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On our trip to the Dominican Republic, we stayed at one of the Eden Viaggi facilities,namely the Catalonia Gran DominicusResort.
The resort offers an All Inclusive formula, so drinks, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners were included in the price.
The property is located near Bayahibe and is quite large. We chose theprivilege formula,also based on what were the reviews on the web and it offers, for 10 euros more per night, the renovated rooms, lunch at the exclusive restaurant on the beach and a reserved area on the beach itself.
THE ROOMS
Privilege customers, are recognized by others, thanks to a purple bracelet, so even the most beautiful tables of restaurants are often reserved for them.
Our room is quite large and air-conditioned. The bed is four-poster, the bathroom quite spacious with a large walk-in shower.
Inside the room there is a frigobar rather stocked, especially with water, since the current one is NOT DRINKABLE, but often there are also cans of local beer, President.
In addition there is a kettle with coffee and herbal teas that you can use freely throughout the day. The room is always delivered to us very clean and tidy, but remember that in Repubblica Domenica, the tip to the staff must be left at the beginning of the stay.
Our room has a very nice and quite spacious balcony, useful to put to dry the beach towels. The only flaw is maybe the wardrobe a little small, but we are on vacation and as we explained here you do not need to bring whole wardrobes.
RESTAURANTS
There are multiple restaurants in the Resort: the main one is the Taino, which has a quaint style and the foods are practically buffet-style. Laudable is the Italian cuisine, prepared by a local chef, very good, but try to taste everything because it is always very fresh and the choice is huge. The Taino restaurant is the one where breakfast is served, again you can choose whichever food you prefer for the first meal of the day, while coffee, milk and juices are served at the tables.
The second restaurant is the Italian restaurant, “LA TOSCANA”.
In this case I believe the chef is not Italian, because we are light years away from our cuisine and above all from our pizza.
In fact the pizza is prepared and served in the adjacent restaurant, the PIZZERIA SORRENTO, also, as already mentioned, is but an idea that Dominicans have of our pizza, but it is still perfect for aperitifs and appetizers during the day, since it is prepared hot at all times.
Then there is the Caribbean restaurant, YUCA, highly recommended to taste local cuisine and above all special dishes based on fish and molluscs, such as my beloved shells of the Bahamas. The atmosphere is intimate, with candles on the tables and at the same time cheerful thanks to the Caribbean music that spreads throughout the room
]The third restaurant is the steak house, RODEO, where you can taste some delicious meat, of which you can choose in addition to cutting also cooking, although the portions are not very abundantA we reach our favorite, The terrace, open only for lunch and reserved for privilege customers.
In fact, we admit that more than the food, of this restaurant impressed us the location; it is located overlooking the beach and inside it is completely white. In addition being also bar and Lounge we were often there even just for an aperitif and for the view.
BARS
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The bars are really many, there is certainly no risk of starvation or thirst.The main one is MERENGUERO, the largest, always open, until late evening, so you can ask for water, aperitifs, cocktails, coffee, tequila, rum, whatever you want to taste.
Our favorite is the MA LOO BAR,a kiosk of fresh fruit smoothies that really consoled us. The fruit was fresh and blended only with ice, I think we tried any kind. The only thing we didn’t really like, problem of the whole resort, is the use of rigid plastic glasses, of those that you can reuse; these are practically sown anywhere in the resort, including sand, then harvested and washed if not rinsed only with water and no, we do not think it is very hygienic.
We still have the Pizza snack&Bar,for appetizers and drinks on board the huge pool of the resort that however we have practically never used and EL COCOTERO which is the second kiosk on the beach, but this also prepares drinks and crepes.
THE BEACH
The resort beach is well maintained, very clean and there are not only the classic deckchairs but also wonderful white wooden gazebos, hammocks and small pagodas with mattresses. Not relaxing is impossible, everything is comfortable and, even the adopted style, it is specially chosen to give the idea of comfort and relaxation.
On the beach there is a small gazebo where weddings are celebrated, which we were lucky enough to attend, because just a couple known there, celebrated their union.
In the evening, the beach becomes a romantic place for a romantic dinner based on lobster and candlelight. Dinner for two people costs about 50 euros and you have to book. If you can enjoy this little luxury whose price is not exorbitant and will remain a pleasant memory.
RESORT STAFF AND EDEN VILLAGE STAFF
We are not lovers of animation, but that of the resort is discreet and absolutely not intrusive. Pleasant was to have a few chats with the Italian animators, but we can not express too much about it, because during the day we were always out for excursions.
the staff at Eden are very present, but we have encountered some problems for the medical, which in our opinion has exorbitant prices, as well as the excursions they organize, but you, as well as we did, are free to organize outside the resort.
Overall the staff are always very friendly as well as prepared and attentive. We made friends with some waiters who helped us a lot, pampered and spoiled us and of whom we have a wonderful memory. Everyone is very smiling, even the shyest and always very helpful, although they speak purely Spanish they try to understand and make themselves understood. Sometimes the flaw of these places are just guests who are not as kind to the staff.
The resort’s sore note is the courtesy room that is offered to guests before departure. The room is really INDECENT. Mosquitoes dominate the environment and are really too many!
The room was quite dirty, especially the bathroom and then there is no air conditioner so the temperature is unbearable.
Very positive and useful is the coach that picks up guests at the airport and takes them back for departure.
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