Secrets Tides Punta Cana

ARRIVAL AND OUR FIRST ROOM ASSIGNMENT IN CRAPPY LOCATION WHEN WE BOOKED AND PAID FOR FULL OCEAN VIEW: When we arrived, we were taken to a 2nd floor room right over the main walkway along the pool, so dozens of people walking past our balcony/window (no privacy) and it was loud from all the yelling in the pool. I immediately told our butler (we traveled Preferred Club) I booked an ocean front room. He said the room they put us in WAS ocean front because even thought we couldn't see the ocean from it, when the built the resort, the ocean was visible, but the palm trees they planted grew in the past 2 years and are blocking the view - but it's there. Yes, I'm serious. I told him this was unacceptable, we booked and paid for an ocean view room and we were in the noisiest part of the place looking over the walkway. He said he'd go check and come back. 40 minutes went by - nothing. We waited a while longer - nothing. I texted twice and he finally came back saying the delay was because the concierge was busy and had to check lots and lots of notes on other peoples' bookings before giving us another room. He told us to stay the night in the crappy, loud room with no privacy and he'd deal with it in the morning. I was in tears. This trip was to celebrate a milestone birthday (mine). ROOM SERVICE SUCKS! COLD FOOD TOOK AN HOUR OR MORE Exhausted after a day of travel, we ordered room service. My husband ordered a steak, I ordered spaghetti pomadoro, and we ordered nachos. I ordered flan for dessert. We waited an hour. The food arrived COLD. Not even luke warm. The spaghetti pomadoro was a wad of spaghetti noodles about as big as your fist. There was no sauce. There were tiny red dots in between some of the noodles that I think was supposed to be reminiscent of sauce. The "nachos" were a cereal bowl of stale nacho chips, a small bowl of COLD liquid cheese, and a bowl with about 2 tablespoons of pico de gallo and the same amount of guacamole. The flan was the size of a take-out ketchup packet. We ordered room service once more, for breakfast. Waited over an hour. Again, every single thing was COLD and portions were so tiny we were laughing about it. One night we were waiting for a table in a restaurant and were chatting with a couple behind us who'd gotten in the night before. They said they ordered room service and were both up sick all night from the food. DAY 1: We didn't hear from our butler about our room change. So I went to the Preferred office and talked to someone who got the Customer Service Manager, Noemi. She said they consider the room I was in as ocean view (again, it was 2 years ago, until the palm trees grew and blocked the ocean entirely), and said "full ocean view" is different from "ocean front" and what I was describing was their "ocean front" rooms, and she my travel agent should have known that and I should take it up with her when I got home. I said I wanted a different room with privacy and quiet - and I wanted to be on the 3rd or 4th floor. She said I wasn't going to get 3rd or 4th floor (two highest floors that actually have a view). Something I said to her must have gotten through. She had arranged another room - on the second floor, but relented and gave us a third floor room off the side of the pool, but at least we could SEE part of the ocean. First room and the new room were dirty. Both had stains on the top bedding (like a scarf they put over the end of the bed). I don't want to say what they looked like... but being on the bed would make sense. There's a tiny table with 2 chairs, and from the day we got there there was something splattered all over the wall beside the table. The maid never cleaned it the whole time we were there. Later that day I asked our butler who finally got us a 3rd floor room that I had to push so hard for. He said the concierge changed it and said the truth wasn't what he told us on night 1, there were no piles of notes, the concierge said it's their policy to not change rooms because some of the rooms are rooms no one wants and if they moved us the next people they put in that crappy room would want to be moved. So our butler lied to us. Restaurants for dinner all open at 6:00. La Tierra is really good. Except one night we went there a couple who seemed really nice got upset with the service and got up and walked out. We heard the crash of glass breaking behind us when we left. I think the server was upset. LOUD PARTY NIGHT AND SIRENS OUTSIDE KEPT US AWAKE HALF THE NIGHT Around 9:00 that night, I heard a loud siren outside our room. I was trying to think why a siren would blow - security issue? It wasn't hurricane season... THEN what sounded like a high school marching band playing started blasting outside and about every 5-10 minutes the siren screamed again. This went on late into the night, keeping us awake. Beach front real estate is at a premium, so the resort property is long and thin, with the buildings right on top of the pool area. You can't escape the noise. The next day we were informed they had a convention of 200 people and they'd booked a party. All the other paying guests could just deal with it - they wanted the money. We talked to a couple who stayed 2 weeks and said they did the same thing the week before and kept them up all night that night, too. DAY 2: My Birthday STAFF MEMBERS LIE TO YOU TO MAKE COMMISSION We were assigned a butler and there was a guy above him we met who interacted us once in a while. Day 1 he sat down with us at our pool chairs and told us everyone else is on salary and he's on commission. Could we do him a favor and enter the daily lottery? He'd get commission if we'd help him out. We said sure. He came and got us at the pool the next day, guilting us that, on vacation, we hadn't met him at the office at 9:00-9:30. So we went with him, didn't win the lottery, and then he said he was going to have a customer service rep talk to us about his service, all we had to do was answer 5 questions. He told us the questions (how we'd rate his service 1-10, etc) and said to tell the person he'd talked to us for a total of 45 minutes between yesterday and that day, and asked me to