Just come back from 2 weeks in the hotel. Was worried about all the horror stories I had read about. Arrived in glorious sunshine after flight from Glasgow and first impressions were great. We had booked two rooms, both clean and tidy, everything working with fridges well stocked with water and soft drinks. We ate in all the restaurants and had no complaints. During our stay we joined up from a family from Falkirk and Edinburgh, no one was sick, no one was ill and all eleven of us had a great time. Take only US dollars, no need for local currency. Also worth the odd 5 dollar tip to waiters and the guys who stock the fridge, just to get that bit of extra attention and service. Pools both great, but we found the beach better and more comfortable with the breeze. Dont read the horror stories, hygene standards are better than some UK hospitals, go and have a great time. The only reason I didnt give 10 out of ten was that it rained all day on our first day.

We arrived at this hotel on the 1st of august 2007. Our first opinion was paradise. Our second opinion which was from the second day was HELL!!. During the night my partner and I were violently sick with constant diarrhoea. Due to this we could not move from the room for 2 days after which we managed to make it out. It was then after talking to people we realized it was the whole hotel (people were being rushed to hospital in ambulances and passing out as they walked) who had been ill which was approx 2,000 people, we have since found out on returning the causes of the illnesses were shigella, salmonella, campylobacter, cryptosporidium and gardia these are all confirmed by tests done by doctors in the UK when the guests returned home. The management tried to cover the problem up by saying it was a disease the British had brought with them!!!! After 11 days of our holiday one child was served heated up burnt chips and raw burger; Which I find worrying since there was 2 companies sent (one was a company called Cristal and the other was sent by British tour operators) to analyze the hygiene and cooking of the hotel to find out what was infecting us. We are now into our 5th week of catching cryptosporidium and what ever else we had (we received 3 injections 2 lots of tablets and a rehydration drink from the doctor there) and are still not well enough to return to work. The hygiene in this hotel was appalling dirty, cold food etc I am advising people to stay away from this hotel but it up to you!!! The hotel closed just after we left for 2-3 months to clean it.

Stayed from 1st Aug-16th Aug 2007. 450 families effected with severe diarrhoea, cramps, headaches and vomiting. {Including my family} suing travel agent and hotel. 5 hr wait to see on site doctor, food warm, meat-pork reheated, burgers pink/uncooked. Seals on water bottles broken. Pepsi in mini bar well out of date. Human sick in main pool. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. Stayed there in Aug 2003 had a lovely time, that’s why we returned. WHAT A MISTAKE. Gone down hill only 2 star. Needs redecorating, new sewage pipes, and better hygiene standards. We are all still ill, and on two lots of tablets from our own GP, we have all had to take stool samples to the hospital for culturing. The hotel and travel agents are at fault for leaving the illness too long without acting, now it’s an epidemic and the hotel is closing on the 24th Aug for 2-3mths. THANK GOD''

Everyone was fun and smiling at all times. Everything about the holiday was amazing I cried for ages when left. It was the best! Staff was amazing these include -Luciano, Miguel, Hercules, Martin, Joelb and Josemisuol The jeep safari was the best day of my life!! You have to go on it!

This being my first time abroad, I found it amazing. Although parts of the country seemed a bit dirty. However you cannot let this put you off as people live very different in other countries. You have to also respect, they are very poor. Never the less it was a wonderful holiday, I would strongly recommend if you have the chance, take the offer of a night in the other hotel, free excursion as well as $100. I was wary of this until we went on it. The excursion took us around the town & into the mountains (you can see where Rambo blows up the boat in Rambo 2 (being a geek I found this of interest) the highlight being, climbing up a number of waterfalls (this was the highlight of the holiday), I would urge anyone going to the Dom Rep to do it. Free excursion or not. It is a great adventure. It also included a trip to the rum factory. Unfortunately (for my girlfriend) it was shut, but who cares. What could be more boring that a trip round a factory, I could do that at home. Taking the excursion freed up enough money to go to Saeona Island (spelt right I think). A desert island reached by speedboat, pricey but well worth it. All in all a great holiday, I would strongly recommend this holiday to anyone. Service is second to none, although I didn’t really go to lie on a beach staring at the sea (that was my partners department).

