Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Did you already book this hotel?
About
4.5
#43 of 51 all-inclusives in Punta Cana
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Facilities and services 2 Pools Sun terrace 4 Jacuzzis Sun umbrellas and loungers Beach and pool towel service BAHIA SPA (additional charge) Sports facilities: gym, 3 tennis courts, 1 padel tennis court (additional charge), multi-sports court Water activity centre Motorised water sports (additional charge) WiFi access in the lobby (free) and in rooms (free of charge) Entertainment amphitheatre 2 buffet restaurants 3 speciality restaurants 3 Bars 1 Snack- bar Wedding gazebo Punta Blanca Golf Club: 18 hole Punta Blanca Golf Club, designed by Nick Price (additional charge) Pueblo Principe: Shopping and Leisure Mall with local craft stores, live music, shows, stores, bars, karaoke, disco and casino. Rooms, 570 Deluxe Junior Suite Room facilities: King size bed or two full size beds Air conditioning Ceiling fan Sitting area with sofa Terrace Fully-equipped bathroom with hydromassage bath tub and separate shower, hair dryer and magnifying mirror Bathrobe and slippers VIP amenities Radio-alarm clock Flat screen satellite TV Coffee-making facilities Ironing set Pillow menu Umbrella 24 hour room service Minibar WiFi (free of charge) Other services Medical service (additional charge) Pharmacy (additional charge) Specialised service for organising weddings, incentive trips, events and anniversaries Personalised menus (for celiacs, diabetics, etc.) Available on request
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
Powered by AI
The Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda All Inclusive is lauded for its modern rooms, variety of dining options, and beach facilities, offering a blend of luxury and lively entertainment. While many guests appreciate the spacious and clean rooms, others point out housekeeping inconsistencies and occasional maintenance problems.
The service receives mixed reviews, with commendations for staff attentiveness contrasted by reports of sluggish response times. Despite the generally praised cleanliness and ambiance, some guests question the value, feeling that the experience does not justify the expense.
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Pricey
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
Was this helpful?
Tripadvisor is not responsible for this summary or the opinions in it. For more information, please read the traveller reviews and learn more about how the site works.
Multiple restaurants Loved the Italian restaurant. All the restaurants were amazing and must visit. We did get to eat fresh mangos every day for breakfast.
Staff were kind. Property was clean Room service was amazing.
The sea had lot of seaweed as we went during August. The cleaning of seaweed was not done every day and it piled up. Did not like that.
Will visit every year.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Book restaurants on the same day you arrive.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Online Reputation Coordinator Bav, Otro at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda All Inclusive
Responded Apr 10, 2023
Dear Guest, All of us at our hotel are passionate about serving and exceeding our guests' expectations. We greatly appreciate your positive comments. Best regards, Online Reputation Bahia Principe Bavaro Resort
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had a wonderful experience! The food was mostly okay though admittedly became tired of the same offerings at the buffet by the end of the week. The staff were incredibly friendly, we felt safe, rooms were always clean. Our Butler asked daily if we needed anything but all needs were met and our expectations were surpassed.
Don’t bother to order room service though. The food is mediocre at best and may not receive all of order.
The resort is well maintained and entire trip from arrival to departure was easy to navigate.
We did email to request room and a la carte meal options two weeks in advance as others recommend and our requests were honored.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from BPCompBav, Online Reputation at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda All Inclusive
Responded Jan 12, 2020
Dear Shannon, We are very glad to know that we have achieved our goal with you. It is wonderful to know that you enjoyed a wonderful experience with us. We thank you for your comments and look forward to welcoming you once again at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda, we apologize if at any time you felt any discomfort, we will take your observations into account. If you have any questions, or need assistance in the future, do not hesitate to contact us through the email address info.esmeralda@bahia-principe.com Always at your disposal, Valentina Checo Online Reputation Bahia Principe Bavaro Resort
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveller reviews.
This is the fourth time we have visited this resort. The desk staff was very friendly and gave us the room we requested even though they could not guarantee it. The rooms are very spacious even though we had a few plumbing issues which were addressed and corrected. We received most of the precooked diner restaurants we requested. For the most part the meals were very good and the service as well. The only disappointing one was the Garden Grill which had no fish option and the Manager did not give a dam. No one pointed out that there were several buffet stations even though the menu only pointed out the salad bar. There was another buffet on the other side of the restaurant which would have given my wife more choices since she doesn’t eat meat. We particularly enjoyed MEAT.
