Zel Punta Cana

First and foremost, it is important to note that Zel Punta Cana is not located directly on the beach. While there is beach access via a short walk or shuttle, those looking for a true beachfront resort experience should be aware of this before booking. What truly sets this resort apart is its people. Every single employee we encountered was genuinely friendly, welcoming, and eager to help. Not once did we feel like we were imposing or inconveniencing anyone. The staff consistently delivered exceptional service and were undoubtedly one of the highlights of our stay. The resort itself is fairly new and offers a very peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. If you’re looking for a quiet, serene getaway focused on wellness and relaxation, this resort is an excellent choice. However, if you’re part of a younger crowd seeking a lively party pool scene, constant entertainment, and a high-energy atmosphere, this probably isn’t the resort for you. Zel is intentionally quieter and more laid-back. The accommodations are impressive. All rooms are spacious suites that are modern, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed. We also never had any difficulty finding pool chairs, which was refreshing compared to many Caribbean resorts where reserving loungers can become a daily competition. The fitness and wellness facilities are among the resort’s strongest features. The tennis courts are excellent, and there are numerous fitness and wellness activities offered throughout the property. The spa was pleasant, although not particularly memorable or exceptional compared to other resorts in this category. One area that deserves more attention is the maintenance of the outdoor grounds, particularly the palm trees around the pool areas. During our stay, we observed several palm trees with large dead fronds and hanging branches that appeared overdue for trimming. Beyond aesthetics, this presents a legitimate safety concern, as falling branches could potentially cause serious injury to guests. Given the otherwise high standards of the property, this is an area that management should address proactively. Unfortunately, the biggest opportunity for improvement is the food and beverage program. While the food quality was acceptable, the overall selection was limited and lacked variety throughout our stay. The buffet, when open, is relatively small, and menu options quickly become repetitive. Room service was particularly disappointing. The menu is very limited and lacks many of the simple comfort foods that guests often look for while on vacation. Adding items such as pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, additional salad options, and other casual fare would significantly improve the guest experience. Even more surprising was the absence of a breakfast room service option, which feels like a significant oversight for a resort of this caliber. Similarly, the lunch offerings around the pool were limited and repetitive. The resort has tremendous potential, but the dining experience would benefit greatly from expanded menus and more variety throughout the day. During our stay, we also visited the neighboring Paradisus resort, which offers a completely different experience. Paradisus is a much larger property with separate family, adults-only, and more social or party-oriented sections. It features a larger buffet, more dining variety, and direct beach access. Guests seeking a larger, busier resort experience may find Paradisus more aligned with their preferences. Overall, Zel Punta Cana is a beautiful, tranquil resort with exceptional staff, spacious accommodations, excellent fitness facilities, and a relaxing atmosphere. If your goal is to unwind and enjoy a quieter vacation experience, it is certainly worth considering. However, the food offerings, room service program, dining variety, and outdoor maintenance require attention if the resort hopes to deliver an experience that fully matches the quality of its facilities and service.

The hotel is super beautiful and esthetic. Liked the boho style interior of the rooms and the place overall. The pool is great, the fact that the beach is 5 min ride from hotel didn't bother us at all. The grill and Asian restaurants are really good. The bartenders were nice to us, but not all staff were great. 6 The biggest negative side is the staff, some of the waiters forgot about our orders, but especially the gentleman called Shocruti/Chocruti in Tacorini restaurant. First of all he was rude to all guests: On the dinner he brought the wrong food, that was for a different table and tried to convince us that it was our order. Then the next day on the lunch the same gentleman brought the main course, but when I asked him where is my starter, he told me not politely that it's not available. I was trying to choose another option and was rushed to choose smth quick, however, that was not my mistake that some item was not available and I was not informed about it. When i tried to get second dish from main course i was again rejected in a rude way. Then we saw that the other guests were treated in the same way. The food in buffet is ok, but sometimes I feel like they need more options. The rest was fine, but overall experience was wasted because of the service. Bartenders, except the beach club were great.

Where to start! A room with dead bug, feces on drapes, used and cruddy bath amenities, leftover beer can, dirty floor, broken phone - without ever being addressed after 24 hours, despite talking to a manager! Luckily they upgraded my room, but it still had a broken safe and un-serviced minibar (no water in room). Was really hard to not feel icky about cleanliness. The beach: NO Palapas!!!!! Only chintzy umbrellas and no good options for shade on the beach. Nevertheless, the melia properties on both sides have palapas that you are not allowed to use. The spa had broken jacuzzi and a massage therapist that was clueless (she used a theragun! I have one at home). Beach/pool towels are old and ratty, diminishing the quality of the resort.

Perfect destination for couples who desire a blissful relaxed environment However very limited entertainment activities and inadequate information for guests on how and where to go for evening entertainment Once we found Out where the evening fun was we were easily able to access these facilities with frequent transportation provided by the hotel

I can't say enough wonderful things about this resort. This is my second trip to the DR - the previous trip was pretty blah at a different resort with sub-par service, but Zel totally changed my mind and made me want to go back again! First of all, I love the activity schedule - was planning to do nothing but ended up doing most of the fitness activities. The yoga program was one of the best i've seen in my various vacay trips so far. I didnt manage to catch the teacher's name (she's from Amsterdam though, that i know) but thank you sooooo much!! She was truly knowledgeable in various yoga styles and very patient. Especially loved loved loved the sound bath sessions. Thank you! Next, I want to thank Mr. Fish for the amazing cycling tour. I haven't cycled for years and almost thought I couldnt, but he was very careful with us, looking out after us and super friendly and nice. Thank you! Last but not least, huge shoutout to Enmanual Cuteo at the Neguri Beach. Listing out the full name because appraently there were 3 Emmanuels at Zel - but Enmanual C. was truly the best. He introduced me to the wonderful drink that is Gin Tonic with Angostura - it became my go-to drink at the Neguri Beach club. He was always awesome with the service, getting me my next drink even before I asked, and has truly made me feel very welcome. Thank you so much for your great service, great attitude, and god blessed! The only one thing I would complain is that there are various hits and misses with food. Parda can use more variety and higher temperatures with the food? Not impressed with Mexican Greek - to me it felt like it ended up being NEITHER Mexican NOR Greek.