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.
RoomsAs 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.
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