Ocean El Faro, Punta Cana

Recent Reviews: 9929

• User:Seaside59934455014

  Trip type: Family

  Room was dirty, moldy, smelled like urine, stained couch, broken furniture, damp bed. Completely unacceptable.

  Invalid Date

  Room was dirty, moldy, smelled like urine, stained couch, broken furniture, damp bed. Completely unacceptable.

• User:Pooyan F

  Trip type: Family

  Overall ok but just ok

  Invalid Date

  Location is ok. There is nothing around so you are limited to whatever is offered at the hotel.Good vibe as long as you don't need to interact with the workers. Many have attitude, barely speak basic English and obviously not paid enough to give a damn. Rooms are old but overall ok. AC is very loud. Room service is probably the only really good thing. Beach is clean but fairly small. It doesn't really offer a "walking on the beach" experience. Resturants operate at perhaps 10 or 20% capacity and for most you have to reserve the same day. I don't know why they leave 80 to 90 percent vacant. The cafe is unbelievably slow. There are a few people there but only one person work and that person is always extremely slow as if it's a labor camp and they are forced to do something. The food is average at best

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• User:IanVicker

  Trip type: Family

  Strong stay with standout service, but a few avoidable issues

  Invalid Date

  We’ve just returned from Ocean El Faro (El Beso adults only side) and overall had a very enjoyable stay. There are some clear strengths here, particularly with service in certain areas, but also a few inconsistencies that stop it short of being excellent.What’s done wellThe highlight of the trip was our concierge José, who was consistently superb. He arranged restaurant bookings, organised a birthday cake, helped with transport and checked in daily without being intrusive. Exactly what you want from this level of resort.Rooms are spacious and well laid out, with two beds, a seating area and a balcony (nice touch with the hanging chair). Beds were very comfortable and we slept well throughout, with minimal noise from neighbouring rooms.The air conditioning worked properly, no dampness or musty smells, which isn’t always a given in this climate.Pool areas are a strong point. There’s good variety, all with bars, and the lazy river is genuinely fun with a decent current. Tip: bring your own float, the hotel has some, but availability is limited. They will inflate floats for you at the towel station.There was no issue getting sunbeds if you go early (we went around 8am).Restaurant-wise, we tried several (Route 66, Sakura, Dolce Vita, Margarita, Ocean Burger), but the steakhouse was comfortably the best.Service around the pool was generally good, Chrisel deserves a mention for being particularly friendly and attentive.A positive note on standards: one pool was closed after a child was sick, remained shut for the rest of the day for cleaning/chemicals, and only reopened after checks the following morning. That’s exactly how it should be handled.Where it falls shortThe rooms, while comfortable, are starting to feel a little tired, and there were some practical annoyances:• USB sockets didn’t work at all• Plug sockets are US-style (fine if you’re prepared, but worth knowing)• Shower pressure was poor, with temperature fluctuating and at times stopping completely mid-showerWi Fi is available throughout but unreliable, dropping out regularly. Fine for light use, but nothing more.Around the pool, there is no food/snack service, only drinks. At comparable resorts, things like fruit or ice cream are often offered, so this felt like a miss.Mike’s Coffee serves good drinks, but queues build up because service is slow and appears understaffed. Drinks often take a while, which explains the constant backlog, and staff didn’t always appear particularly motivated. More broadly, while many staff were excellent, some did come across disengaged, which impacts the overall feel.Entertainment is another weak area. It’s below par, and more importantly, the app isn’t reliable. On two separate occasions, beach parties were advertised but didn’t happen.Maintenance also needs attention, there are a noticeable number of missing tiles in pool areas, which is both untidy and a potential safety issue.Other observationsThe buffet was generally well managed:• Breakfast (around 8am) was quiet and easy• Lunch was busier but manageable• Evenings were busy without being overcrowdedOverallThis is a good resort with some very good elements, particularly concierge service, pool areas and parts of the food offering.However, it’s held back by inconsistency in service, weaker entertainment, and some avoidable maintenance and practical issues.Set expectations accordingly and you’ll likely have a very enjoyable stay, just don’t expect everything to match the brochure.

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• User:Rosana D

  Trip type: Family

  Amazing Ocean El Faro & staff

  Invalid Date

  We went for the first time to Ocean El Faro & we loved it so much! Alexander was our butler & I can not express how amazing he was. He always made sure to take care of us and that we were having an amazing experience. He was very attentive, personable & very hard working. When we visit again I want to have him as our Butler. Also I wanted to give a shout out to Jonathan & Jhon who were the bartenders at the privilege pool bar. They were incredible & made sure we had a great drink in hand & they made the best drinks! Overall our experience was amazing & would love to come back.

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• User:FarAway44354620111

  Trip type: Couples

  excellent

  Invalid Date

  We had a blast. Staff was amazing, the nightlife always had something new and exciting. Can’t wait to come back again. Blue team helped out a lot, specifically Emmanuel, Deivi, and Roberto!