sign something acknowledging that so he could get a commission. I said, "This isn't a sales pitch, right? We're not going to have to sit here and listen to a sales pitch?" He said, "Nooooo! Just answer 5 questions." GUESS WHAT??? It WAS a sales pitch, and he had us signed up for the 45-minute pitch, which is why he had us sign the form where he circled the 45 minutes. The woman who was trying to sell us the UFC or UFB Club Membership told us as soon as he got me to sign- by lying to me -he earned $60. We told her how upset we were and ended up upstairs in an office where the big sales pitch routine takes place and her supervisor and another supervisor came to talk to us and sell us a membership. We told them everything that happened up to that point, and the guy - the supervisor's supervisor - said, "You got scammed" and tried to blame the travel agent about our room, that she should have known a full ocean view and ocean front are not the same. We told him we weren't spending my birthday in their office listening to what was by then over an hour sales pitch. He tried to keep us talking and my husband finally said, "No! No more!" and we walked out. Later we went to our room to clean up before dinner and sat on our balcony. Because the place is so small and narrow and the rooms are on top of the pool, the hot tubs they have are between the pool and the room buildings. We're sitting down, relaxing, and a group of people in their maybe 20s gets into the hot tub below our room and starts screaming profanity with every sentence including an "F" word. They also were screaming to friends nearby about the reason the hot tub was hot was because they were urinating in it. We gave up on trying to relax and enjoy some fresh air on our balcony. We told someone at the Preferred Club, and they sent security to the hot tub. Days 3 & 4: There's no food service at the pools and drink service is terrible - takes forever to get a drink, so you may as well get it yourself. NO FOOD SERVICE AT POOL - DRINK SERVICE TERRIBLE If you want lunch at the pool, you have to walk all the way to the beach part of the resort where there is one "grill" that is open, and order. Then you have to wait 20 minutes (even when there's no one else there), so you either walk all the way back and then walk to the grill again, or you stand there for 20 minutes. The food isn't great. Pool is nice (Preferred pool is small and off to the side, so we went to the central pool (the one in all the photos) - they call it "the party pool." They serve cheap booze. The best booze was a bottle of regular, black label Jack Daniels. Cheap tequila. At the preferred pool their "high end" tequila was Patron. I asked for Baileys and they said they had Irish Cream, and said it was a lesser version than Baileys. RUDE STAFF: My husband wanted a shot of decent liquor, so I wrapped my towel around me like a dress, put on my sandals, and walked to the "Preferred Club" - a pool side snack bar that's so small other guests were calling it the "Preferred Closet." An employee walked up to me and snapped at me for walking in wrapped in a towel (with shoes). I didn't put my sundress on because my bathing suit was still damp and I didn't want it to get wet. At pool??? Seriously??? The only people in there were in wife beaters and cargo-short style swim trunks. RUDE WAITSTAFF We went to a restaurant by the beach for dinner one night. We'd made reservations and were the first ones there. A guy with three women (seemed like a local or from the islands) came up and was demanding a table. The hostess kept telling him they were booked - even though the entire dining room was empty. He kept arguing with her and got aggressive. My husband and I were really uncomfortable, and this went on for several minutes. We got seated, and our server ignored us, hardly spoke to us, never checked back (I wanted another drink, my glass was empty) - he dropped our food and disappeared. In an all-inclusive, we didn't know what to do, but he was so rude and we didn't want to sit there, so we got up and left when we were done eating. We'd told our butler and a couple of staff members who asked about all the bad experiences we were having. TIP: If they ask you "How is everything" the right answer is "Excellente" - if you let them know about awful room service, staff lying to you, getting ripped off on your room and having to go to 3 people to get a room that STILL isn't the level you paid for - they stop talking to you and go expressionless. It felt like they were mad we told them even when they asked. They will do nothing to make things right after they've done so much wrong, except offer to send a bottle of cheap champagne to your room (when all your food and drinks are already paid for anyway - by YOU). STAFF THEFT! - LAST DAY We packed everything and were waiting for our bags to get taken down when my husband went into the closet to get his tennis shoes (we live in Michigan and it was winter - we got in around 1 a.m.) They were gone. So was his hoodie. We called our butler. He called security. Security guy came and looked through our room, even opening the microwave - butler said he was looking for the missing items (?!) Then he filled out a report and said they'd investigate and we'd hear in 48 hours. We didn't. I asked our butler to check the first room they put us in - even though we didn't unpack that first night, so everything was in one spot and we took it all. He said he checked and there was nothing there, nothing in Lost and Found, and nothing in the maid carts. The only possibility was a staff member stole my husband's shoes and hoodie out of our room. They told us all the staff has access to all guest rooms, but their staff card they use to get in registers their code, and there are cameras everywhere throughout the resort. After we got home, I got an email saying they "found" my husband's shoes and hoodie (i.e. retrieved them from whomever they caught). They said we had to call Fed Ex and arrange a pick up from Punta Cana and we had to pay to ship them. I said no, the fault was theirs, and THEY needed to ship and pay for shipping. They did - but I had to argue about it.

