Dominican Republic Holiday

Soldato
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We're thinking of going to the DR over Christmas this year and we like the look of the Secret Royal Beach Resort:

http://www.thomsonworldwide.com/hotel/118629

Has anyone stayed here? It seems to offer everything we want but it's always nice to hear first hand from someone who's been. I've looked on trip advisor but take anything on there with a pinch of salt.
 
That one, the Excellence Punta Cana and Iberostar Grand are all very good

we have stayed at the Excellence 4 times and love it
 
Is the weather going to be ok at Christmas time there? Not going to be hurricane or rainy season is it?

The Excellence does look very nice and the wife is impressed so brownie points for me :)
 
yes we always go just after Christmas, best time of year for weather

just checking you know that kids aren't allowed in the Excellence?
 
Is the weather going to be ok at Christmas time there? Not going to be hurricane or rainy season is it?

The Excellence does look very nice and the wife is impressed so brownie points for me :)

August-November is the hurricane rainy season, We usually go to the Caribbean around the end of November/start of December for the best deals, always had great weather.
 
yes we always go just after Christmas, best time of year for weather

just checking you know that kids aren't allowed in the Excellence?

Yes, that's why we looked at the Secret Royal Beach resort and now Excellence. Looks like we might be booking it tonight, the wife is so excited!

Is there any dress code at the Excellence or any of the others you know of? I almost got caught out a couple of years ago in Sorrento when I turned up for dinner in my shorts, luckily I had some cotton trousers with me.
 
This is for the Excellence, at night in the restaurants long trousers and a collared shirt (polo is fine), this is in most restaurants, the lobster and steak houses allow shorts

Jeans are acceptable but very few wear them and I would feel out of place, to be honest in a place of this standard I think it is about what you would expect
 
One of the hotels in punta cana is being refitted and a water park being installed in the 2nd part of the hotel. Can't remember what the 2 places will be called but it looked really good if you have kids :)
 
This is for the Excellence, at night in the restaurants long trousers and a collared shirt (polo is fine), this is in most restaurants, the lobster and steak houses allow shorts

Jeans are acceptable but very few wear them and I would feel out of place, to be honest in a place of this standard I think it is about what you would expect

Who do you normally book with?
 
When I went to the Excellence, I paid the extra for Excellence Club. Thought it was very worthwhile - the beach area was much nicer (with great service) and I liked picking up canapes from the clubroom to enjoy with some drinks in our room as we got ready for dinner.

We booked through BA - they were a couple hundred pounds cheaper.
 
When I went to the Excellence, I paid the extra for Excellence Club. Thought it was very worthwhile - the beach area was much nicer (with great service) and I liked picking up canapes from the clubroom to enjoy with some drinks in our room as we got ready for dinner.

We booked through BA - they were a couple hundred pounds cheaper.

I disagree the excellence club is quite a lot more for very little, you get the bottles of spirits in room on normal sexrion too now
 
First Choice / Sovereign

Booked the Secrets Royal Beach through Thomson, couldn't get the Excellence with the dates we wanted. We got quotes from Trailfinders and Kuoni who both used BA but they were well over a grand different from what we're paying with Thomson. Kuoni did a quote with BA World Traveller Plus flights and it came at over 9k, needless to say that got binned!

Something nice to look forward to now.
 
With time ticking towards our sunny getaway we thought it prudent to check out what (if any) vaccinations we would need for the trip. It's always something I forget about but being next door to Haiti I thought we should ask the GP.

My wife visited our GP this week and they referred her to a private clinic they have in the same building and told her they will let us know what we need and how much. It's been ages since I had an injection (used to get the done in the Army for nowt), do we now have to pay for them or do we get certain ones for free still on the NHS (booster jabs probably)?
 
The DR is fantastic and annoyingly one of the few places I've been in that I don't want to risk trying any where else for that kind of holiday!
 
With time ticking towards our sunny getaway we thought it prudent to check out what (if any) vaccinations we would need for the trip. It's always something I forget about but being next door to Haiti I thought we should ask the GP.

My wife visited our GP this week and they referred her to a private clinic they have in the same building and told her they will let us know what we need and how much. It's been ages since I had an injection (used to get the done in the Army for nowt), do we now have to pay for them or do we get certain ones for free still on the NHS (booster jabs probably)?

I went to DR last month and had booster jabs at my NHS local surgery for free, I do live in Wales though so might make a difference...
 
OOohhh great thread. I havent been to the DR for a few years now, last time was bluebay over christmas 2008. A very nice quiet childfree resort, the one above looks excellent though, will have to investigate!
 
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