Sold to us as 4 star plus, so we have expected it to be better than average quality. Our disappointments listed: 1. Overall athmosphere wasn't good: complaining quests and slow ,sad and without motivation waitresses and hotel service. 2. Room wasn't tided up, when we arrived. We had to wait an hour at 23:00 for our room to be ready. Not nice welcome after 9.5 hours of flight only. 3. AC was broken in our room. Room itself was old with dirty doors - see pictures added. 4. Some people had bed-bugs in their rooms and were biten by them. See pictures added. 5. Lots of moskitos and sand flies. Many people complained about that. 5. In restaurant there was no interest from waitresses unles you have waived at least one dollar note in front of them. (It is nice to tip for good service but not to tip to be serviced at all, as we have already paid for service). We needed to bring drinks and look for clean cuttlery , glasses, mugs ourselves, as didn't want to give money to lazy and careless service. 6. Food was old or bad stored. Often cold (!) or just empty trays...Stomach sensations, headake and heaviness after each meal. We ended up eating pizzas and chips - most safe food but not the healthiest one. 7. Food of poor choice and monothonious. No choice of meat, if someone likes. Just pork sossages, hamburgers and eg chicken in a souce. 8. Tasty and fresh food served on trips outside of hotel or in restaurants in Cabarete - to compare and show that it was possible to get good even simple food. 9. Dirty tables at hotel bars and dirty sunbeds. They start cleaning at 10 am. 10. Quite smelly and wet toilett next to reception - for women.....before 10 am obviously. 11. Majority of hotel staff don't speak English - amazing when most of quests are English and Canadians... Even emergency line Spanish only. So needed quick Spanish lessons to order second bottle of water to be delivered to our room. However we were two, only one bottle of water was delivered for us... Guys who delivered water wanted tips of cource, so one bottle of water did cost one dollar..... 12. Had problems with booking pedal boat and cayac...Tried 3 times....and did not get it at the end ... 13. Old, grey often torn towels. Last day we have got one new - thus had a comparison. 14. Our bath hasn't been cleaned even once (could see these same shampoo marks everyday) 15. No chance to get a bath, only shower awailable and hot water after 10 minutes...if you were lucky. 16. When raining there were not enough umbrellas for everybody. 17.During Christmas week there were many quests but not enough tables in restaurants. People were wondering with their full plates looking for free table to sit at. Nobody cares.. Just for one night everything had changed. Restaurant was nicely decorated, candles on tables, huge choice of meats and other meals, very helpful waitresses (other people - probably from different hotel). We were asked 4 times in a row if we would like a coffee, while normally we had to call for it. It was just as it was supposed to be. The reason was - there were GESHOTELS anquetters present that one night. Overall very dissapointed with hotel, service and atmosphere at Bahia Principle SJ. It really looks like it is getting down and nobody cares about it. No chance to upgrade to Diamond as it was said to be better... why weren't we warned before buying? Just felt like USSR holidays for this same company workers. Everybody ftogether ...rom management to labour and none cares about quality. Just to pass it through... Really bad feeling... Luckily for us the second week we have spent on trips or walks and had a chance to get some nice memories from Dominican Republic.

We found the hotel very big and very busy. When we arrived the hotel had over booked so there were far too many people there, the hotel were paying money and moving people to other hotels. There were not enough beach towels to go around and no where near enough sun loungers we spent hours looking for two!!!. The staff were very friendly and we could'nt complain. The hotel was full of noisy young adults all on spring break making too much noise til the early hours in the moring. This is not a quiet hotel where you can relax. It was so busy you could'nt even book into the resturants. Overall the holiday was good just dont go when its american or canadian spring break.