The beach was wonderful with the permanent shading and the beach was relatively weed free this year. There was also plenty of entertainment around the resort to choose from.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from BPCompBav, Online Reputation at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda All Inclusive
Responded Feb 14, 2020
Dear Guest, Thank you for your comments, at Bahia Principe our goal is to make your stay become an unforgettable experience. It is wonderful to know that despite the small inconveniences they enjoyed their trip. Your observations will be taken into consideration. We are looking forward to seeing you soon in the Dominican Republic. Please, do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or need assistance email info.esmeralda@bahia-principe.com Always at your disposal, Valentina Checo Online Reputation Bahia Principe Bavaro Resort
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We travelled to the Esmeralda on the first week of February. My first time to the DR. Our room was on the first floor, no elevator, just stairs. The room was fairly large but dated. The washroom had double sinks but the shower door could not close properly. The shower stall was never cleaned for the duration we were there....5 days. Not enough outlets to charge phones, iPads etc. One look at the towels and you know they need to be recycled. As it's an All Inclusive, breakfasts were served in 2 different locations at Esmeralda but lunch and dinner were all crowded into the Jazmin. Tables were set very close together at Jazmin, the servers did not care to knock into your chairs to pick up empty plates. Every day we were there, the sound of utensils dropping, glasses and plates breaking accompanied our meals. There were 7 other restaurants for dinners. We went to one serving Japanese-Peruvian cuisine. Two of us are vegetarians so we end up getting a plate of broccoli and cauliflower for dinner. No carbs offered, did not have noodles nor rice nor bread. Perhaps it was our fault to choose an All Inclusive resort. Not vegetarian friendly. But the dinner time chef at Jazmin was nice enough to make us special plate of pasta with vegetables and another night, veggie fried rice. Front desk staff were friendly and funny at Esmeralda but some of them spoke very little English so I usually wait for one who can speak English. The beach is next to Esmeralda so that was convenient. The Bahia Principe complex has a "Village" where local artisans can sell their goods. Be careful as they are quite aggressive in trying to sell you goods. If you think prices of goods at this Village is cheaper, you may be in for a surprise. But I still do not understand how this property can be rated 5 star. It's extremely average. It's a very large complex but not very organized. We were originally booked at Bavaro, after checking in, we were offered to stay at Esmeralda for an extra US$80 per person. The main reason being the rooms were larger. We have to check in again when we arrived at Esmeralda. Total time from check in at 2 front desks to stepping into our room was 2 hours.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from BPCompBav, Online Reputation at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda All Inclusive
Responded Feb 19, 2020
Dear Joan, We appreciate that you take the time to send us your comments in regards to your experience, we apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. We are glad to find out that there were some aspects you find worth to mention, especially our friendly and funny staff. We hope they will be willing to give us the opportunity to welcome them once again in any of our Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts and that way be able to change any negative perception they may have about us. Kind regards, Valentina Checo Online Reputation Bahia Principe Bavaro Resort
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I have been to Domincan many times and never stayed at a principe hotel. Expedia has this hotel as a 5 star while reading some negative reviews i thought people just had a bad trip and wanted to blame someone. Any negatives for this resort you may read are true. Bad plumbing all week...reported it 1st day. The rooms door would not lock when trying to leave. Had to wait for a technician so we could leave the room. Air conditioner worked on and off (and yes balcony door was closed properly). Cant speaknfornother principal's but donyourself a favour and stay away from the Esmeralda Punta Cana. This resort is far from a 5 star. At the buffet, food is repetitive but expected, however you can die of dehydration waiting for a drink. Do not stay here.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from BPCompBav, Online Reputation at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda All Inclusive
Responded Jan 26, 2020
Dear Michaell, We sincerely regret any inconveniences or difficulties you may have experienced during your stay. Guest satisfaction and quality service are what we strive for. With this aim in mind, feedbacks such as yours are very important to us. Please rest assured that we are taking your observations into great consideration and have been transmitted to the Management. Best regards, Valentina Checo Online Reputation Bahia Principe Bavaro Resort
