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Just returned from another great trip to Tortuga bay. It gets more enjoyable with each visit. This is a first class, luxury property that will compel your return. You will feel like their most valued guest.||Before we even departed, I was contacted by Winnifer and Fary to ascertain our preferences, identify any allergies and to make an reservations desired. This all served to streamline our arrival and obviate the need for us to give thought to any details of our stay after we arrive. They were very attentive to our needs and captured every desire, even to securing the best tables at our selected dining venues.||The VIP airport arrival and departure process is seamless and efficient with no immigration or customs lines. Your luggage is retrieved for you, and you are personally escorted to your private transportation to the resort. The departure will have your VIP representative meet you on your arrival to the airport, guide you through ticketing and security and deposit you in the VIP lounge to await your flight. This is a great complement to a stay at this luxury property. ||Checking in at Tortuga Bay is an efficient process with your ambassador greeting you and accompanying you to your villa. Diana greeted us and efficiently checked us in with just the perfect amount of orientation, given our status as returning guests.||The facilities are well appointed and well maintained. Our villa was beautiful and in great condition. The fitness facility is well equipped, with two treadmills, a stationary bicycle and a recumbent stationary bicycle, and a stepper. There are two weight machines; one a bench press machine, and the other a multi-exercise machine. There are dumbbells, yoga mats, and Bosu balls. Fruit and chilled water are also available in the airconditioned facility. We used the pool daily. The pool's chaises are meticulously placed (more on this later), adorned with towels, and very comfortable. Complimentary treats were served at the pool daily, including fruit popsicles and frozen grapes. Food and drink service at the pool was always attentive and spot-on.||There are a number of choices for dining at Tortuga Bay and on the greater resort property. We had breakfast every day at Bamboo, and dinner there three times. the menu is deep enough to do that. Every meal was perfectly prepared and served. We also ate dinner a La Yola one night and enjoyed it. I should mention that at our dinners at La Yola and Bamboo (on Saturday), there was music provided by a trio led by the multi-talented and multi-tasking Alcedo. The music enhanced the sensory experience of our meals, making the food even more enjoyable. We also had one dinner at Brassa and enjoyed that, as well.||We did not use the spa or undertake any other activities this trip. Our goal was to relax by the pool, and we certainly achieved that. ||Our main reason for returning to Tortuga Bay, though, has always been the staff. Their approach is not the stiff formal engagement that you encounter in may luxury properties. They make you feel like the most welcomed friends and family, making you forget that they are performing their jobs. This is certainly an intentional vibe, but also, I think, a trait of the Dominican people. Edinson is a perfect first introduction to Tortuga Bay. He transported us in style to the resort and dinner at Brassa. Alejandro ably handled our luggage. You will never forget being enthusiastically welcomed by Beddy, and warmly greeted by Antonio. We wanted to recognize some of the staff and management that made our stay special, recognizing that we won't recall all of them. We would like to recognize the housekeeping staff, but they are so unobtrusive in performing their work that we never saw them or got their names. They kept our villa in tip-top condition with twice daily service. We enjoyed interacting with the staff at the restaurants. While we spent much of our time at, and around Bamboo, we enjoyed Willie at La Yola, and seeing Yoanni, again, at Brassa. We looked forward to seeing the staff at Bamboo every day, including Antonio, Alcedo, Moises, Yunior, Damian, Leandro, Carlos, Wilco, Angel, Bernardo and Rousquer. Even some of bamboo's superb kitchen staff made cameo appearances, including Kenny, Polo, Angel and Beugel. Our meals were always perfectly prepared , creative and tailored to our specific desires. The guys at the beach bar, Emmy, Emmanuel and Able were genial and expert mixologists. Because our visit this time was very sedentary, our interaction with the ambassadors was somewhat limited, but Valentina was present daily to see that we were doing alright and to inquire about any needs. We had met Valentina last year as an eager intern and were very happy to encounter her this year as a very talented ambassador. Valentina and Diana also collaborated to surprise me by decorating our room for my upcoming birthday, and by leaving my wife and I a very thoughtful card for our approaching 40th anniversary. This is just an example of how the staff will go over and above what might be expected, to enhance your stay. We were also honored to be able to interact, briefly, with two of the managers; Mr. Joseph, who manages food service staff and the restaurants (and seems to be everywhere at once, and Ms. Blanca, who manages Tortuga Bay. It was clear from our brief conversations that both of them understand that being the best isn't a destination, but rather a continual journey. They were both eager to talk about future improvements, from new menus, to re-imagined villas.||Finally for the moment that made the deepest impression on me during our stay. As I was eating breakfast one day at Bamboo, I spotted Daniel, who is a perpetual motion machine at maintaining and cleaning the grounds, on the far side of the pool, preparing the pool area for the day. He meticulously aligned all of the chaises and placed towels at the head and foot of each chaise. After he had finished, he knelt down, and sighted down along the row of chaises to assure that they were perfectly aligned. He then did the same with the towels rolled up and placed on the ends of the chaises. I thought , if this staff member goes to this length to achieve perfection when he is not aware of anyone watching, knowing that the people who would patronize the pool later would probably not notice, there must hundreds of these unseen acts by Tortuga Bay staff and management, every day, that provide me a perfect vacation that is "muy tranquilo".
