Zel Punta Cana

This is an odd resort because the rooms are really nice and quite large, the hotel grounds are really well taken care of but the consistency of the food and service is where this hotel needs to improve. We had a horrendous check in experience. My sister's room was wrong, they placed my senior mother on the 3rd floor (there are no elevators) and it generally took way too long. After a long day of travel-we really needed to eat and get some water in us. Our concierge, Juan was average at best. We have stayed at Hotel Mousai and Secrets with assigned concierges and they were phenomenal. Juan never really delivered and we ended up just avoiding him towards the end of the trip. There was no pool service-so if you wanted a drink or food-you had to go to the swim up bar that was not acutally manned or you had to go to Tacorini for drinks or food. No one was even walking around with waters. That is a big issue and even in the slow season, staff should be serving food and drinks at the pool. The food is average with a few things that were great but generally, this isn't a 5-star hotel in terms of food. You won't starve but you won't really rave about the food. We didn't really mind that it wasn't on the beach. The golf carts take you to the beach quite easily. But my biggest gripe is if you are in the pool and want to head to the beach, you have to get dried off and such and walk through the buffet restaurant and through the lobby area. It might make sense for there to be a path from the pool area, direct to the beach. The beach is nice and the beach bar is also nice but the food is eh. There are only about 5 or 6 umbrellas which doesn't make sense. Also people from other resorts are using the loungers and umbrellas-so you end up with no space because there are no real beach attendants. Overall, I didn't have a bad time but didn't have the best time either. This resort has a lot of potential and if they put some work into it, it would be infinitely better.

I am writing this honest and direct review to help future travelers manage their expectations before booking a stay here. The resort's physical infrastructure, design, and facilities are genuinely top-notch (easily a 9/10). However, the overall experience is severely overshadowed by the level of customer service, which was deeply disappointing (1/10). A great hotel should make guests feel welcomed and relaxed, but unfortunately, this was not the case. The environment feels uncomfortable to the point where even ordering a drink at the bar feels unwelcoming. While we fully understand the local tipping culture and were prepared for it, many staff members seemed indifferent and lacked basic hospitality regardless. To be fair, not every employee was like this—there were a few exceptions who provided good service. However, overall, roughly 80% of our interactions with staff from check-in to the restaurants were unfriendly and unhelpful. While the property itself is beautiful, hospitality is about how guests are treated. Sadly, the poor service ends up ruining what could otherwise be a great stay.

This place is the best place I ever been. I have traveling over 10 years and I can attest that the service on Zel Punta Cana is Superior to every others resort that I have stayed. Everyone treats you like VIP from the moment you step on the hotel. Shary, smirna, Angela, and Jairo are outstanding employees. They re just amazing.

My stay at ZEL Punta Cana was absolutely amazing from start to finish! The resort is beyond beautiful — the aesthetic, the peaceful vibe, and the attention to detail made it feel like a true luxury escape. The rooms were spacious, spotless, and so comfortable — the perfect place to relax after a day in paradise. The pools were stunning, and the overall atmosphere was calm, refreshing, and exactly what I needed to unwind. The staff truly made the experience unforgettable. Everyone was welcoming, attentive, and went above and beyond to make sure my stay was perfect. You can tell they genuinely care about their guests. The food and drinks were delicious, with plenty of options to enjoy throughout the stay. Whether lounging by the pool or enjoying the beach, every moment felt like a dream. If you’re looking for a relaxing, beautiful getaway with great service and a peaceful vibe, I highly recommend ZEL Punta Cana. I can’t wait to come back! My husband wanted to decorate the room and surprise me for my 33rd Anniversary special thank you to Raphy for taking the initiative for decorating my room it was beautiful..Thank you to Jairo, Shary, William,Emmanuel,Mr Fish, Maria Isabel( steak house).. this staff was incredibly humble. They made my stay very pleasant This staff is so humble and caring they love to taking care of people and making sure everyone is fine. Thank you all so so very much and I will be visiting Zell Punta Cana again . I rate my stay 10/10 for sure…. Sincerely,, Beverly and Cleo Pullens.

This hotel was amazing. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. The rooms were very clean compared to other places