’ll be our first time ever so I’m nervous what to choose . Thanks for your video
@@susansunshine2001 hyatt zylra is a good option instead of lopesan
@ thank you!!! Appreciate it!!
I’m going to Lopesan in August. My two cousins went last year with a small group and they had a blast so they decided to book another trip for my 50th birthday and bring me along! I’m very excited because they have nothing but great things to say about this place. They obviously loved it otherwise they wouldn’t be booking there again. Nobody got sick, except for maybe a hangover, and nobody had any issues with the service either. The group was more on the mature side so they loved how relaxing and tranquil it was. I guess it’s not the “vibe” for some but for others it’s wonderful to just get away and relax without having a bunch of drunk partygoers blasting reggaeton at the pool. If that’s your vibe then I’m sure there are plenty of resorts that will accommodate a party setting. As far as the language barrier, their group had no problems either because we’re from Miami so we’re all bilingual and they were all able to communicate with no problem. It’s unfortunate that they treat non Spanish speakers differently though. That’s unacceptable and I will definitely be on the lookout for that. In conclusion, I enjoyed your video a lot. As a matter of fact I’m more excited after watching it. I’m sorry you got sick so I’ll also be watching what I eat. Nothing with mayo and no sushi in 90 degree weather. Got it!! Thanks again for the video.
@@dannypereira8671 thanks for the comment, i had a friend who just got back in march and said he had a great time, i have also been seeing posts on the facebook group of the resort recently of people posting about getting sick. It really is a hit or miss it looks like. Unfortunately when it comes to the language my wife is a native speaker of Spanish and still felt like she was talking to a brick wall when ordering. Regardless i hope you have a great trip and post a comment when you get back to let me know how it went 😃
@@GoExploreMatt I sure will! I’m sure it’s gonna be great. I can’t wait!! Thanks for replying and thanks again for the video. You have a new subscriber now.
@@dannypereira8671How was the experience?
@@kymiisayoo4006 It was amazing! We had a great time. The service was great and so was the food. Luckily none of us got sick. Maybe a hangover or two but besides that everyone felt fine. The place itself is huge and beautiful and very well kept. We enjoyed the resort and booked a couple of tours so we did it all. We ate at all the restaurants and we watched all the theater productions. I also spent a lot of time at the beach. Overall it was an amazing vacation.
Thanks so much for reaching out. It shows me that you actually care about your subscribers. I hope you’re having a nice day and I’m looking forward to watching more of your videos!!👍🏻
@@dannypereira8671A lot of people talk about the boat noise and gasoline smell from the nearby boats. Did you find that to be an issue?
This resort also gave me food poisoning & made me very sick, i was disappointed with the food & service also! So many misleading videos on youtube, thanks for your honest review!
So disappointing! Its sad how many videos paint the wrong picture of this resort
@@GoExploreMatt I think 7/10 was very generous of you Matt, as advised on another video the entertainment is non existent and I ended up with food poisoning and ended up in Hospital, while I was in hospital and my wife was upset they tried getting her to sign a disclaimer to say they weren’t responsible for the food poisoning. I found this approach abysmal, there was no apology and despite many requests to speak to a manager they were ignored. When we checked out we were asked if we enjoyed our stay and we explained our discontent and they just laughed. I have travelled the world and stayed in many hotels and I have to say I have never experienced such an incredible level of incompetence and rudeness as I did at Lopesan Costa Bávaro.
@@markbroadstock i was reading a trip advisor review the other day & the reviewer also got terrible sick from the food at the resort and they also mentioned when checking out the staff just laughed it off when they mentioned that they got sick from the food, Its obviously super common at this resort to get sick and the staff is trained on how to deal with this situation. They have zero standards for customer service at this resort.
@@GoExploreMatt Amazing how they just don’t care. This was the thing I could not understand. I did speak to a waiter in the Restaurant and he said that Mucho Mucho People get sick and management do nothing, in his words they don’t care and most of the employees don’t enjoy working there but they have no choice hence why no one cares. A badly run business and I probably would not return to the Dominican Republic for this reason.
