Bahia Principe Grand El Portillo – All Inclusive

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

8442 reviews

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  A beautiful Resort for small family or couple

  My wife and I stayed at this resort from January 16th to January 23rd 2025 We had a long long flight due to some mechanical and then medical issues leaving us lose about an extra 8 hours of vacation time Upon arrival at the resort the staff immediately had us checked in and then directed us to the buffet area knowing that we were on a long flight and had nothing to eat but some cookies and water. Our room was located in Villa 23 a tad longer away from the lobby and restaurants than we wanted for my wife's disability issues. However, it was mentioned on arrival that if we wanted to possibly upgrade for a unbelievable and affordable price the following day they would accommodate. We took advantage of this and had an absolutely beautiful room. Second floor of Villa 7 one of the closest Villas to the main lobby. Our room had a full king size bed, mind you, the mattress is not as comfortable as our own personal one at home The bathroom has a jacuzzi bathtub, a separate walk-in shower, and also a large area with a Chesterfield. And little table and chairs. There was also a walkout balcony with a beautiful garden view. There was a refrigerator stocked with beer and soda pops and a coffee machine. The buffet for all meals was well supplied with multiple choices of ingredients for salads, lots of main course choices and plenty of sweets and fresh fruit for dessert. There were four choices of a la carte restaurants. Two of the three we liked. We were not impressed with the presentation and choice for the Greek restaurant. (This was just our our opinion , however other people liked the choices that were offered ) I also want to mention that al the kitchen staff, both servers and chefs were very accommodating even with our language barrier in assisting my wife with her food allergies. Now as far as the property itself, the grounds are unbelievably beautiful. The pools I found were very clean . The quiet pool was very beautifully if you did not want to get involved with the activities or entertainment And if you just needed some rest. There are many friendly cats around the property and because we knew ahead of time by reading reviews, we made sure to bring some cat treats with us like friskies And I'm going to say the best part last and it is the beach. The beach is very beautiful and just a few meters out from Shore. There are coral reefs where you can see the fish swimming around. We brought along our own swimming goggles so all you had to do was squat down or lay face down and you could see all the different species. It's fun to see them all swimming circles around you. Overall, there might have been a few very minor room issues. However, if you mention it to the staff they take care of you right away such as fridge not working properly or a loose door or door handle. I highly recommend this resort if you are looking for a place to relax with a small family or as a couple and don't plan to do a ton of excursions as it is a little more out of the way than the ones in Punta Cana or Puerto Plata. If you have any concerns or issues be sure to visit guest service desk and they definitely will take care of you. A big shout out and thank you to samuel who took care of us.

  Jan 25, 2025
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  Below Average Hotel

  This Hotel is not what it seems. A 4.5 overall rating is not accurate should be 1-2 stars. The rooms are damp, smelly and musty. Bathroom towels are nasty, the water in the jacuzzi was cold , too many flies around the buffet food. They only allow 1 restaurant reservation for every 4 nights you book. I DO NOT RECOMMEND.

  Jan 22, 2025
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  Great trip

  Overall excellent resort. Great beach, pool, entertainment. Staff did a great job, making our stay the best possible. Genesis and Marco were fun, playing games and bingo. Manager Danny treated us as special guests. Would like to see finger foods in the Sports Bar. We will definitely return.

  Jan 21, 2025
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  New Year’s at El Portillo

