Zel Punta Cana

Too far from the beach. Food was terrible. Beach club was too busy. Not sure this is considered a 5 star at all. Rooms were quite nice!

This resort has a great deal of potential, but unfortunately, it falls short of expectations. After staying for a week, we actually contemplated canceling the remainder of our trip following our first full day. Below are a few things you should know about this resort before booking. Upon check-in, the attempt to make the experience feel "personal" is a nice touch. Having a designated point of contact for questions and daily activities is helpful; however, beyond providing that basic information, the support offered was limited ​A few days prior to our arrival, we received an email requesting our check-in details and transportation needs. We requested an airport transfer in our reply but never received a response or confirmation. Despite requesting a king bed on three separate occasions, we were assigned a room with two beds. As a result, my husband and I had to sleep in separate beds throughout our stay. So, that was weird. Upon check-in, we inquired about paying for a room upgrade. We were told this would not be an issue but were asked to check back the following day. Based on this information, we remained packed for two days while waiting for an update. We were then informed that the resort was "sold out," despite it being visibly quiet during our stay. Restaurants and the pool area remained noticeably empty throughout the duration of my visit. If you are looking for a good dining experience, I would not recommend this location. The food was very disappointing. On our first day, we ordered room service through the app, which does not allow for any meal adjustments except for egg type. I ordered the American breakfast and received burnt scrambled eggs, cold potatoes, and pancakes without syrup. I was also unable to identify the meat provided as sausage. My husband ordered the healthy breakfast, and aside from the omelet, every other item was either missing or incorrect. This experience was a significant disappointment. We ate at the Mexican restaurant by the pool for lunch, and the experience was disappointing. Our orders were incorrect, and because no one returned to our table to assist us, we eventually left. My nachos were served with cold, wet cheese and an questionable black sauce; they were also missing the chicken I had requested. Additionally, my husband received a quesadilla instead of the tacos he ordered. We figured we would try the buffet for dinner. At this point we were ready to leave. The food quality was poor; hot items were cold, while cold items appeared warm and unappealing. Many of the meats were chewy and lacked flavor, and the dessert station was poorly maintained. Additionally, the serving stations were messy and appeared neglected, with many dishes looking as though they had not been tended to for some time. Overall, the presentation and quality of the meal were quite unappetizing. My advice is to book the steakhouse for all the nights you are there. While the hibachi was fine—the food was flavorful and the chef was entertaining—the steakhouse provided the only truly great meals we had during our stay. The highlight of our trip was definitely the spa. For anyone who enjoys spa services, this experience truly makes up for any other shortcomings. We received excellent massages, and the facilities were outstanding. The spa was incredibly clean, and we were able to enjoy all the amenities to ourselves. We spent most of our days at the pool, which was kept very clean and quiet. Finding a seat or a daybed was never an issue, as it was never crowded. The primary reason we chose not to cancel the remainder of our trip and move elsewhere was Gabriel. If you have the pleasure of being served by him, please tip him well. He was truly an angel and made our entire trip. His vibrant personality, contagious smile, and constant willingness to be helpful were remarkable. Gabriel greeted us every time we entered the pool area, informed us which daybeds were available, and provided immediate drink service. He was a gem and, honestly, was more helpful than our concierge. While this resort has tremendous potential, we will not be returning. The lack of activities and the poor food quality resulted in an unenjoyable experience. Although we made the best of our stay, we ultimately regret not booking at a different resort. We also visited the casino at the neighboring Malia resort. As we enjoy gambling, we were looking forward to spending some time there. However, we found it to be just a small room with a limited number of machines and a few tables. The atmosphere was quite uncomfortable, so we ended up leaving shortly after arriving.

The resort is such a vibe very relaxing! The activities were so much fun! Pricilla was the best! She was very attentive!!

Had an awesome time with Pricilla ! She made sure we had a great time and loved some art time and some time to enjoy away from stress, zel is an amazing place to come and relax !!!

This resort is absolutely stunning. The rooms are beautiful, clean and huge. We slept very well and enjoyed everything about the rooms. The food was also very tasty at all the locations. We want to shout out certain employees that made our experience even better; Andres as our butler, Ricardo at the beach and Mr. Fish the entertainer. Thank you guys so much for a great vacation. Also the Fun Republic is super enjoyable.