Dreams Dominicus La Romana

We are Unlimited Vacation Club members and were looking forward to trying this ‘new’ Secrets, and bringing along some friends. Depending on traffic, the ride from the airport to Secrets is about 45 minutes to 1 hour. This is a good size resort, and there is a Dreams connected to it. Staying at Secrets you will have full access to the restaurants and outdoor theater at Dreams as well. To note, we were informed on check-in that they charge a $10 fee for room service. This is the first time we have heard of this at a Secrets. Also to note, when we went, this resort is not included in the World of Hyatt Inclusive app. The food selection at the Preferred Lounge (for UVC members) was one of the best we’ve seen through the years. Food was rotated throughout the day. The bartenders Aldofina and Junior were very efficient and always greeted us with a smile. We also would stop by the lounge after dinner to get something sweet for dessert. During our stay, they added a couple of sofas, chairs and nice pillows to increase the sitting area outside the lounge. Previously there wasn’t a lot of seating on the patio; we were happy to see the additional seating. It was a very nice addition. Our room was well appointed and housekeeping was wonderful. We never lacked for fresh towels. For our first breakfast at the resort, we decided to try the buffet, Caoba. When we had been seated, it was some time before anyone offered us water or coffee, we had to get the attention of the manager to get served. The food at the buffet was terrible (undercooked eggs and cold food), so we left and headed to Mare, which serves breakfast and lunch to Preferred members. Our breakfast was good. At some point during our trip, we ate at Mare for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For dinners our waiter was Misael Marquez, who took wonderful care of us every time. We were very pleased with the dinners we ate at Mare. An option for lunch is a grill on the beach which is set up every day. They usually offered grilled burgers, sausage, hot dogs, and wings. Sides included grilled veggies, rice, and condiments. I ate there a number of times. We also went to Dreams’ Coastal Grill for lunch. The flap steak was one of my favorite meals at this resort- so yummy! Their pico de gallo was fantastic. Thank you to Rosa el Carmen, our waitress, for wonderful service and an incredible sense of humor. The Peruvian restaurant had wonderful food. The seafood chupe (soup) was perfection as was the fried pork belly appetizer. My husband loved the Aji de Gallina (chicken stew). All 4 of us were very pleased with our meal there. And thank you Salvinia for taking such good care of us (and the extra crème brulee for the ladies). ; ) The Asian restaurant, Sakura, was very good. You have to make reservations if you want the teppanyaki table or if you want sushi. We had sushi both times we went. Our waitress, Santa, was a dear and helped us in choosing from the menu while keeping us laughing. Thank you Santa! I also want to thank Franklin for fixing a mix-up with our second reservation there. We appreciated your help – you saved the evening. Going to Azzurri (Italian) proved to be a lovely evening for all of us. They started us off with an antipasto tray. All 4 of us had several courses (carpaccio, salads, soup, lamb, sea bass, fettuccini alfredo and more) and everything was very, very good. At El Camino (Southwestern food) we ordered a shared meat tray along with our entrees – what a feast it was! Our waitress, Naomi, was helpful with our ordering. She took great care of us and kept us laughing. Everyone enjoyed their meal. The Latin American fusion restaurant, Chinola, is located on the beach where there is a huge grill. One evening there was a singer and a guitar player entertaining during dinner. Another evening staff periodically performed during the meal. Dressed in tribal costumes, they walked around the tables and also performed dances. The dining area is quite nice. The atmosphere is enchanting. The tables sit on wooden decks on the beach under trees and palapas Our waiter, Victor, did a fabulous job explaining how to order off the menu. He also provided us with shared appetizers and meat trays so we could try the different grilled food. He checked on us often and was a great waiter. We spent most of our days on the Preferred beach area. If you want chairs you need to get there early. There are a lot of folks that get up early (6:00-7:00) and ‘save’ chairs. Then they show up 4 or 5 hours later. I wish that Secrets would enforce the rules they have posted- if you’re gone for 1 hour, your chair is cleared. There was drink service at the beach, but it took a very long time to be served – usually 20 or 30 minutes later (or longer or not at all). We ended up walking to the pool bar to get drinks because service was so inconsistent. I think the problem is they try to take too many orders at once. Then by the time they pick up all the drinks, the ice is melting and the beer is warming up. We did go to the Preferred pool area in the afternoons. Note that it takes forever to get a drink at the pool bar there. Many times, there was only one bartender trying her hardest to keep up with the orders. The main reason we didn’t spend the entire day in the pool area was lack of shade. The umbrellas were small and there weren’t many of them. That said, several times they had a musician playing in the afternoon. Very enjoyable. We’ve noticed over the last couple of years that the Secrets resorts have been drastically reducing their entertainment. We were pleased to see that there was some entertainment at this Secrets. They had a violinist one day at the pool and then a sax player. We went to the Michael Jackson show, which was enjoyable. One day they had a Dominican parade (also a Dominican show). The costumes were fabulous! We stumbled upon a ‘Farm to Table’ garden along side the Secrets’ resort. Quite impressive the number of different things they grow there to use in their restaurants. A nod to our bellhops, Jose and Runny, for showing up promptly to get our bags from our room to the lobby. Thanks guys, for watching for our ride, and we enjoyed your laughter! In closing, would we go back to this resort? Absolutely! They hadn’t been opened that long when we went and there’s always a few kinks that need to be worked out. The resort was clean. Generally speaking we enjoyed the food there, some was just not consistent. The staff that work at Secrets La Romana were kind and thoughtful. If you reported a problem or issue, someone immediately stepped up and took care of it. We liked that you could lay on their beautiful beach without hearing a bunch of ‘thump-thump’ music blasting from the pool area. How nice to enjoy the view and hear the waves rolling in.

Our second visit here, little paradise. Everything is top notch. Been around the ball since 1993. This is a solid 5*. Particular salut to Kensia at the beach restaurant, you are awesome girl! Kensia welcomes you with a friendly smile and is easy and pleasant to be around. Once she met you she knows what you like and refills your glass with wine or champagne without even asking. Below is a picture of the view from the Mare grill and restaurant.

We had such a beautiful experience!! Went as a girls’ group for a long weekend, and we loved everything. The food is delicious and the staff is so kind. Shout out to David Santana!

David Santana was excellent !! Had another amazing time at Secrets La Romana. Bryon is an amazing butler.

Amairy Nolasco at the Belki Mesia pool is the best! She was so attentive!