  Bahia Principe El Portillo We travelled over New years week to Samana El Portillo in a group of 3 families and a total group of 10. All of us are frequent travellers who have been to a great many beach destinations and All Inclusive resorts. I must say that over all we were very impressed with the Bahia El Portillo. Transport: El Portillo is about 45 minute bus ride from Samana airport. It is a pretty scenic ride through a very mountainous region, and you will get to see many local villages and towns. Check in: check in was quick and smooth with zero problems. Rooms: Rooms were very nice. Very clean but not ultra modern. They look identical to all Bahia rooms at all their other resorts. Maybe the only downside of the entire trip was the hot water. For about 40 minutes every day right around sunset the room would lose hot water due to everyone showering at the same time. At all other times it was fine. Resort amenities and public areas: The resort looks very clean and very modern. All public area were very nice and well kept. Beach /pool/ water park: Great beach. Golden sand and transparent water. Very different type of beach in comparison to Punta Cana but beautiful in its own way. The water was always very calm and zero seaweed during our stay. Certain parts of the beach have live coral which is great for snorkelling and fish watching but you need to be careful when walking there. There are many parts of the beach with sandy bottom which is perfect for swimming. It’s also a great beach for walking. You can comfortably walk long distances in either direction. The best part of the beach was the beach chair availability. There were always more than enough beach chairs and shade for every one even on a peak time week like new years. Chairs were always available even if you didn’t wake up super early. The pool: The main pool is right by the beach and is very modern looking. It has a great swim up bar and pool bar. Lots of lively entertainment daily. There is a secondary quiet pool far from the beach where you can rest and read in quiet tranquility. Water park: kids loved the water park. It’s more for kids 12 and under with medium sized slides but nothing too big . The water park has its own bar with nice drinks and some snacks. Bars: This resort had excellent bars. At no point are you ever more than a 20 second walk from a nice bar that makes very good quality drinks and you never need to wait more than a minute or so. The sports bar and central square bar is an awesome place to meet for drinks, watch games and hang out. Food: Buffet was really good both at main buffet and beach buffet. Always lots of quality options. Tons of meat, fish, pasta pizza, fruit and veggies. No long lines for eggs in the morning either. They really went all out for New Year’s Eve at the buffet with lobster, crab, filet mignon and many other options. Every night the buffet had a totally different theme so it was never repetitive but always had some staples you could count on. The a la carte dinning was also really good. I really enjoyed the Brazilian Rodizio and French Gourmet restaraunts. Both actually came pretty close to what you would expect from a fine dining establishment back home. We also tried the Greek restaurant which was decent, more Middle Eastern, but nothing I would write home about. Entertainment and night life : There was always decent live music in the main square early in the evening. Entertainment would move over to the Pueblo square later in the evening away from the main lobby area. After 11 the place gets pretty quiet but you can still get drinks in the sports bar until about 1am and later in the disco. They really put on a great spectacle with music and fireworks for New Year’s Eve. Excursions: One of the best days of the trip was the day we made an excursion to the town of Samana (only for about 30 minutes) and then a boat ride to Bacardi island beach on Cayo Leventado. We booked this through one of the local beach vendors named Kelvin (phone / WhatsApp 18295920413 or Instagram = kelvingarcia1317 he goes by Kelvin 17 as 17 is his licences beach vendor number) for 80 dollars per adult and 40 dollars per child Kelvin arranged and the following for us and stayed with us the entire day: - Private transport for all of us in a nice van - a tour of the local market in Samana (a real local market that will give you a real look into how the locals live) - An open boat for the short 10- 15 minute trip across Samana Bay to Cayo Leventado. (Fancier boats are available at an additional cost) - Rum with mixers and Presidente beer to drink. A very tasty lunch of grilled chicken, dorado fish, rice, salad, and Fruit platter in beautiful picnic area -Beach chairs on the island were an extra cost but they were only 4 dollars paid directly to the beach vendor. Kelvin was great and did everything as promised. All in all I would certainly recommend El Portillo to those looking for a fun family vacation.

  Jan 18, 2025
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  Not great / Not bad

  This hotel is on a very beautiful stretch of beach with corals that you can swim around, stunning views and clear flat water. The staff are wonderful, drinks are good and the pool is big with plenty of sun chairs so no one needs to reserve a chair first thing in the morning. There is a quiet pool in another section for those who don't like the noise of the activities. People seem to enjoy the activities (yoga, sand games, dance lessons and bingo). Theres a nice pool bar on the beach away from the noise if people like that. HOWEVER.... The rooms are dark and dated. Very skimpy on towels. No Kleenex in the dispenser. No extras like skin creams. Looks a little mouldy and the first room we were in smelled of mold and mildew. The food at the buffet is less than average. The meat and fish look so overcooked that it looks leathery. Lots of choices but for a person allergic to shellfish, it seems to be interspersed amongst everything. The food at the a la carte restaurants was better. So, this resort doesn't live up to its 4.5 star rating. 5 star for service. 3 star for food, rooms and amenities.

  Jan 13, 2025