Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda
8,410 reviews
#67 of 149 Hotels in Punta Cana
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Arena Gorda - Macao, Punta Cana 23301 Dominican Republic
COVID-19 update: See the added health and safety measures this property is taking.Read more
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US$611
Free cancellation until 17/08/21
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US$204
Free cancellation until 17/08/21
US$611
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Panoramas (14) Pool & Beach (2447)
Travel safe during COVID-19
What you can expect during your stay
- All linens sanitized in high-temperature wash
- Floors marked for social distancing
- Hand sanitizer available to guests & staff
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Contactless check-in
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Updated 25/06/20 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
A note from Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda
Updated 25/06/20 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
About
#67 of 149 hotels in Punta Cana
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Facilities and services 2 Pools Sun terrace 4 Jacuzzis Sun umbrellas and loungers Beach and pool towel service BAHIA SPA (additional charge) Sports facilities: gym, 3 tennis courts, 1 padel tennis court (additional charge), multi-sports court Water activity centre Motorised water sports (additional charge) WiFi access in the lobby (free) and in rooms (free of charge) Entertainment amphitheatre 2 buffet restaurants 3 speciality restaurants 3 Bars 1 Snack- bar Wedding gazebo Punta Blanca Golf Club: 18 hole Punta Blanca Golf Club, designed by Nick Price (additional charge) Pueblo Principe: Shopping and Leisure Mall with local craft stores, live music, shows, stores, bars, karaoke, disco and casino. Rooms, 570 Deluxe Junior Suite Room facilities: King size bed or two full size beds Air conditioning Ceiling fan Sitting area with sofa Terrace Fully-equipped bathroom with hydromassage bath tub and separate shower, hair dryer and magnifying mirror Bathrobe and slippers VIP amenities Radio-alarm clock Flat screen satellite TV Coffee-making facilities Ironing set Pillow menu Umbrella 24 hour room service Minibar WiFi (free of charge) Other services Medical service (additional charge) Pharmacy (additional charge) Specialised service for organising weddings, incentive trips, events and anniversaries Personalised menus (for celiacs, diabetics, etc.) Available on request
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Full view
Property amenities
Parking
Free internet
Pool
Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room
Restaurant
Diving
Tennis court
Indoor play area for children
Wifi
Hot bath
Pool / beach towels
Adult pool
Outdoor pool
Fitness classes
Swimup bar
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Poolside bar
Water park
Aerobics
Entertainment staff
Evening entertainment
Fishing
Table tennis
Nightclub / DJ
Kids club
Airport transportation
Shuttle bus service
Business Centre with Internet Access
Conference facilities
Banquet room
Meeting rooms
Spa
Couples massage
Facial treatments
Full body massage
Head massage
Massage
Salon
24-hour security
Concierge
Currency exchange
Shops
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun umbrellas
Butler service
Dry cleaning
Laundry service
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Room features
Housekeeping
Private balcony
Room service
Safe
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Family Resort
Languages Spoken
French, Spanish
Location
Full view
43Car recommended
Grade: 43 out of 100
195Restaurantswithin 10 km
66Attractionswithin 10 km
8,410Reviews1,607Q+A100Room tips
Reviews
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Popular mentions
I usually don’t take my complaints to the internet. Rather I bring my concerns directly to the hotel. Well it is 4 months later now and the women who inherited this business from their father are not focused on customer satisfaction. So here goes. My family had been to this property and other Bahia properties for 10ish years. What happened in March 2020 was the worst experience I’ve had in a very long time. When I brought it to the chains management, their response has consistently been we are focused on our staff and guests safety. We had to move hotels after two days since they were shutting down the resorts. All guests were moved to another hotel at 3pm (couldn’t change that time). The check out was flooded with guests and only 2 people behind the desk trying to manage. It took us almost an hour to check out. If anyone was infected with COVID the compressed area we were kept in would have been a health disaster. Now it is 4:30pm and we are at the new hotel with the flood of guests who had left the Esmeralda. To check in to the new hotel? Almost THREE hours! Literally over a hundred guests crammed into the reservation area with only two people checking guests in. Again there was no concern whatsoever about social distancing. You just couldn’t. We were sitting by the only pool open and noticed three large feces lying in the water. Likely from a diaper. We told a guard. He said he would be right back. An hour later - still nothing. I walked to find a manager and told him. He came to look, spoke into his walkie talkie, and said someone would come. I then observed him, as he was walking away, say something to another employee and point in the direction of the feces. They laughed and slapped each other on the back. Nothing happened. We finally left the pool and went to the ocean. We had reservations at specialty restaurants and when we got there there was a sign on the door “closed”. Could they not have called us to let us know?? Bars only served beer. All specialty drinks were halted.due to COVID. My daughter wanted a smoothie drink and it tasted heavily of some kind of cleaning solution. We needed adjoining rooms due to traveling with our two daughters. Nope. We were placed far apart from each other at both hotels. Staff weren't helping guests as they were re-assigned to closing down operations - or were in small hidden groups speaking about the shut down and what was going to happen to them. Oh I could keep going but I won’t. The bottom line is I paid top dollar for two rooms and I am a loyal customer. When brought to the Bahia chains attention they repeatedly talked about the struggles they are having “in these unprecedented times”. They finally offered a free room upgrade for my next visit. There are a lot of high end chains looking for your business I would go there before another Bahia experience.…