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Changed hotel from Punta Cana because of all travelling about 1.5 km up and down resort from main area to beach and to room, food poor and usually cold. Had not realised part of large complex of 7 hotels. Last straw when beach buffet stopped serving breakfast. Buggies run every fe w minutes. Wasted most of day.. One couple waited hours to get into their room. Site at GBP Esmeralda near the beach and more compact. Food at main buffet better and greeted with lovely smile from Rosemary Took over 5 minutes to clean up smashed plate of food in narrow walkway, some staff could be quite rude. Bar staff more inclined to make you wait while they talk to colleagues. Porters are brilliant and speak better English than admin. Marble inlay around the swimming pool very slippery when wet, marble floor in bathroom also. You can use facilities of other hotels and can eat in all a la carte restaurants up to 6 times a week. Wonderful beef in the Brazilian, and Gourmet Lumba but service very slow. Both hotels hot on hand hygiene with hand gel at entry to restaurants, but saw waitress leave the loo without washing hands. Lovely room, Mini bar rather limited. I doubt that any rooms have sea views. Sea and beach lovely, bit more space for sun beds, be early for best spot. Liked shows in theatre at Punta Cana and preferred live music on their terrace. Live bands most evenings at 10.30pm in resort village followed by disco. Lobby and terrace smarter and better arranged in Punta Cana
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from BPCompBav, Online Reputation at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda All Inclusive
Responded Feb 21, 2020
Dear Cherry, We would like to thank you for taking the time to share your experience, which gives us an opportunity to evaluate our performance. Please rest assured that we have taken your observations into great consideration. We are glad to find out that there were some aspects you find worth to mention, especially our lovely rooms, brilliant staff and onderful restaurants. We would like to have the opportunity to welcome you once again and provide you with a wonderful vacation. Please, do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or need assistance email info.esmeralda@bahia-principe.com Regards from the Dominican Republic! Valentina Checo Online Reputation Bahia Principe Bavaro Resort
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I’m not one to complain but based on my horrible experience at this resort I would like to voice it to ensure no one has this type of experience. It first started off with a 4 hour wait time at the airport followed by another 2 hour wait time to register rooms at the hotel. We requested adjoining rooms and we told that they were but when we got to the rooms after a 6 hour delayed they were not. We had to go back the next day and spend another hour getting a new room. When we proceeded to schedule our al la carts were only got 2 reservations as the hotel was fully booked but when you pass by the restaurants they are completely dead. So we had no choice but to eat at the buffet. The buffet is pretty much like hospital cafeteria food and if you have food allergies good luck as everything is crossed contaminated. My daughter is several allergic to shrimp so the majority of days she was forced to eat plain bread. As a 5 star hotel that is completely unacceptable. We have been to numerous resorts and have never experienced this lack of consideration. As for the service it was hit and miss. Sometimes you would have a table set up or other times you were scrambling to get napkins and forks and anything to drink. It seems like they ran out of everything. When you got a server that was good they were really good but when you got some that were bad which unfortunately was the majority of the case it was really bad. I believe that are really short staff even to a point were the staff had a huge brawl after our New Years dinner. We did feel safe at the resort but there was a incident where a 2 year old little boy went missing and the proper protocol was not taken. If that was my child I would have total lost it; they were looking for the child but didn’t want to announce the disappearance. The child could have been found earlier then 1 hour if that announced it on the PA system. The only highlight of this resort is the beach. Ample chairs and as long as you tipped very well to had non stop service. Having been to the Dominican nervous times and having exceptional service and food at true 5 star resorts I would defiantly not recommend this place. I would compare it to a 3 star resort but at 5 star prices. A total disappointment and based on this I would never go back to Dominican. Just an awful awful experience.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from BPCompBav, Online Reputation at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda All Inclusive
Responded Jan 12, 2020
Dear Jennifer, We thank you for taking the time of sharing your opinion with others on Trip Advisor which we will take in the highest consideration. It is through communications of this nature that our customers give us an opportunity to evaluate our performance. We regret not having been able to achieve our main objective with you, which is our guests´ entire satisfaction. For your information we follow a strict control of all incidents reported, and in this particular case, we can assure that we had implemented all the security procedures established by our headquarters. Additionally, please note that we assure we take all security measures to avoid this situation. Best regards, Valentina Checo Online Reputation Bahia Principe Bavaro Resort
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
