Thursday, August 29, 2013

JetSetPilot Travel Excellence Resort (Punta Cana) Review

Introduction
                As owner of JetSetPilot, it has always been my worry that brand consistency between the Excellence Punta Cana and the Mexico version was missing for my clients even as they frequently came back with wonderful overall reviews of the resort.  My goal of scouting the Excellence was to find out if this worry was unfounded and to see if any differences between the two actually contributed or hurt the overall feel of the resort vs the Mexican version.  My breakdown of the many facets of this resort are as follows:

Grounds
                When referencing the grounds of most Caribbean resorts, it’s important to discuss both the actual resort grounds themselves as well as the beach which can be totally dissimilar.  In this case, that was not true at all.  The resort was in great shape upon arrival, especially considering the season.  The finishings were not to my personal liking as they were colonial in style as opposed the Mexican Excellences which have more of a modern feel, however, everything was clean, well-appointed, the grass was cut well, the sand was combed and the day-to-day wear and tear seemed to be diminished greatly versus many of the competitors in Punta Cana.
                The beach itself was spectacular.  It is rare to see a resort set in the center of a long, private beach with somewhat white sand and beautiful, older palm trees lining the resort to make it feel like the resort belonged there.  There was one issue that I could see hurting clients’ opinions of the resort beach and that is the rough surf.  As a young traveler, I appreciated the big waves and workout I received when out in the ocean, but many older travelers and those looking to relax in the surf will be disappointed.  But then again, that is what the pool is for, right?  There was one vendor the entire time we were at the resort, which was a huge relief.  Many of the other Punta Cana resorts have dozens of vendors walking up and down the public beaches.
Rooms
                As mentioned, the rooms were well-appointed with marble bathrooms, huge massage tubs and large showers with overhead showerhead which was uber-pleasant.  The tile floors could have been updated a little, but I am being picky.  The refrigerators were refilled twice daily with your own liquor, beer and all relatively high end brands.  The preferred club which we stayed in offered extra amenities with the room including concierge, lounge, private pool, bar and, most appealingly, a private beach area with plenty of day beds and chairs to lay on under straw umbrellas.  This was complimented by pool and beach waiter service which was extremely nice.

Service
                The service at the Excellence was outstanding with many employees going out of their way to make you smile.  They make you comfortable throughout the resort and that is down to the last maintenance man.  The concierge team in the preferred club are extra helpful in doing basically anything you want or need.  Huitzi, the sales manager amongst other managers is sure to make our clients feel extra special.  We will communicate to that team which of our clients are coming to the resort so they can prepare accordingly.

Food
Food was a minor letdown here, though it was great for an all-inclusive.  Dishes were very hit or miss and we will provide clients with certain restaurants to avoid as there are many less of those than ones we loved which include Barcelona and the Lobster House.  Late night room service is offered (24 hours) and is average at best, but that is what one can expect late at night.  The room service during regular hours is much better.

Entertainment
The entertainment was a C+.  The shows such as a “Cirque de Soleil” type show was good and so was the Burlesque show.  The game show night was poor, though if you were selected to be in it would make your vacation as a couple.  Also, the Caribbean dance show was mediocre at best.  What made my grade higher than I would have regularly rated it was the MC who “Loves His Job” and the secondary shows which were, in some cases, better than the primary shows such as the “Showtender” who was a flare-type bartending show complete with fireballs and a great drummer.  The late night disco was a C- as one night it was great, but most nights it was average to poor in terms of attendance.

Excursions
Though they will try to sell you on going on some excursions while there, most in Punta Cana are not great compared to other destinations.  This is not the resort’s fault, just a differentiator between islands.  Some of the more popular ones were horseback riding on the beach, zipline, dune buggy driving and snorkel/SCUBA.
Other
Other observations include the amazing pool bar which was the largest one I have ever seen.  The large grounds and pool made the hotel seem half full when it was very full most of the time.  I would say that this may as well be a couples resort instead of adults only such as a Sandals because unless you were part of a large group, the singles (both men and women) were difficult to find if there even were any.  The beach, again, is the nicest all-inclusive resort beach I have been to as well.  The current drive to the resort is an hour or so and is windy and bumpy, but this will be taken care of in the next year or so with new highways being built.  Keep in mind that Punta Cana requires a $10 entry tax to get in that is not included in the price of your airfare.  This is to be paid in $US as are tips throughout your stay.
In Closing
I would HIGHLY suggest this resort to all clients who are couples.  The age range made it so people of all ages would appreciate it along with the many different activities available to them.  Only those who are singles or even a bachelor/bachelorette party would I say stay away from this resort unless you want to get away from the other sex on purpose.  Those having weddings would do well to have theirs here as long as they do not want children in attendance.  Also, for the money, this resort offers extreme value compared to some of its competitors who would price similar properties much higher.