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
+1
Serious safety incident
I stayed at Luxury Bahia Principe Esmeralda in Punta Cana from 11/8/2019-11/12/2019 and I will NEVER-EVER go back. The staff was nice, helpful and polite. However, during day 2 of our stay, the staff was very pushy about my friend and I going to the COCO Bongo night club. We ended up going... When we walked in the door of the COCO Bongo- the representative from the Luxury Bahia Principe Esmeralda took my friend and I to the “VIP” area, where there were several other people, to include a local gentleman who claimed to be a bartender at the Hard Rock Cafe. The following day, he came to Luxury Bahia Principe Esmeralda to pick me up and show me around Punta Cana. What happened never is a complete nightmare. I was given the date rape drug, and I was raped and left for dead on the beach. Thank god I woke up- and I asked the man to return me to the resort. When we got back to the resort, as soon as I saw the hotel gate I got out of his car and walked around the guard tower so he could no longer physically get to me. I told the guards that the man sitting in the car had just raped me, taken the hotel band off my wrist and gave me a drug. I told the guard my name and he said that someone would be there in 5 minutes to take me to my room. I told him I would like to see a doctor and told him again what the man sitting in the car had done to me. At the point, another security guard walked up to me and asked if “my friend” could come say bye to me and talk to me. I said “NO! He raped and assaulted me.” Well, ten seconds later , the man who assaulted me walks up behind me .... on to Luxury Bahia Principe Esmeralda property and says he’s leaving and asks if I’m okay. I told him I’m fine and told him not to touch me. The man leaves and the three guards are sitting there snickering . I asked where my ride was and now they said they don’t speak English. .... I finally made it back to my room. The following morning- my friend and I went to eat, and it was clear the employees at the resort knew what had happened to me. One employee snickered and said “yes we said COCO Bongo was fun, but don’t hang with any locals there.” They were all essentially making fun and laughing at what happened to me. I told the Head security at the resort and he helped me to file a police report. I am almost 100% sure that this man has assaulted and raped tourist before. He hasn’t been arrested yet according to the rep at the US EMBASSY that I have contact with. For 1. I would Not go to Punta Cana, DR I would NOT stay at Luxury Bahia Principe Esmeralda, security and safety there is laughable at best. It is Not safe for Americans there and I know I was targeted for being American. And last , do not go to COCO Bongo. I’ve attached pics so ppl know this review I real- and I do not want it removed.…
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Date of stay: November 2019Trip type: Travelled with friends
9 Helpful votes
Helpful
+1
We’ve travelled to Punta Cana twice now as a family. The first time, we went with our family of 4. We enjoyed it so much that we invited the rest of our family to join us, (there were 8 of us in total) for my father-in-law’s 75th birthday celebration. Both times, we stayed at the Bahia Principe Esmeralda, which we absolutely LOVE! The staff are friendly, inviting, professional and they always make us feel welcome! Louis is awesome!! The meals are delicious, where there is always a wide variety of food being offered. The a la carte restaurants are also quite good! (Brazilian one being one of our favourites!) As a family, we all enjoy an active lifestyle. We loved having access to the tennis courts which we used every morning after breakfast (be sure to reserve in advance) which is just a short shuttle bus away form the hotel. We also enjoy playing beach volleyball, which, of course, is on the beautiful beach with an incredible view of the ocean! There are also many activities in and around the pool during the day. (One of my personal favourites is the kayak race, which I’ve won both times we were there!) The rooms are lovely & spacious, and the beds are very comfortable! Our mini bar was always fully stocked with beer (& pop for the kids), and it was nice to have a little bag of chips to nibble on at the end of the day, when we were getting ready for dinner. The bar staff are also incredible, working tirelessly each day in the sun for many people on vacation. Hugo (he works at the bar lobby in the evenings) made the best pina coladas! The evening entertainment is also wonderful! The hotel would always put something for the kids earlier in the evening. Then, they would have an evening activity later on. We really enjoyed the beach party, as well the Michael Jackson show. In sum, we really enjoy our vacations in Punta Cana! We’ve already recommended this place to our friends & family. We hope to be back again soon! Kelli Callaghan, Jeff Snyder & our boys, Aidan (14) & Darcy (13) 😀…
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
4 Helpful votes
Helpful
We were there in March. Checkout was a nightmare. When we got to the resort they made us pre-check in. When I mentioned to the staff that my travel agent had sent a request for us to be in a complex close to the beach, I was very rudely told to go sit down. We then had to go to the main lobby at 3pm to officially check in. I again said that my travel agent had requested rooms close to the beach and again was dealt with very rudely. They tried to put me in the complex which was the farthest away from the beach and I told them I wasn’t going there. They said all the other rooms were taken, even though people on the same plane as us were given rooms in building 90-92 which are the closest. Only when I mentioned that I researched this resort on trip advisor did they decide to find another room. Only then did they “want to make us happy”. On a happier note, the beach is gorgeous and if u get up by 7ish you can get a hut. We don’t do the pool but there looked to be lots of chairs available there. We did a la carte restaurants every night but one and they were all very good except for the Oriental Takara which was not good. The buffet was very good but the main buffet is very busy, often with lineups. We ate at the other buffets for the most part and they were great. The wait staff/ bartenders at the beach were the friendliest people on the whole resort. Very efficient and all around awesome! The wait staff at the lobby bar would walk by our table and not even look at us. A couple of times we left cause we couldn’t even get a drink (which has never happened to us in our 9 previous trips to the DR). You can use the other surrounding resorts but other than our a la cartes we didn’t. Due to our check in difficulties, I wouldn’t return to this resort unless it was much cheaper than what we paid. I don’t enjoy being dismissed or having to argue with staff when I’m only wanting to have a relaxing vacation.…
