Dreams Sapphire Resort & Spa

We went as a family of 2 adults, 2 teenage daughters in late August for 2 weeks - having stayed at a Dreams resort in the Dominican Republic the year before we had a direct comparison. Both times we had the preferred club option. At the Sapphire it simply wasn't worth it - our girls couldn't use the preferred club pool (16+) and the rooms didn't appear any better than standard (we were in block 3). The preferred club bar ( you check in / out here) was nice as it had A/C and better drinks, but the that was really the only benefit for us. You don't get a concierge allocated to you either. Staff were excellent - we're pretty chilled on holiday so don't get too involved in the activities, but the entertainment was of a better standard than the usual resort offerings. The place was very clean, although the sargassum was present rendering the beach a write off. Food was also of a better standard than we've had at other resorts - make a note of what restaurants are closed on what nights and be prepared to wait for up to an hour for a table, as we found on one night where only 2 of them were open. There was always space at the buffet. The not so good: Its looking a bit tired in places... Obvious (numerous) repairs to the pool, mirrors loosing the silvering, bathroom fixtures looking worn, that sort of thing. It's not shabby in any way, but a bit worn here and there. The sun loungers are packed in really close together and very uncomfortable, so you need a get one with a cushion. The problem is that only 30% have them. This leads to sunbed wars - we witnessed a couple! Expect to see towels draped on the best sunbeds by 8am. There are Bali beds by the pool, taking up quite a lot of space, but these are expensive to hire - as a result at least 50%, usually 75% will sit empty. Preferred club members can reserve these beds for free by the prefferd club pool, but not by the main pool, so a big negative from us. Trips were booked with Amstar - we did the catamaran and snorkelling in the reef and then the Catamaran to Isla Mujeres. Both were around £400 each for the 4 of us. The latter was better value as it was a full day and included food, drink and snorkelling. They added $6 each for optional insurance that having read the small print didn't offer anything in addition to our travel insurance - so get them to drop it. Getyourguide were cheaper, but didn't pick up from our hotel We took £100 worth of Mexican Peso for tips (Reception were happy to change the large bills for smaller ones). All gratefully received, but not expected. Dollar bills were also given by American guests.

We had the most wonderful stay at Dreams Sapphire, and what really made it special was the staff. From check-in to check-out, every single team member worked hard and went out of their way to be friendly , attentive and helpful. The bar staff deserve a special mention, particularly Jose, Jorge and Santos, who always made sure we had drinks and introduced us to plenty of new ones, though honestly everyone who served us was fantastic. The breakfast team looked after us brilliantly every morning, especially Shaday. The kitchen teams work tirelessly, and there's a huge amount of choice across the restaurants and buffet, plus grill bar access at lunchtime, so we never got bored of the food. The entertainment team were brilliant too. There were activities running throughout the day and they genuinely got everyone involved, from the youngest guests to the oldest, always with great energy. Especially our 10 year old son Alfie had the best time. It's also worth mentioning the teams you don't always notice: maintenance, gardening, housekeeping- the pool upkeep and the crew clearing the seaweed each morning. A huge amount of effort goes into keeping the resort looking beautiful, and it shows. Rooms were spacious and spotless. This was one of the best holidays we've ever had and we'd highly recommend Dreams Sapphire to anyone.

We had an AMAZING time and the food is just excellento anything you order will be so good

We had a fun time with our family at the villas. There were some issues with our rooms (broken AC, sink leaking etc) but maintenance were quick to resolve them. Gohan was AMAZING. Thank you to Yovani, Francisco (Paco), Naxivi and Zaqueo for the wonderful service !

Upon arriving keys didn't work. Pool area was dirty. Our room smelled horrendous from the mountain of seaweed. Sink was clogged. Our cabanas that we booked the day before was given away...I'm sure due to money exchange. Over all very disappointed this was our 3 stay here. Guess I better look for something different next vacation.