Dreams Playa Esmeralda Resort & Spa

Yikes. This is the second time I have tried to submit this review via their guest survey. Even it is broken. I funded my daughter's wedding here with 34 guests. The ceremony and reception were STELLAR, a feat I credit to their wedding coordinator Jennifer. The hotel stay was poor. Check-in took 40 minutes and did not include a property orientation. The luggage process was convoluted and included the use of adhesive tags wrapped around suitcase handles that left a terrible residue when they were removed. Staff is mostly Spanish speaking with no effort to overcome language barriers. This was never disclosed as we shopped for the right venue. Property is NOT suitable for groups. Restaurants cannot accommodate groups bigger than 6 people. No way to reserve poolside lounge chairs. No poolside wait staff. Room service took hours and often didn't ever arrive. Room service app didn't allow for any special requests. Maps on paper and in the app don't include building numbers which made it difficult to connect with other family members during our trip. They accept huge high school groups with a legal drinking age of 18, which meant there were roaming packs of obnoxious and drunk kids at all hours. Uses old fashioned keycards versus wrist bands which is wildly inconvenient. They can't accept AMEX at checkout until after 9 am, which was not disclosed despite paying for my room with an AMEX. This presented a highly annoying problem when I had to depart at 7 am to make my flight. The checkout process is as cumbersome and time consuming as the check-in process. Food is mediocre at best. Most was over or under cooked. They allow street vendors that harass guests.

Overall beautiful resort - the beach is breathtaking! Resort is located an hour and half from the PUJ airport with a scenic drive. Rooms were very clean and comfortable with highly responsive housekeeping staff. Service was overall good but have opportunities to strengthen in customer service.

We just got back from Dreams Playa Esmeralda and had a really great stay. The property is brand new and absolutely beautiful, but what really stood out was the staff. Everyone we interacted with was warm, helpful, and seemed genuinely happy to be there, which made the whole experience feel easy and welcoming. The design feels very open and airy. The lobby and several of the restaurants are open to the outdoors, so you constantly feel the ocean breeze moving through. Bluewater Grill is a great example of this, with air flowing straight through the space and views of the water. The whole resort feels fresh and thoughtfully designed. One thing I really appreciated was how different each restaurant felt. The décor was not repetitive at all. Each space had its own look, with different chairs, textures, and design details, so it actually felt like going somewhere new each night. The pools are gorgeous and the loungers and cabanas are very comfortable, which made it easy to relax and enjoy the setting. Food was very good overall. The hibachi at Himitsu was probably our favorite dinner. It was fun and delicious. Windows was also very strong. World Café breakfast had a great selection, especially the made-to-order omelets, pancakes, and crepes, which our kids loved. The fresh juice selection was excellent. Bluewater Grill has a beautiful setting and excellent service, and Tides was perfect for easy lunches. Drinks were excellent across the resort. Cocktails were consistently well prepared with good quality liquor, and bartenders were very accommodating with requests. Service really made the stay special. Miguel, our butler, was extremely responsive and helped with everything from securing hibachi reservations to booking a tennis court. Loyda in housekeeping was always smiling and very helpful, keeping our room stocked and working around our schedule. Paola at the Preferred pool and beach area was lovely, always checking in to see how we were doing and if we needed anything, but never intrusive. The friendliness and attentiveness of the staff truly stood out. We also received an oceanfront Preferred room upgrade, which we really appreciated. The view made a big difference in the overall experience. Overall, a beautiful new resort with great design, relaxing atmosphere, and exceptional staff. We had a wonderful trip and would absolutely recommend it.

Disappointed in food. Beach was closed 5 of the 6 days we were there. Coffee shop was the best part of the stay. Would not come back

Currently a guest at the hotel. The hotel is beautiful however you pay extra for preferred status and yet they let anyone in the preferred area. Absolute waste of money. We get a buttler , a lovely restaurant to use yet others are getting to us le the preferred pool which havent paid for. The mini bar was not filled for 2 days butter was informed and it took 2 days to get this sorted. You get a free beach bag is your preferred which is a nice touch. There is also a bottle of champagne in the room for you. Very disappointing over all There is no point paying for preferred club as they allow everyone to use it. Even though you pay extra for this service. The restraunt windows which is for preferred service is appalling it takes over 1 hrs to get breakfast and 1.5 hrs to get lunch. In preferred you get grey towels and that is what difrenciates you from none preferred. We get our own area and bar however there are loads of.people who are none preferred using the service for free. Do not waste your money. The beach is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Highly recommend the ATV driving it was fabulous, lovely views of the sea.and beach you drive past horses and stop for coconut water in the middle of nowhere. Only takes 15 mins to get to the trip. Just note your quite far out here for some of the trips takes 2hrs or more to get to. Bar staff and waiters and waitresses work very hard and and lovely. There very happy to help Restraunt Tierra , Asian restaurant el patio are all fabulous the food is presented lovely. The world cafe- the buffet is cold. The food is luke warm at best. Would never return. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON PRIVILEGE CLUB . TUI NEED.TO INFORM PEOPLE AS IT COSTS A FORTUNE.TO UPGRADE BUT PEOPLE USE IT FOR FREE. ITS A TRADING STANDARD ISSUE.