Excellence Punta Cana

My husband and I have always enjoyed the Excellence brand. The hotels are consistently spotless, the grounds are beautiful, and the views are spectacular. Most of the staff also go above and beyond, which has always made our stays especially enjoyable. Unfortunately, the biggest disappointment at this property was the food. As many other reviews have mentioned, the menu selection now feels very limited, and the overall quality was lacking. The food was often not served at the right temperature, and there was very little variety from one meal to the next. It’s frustrating because the property itself is lovely, but the dining experience did not match the standard we’ve come to expect from this brand. I hope corporate takes these reviews seriously and makes meaningful changes, because otherwise they are likely to lose loyal repeat guests. Would I return? Only if I start to see updated menus online and more consistent positive reviews about improvements in food quality, temperature, and selection.

We went into this trip with high hopes based on the glowing reviews of the resort and the overall ranking against similar all-inclusives in the area. We upgraded to the Excellence Club rooms for an elevated experience, not wanting to miss out on all the resort had to offer. Unfortunately, we were greatly disappointed in the quality of our experience, especially when measured against the cost of the trip. Having gone on multiple vacations to all-inclusive resorts (in the Dominican Republic and elsewhere), we set our expectations accordingly. While the grounds and facilities were gorgeous, the resort was subpar in many other areas. Food/Dining: While the resort had multiple dining options, all of them (outside of the self-service buffet) had very poor service. We tried a different restaurant each night and we consistently found that the food was BAD - sometimes nearly inedible. Nearly everything was either prepared poorly (2 of our group got sick) or not what was advertised. Even Magna - the Excellence Club exclusive restaurant - was a disappointment; in addition to serving my wife the wrong flavor of birthday cake, both the chowder and the steaks were terrible. We couldn't get a good meal after lunch no matter where we went. (Las Olas was the standout lunch option, btw.) Service: Check-in and check-out were smooth; that's where the quality of service ended. Service at restaurants was extremely slow - servers were inattentive at best. The Excellence Club concierge miskeyed our room key and refused to make a spa appointment for us (after telling us that they would handle it). 85% of bartenders were disinterested in paying attention to orders or specifics of drinks, even when generously tipped. It was the least friendly atmosphere we have experienced at an all-inclusive. Spa: Booking at the spa was relatively straightforward, though the staff was not familiar with all of the massage types offered. We struggled to get our desired service booked (deep tissue massage). The massage itself was not a deep tissue massage. Also, SOMEONE WALKED INTO OUR MASSAGE ROOM WHILE WE WERE IN-SESSION! We received no explanations or apologies, but it was clear the person was not one of our massueses. It was very offputting and quite unprofessional. If you plan to simply lounge by the pool or the beach and have no expectations of quality entertainment or halfway decent food, the resort is fine. But for us, this was a one-and-done and ultimately Disappointing.

This was the most amazing trip we have every been to. ALL staff were polite, accommodating, fun, and personal. We will be back next year.

It had been a few years since our last visit so we were excited to return to our first Excellence experience. Unfortunately time has not been kind to this resort Simple little touches as banners on the doors announcing special dates were not as prominent, like our wedding anniversary. Another small touch was the removal of chips and chocolate from the daily mini fridge. Disappointing. One of our biggest complaints however was the noise created by the excellence staff. We chose this resort for peace and relaxation not to listen to staff in the Magna shouting at each other over breakfast. The same held true with the staff on the excellence beach. Why must they scream and shout at each other. Not very professional. Lets make a few comments on the food. Lamb at the french restuarant was over cooked. Tomahawk steak at magna was raw. Porterhouse at the grill had not filet mignon section. Should I go on. Not up to standards of previous visit or other excellence resorts. My last comment would be in you relaxing of dress code in the excellence lounge. Shorts, t shirts and open toed sandals DO NOT belong. Why then are you permitting????? I wish you well but I don't think we will be back

We had an amazing stay at Excellence Punta Cana! Our room was beautiful and comfortable, and the beach was absolutely perfect—clean, relaxing, and just what we were hoping for. A special shoutout to Maria, who truly made our trip unforgettable. She kept us entertained the whole time—we made bracelets, played bingo, and laughed nonstop. She brought so much energy and fun to every activity! Overall, such a wonderful experience. We’d definitely come back!