All rooms are located close to the beach, pools, restaurants etc. Compact in regards to the overall setting but spacious at the same time. Staff are very friendly and helpful. We are active seniors who prefer the Esmeralda to the "adult" only hotel. Why: location and service. Ideal for families of young children. For those without children,one of the two main pools is almost exclusively (99%) used by adults. Always plenty of chairs and shaded areas on the beach. Great beach to walk on for 30 minutes or longer. Rooms are well equipped with everything you would expect to receive in a higher-end hotel in North America. Gym on-site, play area for children,nightly entertainment. Great selection of quality food. They truly want you to have an excellent vacation. Please note the language in the DR is Spanish but they truly try with English. Tipping is greatly appreciated. USD is the best ( $1's) no need to purchase DR currency.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2019
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Building closes to the beach #90;#90 and 91 a little louder at night as the nightly...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from BPCompBav, Online Reputation at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda All Inclusive
Responded Jan 4, 2020
Dear Richard, As a repeater client, your opinion is very important to us, represents a challenge for our work that makes our dear customers choose for their holiday destination one of our Hotels. Thank you for your comments. If you have any questions or you need assistance do not hesitate to contact us to info.esmeralda@bahia-principe.com Always at your disposal, Luz Caraballo Online Reputation Bahia Principe Bavaro Resort
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Spent 32k on becoming a Privilege Club member in 2016, worst money I have ever spent. We were here for our honeymoon in Nov 2019, they “forgot” it was our honeymoon so all the perks we were promised never happened but the non member’s 36th birthday next door to us was remembered with a banner on the door and a cake. Let’s add the wash cloth shortage on a daily basis. Fast forward to Jan 2020 brought our family back...the price we paid as members after spending 32k on the membership was the same as the online rate for anyone to pay...our rooms were not ready at 4pm, At check in they ask what I want to drink, I order a White Russian and they took 40 mins to go and get milk with 5 people standing around. My son ran upstairs and got it from another bar after 20 mins. We were asked to submit our dinner requests a month in advance, yet when we arrived they said they were all booked and they were sorry. Arrive in our room to the fridge not working. After 5 calls and 24 hours later we got a new one. We are on day 4 of no face towels, Even after meeting with the manager over our frustrations. We waited over 2 hours for someone to bring them to us. We have no WiFi and they haven’t been able to fix that issue either. This has been By Far the worst experience yet. Not much relaxing happening when you have to go to the privilege lounge with issues everyday after spending 32k on a membership and 15k on a 1 week vacation. It’s absolutely disgusting!!
Read more
Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from BPCompBav, Online Reputation at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda All Inclusive
Responded Jan 5, 2020
Dear Guest We apologize if you found that the service was not as good as you expected, please bear in mind that these circumstances certainly don´t reflect our daily operation and be assured that your opinion is very important for us. We appreciate that you take the time to send us your comments regarding your experience during your last stay with us. Warm regards, Adriana Peguero Online Reputation Bahia Principe Bavaro Resort
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We just returned from a week's vacation at this great resort. Room was large with comfortable bed , very clean. Bathroom was nice size, however there was no shelf in the shower to put your body wash, shampoo etc on! The grounds are beautifully maintained , pools are huge and the beach is close by. Lots of lounge chairs and palapas available . Everything is cleaned and desinfected constanyly, blue cards on each table in the lobby, dining room or on lounge chairs indicating that it was done. Guests had to wear a face mask entering the dining room and getting a drink at the bar. The swim up bars are not opened due to covid restrictions. Food at the buffet was OK, nothing special. I have to agree with other travellers that the service in the buffet restaurant wasn't the best : quite often we had to wait for somebody to take our drink order or ask if we needed a refill. I still don't understand why it takes 3 people to serve water and coffee at breakfast! The a la cart restaurants were good. Great evening shows! Bring mosquito repellent if traveling soon. Lots of sea weed on the beach but they were doing a really good job trying to keep it clean. You can get your covid -19 test done right at the resort ,72 hours before return flight to Canada, cost is $82 US per person.
Overall - a good place for a relaxing vacation. Would go back!
Read more
Date of stay: September 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Pool side has great view!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Online Reputation Coordinator Bav, Otro at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda All Inclusive
Responded Sep 29, 2021
Dear Guest, We would like to thank you for bringing to our attention your comments about your stay in our Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda. At Bahia Principe our goal is to make your vacation become an unforgettable experience. Thanks for your comments and looking forward to seeing you soon at our Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda! Greetings from Punta Cana, Yubi Sandoval Online Reputation Bahia Principe Bavaro Resort
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