That’s unfortunate, we are headed there soon. We chose it based on the reviews of many TH-camrs, specially Coolist. Too late to cancel. If that is their MO, fake publicity will only get them so far before consumers catch on. Puerto Plata many years ago used to be like Punta Cana is today. But poor, careless service destroyed tourism in that area.
Thanks for the review. Which resorts in Punta Cana are family friendly and has some amazing food quality and options ?
Check out the Majestic Mirage, its rated high on trip advisor and was recommended to me by my travel agent.
Do you know how deep the pools are?
Not very deep, maybe like 4 feet
Thanks for the review! I am happy you gave an honest opinion on the resort
Glad it was helpful!
Is the mini bar included with the RIDICULOUS PRICE?
I’m here now. Actually I’m at the hospital because my 6 year old got food poisoning. Several days wasted. Agree with the review. Facility is amazing but food standards and service are grossly lacking. This could be the best resort in Punta Cana if they fixed those things. Seems like management is trying to cut costs by hiring fewer people than necessary which impacts all aspects of service. I will say that the resort is not that full so this could also be a factor.
Very poor service there. I went there last year had issues with privacy in our room, ac malfunction and hot water in the shower. Staff not focused on customers
Random question, but can you make as many reservations as you would like at the sit down a la carte restaurants or are you limited?
Great review!
Thanks for the review of the Lopesan resort in punta cana!
You bet!
My husband and I were there 2 weeks ago….such a gorgeous resort, but like you said horrendous customer service. Even standing at the bar with no one around we were not served and we tipped too. No waiter service around the pool the 8 days that we spent there. None on the beach. Food mediocre limited labeling of food…no communication. Telephone did not work in the room for 8 days….fridge not cold really just a shelf. Asked for Coke Zero was told they did not serve diet drink in room. On our last day receptionists not attentive we waiting to check out no one at the counter until I finally asked what we are supposed to do. The bell boy argued with my husband about putting our luggage in the car. We practically ran out of there never to return.
I was expecting the service to be amazing after watching the other youtube reviews before going, so disappointing..we even spoke Spanish to the staff and still felt like we were talking to a brick wall half the time
My husband and I went there on honeymoon. So much regret. So expensive not 5 stars service
Matt what resort do you recommend ?
Hyatt Zilara
@@GoExploreMatt yeah, that double the price.
@@hollyc9135 In the new year i am going to be doing a video series going over the resorts I recommend..keep an eye on my channel for when that gets released
My friend is there at the moment. Apparently, the employees ask people towrite a good review and stay with them until the review is complete. My friend says that he witnessed an employee telling the cuatomer what to write.
Sounds like the Lopesan, i am starting to think all the big youtubers posting good reviews have been paid off
Thanks for the review. I was about to book it.
Glad I could help
Was there in July 2024. Awesome experience.
People can get sick anytime.
We found the food, service and rooms great. We were in Unique section.
It is our new go to resort.
Don’t let this guys one experience put you off.
Check out my new video where I answer all your questions about Lopesan Costa Bavaro:
th-cam.com/video/u-m9yvMcETI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=pLtpq-a43e6eFb5m
Thanks for this video. Helped me cross this off my list. My husband is a foodie and this video was very helpful. Any comments on the food at majestic mirage?
I just posted on your other video… currently at Lopesan. A+ plus for aesthetics. Customer service and customer service D-. It’s hard to get staff to service you around the pool and beach areas. It’s like they don’t want you to order.
The rooms throughout the campus are ~75C and feel humid. It’s hard to find cold bottled drinks.
I do disagree on the Mexican restaurant. I don’t know what they serve, but it’s not Mexican.
Thank you for posting an honest review.
The Mexican restaurant isn't authentic Mexican but we just found the food better there than the other restaurants, Thanks for your comments 😃
Was highly conaidering this place but no swim up bar is really disappointing...
Swim up bars are nice, until you realize people sitting there for hours drinking haven’t got out to go to the bathroom. Ewwww
i got food poisoining as well :(
Thanks for the review. I am wondering if there’s a lot of mosquitoes on this resort? Did you notice any?
Didn't really notice any but this can change depending the time of year, i went in October
I stayed at the Melia property next door to Lopesan last March and never saw any mosquitos at all
Thank you for your review I’m suppose to be going in oct but not anymore
I have a question, How much did they charge you for incidental deposit per night?
