Zel Punta Cana

Documented Illness Denied by Management Despite Staff Providing Medical Aid - Booking Reference 2601474512 My 77-year-old mother and I both suffered severe food poisoning during our March 2026 stay at Zel Punta Cana. We have time-stamped WhatsApp proof of our assigned staff member proactively checking on my mother's health and later delivering Imodium and Pepto Bismol to our room after I also fell ill. Crucially, at no point did the staff offer or direct us to an onsite medical clinic. We later discovered the resort may not even have an onsite clinic, which would have required us to travel to a sister property while incapacitated. Instead, we followed the care provided by the resort’s representative while sick. The experience was so distressing that for the remainder of the trip, we were afraid to eat any resort food. We spent the final days of our vacation eating only crackers and bananas, despite having paid for an all-inclusive experience. Management (Supervisor Rosanny Báez) has denied any compensation. In writing, they admitted staff provided us medical assistance but refused a partial refund because we didn't visit a clinic that was never offered to us. A very disappointing and predatory "Catch-22" policy, especially for elderly guests. Proceed with caution.

Service4*, food 3*, beach 1*, spa - you are not allowed to enter unless you spend 5 K per person, Aruba is the best option then.

We just got back from an amazing week at Zel, and I wanted to share my thoughts since I was a little unsure after reading some reviews before our trip. We’re a family of four – my husband and I are in our mid-30s, and our kids are 4 and under. The vibe at this resort is different from other all-inclusives we’ve been to. The activities were focused on wellness, and there were some really cute arts and crafts. It wasn’t a big party scene, which was exactly what we were looking for. The cocktails were great though, so it wasn’t lacking in that department. If you’re looking for a party vibe or a non-stop schedule, this might not be the place for you, but if you want a peaceful, relaxing week, it’s perfect. The resort itself is gorgeous, with lush gardens everywhere. It’s a nice size – small enough to be super convenient, but large enough that you can wander around the gardens or find a new spot to hang out each day. Our room was beautiful and clean, and as a family, we really appreciated having a separate bedroom and living area . We stayed in the Master suite, and it worked out great for us. Most of our time was spent at the shallow pool, which was perfect for the kids. We never had trouble getting lounge chairs or cabana beds after breakfast. A special shout-out to Mr. Ricardo, who was kind, attentive, and his level of service was top-notch. The poolside restaurant was our favorite spot to eat! The beach is just a quick golf cart ride away, and it’s a beautiful stretch of sand. The beach club is a nice bonus. We didn’t eat there, so I can’t speak to the food. We didn’t go to the beach every day. It just felt like a bit more effort than the pool with all the stuff we had to bring for the kids. That said, when we did go, we really enjoyed it. If you want a chair you should go before 10am or wait until mid afternoon. Prime beach hours it might be a challenge! As for the food, it was fine. We were never hungry, but we didn’t have any meals that wowed us, except maybe at the pool restaurant. A lot of other reviews mention that the food wasn’t hot, and I’d agree. But honestly, we don’t go to all-inclusives for gourmet food, so it wasn’t a dealbreaker for us. The staff really made our stay amazing. Frank helped us with check-in and was available via WhatsApp for anything we needed. We’re pretty low-key and didn’t need much, but whenever we did reach out, he was super helpful. Angela, who worked at the buffet for breakfast, the pool restaurant for lunch, and a la carte dinners, was fantastic with us and especially with the kids. Pedro and Latissia at the main bar were the best! I didn’t catch all the names, but the staff at the buffet was generally wonderful too. Oh, and the WhatsApp line for the front desk was awesome. We asked for an extra blanket, and it was at our door in less than 10 minutes.

Zel Punta Cana was a great experience for us from top to bottom. Check-In Arriving at the resort and check-in went smooth. We scanned a QR code and registered which took 5-10min and then were driven to our room with our luggage. Room Our room was very clean and quite large. We were on the third floor and this room has a small dining area, living room, bedroom and washroom with a decent size balcony with a tub. Our room was cleaned daily much to our satisfaction and the new bedding and towels were clean. Beach As per other reviews the beach is a 3-4 minute cart ride which is a pleasant ride. They come every 2-5 minutes or sometimes you can just request one from one of the bellboys and they will have one for you right away. One of the drivers even took us on a short detour to show us the iguanas which was awesome. Beach was clean and Neguri bar/restaurant is right beside the beach chairs which is convenient. Atmosphere This hotel is great for families and couples. There is a suite of activities each week from arts and crafts, to yoga to pool activities. Music stopped around 10 PM and the resort was quiet. A huge plus is that you don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to get chairs around the pool as there were plenty of both chairs and cabanas even after 9-10 AM. Food Aside from Nokyo Tapenaki being a disappointment, the buffet food was good each day. Volcan was very good and we recommend eating here as well as Tacorini! Service Service was great. We had an issue with one of our excursions (booked through travel agency) and the front desk went above and beyond to call and get us the answers we needed. Service around the dining area was also good.

We really enjoyed our stay at Zel. Would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing getaway.