Dayana Carmona Darias
We had a great experience at Occidental Punta Cana! The staff was welcoming and helpful from the moment we arrived. The resort is beautiful, clean, and full of tropical charm.
The beach is stunning with soft white sand and clear water, and there were always plenty of loungers. The pools were also great, with both fun and relaxing areas.
The food and drinks were okay; we’re just used to a different type of cuisine, but there was variety and always something fresh at the buffet. The à la carte restaurants could use a more special menu. The bartenders were friendly and kept the drinks coming.
The entertainment was one of our favorite parts, with live music, shows, and lots of daytime activities. But it was also easy for us to find quiet spots to relax.
Overall, we felt the resort exceeded our expectations. It was the perfect mix of relaxation and fun, and the staff goes above and beyond. We would definitely come back!
Marianne Parenteau
An enormous thank you to Valentin for his absolutely outstanding service! From day one, he truly made a difference in our all inclusive experience. Always smiling, attentive, professional, and genuinely kind, he consistently went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect.
Valentin has a natural gift for making guests feel special and truly on vacation. His positive energy, efficiency, and attention to detail clearly elevate the level of service at the resort. Employees like him are truly rare.
If our stay was as memorable as it was, it is largely thanks to Valentin. Congratulations and thank you for everything. Keep up the amazing work!
Donald Putz
4th Stay at Occidental Punta Cana – Mixed Experience
This was our 4th visit, but our first not booking through OVC. Unfortunately, OVC wouldn’t allow bonus time for guests this year, and my sister-in-law found it cheaper to book directly through Barcelo.com than through OVC—even for a junior suite with a seaside view.
Grounds: Beautiful, clean, and well maintained (5/5).
Service: Ranged from fair to excellent (3/5).
Check-In: Confusing. I prepaid 50% online, but the hotel tried to add an unexpected $100 “tax.” I’ll be following up with Barcelo (3/5).
Room: Good overall. A/C couldn’t be adjusted but issues were resolved quickly (4/5).
Beds & Housekeeping: Excellent (5/5).
Dining: Very mixed.
• Buffet: Generally good with plenty of hot, well-prepared options.
• The Oriental: Unfortunately our worst experience—slow service and cold dishes.
• Italian & Steakhouse: Best food and service of the trip.
• Snacks: Burgers weren’t great, but the pizza/taco station was excellent.
We’ve loved this resort in the past and still enjoyed parts of our stay, but the inconsistencies this time—especially with dining and OVC policies—were disappointing.
Jose Sanchez
I had an amazing experience at Occidental Punta Cana! From the moment we arrived, the staff was warm, welcoming, and always ready to help with a smile. The resort itself is absolutely beautiful — the grounds are clean, well-kept, and full of tropical charm.
The beach is stunning with soft white sand and crystal-clear water, and there are plenty of loungers so it never feels overcrowded. The pools are also fantastic, with lively areas for fun and quiet spots if you want to relax.
Food and drinks were excellent with lots of variety — the buffet always had fresh options, and the à la carte restaurants were a nice touch for something extra special. The bartenders kept the drinks flowing and made every cocktail with care.
Entertainment was another highlight — from live music to nightly shows, there was always something fun to do. During the day, activities like water sports, games, and dance lessons kept the energy high, but it was also easy to find peaceful areas to just unwind.
Overall, Occidental Punta Cana exceeded my expectations. It’s the perfect mix of relaxation and fun, with a team that truly goes above and beyond for guests. I can’t wait to come back!
Lucas Mascotto-Carbone
Overview:
I stayed at Occidental Punta Cana previously in April 2024 and loved it so much that I rebooked a year in advance for December 2025. After losing my mother earlier this year, I hoped this trip would be peaceful and restorative. Unfortunately, this visit was chaotic, stressful, and nothing like my previous stay.
Room Issues:
Our room’s A/C was broken and stuck at 15°C. Water literally chilled on the nightstand! Despite reporting it twice, no one ever came! The lock on our room door was also faulty. On several occasions we were stuck outside the room repeatedly scanning the lock with no response. A repair worker happened to walk by, jimmied a screwdriver into the mortise, and left. It was never fully resolved and it became a serious issue once all of us fell ill.
Food Quality & Illness:
By Sunday, all four members of our group developed diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramping. I became severely ill and was bedridden for an entire day with vomiting and a migraine.
The food this trip was drastically different from 2024. The buffet lacked variety and leaned heavily on cheese and dairy-based dishes, which is difficult for guests with sensitivities (like myself). At one lunch, three different salads were just variations of cheddar and mozzarella salads, and even the fruit tasted bland and under-ripe. Many meals repeated daily with minimal rotation.
More concerning, several red meat dishes including burgers and ribs were consistently undercooked and pink in the middle. I had to send back multiple plates because they were unsafe to eat. I’ve been to Punta Cana and have never experienced food issues like this before, and it likely contributed to our group becoming sick.
Finally, one member of our party discovered a maggot inside their broccoli at the main buffet during dinner. We reported it immediately; the staff member apologized and took down our room number, but no follow-up or explanation was provided.
Excursions:
An externally booked excursion was turned away by resort security without warning, leaving us scrambling. We rebooked through Air Transat at a higher cost. Parasailing with Mariana Water Sports went smoothly, but snorkeling turned into a multi-day ordeal: repeated rescheduling, being turned away for “rough seas,” being asked to physically help push their boat into the water, and finally getting towed back when the engine failed.
Refund Issues & Unprofessional Behaviour:
On the day of our early repatriation (due to the Air Transat pilot strike), we requested a refund from Mariana Water Sports. The staff member became confrontational, questioning why I hadn’t snorkeled earlier despite my being bedridden and vomiting. After waiting over an hour, I was given only a partial refund, supposedly from his “personal cash.”
When three members of my group tried to cancel the Air Transat excursion due to illness, the staff member at their storefront, Johnathan, talked over them, refused any refund, and even called one of our travelers “uneducated.” This was unprofessional and unacceptable.
Overall:
I once considered this resort a favourite, but the December 2025 stay fell drastically short because of unresolved maintenance issues, poor food quality, widespread illness, and concerning behaviour from staff partners made this trip far more stressful than relaxing. I hope management takes these issues seriously, as the resort is certainly capable of much better.
My Booking
