Hilton Canoa Coral {DOM} (no longer Honors)
Apr 25, 2004, 7:36 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Downingtown, PA, USA
Programs: AA ExecPlat, Hyatt + Hilton Diamond
Posts: 56
Hilton Canoa Coral {DOM} (no longer Honors)
Hilton Canoa Coral Resort
Bayhibe, Dominican Republic ^
Summary: A great, family friendly place. If you expect to vacation with only Americans, or if the site of an occasional naked breast will offend you – don’t go – you will be disappointed. We were continually amazed as to how nice everyone, everywhere, were to our children. Well worth the vacation bang for the buck, and you get to earn Hilton HHonors points too. If you are looking for a romantic island getaway for two, or if you are in your 20’s and looking to party all the time, probably not an ideal choice, but for everyone else, give it a shot. If you are expecting the Four Seasons, you will likewise be disappointed, but if all you need for a great Caribbean vacation is a nice beach, decent drinks, cool breezes, and nice people – you will enjoy yourself. We’d go back in a flash, and in fact we’ve already planned our vacation for next year.
General: My wife, family friend and our two children (almost 3 and 1 ½ in tow) flew into Punta Cana and returned out of Santo Domingo. We stayed from March 22nd through March 29th, 2004. The resort is actually closer to the La Romana airport, but because we were traveling from Philadelphia, we could not get a direct flight. The travel time from Punta Cana to the resort was about 1 ½ hours and the travel time from the resort to Santo Domingo was roughly 2 hours. We brought packable, folding car-seats for the boys rather than relying on the transfer company.
I would estimate that 40% of the visitors were French, 30% were German, 10% Canadian, 10% from the UK, 5% from the Dominican Republic and <5% were from the United States. This mix was reflected in the languages spoken at the resort (Spanish first, French second, German third and English on par with the German speakers) as well as the food selections available. The resort tried to be very accommodating for the varying food “expectations” (i.e. cold meat and cheese available at breakfast, etc.) of the various people who stay there.
A note about the folks trying to sell resort time shares – they are harmless. You will be approached numerous times – simply, and unequivocally, say you are not interested and without fail, they left us alone – and they were nice about it too.
Accommodations: We took a 1BR Junior Suite as well as an adjoining room on the third floor of one the buildings right next to the pool. We were in Building No. 10, taking rooms 1053 and 1052. 1053 is a 1BR Junior Suite, 1052 was an adjoining double. I believe that the layout is the same on each floor (the corners are the suites, etc.). Our suite had a little kitchen, with a sink, fridge, etc. – but surprisingly no utensils or appliances. As an added “bonus” 1053 has a small, private roof deck with a few deck chairs. Each room had a separate little balcony facing out towards the pool and the beach. The buildings don’t have elevators (or at least we didn’t see them). Buildings #12, 10, 4 and 6 are closest to the pool and beach, correspondingly, they are noisier. Buildings # 1, 3, 7 and 9 are closer to the check-in area. While removed from the beach, they are a little quieter (and closer to the Sports Bar, Tennis Courts, Mini-Golf, Theater, etc.). I would likely avoid Building #1 since it is right adjacent to the main buffet restaurant (La Piragua). The resort also has four villas that occupy a little “island” in the middle of the resort – we never went in one, but they looked very well manicured, etc.
Food/Beverage: If you require “gourmet” food at five star restaurants as an integral part of your vacation, then this isn’t the place for you. If you (like most of the rest of us) are happy with good food (and plenty of it), with an occasional memorable dish, you’ll do fine.
The breakfast buffet always had a large spread, and you could always get pancakes and cooked to order eggs or omelets. There was always a fresh daily selection of breads, rolls, local fruits and fresh squeezed juices. Given the European nature of the guests, the breakfast buffet always included fresh meats, cheeses, bread, etc.
We couldn’t tell you about the lunch buffet, because we never once made it there. We either skipped lunch or we grabbed something quick at the snack bar near the beach.
As for dinner, you have your choice of going to one of the three (3) reservations only restaurants or the dinner buffet (once again usually a good spread, with a fish and chicken dish, in addition to the main course of the day). Make sure that you bring long pants or you will not be able to eat in the sit-down restaurants. There is an Italian restaurant, a Mexican restaurant and a Caribbean grill type restaurant. The Italian place was pretty good, the Mexican place didn’t do anything for me but my wife really liked it. Recognize that during your stay you are entitled to attend each of the sit-down restaurants only once, and you need to make reservations with the Hilton HHonors desk (don’t go the concierge directly, as a Hilton guest they will direct you back to the Hilton HHonors desk). Once again, since my wife and aren’t “food” people, everything was fine for us.
A note about the water: The resort provides you with bottled water in your room, several liters at a time. If you are traveling with kids (and need to make formula, etc.) store it every day (even if you don’t use it all), they will replace it and provide more.
Resort/Facilities: We were not disappointed with the facilities. Everything appeared clean and in order. Room service (making up the room, cleaning, etc.) was prompt and efficient. The grounds were incredibly well kept.
