Ocean El Faro, Punta Cana

This is our fourth visit to Ocean El Faro. We always stay privilege, but this time we used the exclusive cabanas located next to the privilege pool. The guys Juan and Berwin looked after our family extremely well. Nothing was too much trouble for them. We had a flow of drinks before we even asked for them, and a ready supply of food when requested. As normal, we had an amazing time. Also want to give our thanks to Justina and Jhon on the privilege bar who also could not do enough for us, and always greeted us with a smile. Weve been coming to the Dr for nearly 30 years, and it never lets us down.

We have loved our stay here. Weather has been gorgeous and the facilities are fantastic. Lots to do everyday around the pool and in the evening for adulta and children. Amaurys is excellent and checks in with us every day. Always checking everything is ok and offering to help with anything. Always has a big smile on his face! Angel our concierge is fantastic too.

First time in the DR and it was a great time, we was new to the all inclusive so we just have a very laid back vacation, the food was very yummy , drinks just kept coming and loved all the service and staff very friendly. Only complaint was the room had a damp smell but after we got in the room unpacked and had the air turn down the dampness went away.

We have just got back to the UK after a 2 week stay at Ocean El Faro (me, wife and 2 boys, aged 16 and 14) after booking the holiday through Tui. We were quite concerned after reading some of the negative reviews but we all had a great time and would definitely have no issues booking there again. We've done All Inclusives previously in Jamaica, St Lucia, Mexico and Cuba and thought the resort & Dominican Republic were fab. Rooms We booked 2 rooms and were situated in Block 9. Both were spacious, excellent beds (my wife is a poor sleeper) and had air conditioning & fans. They were clean, well decorated and had balcony's overlooking the lazy river. Rooms can be quite humid so we requested De-Humidifiers and these were in the room when we arrived. My wife also brought de-humidifier bags to place in the wardrobes and cupboards so these did the trick during our stay. Rooms were cleaned regularly (can place sign on door requesting) with fresh bath towels provided. We requested rooms together by emailing the hotel before hand, and whilst not guaranteed, these were just 1 room apart. Tip - do not leave clothing/bags on floor. Kids left bags and had some mildew when we left Beach Sargassum was quite bad and would build up regularly so this limits time in sea. Staff were continuously working to clear but fighting a losing battle. We liked to go down to the beach at 5pm each day as nice breeze and beachbar open till 6pm. Beach is nice with lots of places to sit. Pools We liked to stay round the Daisy Pool which was the main hub for activities during the day (water aerobics, games, water volleyball). People do put towels on the beds early in the morning but we never had an issue. If want a bed in the shade or with an umbrella then might need to get down there before 8am (although signs say you can't reserve, everyone does). Had no issues with pool cleanliness and staff were cleaning pools in the evening and early mornings. Lazy River is good fun - we took our own floats but not essential to have them. No issues getting served at pool bars - did get busy at time but staff all v good. Enjoyed the foam party - pool got very busy but everyone was in good spirits and had a great time. Bar staff do come round and take drink orders but we'd tend to just head over ourselves Resort Resort is huge! Buggies run regularly from the Lighthouse to the main Lobby for those that want it - not far off a 10 min walk between the 2 locations. Good choice of locations for food/drinks. My wife & I used the gym every day and had plenty of apparatus/weights for those that are trying to burn off the many calories from the food/drink consumed :-) Lobby Lobby is fantastic, very grand and best we've seen at any of the all inclusives we've been to - great place to get an afternoon or early evening drink. There is a lovely piano bar which seems to be under utilised. We did go in there for the British Night, expecting a sing-along of Oasis, Adele, Beatles tunes but instead was a version of the Three Tenors - very good singers but not one for families with children. Restaurants/Mikes Coffee Bar The coffee bar is the best we've been to at an all inclusive. Wide range of hot & cold drinks and sandwiches/cakes. Went there at least once a day - think others had the same idea so can be queuing for up to 15 mins when busy (but not an issue as got all the time in the world) We ate at all the restaurants, including the buffet and had good experiences in all. They have no issues with you ordering additional starters/mains if unsure what to have: Buffet - different theme for each evening and wide