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Helpful
Response from BPCompBav, Online Reputation at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda
Responded 30 Mar 2020
Cher client, Nous apprécions vraiment vos commentaires et tenons à vous offrir nos plus sincères excuses pour les possibles inconvénients que vous avez rencontrées lors de votre séjour. Les opinions de nos clients sont très importantes pour nous. Soyez assurés que nous prenons vos observations en grande considération et qu'ils ont déjà été transmis à la Direction. Cordialement, Cordialement, Adriana Peguero Online Reputation Bahia Principe Bavaro Resort
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Overall not such a great experience. Our 18 month old baby picked up hand foot and mouth disease due to poor cleanliness levels at the hotel. Reading other reviews, this is not the first case of it and the hotel needs to do something about it. The worst bit is the hotel clinic trying to make money out of it - the local doctor (Dr Himmler) charged us for a consultation fee only to refer us to the local hospital where we wasted half a day and paid $450 to be told our child had hand foot and mouth disease. This clearly could have been dealt with by the local hotel doctor but the money to be made by sending us to the hospital is just a money making business and is very unethical behaviour. My husband got food poisoning twice from Il Capriccio restaurant and the buffet restaurant. The Italian restaurant served up a raw pizza with heavy raw dough. Unbelievable! We didn't like any of the a la carte restaurants, they were awful. The buffet food was better if you chose carefully. The beach was really nice, we loved it, however the seat situation is very dull. Despite not being allowed to reserve seats, everyone does it and it means tons of seats are left empty for the whole day with towels left on them from early morning. We paid for a late check out due to husband and baby being sick and a late flight. Both were trying to sleep at lunch time when a crazy drill sound started up and woke them. Just outside our room massive works and renovations began with dust flying everywhere and of course a really loud noise. What a disaster for my family just trying to get some sleep to get well for a flight. The grounds are amazing and really well kept. A lot of the staff are very nice and friendly but then a lot of them are very rude and useless, saying yes to everything and then doing nothing. A lot of the staff have a tendency to touch our little boy on the face which is very unhygienic and awkward for us as parents. The noise around the pool is really too much most of the time. Peace and quiet is not a thing at this hotel. It's a shame because this hotel has a lot of potential but I don't think I'd recommend it nor would I return. It lacks class and and being a 5 star hotel is a stretch.…
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Date of stay: March 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Quieter rooms by the 2nd pool - ground floor with young children
See more room tips
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from BPCompBav, Online Reputation at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda
Responded 30 Mar 2020
Dear Guest, We strive to provide the best possible service to our guests throughout their stay. This includes the convenience—and in some situations, emergency help—of having an on-site medical provider, Hospiten, a top local medical company. As a private provider, the service Hospiten provides is separate from our resort. Once in their care, it is up to the guest to make choices about further medical treatment, including insurance, access, and distance. On the other hand, we inform you that we do follow a very strict daily cleaning program and constantly monitoring all safety and quality standards in our hotel since the health, welfare, and satisfaction of our guests are our priorities. Always at your disposal, Adriana Peguero Online Reputation Bahia Principe Bavaro Resort
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PRICE RANGE
US$169 - US$920 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
gran bahia principe esmeralda hotel punta cana
LOCATION
CaribbeanDominican RepublicLa Altagracia ProvincePunta Cana
NUMBER OF ROOMS
570
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda
Which popular attractions are close to Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda?
Nearby attractions include Bavaro Beach (3.9 km), Vivaldi Cigars (7.7 km), and Escapology (7.8 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a swimup bar, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda?
Guests can enjoy a swimup bar, an on-site restaurant, and a poolside bar during their stay.
Is parking available at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda?
Yes, parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda?
Conveniently located restaurants include Chic Cabaret & Restaurant Punta Cana, Montserrat Manor Restaurant, and Herman 311 Bar & Restaurant.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda?
Yes, guests have access to a pool, a fitness centre, and fitness classes during their stay.
Does Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda have an airport shuttle?
Yes, Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda offers an airport shuttle for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are any cleaning services offered at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda?
Yes, dry cleaning and laundry service are offered to guests.
Does Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda offer any business services?
Yes, it conveniently offers a business centre, meeting rooms, and a banquet room.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including Spanish and French.
Does Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.