Ocean Blue & Sand, Punta Cana

Me and my wife decided to go to the Dominican Republic for our honeymoon. We decided on Ocean Blue and Sand in which we booked with TUI. Upon arrival to Punta Cana International Airport, we were quickly aware of how hot it was in DR and wondered if we had made the right choice as the heat hit us the same way walking in to a sauna does. We went to security and queued for over 1 hour to get through security and in a room with thousands of people (I think everyone arrived at once) and no air con this was honestly the hardest part of our 2 week stay. The arrivals section was quite small compared to the rest of the airport and we thought at one point we lost our suitcases as they were not on the carousel. We spoke to the lady who was there to help. She was VERY rude and told us she couldnt help. We found our bags on the carousel next to ours which had come from Toronto, Canada. How they ended up there I dont know as we had come from Birmingham, UK. We found out very quickly that people in DR expect a tip for absolutely everything. We worked out which coach we needed to take us to our resort but a man took our suitcases off us and took them 50 meters to the coach but wouldnt leave us alone until we tipped him. (We didnt even ask for help). We arrived at Ocean Blue and Sand, where we were completely blown away. We stayed in block 7 which was really good as we were bang in the middle of the resort meaning it was the same distance to the lobby as it was to the beach. The room was very clean when we arrived and having the room key integrated in to our wrist bands blew our minds. Im a nightmare for loosing my card or putting it behind my phone and having to have the card reprogrammed to work on our room but the wristbands took all of that away. The air con was really good accompanied by a ceiling fan that circulated the air keeping it nice and cool all the time. We had our bed made and new towels every day by our lovely maid who looked after us for the 2 weeks we were there. A separate person came round and filled our mini bar which was completely free of charge, making sure there was at least 4 bottles of water, 2 cans of beer and 2 bottles of fizzy pop. The facilities were kept very clean and tidy as were the grounds. The gardeners were always doing something. Whether it was cutting the grass, tending to the flower beds or general maintenance. The pool was very clean as it was cleaned every morning before it opened at 9am. The 2 pool bar staff were very polite and happy at all times, singing and dancing as they went about their jobs. The beach was lovely, however the one downfall is that there was a lot of seaweed that was washed up. This was collected by the staff but it was very annoying before it was collected. The WiFi was great, and reached most places from the lobby to the beach. We only found 1 spot where it didnt work and that was on the right side of the far pool closest to the beach. This wasnt a problem for us as we didnt really depend on the WiFi. There was a resident flamingo and several cats on the resort. The flamingo was well fed at all times and the cars were fed by people sneaking food out of the buffet but they all looked clean and healthy. The 2 things that annoyed us the most during our stay was 1. The staff from the spa and random people coming in to the resort CONSTANTLY trying to sell you things. We would tell them no thank you and a minute later they would be back asking us. No matter how many times we said no they would keep coming back. 2. The struggle to book the steakhouse restaurant as it had to be booked in person at 7:30 outside the buffet bar. It would get full by 8:00 even if you was queuing to get a space they just all seemed to go ridiculously quickly. The food throughout our stay was really good. The buffet bar had a different theme everyday but still has the basics to keep my extremely picky wife happy. We are ate at the American, Italian and the Mexican restaurants and they were really good and again the staff were very happy and helpful. The bugs were a big problem too. My wife got bitten by what we think are sand fleas. As well as being bitten by mosquitoes. We both lathered ourselves in insect repellent but it didnt stop them (probably a rubbish brand that we took with us) but the staff in the on site shop recommended some antihistamines and some cream to help her and this helped her a lot. We would definitely recommend to people to go stay here and we would pick this hotel again if we were to travel to DR again.

Beautiful resort, excellent buffet options and wonderful helpful staff. The room and bathroom were a bit worn- but the air con worked :):) It was a comfortable stay- the room was cleaned daily and the towels were always changed. The fridge was always stocked. There was always space by the pool, the bar staff at the pool were beyond excellent and we always got reservations at the other restaurants. The buffet was amazing- so many options and everything tasted delicious!!! The waiting staff were attentive - esp Jose :) The drinks were always generous. We weren’t hassled for tips or time shares- everyone was polite and when our key card didn’t work- someone always came out promptly to help us. We had the best time and would recommend others to visit. Only cons were- We didn’t use the jacuzzi as the tub wasn’t very clean. The shower can do with a little more power and the bathroom can do with a refurb. When we went for the boat tour, we had to take our shoes off for the speed boat - the floor was dirty with hairs and it was very icky. But the tour guides and the experiences we had on the tours were great and we enjoyed ourselves- the pirate ship and snorkelling was one of the greatest experiences myself and the kids have had and would do it again. thanks for a wonderful experience and for all the hospitality and welcome.

A very fun and familiar place. The room was confi and elegant. The entertainment was great; they made us laugh and made sure we had a great experience. Thanks to Bombón, Manta, Chulo, Chipijamer, Mini Cooper, Black Diamond, Morocha, Chocolate and all the staff made this one of the best vacations ever.

The blue team is always doing activities to entertain the guests and the staff across the entire resort are very friendly. I enjoyed my stay here and would recommend others to come here. It’s good for adults and for a family.