The resort is NOT by any stretch “quiet.” From 10am until midnight most nights something is going on in the beach/pool area – in various and varying intensities. If silence is a requirement for your relaxation on the beach then you will be disappointed. The beach is very nice, with broad sand, several hundred feet deep from the pool to the ocean. There are numerous palms, cabana huts, little trees, etc. to catch shade (since I turn pink standing next the microwave, shade is a requirement!). The only disappointment with the beach is once you get into the ocean – the sand does not extend very far out from the beach, and when we were there quite a bit more had been scalloped away, leaving a fairly sharp transition from the beach, to generally moss covered rocks. No biggie, just bring some sandals or surf shoes.
One of the key features for us (and one of the primary reasons we’ve already booked for next year) turned out to be the children’s play area. The resort has a beautiful, well maintained, shaded and gated play area right on the beach. It has a kid’s pool, a cabaña hut with videos, games, toys, etc. as well as a small playground area. Our kids loved it, and we did too – we could enjoy the sun, while watching the kids without really trying too hard.
General Things:• Request an extra key for each room you book. Like many hotels in Europe, the electricity to the room gets cut off if the key card is removed. If you want to keep your air conditioning running while you are out, you will need to leave a key in, of course presenting a small problem. ;-)
• Bring lots of $1 and $5 bills. The exchange rate while we were there was roughly 43 Dominican Republic Dollars to 1 USD. They changed money at the hotel at roughly only a 4% discount, which all things considered, isn’t that bad at all. I know, I know, it’s an all-inclusive resort – why bring money for tips?
• Tip liberally and often. Even though this is an all-inclusive resort, I find that reasonable tipping is not only something I feel I can/should do – but also, let’s face it, gets you better service. It’s amazing what a few dollars will do for the speed of your drink re-fills, how strong they make them, etc.
• If you make your reservation through Hilton, or if you identify yourself as a Hilton Hhonors member you will get better service, from everyone. I assume that the Canoa Coral sells rooms primarily thorough package and tour companies out of Europe.
• If you have children, bring a few small bottles (used water bottles work well, drink them on the way down, then use them at the resort) to fill with OJ, other fruit juices, milk, etc. at the buffets and then take back to your room. Also, snag a bunch of boxed cereals at the first breakfast buffet you go to – great snacks all day!
• Arrange resort transfers before you arrive. Especially when traveling with kids. After you clear customs you will get bombarded with folks who want to take your luggage out the parking lot to your awaiting car. I’m not sure if it’s true or not, but they gave us the line (in Punta Cana, when we arrived) that we could not take the luggage carts out of the building (which seems odd given that from the luggage belt to the curb was 100’). At the end of the day, probably a scam – but your choice is to: (1) make a fuss about it (and start your vacation off on the wrong foot); or (2) give they guy a couple of bucks to transfer your bags. Which would you choose? I chose #2.
Bayhibe, Dominican Republic ^
Summary: A great, family friendly place. If you expect to vacation with only Americans, or if the site of an occasional naked breast will offend you – don’t go – you will be disappointed. We were continually amazed as to how nice everyone, everywhere, were to our children. Well worth the vacation bang for the buck, and you get to earn Hilton HHonors points too. If you are looking for a romantic island getaway for two, or if you are in your 20’s and looking to party all the time, probably not an ideal choice, but for everyone else, give it a shot. If you are expecting the Four Seasons, you will likewise be disappointed, but if all you need for a great Caribbean vacation is a nice beach, decent drinks, cool breezes, and nice people – you will enjoy yourself. We’d go back in a flash, and in fact we’ve already planned our vacation for next year.
General: My wife, family friend and our two children (almost 3 and 1 ½ in tow) flew into Punta Cana and returned out of Santo Domingo. We stayed from March 22nd through March 29th, 2004. The resort is actually closer to the La Romana airport, but because we were traveling from Philadelphia, we could not get a direct flight. The travel time from Punta Cana to the resort was about 1 ½ hours and the travel time from the resort to Santo Domingo was roughly 2 hours. We brought packable, folding car-seats for the boys rather than relying on the transfer company.
I would estimate that 40% of the visitors were French, 30% were German, 10% Canadian, 10% from the UK, 5% from the Dominican Republic and <5% were from the United States. This mix was reflected in the languages spoken at the resort (Spanish first, French second, German third and English on par with the German speakers) as well as the food selections available. The resort tried to be very accommodating for the varying food “expectations” (i.e. cold meat and cheese available at breakfast, etc.) of the various people who stay there.
A note about the folks trying to sell resort time shares – they are harmless. You will be approached numerous times – simply, and unequivocally, say you are not interested and without fail, they left us alone – and they were nice about it too.
Accommodations: We took a 1BR Junior Suite as well as an adjoining room on the third floor of one the buildings right next to the pool. We were in Building No. 10, taking rooms 1053 and 1052. 1053 is a 1BR Junior Suite, 1052 was an adjoining double. I believe that the layout is the same on each floor (the corners are the suites, etc.). Our suite had a little kitchen, with a sink, fridge, etc. – but surprisingly no utensils or appliances. As an added “bonus” 1053 has a small, private roof deck with a few deck chairs. Each room had a separate little balcony facing out towards the pool and the beach. The buildings don’t have elevators (or at least we didn’t see them). Buildings #12, 10, 4 and 6 are closest to the pool and beach, correspondingly, they are noisier. Buildings # 1, 3, 7 and 9 are closer to the check-in area. While removed from the beach, they are a little quieter (and closer to the Sports Bar, Tennis Courts, Mini-Golf, Theater, etc.). I would likely avoid Building #1 since it is right adjacent to the main buffet restaurant (La Piragua). The resort also has four villas that occupy a little “island” in the middle of the resort – we never went in one, but they looked very well manicured, etc.