range selection. Fresh meat and fish cooked at the stations plus large selection of salads, desserts and other dishes Sakura Japanese - as per other Japanese all inclusive restaurants, you get your own chef who cooks food at your table and entertains. Cooked beef, chicken, shrimp & veg with rice. Really good fun - kids loved it Steakhouse - can choose a range of steaks or chicken/salmon. You can opt to pay a supplement for other steaks/lobster options but we stuck with the standard all inclusive menu. By the end of the holiday, i was ordering the filet, a flank steak and shrimp so never went hungry! Mash is good as well :-) Italian - I'd recommend the Parmesan chicken. Went there 3 times and one of our favourites. No pizza option (you'll need to go to the buffet at lunchtime or Italian night) Mexican - Went for the Fish option which was one of my favourite meals of the holiday. Slightly disappointed with the fajitas as quite small portion, but you can order twice if you want :-) Route 66 American Diner - offer a range of burgers/sandwiches. Ate there once and no complaints. Good milkshakes Burger Bar (daytime) - kids would eat there most days. Wasn't too happy on my first visit as burger was cooked but stone cold. Was fine every other time though and kids enjoyed going there. Just wish they had a bit of a wider selection of food around the pools (nachos/crisps/chicken) although can opt for the main buffet instead (but will need to get dry and dressed) We did not go to the Blue Moon as men need to wear trousers and I didn't pack any. Breakfast Buffet We ate at the main buffet on most days due to wide range of foods available. Excellent omelettes, smoothies and fruit selection. You can opt for buffet breakfast at Villa Marina restaurant on the beach as much quieter but much smaller selection of food Tipping Whilst not essential, if you want to tip then do so but made no difference to service provided or how quick you are served despite what some reviews say. We took US dollars and provided tips but not for every drink. We provided larger tips when felt the service deserved it Entertainment The daily activities are uploaded on to the App. In the main centre there is a Family Lounge with various games, a small arcade and a Bowling Alley with Virtual Reality Rides. Bowling alley is not the greatest. There's a kids pool and a play centre for younger children. Entertainment Staff were all great - always had a smile and kept people entertained. My only gripe was that activities were limited for teenagers and had expected more activity that was focussed for them, especially as the Daisy Pool is for families (and have Beso for adults only pools/entertainment) We visited the Showtime Theatre on a few occasions over the fortnight. Shows last approx 30 mins. Favourite was Michael Jackson but 12yr old like the magician and circus acts We loved the beach party and the fire dancers. Still fuming that I didn't win the dance competition though :-) Excursions We did the Saona Island trip which was a long but fab day. We booked this online through a separate tour operator as much cheaper then the packages offered at the hotel. Beautiful beaches and enjoyed the catamaran boat ride. We also booked go karting - boys loved it. Probably not the safest go kart track I have visited though.... Big shout outs to: Angel - our TUI concierge was fantastic throughout our stay. Responded to all our asks and arranged bookings of restaurants when requested. Would update us daily via WhatsApp on activities and ask if could provide assistance for anything we needed Estefany - our lobby bar waitress. Would be straight with us the second we walked in to the lobby bar to find us seats and take our drinks order. So friendly and service with a smile Ricardo - the singing barman at the Daisy Pool Bar. Great service and never left us without a drink (or a song!) The Blue Team Entertainment staff - Enrique, Gerson, Joel, Stefany (and others i've forgotten to mention) - work long hours but always smiling and ensuring everyone is having the best time and on hand to support when needed Gutted to be home. Most people we spoke to whilst there were having a fantastic time. So glad we didn't change hotels as had seriously considered this up to 2 weeks before travelling. Final tips: 1) take some damprid bags for wardrobes/cupboards 2) Ask for De humidifiers in room 3) Take your own insulated cups as they are happy to fill them up at the poolbars with whatever drink you want 4) Factor 50 suncream - we had this on throughout but still burnt 5) Choose the queue on the left (not the right one) when arriving at Passport control. Goes much quicker as have E-Passport machines 5) Plugs are very much hit and miss as are the USB charging points 6) If you can speak Spanish do so, they laughed at my awful Spanish but appreciate the attempt 7) You can get taxis via Uber if want to travel out yourself. Macao beach is lovely and not too far away