Bahia Principe Grand Samana

This is our 3rd time at this resort (2018/2019 prior). We really loved this resort, so we came back after a 6 year break. Several changes post covid, most not for the better, including a level change from “Luxury” down to “Grand”. We were aware of the changes prior to going this year, so there were not too many surprises, thanks to the reviews on Tripadvisor.|Resort/Rooms:|Place is gorgeous all around with spectacular views, property is well kept & clean. Small, boutique like.|Rooms are nice, spacious and clean, getting dated and the tub area needs re-caulking, AC great.|Food:|Buffet: decent quality & selection, could use a bit more attention during peak times as items were left empty for a while, and it’s not big so when 2 out of 10 are empty, you really notice it. |2 restaurants (used to be 3): 1 was ok, the other was fantastic (Don Pablo). My issue here is that many items on the menus are NOT included are extra $$ (way too many for an all-inclusive!). Do a couple of upgradable offerings for extra $, but not a big chunk of the menu.|No snacks available between dining hours, there really should be & there used to be a great snack area with a small menu & a snack buffet, great service & view, really missed this one !! Did room service late one night, could not find the menu, written or online, had to go to the front desk, in the end it was sub-par and not very warm. |Bars: *weakest link of the property|There are 2 bars (pool/lounge), however only one bar is open at a time (day/night), there is a beach bar, but it is never open, The 2 bars are unable to handle the peak times which makes the process long & unpleasant, rarely ever help at the pool bar and the person was often not there getting supplies. My biggest issue with the lounge bar is that 50% of what you see behind the bar in NOT included and is extra $$ in an all-inclusive, most of what is included is “house brand/no name brand” with some base name brands, but often when I asked for bev I was told it was not included & handed a booklet with a list & prices. I understand charging for top shelf items which is & has been a common practice, but not for mainstream liquor and not for so much of what would normally be included at any/all other all-inclusives.|Pool/Beach:|Pool good. Beach great, small but clean, no seaweed, all sand in water, no peddlers, could use some more shade areas (huts/umbrellas) and more chairs, shade areas were in high demand mid-day and there was never enough. |Service:|Great in almost every situation.|Entertainment:|No entertainment or activities, there was a lounge singer nightly for 1hr.||In the end, some changes would be a big plus, switch back to truly all-inclusive with few upgrade exceptions, have more help at the pool bar, or overlap the 2 bars for some time, open the beach bar with a limited offering or just for a few hours in the early afternoon as the long hike from the beach to the pool bar to wait in line is not favorable. The resort itself is stunning and with great views all around the property, the beach is lovely, and the service is really good at all times and areas, this is why we love it and will likely return, but with some improvements back to how they operated would take this place from overall good to great.

Absolutely amazing place. The food is pretty good, the rooms are good but could be better. Overall I really really enjoyed my time here. The staff are amazing people. For an all inclusive it's BEAUTIFUL and I love the architecture of this place. I actually want to go back!! If anyone goes I'll say try to get the upper level rooms

We booked through American Airlines Vacations. They have this listed as an all-inclusive luxury resort. This is incorrect information! We arrived for my birthday week and we had to pay an additional $500 for all inclusive! The rooms were dated. Our first room had a shower malfunction and a black slimy substance coming out of the jacuzzi jets (I have pictures). The staff did move us to a different room that wasn’t much better! The food was horrible and there were very limited options that they kept running out of! They make no effort to keep flies off of the food either. I will say that most of the staff was pleasant, but the place needs a complete renovation!!!!! We would’ve left, but we’d spent money that we didn’t have for this to be all-inclusive!

I needed a very laid back, relaxing vacay and the BPGS exceeded in all areas. Keeping in mind this is the low season, I understand why an a-la-carte restaurant was closed during my week, but the dinner at Don Pablo was superb, and the main buffet with several a-la-carte nights worked very well. Very clean resort in all areas (lobby,pool,beach,etc.), and my room was perfect, nice and cool, with anamazing view. But to me the best part of the trip were the people. From the check-in and lobby staff to the pool bar and restaurants, everyone working there had a smile and were happy to help in any way possible. The Bahia Principe Grand Samana's best asset is their staff, and I cannot thank them enough. Special shout-out to Jose Antonio who went out of his way to ensure I had everything I needed - even before I knew I needed it lol ! Lots of great memories, and cannot wait to return.

So I really really want to like this location. Great views, quiet and relaxing. Most of the staff have been great. However... it is clear they are rationing and keeping costs ridiculously low. You are 'allowed' one beach towel. Only two nights of our seven were we 'allowed' into an a la carte restaurant. But my biggest complaint is that trying to get any diet pop is a nightmare. Im diabetic - can' t drink alcohol or sugary drinks. The only option beyond water/coffee is a few diet cola. We get 1 coke zero a day restocked in our room (despite asking for all of the drinks to be replaced with diet) that is 1 coke zero to share between my wife and I. Several times we asked for more - half the times we got some the others nothing. In fact - they ran out! The entire resort had none. 5 times while at the restaurants i asked for diet coke/coke zero and was given regular coke. How hard is it to stock diet pop? We regulars to the Dominican (first time here) and have NEVER had this issue. We always go to 5 star resorts. THIS IS AT BEST A 3.5 star!! It is not a luxury resort. Super disappointed with Air Canada vacations for recommending this place.

This small and quiet resort is perfect if you want a relaxed, laid-back holiday. It's private beach, excellent staff, and ocean-view rooms really made my stay. The facilities were also clean, if a little old, and all functional. We never wanted for anything. I would definitely return here.

I had a beautiful relaxing time at the Bahia Grand Samana. The service was 10/10, the private beach and scenery is absolutely beautiful. I would not recommend this hotel if you love night clubs and poolside entertainment (drinking contests etc the kind of thing you see in big hotels in Punta Cana ) but if you’re looking for a quiet, lowkey, beautiful spot to unwind and relax this is the place. The food was great, would have loved to have tried the Italian restaurant but it was closed while we were there. Excusions were nice and Samuel at the Amstar desk made it very easy and pleasant. We opted for the Limon falls and a visit to the Bahia village. I would do Cayo levantado if we had a few more days. The hotel room was spacious and comfortable, hotel was clean, food was good, beach and surroundings were absolutely beautiful.

This was our first time we stayed at this resort. The entire staff was so kind and friendly. The buffet dinners were very good along with the great service. We will definitely be back and we thank you for a wonderful stay