Food/Beverage: If you require “gourmet” food at five star restaurants as an integral part of your vacation, then this isn’t the place for you. If you (like most of the rest of us) are happy with good food (and plenty of it), with an occasional memorable dish, you’ll do fine.
The breakfast buffet always had a large spread, and you could always get pancakes and cooked to order eggs or omelets. There was always a fresh daily selection of breads, rolls, local fruits and fresh squeezed juices. Given the European nature of the guests, the breakfast buffet always included fresh meats, cheeses, bread, etc.
We couldn’t tell you about the lunch buffet, because we never once made it there. We either skipped lunch or we grabbed something quick at the snack bar near the beach.
As for dinner, you have your choice of going to one of the three (3) reservations only restaurants or the dinner buffet (once again usually a good spread, with a fish and chicken dish, in addition to the main course of the day). Make sure that you bring long pants or you will not be able to eat in the sit-down restaurants. There is an Italian restaurant, a Mexican restaurant and a Caribbean grill type restaurant. The Italian place was pretty good, the Mexican place didn’t do anything for me but my wife really liked it. Recognize that during your stay you are entitled to attend each of the sit-down restaurants only once, and you need to make reservations with the Hilton HHonors desk (don’t go the concierge directly, as a Hilton guest they will direct you back to the Hilton HHonors desk). Once again, since my wife and aren’t “food” people, everything was fine for us.
A note about the water: The resort provides you with bottled water in your room, several liters at a time. If you are traveling with kids (and need to make formula, etc.) store it every day (even if you don’t use it all), they will replace it and provide more.
Resort/Facilities: We were not disappointed with the facilities. Everything appeared clean and in order. Room service (making up the room, cleaning, etc.) was prompt and efficient. The grounds were incredibly well kept.
The resort is NOT by any stretch “quiet.” From 10am until midnight most nights something is going on in the beach/pool area – in various and varying intensities. If silence is a requirement for your relaxation on the beach then you will be disappointed. The beach is very nice, with broad sand, several hundred feet deep from the pool to the ocean. There are numerous palms, cabana huts, little trees, etc. to catch shade (since I turn pink standing next the microwave, shade is a requirement!). The only disappointment with the beach is once you get into the ocean – the sand does not extend very far out from the beach, and when we were there quite a bit more had been scalloped away, leaving a fairly sharp transition from the beach, to generally moss covered rocks. No biggie, just bring some sandals or surf shoes.
One of the key features for us (and one of the primary reasons we’ve already booked for next year) turned out to be the children’s play area. The resort has a beautiful, well maintained, shaded and gated play area right on the beach. It has a kid’s pool, a cabaña hut with videos, games, toys, etc. as well as a small playground area. Our kids loved it, and we did too – we could enjoy the sun, while watching the kids without really trying too hard.
General Things:• Request an extra key for each room you book. Like many hotels in Europe, the electricity to the room gets cut off if the key card is removed. If you want to keep your air conditioning running while you are out, you will need to leave a key in, of course presenting a small problem. ;-)
• Bring lots of $1 and $5 bills. The exchange rate while we were there was roughly 43 Dominican Republic Dollars to 1 USD. They changed money at the hotel at roughly only a 4% discount, which all things considered, isn’t that bad at all. I know, I know, it’s an all-inclusive resort – why bring money for tips?
• Tip liberally and often. Even though this is an all-inclusive resort, I find that reasonable tipping is not only something I feel I can/should do – but also, let’s face it, gets you better service. It’s amazing what a few dollars will do for the speed of your drink re-fills, how strong they make them, etc.
• If you make your reservation through Hilton, or if you identify yourself as a Hilton Hhonors member you will get better service, from everyone. I assume that the Canoa Coral sells rooms primarily thorough package and tour companies out of Europe.
• If you have children, bring a few small bottles (used water bottles work well, drink them on the way down, then use them at the resort) to fill with OJ, other fruit juices, milk, etc. at the buffets and then take back to your room. Also, snag a bunch of boxed cereals at the first breakfast buffet you go to – great snacks all day!
• Arrange resort transfers before you arrive. Especially when traveling with kids. After you clear customs you will get bombarded with folks who want to take your luggage out the parking lot to your awaiting car. I’m not sure if it’s true or not, but they gave us the line (in Punta Cana, when we arrived) that we could not take the luggage carts out of the building (which seems odd given that from the luggage belt to the curb was 100’). At the end of the day, probably a scam – but your choice is to: (1) make a fuss about it (and start your vacation off on the wrong foot); or (2) give they guy a couple of bucks to transfer your bags. Which would you choose? I chose #2.