Secret Tides was a beautiful resort ,from the moment I arrived, the atmosphere felt relaxing and upscale. The amenities were amazing and the staff truly went above and beyond to make the stay enjoyable. The buffet was excellent with plenty of fresh options, and the steakhouse was really good as well. The food overall could use a little improvement in some areas, but nothing that took away from the experience. Overall, my stay was wonderful. The property is gorgeous, the service is top-tier, and I would definitely return and recommend it to others.

I can't say a bad thing about Secrets Tides. We had a great stay and they put on a beautiful wedding.

This resort is, without question, the best we have experienced to date. We stayed from January 7–14, and as avid travelers who have visited many destinations, we can confidently say this resort exceeded our expectations. This was our second stay at a Secrets resort, and it certainly did not disappoint. If a 20/10 rating were possible, this resort would deserve it. Here is a breakdown of our experience: Service: Outstanding service across the entire resort—from the beach to the restaurants and bars. The staff are exceptionally attentive and remember you from one day to the next, not because of tipping (as we often did not), but because they genuinely care. Everyone is consistently polite and truly seems happy to serve, which is unfortunately not the case at many resorts. Restaurants: We did not try every à la carte restaurant, as some did not appeal to us. We appreciated that reservations were not required, with the exception of Meraki, which we booked upon arrival and were able to secure for the following evening. Mekaki: We enjoyed the Japanese dinner and show—it was absolutely worth it, and the food was excellent. Portofino: We dined here twice. The menu selection was great, and both visits were outstanding. Barefoot Grill: The beach restaurant offered very good food, including burgers, pizza, and salads, though the wait time was a bit long. Coco Café: A must-stop for your morning coffee. Desire Sports Bar: We stopped by for late-afternoon beers and wings, which were very good. Buffet: An impressive selection with constant replenishment, and most importantly, very clean. Seaside Grill: The steak was exceptional—we both had the ribeye. This restaurant is a must-visit. Ocean: Our least favorite. The food was good, but nothing memorable enough to warrant a return visit. Cleanliness: Impeccable. Nothing is out of place anywhere on the resort. The housekeeping and maintenance teams do an incredible job—no matter where you go, the property is spotless. Rooms: Spacious, spotless, and equipped with some of the most comfortable beds and pillows we have ever experienced. Rooms are serviced twice daily: a full cleaning in the morning and turndown service in the evening. Truly exceptional. Beach: Beautiful, clean sand. The beach is maintained multiple times throughout the day with no seaweed. Full food and bar service is available and excellent. Ideal for long, relaxing walks. Entertainment: There is no disco, which we appreciated—there really is no need for one. During the day, live singers perform in the pool area, creating a pleasant atmosphere. In the evenings around 7 p.m., the main bar and lobby feature live music, including saxophone, violin, and vocalists. This was our favorite time of day—enjoying a cocktail while listening to live performances. Note: A few staff members attempted to encourage dancing, and while their enthusiasm was a bit distracting and not quite in line with the resort’s ambiance, it did not detract from our overall enjoyment. Final Note: Each morning, soft, zen-style music plays throughout the resort. It creates an incredibly peaceful atmosphere and was a thoughtful touch that we truly loved.

The location of this resort was just a short transport away from the airport, we got to see some of the towns throughout the DR. The Atmosphere here was surreal, very relaxing and beautiful. The rooms were great, they were clean daily twice, the beds were very comfortable we had a “turn down” service every night & a mini fridge that was stocked daily. The value was great definitely worth the money, we stayed in a preferred king swim out suit for our honeymoon. Around the resort they kept it very maintained and clean. The noise level was perfect. Johnathan Melo was our butler and he was absolutely amazing we would highly recommend him, he made sure we were okay every single day, made sure we had what we needed, and also sent us a text each morning with the resorts activities. The pool service for the bar was phenomenal Jose, Coral and Jorddy were just great. They made sure we were okay constantly they were a joy to be around, always made sure they had time to come talk to us. Highly recommend this resort. The beach was amazing and the entertainment team was great as well. This resort has a ton of things to do. Every night there was a night show which were all great we did not miss a single show. The food was great, every morning we ate at the buffet and we had Felix and he was just amazing! We will defiantly be back. It was hard to leave this resort when the employees made us feel like family! Highly recommend this resort!!!!