They didn't charge me any incidental deposit, i did book my reservation with air canada vacations and not directly with the resort so maybe that is why. When checking in i just had to show my passport and did not have to hand over my credit card.
Reviews on Google are also extremely suspect in my opinion.... Over 28,000 for a place this new doesn't add up.
Yeah the reviews on google are suspicious, also the Facebook group is monitored by hotel staff so they remove anything that isn't positive
The wait staff in restaurants twists your arm to give them a 5 star review on the spot. They wait and watch you do it.
@@olivierjajko9381 i also heard of this practice at this resort, They ask for a review on the spot after you have had a few cocktails..not a very ethical practice.
Your food reviews were very limited! Did u eat at the French, Italian, Mexican and others…seems u didn’t? So how can u knock the food without trying a lot more than they offer! Love to hear your reply. U seem to have a negative attitude or u were really not enjoying yourself!
Did you watch the food section completely? I talk about the steak house, asian, Italian, Mexican, lunch + dinner buffets and room service! The only restaurant I don't talk about is the french since i never ate there because 3 days into the trip i got horrible food poisoning from the food at the resort which i also talk about in the video. I was so sick from the food that i almost required hospitalization so that would explain why i did not enjoy my vacation. please next time you comment watch the video before you post a comment.
I've been there on honeymoon. Food was disappointing
I'm really looking at this resort and out of like 5 reviews this the first one that the food wasn't good. Most said lopesan has the best food and it's really good. But everybody pretty much loved it! Hope to be there june 2025 unless one of the adult only resorts is equal to this. We only looked at a few short reviews of other but this one is leading. Only knock is its not adult only and we going to DR for anniversary😅😅😅 you understand I hope lol
Great review! We visited last April and I agree with your review. We got so sick from the food and were constipated for 6 days and then had diarrhea for days after we returned home. We found the food t be very salty, no flavor, and questionable most of the time. The resort was soooo beautiful though!
We are currently at Lopesan now and we would 100% agree on customer service and food. We travel a lot and always do all inclusive but this was by far the worst we have seen. We got here didn’t know which side was check in, was not greeted at arrival, at the Valley restaurant (disgusting) the waitress wanted us to sit at a table with tons of food on the floor under the table, at the buffet we waited over 5 minutes to even be sat bc there was no one at the hostess stand, at the Mexican restaurant we sat for 20 minutes before the waiter actually came to the table, so many issues which is so unfortunate because the resort is absolutely beautiful but the staff and their lack of attention to these details will keep us from returning to this specific resort
Where would you recommend to go instead? Thanks
Great video! The beach really doesnt look to good. Too many boats.
For me the boats were fine but i do know it does bother some people
I booked here and was also disappointed based on the reviews from other youtubers. I agree with what was said in this video.
Thanks James, the resort does have potential but they need to improve food handling, service & entertainment!
@@GoExploreMatt 👍🏻 Agreed
Sounds like you bought the chevy cruise and expected to go home with a Cadillac... should've got the unique package
Unique is not worth it at this resort, you can use the unique section of the beach without having it since no one checks, same for the bars and restaurants as long as you tip your way in. People also got sick from the food eating at the unique buffet so i really don't see the logic behind your comment.
@@GoExploreMatt why are you the only guy saying this stuff? Literally watched 30 reviews and you are the only one that says this stuff.
@@RYEDAYFRIDAY Go read the trip advisor reviews or join one of the Facebook groups of the resort, Their is tons of people that have had the same experience as me. The fact that you have watched 30 reviews on TH-cam and they all have said the resort is perfect, that alone should be raising red flags in your head
www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g3176298-d13973616-r925595073-Lopesan_Costa_Bavaro_Resort_Spa_Casino-Bavaro_Punta_Cana_La_Altagracia_Provinc.html
@@GoExploreMattwhich group? "Fans of" or do you believe that is monitored by the hotel? We were looking to book here with our 4 young kids after watching several other TH-camrs videos. Do you have a suggestion on where to take them? We wanted to surprise them for their first all-inclusive and open to anywhere. Thanks!
