Dreams Playa Esmeralda Resort & Spa

Went with 8 of our family ages 12-82 2 hour drive from airport was interesting. Beautiful private, secure remote location but far from excursions and attractions. Check in was simple. We were in building 2 on the 4th floor, corner balcony partial ocean view with a king bed and pullout couch. The bed was amazingly comfortable. We didn’t try the pullout. I would have loved to leave the balcony doors open to hear the waves at night but there are no screens so not an option. There was occasionally a funky smell from the shower but it was very clean in general. There was no information available about the amenities, activities or schedule of events except very limited info on the app. A board in the main lobby with a map of the resort and the day’s activities would have been helpful. I heard a lot of people commenting about this. The shows we attended were good but could use a little more finesse. One night the volume of the music was extreme and people were watching the show with their hands over their ears. I asked at the bar if they could reduce the volume and they did! 10 out of 10 for responsiveness. We didn’t try the bike tour and the Spanish lesson one day. The bikes could use some fine tuning and it would be helpful if the Spanish teacher knew a little English lol but it was okay otherwise. A bit more attention to detail would make the overall resort experience fantastic. The joyful but very loud wedding music coming from the conference centre stopped promptly at 11pm which was much appreciated. Our bar was restocked with beer and water when we requested it from the concierge. One time we came back to our room and the maid was in the middle of cleaning. Oddly, she didn’t leave even after we gave her a tip and so we just stood there waiting to change out of swimsuits and use the toilet. The turn down service included turning on the tv to a bizarre screen saver with elephants and people floating in murky water. Lots of fun wave action on the beach but not swimmable and not suitable for small children. No jellyfish and no sargassum but lots of dangerous debris after the heavy rains when we were there. There’s a pack of friendly feral dogs if you walk along the beach to the right of the resort. Don’t feed them or pet them but they will happily accompany you on your walk. The staff all work very hard but there were some inconsistencies with service: mainly long wait times at the bars and restaurants, and mistakes with orders. The restaurants were sometimes chilly. The food was good to very good. I especially liked the fresh fruit and the crepes at breakfast, the made-to-order omelettes, the pasta bar and the Salmon one day at the Secrets buffet was cooked to perfection. The tapenyaki was excellent and I heard rave reviews about the steak and chicken at a couple of the à la cartes. The prices at the spa were out of reach for us: more than double what we would expect to pay for the same services in Canada. After gaining admittance to the preferred section without issue several times we were suddenly denied access one day. We didn’t know the protocol and it was never explained to us but they were very polite about it. We hired one of the resort photographers, Gabriel, to do a casual family photo shoot and we’re very happy with the results. Overall we really enjoyed our first all inclusive resort vacation and feel our choice of location and price point met our expectations.

Amazing experience! The best part of our trip was the workers there….Joker and Butterfly! What an amazing team. Butterfly just had a sweet side to him and the kids loved his energy. Joker connected with us every single day to make sure we were good. What a great guy! They were the best team! We had a great time!

If you wish a quieter resort with all the amenities and services of a 5 star experience, Dreams Resort in Miches is the place to go. Secrets just beside is Adults only and they share the same gourmet restaurants.

From the moment you arrive, you can feel it’s a different kind of destination. It’s not the typical crowded Punta Cana vibe. Everything here feels calmer, more exclusive, more relaxed. The beach is, without exaggeration, one of the most beautiful I’ve seen in the Dominican Republic—clean sand, clear water, and barely any crowds. It almost feels private. The rooms are very well done. Everything feels new, modern, and comfortable. You don’t get that worn-out resort feeling at all—on the contrary, everything is fresh and well maintained, which really adds to the experience. Now, to be real, it’s not perfect. The service can be a bit slow at times, especially when the hotel is busy. It’s nothing major, but you can tell they’re still fine-tuning some things. The food is good overall. There’s a nice variety and some really solid options, although some restaurants stand out more than others. Nothing disappointing, but not every spot is exceptional either. What I liked the most is the overall vibe. It’s perfect if you want to disconnect, relax, and enjoy a peaceful environment. This is not a party hotel or a place to go out a lot—it’s more about staying in, unwinding, and enjoying the surroundings. If I had to sum it up: it’s a hotel with huge potential, an incredible location, and a beach that alone makes it worth it. With a few improvements in service, it could easily become one of the top resorts in the country. I would definitely come back. 👍

What an amazing experience!!! Teo, our Butler, was exceptional! He was attentive, helpful, and made sure we had things we didn’t even know we needed. Without his fabulous service we are sure our trip wouldn’t have been as wonderful as it was! Thank you Teo🎉 The resort: Terrific customer service Beautiful beach Great housekeeping Delicious food Fun entertainment