We went to that resort right after pandemia and food was amazing 10 out of 10 service excellent the only problem was the pool area was extremely boring no music no entertainment and in general the entertainment was not very good and i thought it was because it was right after pandemia
Entertainment good for seniors but boring for adults even in 2024
I don’t know if it’s an AI thing or the DR in general. We’ve been wanting to try the dr abs almost pulled the trigger then I saw your review. Everyone I k ow who has been to the dr has gotten sick! Trying to find a affordable carribean island to take our entire family is just not easy. Think we will look for a different island. We were deciding between this and the majestic mirage. Turns out the mirage has roaches eveyhwere. Honestly that water at the beach you showed was crushed with sea grass. Thanks again for the review.
Look into Jamaica or Mexico..i have had good experiences at All Inclusive's in both those countries
Go to Roatan...one of the best beaches I've ever been to...also has the second largest barrier reef in the world
This is a really accurate review specially around customer service. We had to jump through hoops to get 2 rooms close by which was a 2 day hurdle but we did get moved. Pool drinks service shocking, bar service poor most the time and yeah reception really can’t be bothered at all !
Its a shame because this resort has so much potential
@@GoExploreMattagreed the grounds are very pretty, and the resort itself is so well laid out. Personally it would work better being adult only in my opinion
Unfortunately, my girl and I got here this week for a good friends wedding and more than half of the friends/family that came (over 60) either got food poising, fever, even admitted to the hospital… it just comes to show you how bad this experience is that I’m currently still here and writing this comment… it’s so bad that the groom is really sick and now has to move the wedding date. Horrible and unfortunate experience. I will NOT be back.
I went there recently and l agreed with everything you said. For me the only good thing of this resort it is the decor l found it good for people who likes to take pictures.l was disappointed with the food and entertainment l felt boring during the day by the pool. There is better resorts in PUNTA CANA.
I also expected a lot more entertainment during the day by the pool, like i knew it coming in it wasn't a party hotel but the entertainment was non existent sadly
Where is better ?
@@kylejohnson5371 if i went back to punta cana i would stay at excellence el carmen or hyatt zilara
@@GoExploreMatt those are obvious ones at the top price range , is secrets royal beach or royalton chic worth it ?
@@kylejohnson5371 I am not comparing Lopesan to those two resorts, Just after this experience i had i would not stay at a cheaper resort in Dominican Republic and risk spending a lot of money to be left disappointed at the end of my stay.
This looks like Punta CANADA
Omg we just book for this resort now I’m second guessing it
Fr I just booked too but am now watching reviews
Did you guys visit the resort yet?? What are your guys feedback.
@@freespiritforlife3782 I've been there, its super clean and i recommend you book a room near the beach . Food was great , you won't even have time to try everything. Mexican, Japanese and Steakhouse was very good, Italian was the only one i found average.
Service is great.
The only thing i complained about was the fridge in room isn't cold....thats it!
P.S. if you smoke, all the cuban cigars they sell are fake.
The resort is amazing u gave a 9/10 just because the wi fi signal and the pool a 8/10 because the vibe and also again the Wi fi ? You’re suppose to enjoy your stay and your life not stay in a hotel to be connected with the world outside
I like to stream music to relax by the pool which requires wifi, don't be too fast to judge.
Really sorry to hear you got food poisoning. The vast majority of reviews I’ve watched say the food is much better than most resorts in Dominican.
Thanks for the kind wishes, Lots of reviews on trip advisor also mention food poisoning, apparently it is pretty common at this resort in particular
Hmm thats weird, why are there so many positive videos about it on all other youtube channels? How could you explain this. and the food idk but i feel like you made the video to stand out and get more views
If you go to the Lopesan facebook group a lot of people booked the resort based on other youtubers reviews, other people also felt disappointed with the resort. I watched all those videos too before going and it set the bar VERY high for me which also made me feel disappointed with the resort. We went during low season so maybe the resort is better during the high season? When it comes to the food you can see in my video they are not following proper food handling procedures in this resort and it is mind blowing none of the other youtubers mentioned this in their review of the property.
That's what I got from this. Considering the title is "I was wrong" that stands to reason the original review was positive but then posted this one to get more hate clicks. The other videos you see from travel bloggers and reviewers rated positively.
@@yourstruly5772 this is the only review i ever posted on Lopesan and it is an honest review of the resort. All those positive amazing reviews are going to lead to a lot of disappointment for people. i watched all those videos too before going but the reality of the resort was way different then what those videos showed...thats why i titled the video "i was wrong"
@@GoExploreMattwhat’s considered low season (cheaper) on the dr ? Hurricane season ? Prices are pretty high to my surpise for June. As for the hype, those TH-camrs get their stays Comped and perks to influence.
@@BB-xn1rwSeptember to November is considered the low season and usually the cheapest to book
I was there last year and I can’t tell anything bad about Lopesan! The review from this guy is an absolute shame.
Food was amazing, the buffet restaurants served a great variety of choices and the theme restaurants were absolut gorgeous, especially the French (La Boheme), the mexican (El Charro) and the Italian one (Gondola). But all of the theme restaurants were great.
I also recommend booking the unique program. It comes with an upsell, but what you get as an unique guest is really stunning.
Service staff was really good. They were always nice to us and we were never waiting longer than 5 minutes. We were satisfied from check-in until check-out. Every staff member was always smiling and greets you.
I can also don’t understand the rating of the entertainment. You have so much variety to choose. Bowling, arcade, night club, theater, live music at the boulevard, live music in front of the lobby bar, sportsbar with Billard tables, the valley restaurant at the lobby section where you also can play Billard and table tennis. I’m sure I did forget some things. But you have to remember that the Lopesan is a family resort. If you are looking for a party resort, Lopesan ist not the right one for you. We had only one day of our 12 day trip where they did a foam party at the main pool. All other days it was quite, calm and chilling atmosphere. Just what we are looking for to relax from the stress at home.
I really recommend not to listen to that review, it’s simply not right.
I gave a fair and honest opinion of my actual experience, i am sure if you experienced horrible food poisoning and being sick for 5 days straight you would be saying the same about the food.
If you listened to the video my problem with the entertainment is by the pool during the day time, i dont want to pay extra for bowling & acrade to be entertained during the day. I went to excellence oyster bay in Jamaica before coming to this resort, if you want to see REAL entertainment go there..The animation team actually trys to get to know you! They have different activities to do every hour by the pool from bingo, to trivia to water sports. Also the entertainment at lopesan never starts on time from what it says in the app and no notice posted on site! and they cancel events without giving any notice, just last monday night they canceled the white party on the beach without any notice, sorry bud but everything i said in this video about the entertainment is a current reality at the resort.
@@Nattymatty7so everyone I know who has been to the dr has gotten sick…. Not sure if it’s an AI thing or the DR in general.
posted today on the facebook group:
Anyone currently here and get food poisoning? We landed yesterday and ate at the Unique restaurant for lunch and Italian for dinner. I woke up at midnight and puked all over my bed and hotel room floor. Not sure what’s going on.
We had the same experience as you! We upgraded to a swim up room at check in and they were so great and had the room ready pretty fast. Everyone was so helpful and friendly. I'm just surprised at this review and definitely had the opposite experience.
www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g3176298-d13973616-r925595073-Lopesan_Costa_Bavaro_Resort_Spa_Casino-Bavaro_Punta_Cana_La_Altagracia_Provinc.html
We just got back from Lopesan. Resort was amazing, great looking. Had everything you want. Lacking is the entertainment. It was nonexistent. We were so bored It wasn’t even funny. Have some Dominican flair some live bands playing for at least 2-3 hours not 30 minutes and if you want to socialize on this resort with other people, it’s not existent for what reason I have no idea for the amount of money we paid and to be bored, I wouldn’t recommend it. We’ve been to over 40 resorts and honestly, this is the best looking resort, but that’s it. Please they need to stop playing one song for 24-7 at the lobby bar. P.s they made me pay $100 USD FOR LATE CHECKOUT WHICH WAS PAID FOR ALREADY. Boring boring boring.
@@RamiJashari-oe4lu it can feel like a ghost town at times
It was kind of sad cuz it was a beautiful resort.
All other reviews were the total opposite of you. This so called (review) is basically bad talking since you got food poisoning. 😅
@@yu_love_sum_dee this review is fair and unpaid. Much like the negative comments about the resort on the Facebook group