Hilton La Romana, an All-Inclusive Family Resort

We really like the kids club - Alma We have been for 1 week and liked the kids club very much, everything was in details and much activities.

Giving this hotel three stars may sound a little harsh, as it truly is a beautiful property, but a number of issues we experienced as a family justify the rating. Pros • Beautiful beach and a very clean resort. • Friendly staff and good food overall. • On-site doctors were excellent when needed. • Great selection of drinks (both alcoholic and soft). • Entertainers were engaging and enjoyable. • Bedrooms were lovely and kept in great condition throughout our stay. • Buffet had themed nights and live entertainment. • Restaurant queues were managed well, with staff doing their best to seat guests quickly. • Excursions/trips were well planned and executed. Cons • Bees and mosquitoes were a constant nuisance (not the hotel’s fault, but a big problem for us — my wife was badly bitten/stung and needed to see the on-site doctor). • Waivers were a daily frustration — everything required signing, even for simple activities like volleyball or pool exercises. One waiver at check-in should cover the whole stay. • Coastal restaurant service was poor on both visits, with waits of over an hour despite repeated follow-ups. • Long waits for drinks at the pool and bars due to limited staff. • Not enough sunbeds, especially shaded ones near the beach and pool. • Sports bar is not really a sports bar — more like a storage room with TVs. • Lack of air-conditioned seating for families to play games or relax — many tables reserved for “members club” only. • Too many extra charges for certain areas, drinks, and dining experiences (preferred club, special wines, pier dining, etc.). • Children’s play restrictions felt excessive — no jumping in, splashing, or free play without being stopped. • Several restaurants are adults-only, which we weren’t told when booking a family holiday. • Feeling pressured to pay more to access “privileged” areas, pools, food, and drinks that should arguably be included. ⸻ Summary: This is a gorgeous resort with great staff and a stunning beach, but too many small frustrations, extra charges, and restrictions stopped it from feeling like a truly relaxing family holiday. With better communication, streamlined policies, and more inclusive access, it could be a five-star experience.

This did not live up to expectations of a 5 star or of the general very positive reviews. Positives: 1. lovely setting, beach is beautiful 2. we had a massage in the spa which was great 3. the waterpark and lazy river are good, not crowded 4. the bartenders at the reception bar, pool bar and bar near the restaurants were great, made great cocktails and interacted with us, as you'd expect. Problems: 1. we expected to have adjacent rooms, seeing as were a family of four (2 adults, 2 children). We were on split floors. 2. the constant attempts to upsell: - from checking in, trying to get us to buy the 'preferred guest' options and then feeling like we are the cheapskates and unimportant guests when not wanting to purchase this. - trying to get us to buy wine from the wine menu, then looking disappointed when we didn't. We just wanted out all inclusive wine. - people coming up and chatting and then trying to sell us Hyatt membership (felt like the days of timeshares) - didn't like this tier system. - no welcome from our TUI rep, couldn't find him at first. Not engaging, didn't ask us about our stay, just answered our question on transfer time. Had lots of leaflets with trips to sell next to him - offered a beer by the transfer driver and then charged $5 3. The TUI transfer from the airport - no welcome on arrival at the airport, had to seek out someone who could tell us where our coach was. It was, in fact, a mini bus with the driver not being able to speak much English. We were expecting a TUI rep to welcome us and tell us a little about our resort. We were just left to find things out for ourselves 4. Food/Hygiene The main buffet restaurant was very mediocre. Lack of quality and choice of food. We have had better in 4 star hotels. It wasn't self-serve and it was awkward asking staff for food/having to point at things etc because of the language barrier. This out us off trying things out. It wasn't very tasty either. As it was an open room, there was no air con, only fans and birds were flying around, eating from the tables and buffet. My husband and daughter got a poorly tummy. Ironic to have to use hand gel when entering the room but birds flying about constantly inside! The room ambience was rather depressing too - dark and lacking energy. We tried the Italian restaurant twice and it was disappointing. I am not a fussy eater but couldn't eat the 2 meals as it was so bland, with just 2 big chunks of salmon put on top, very dry. The lunchtime snack bars only served unhealthy food like burgers and chips. As weren't on the preferred option, we couldn't use the Grill for lunch (or breakfast). I find this ridiculous as we have paid for a 5 star all inclusive. Ice cream was a rarity. 5. Service Expected top notch service from a 5 star but this was really poor on the whole. With a few exceptions, the staff were unwelcoming, non-smiley and lacklustre. I expect to at least have a smile from them but they just seemed bored and emotionless. Slow to take drinks and food orders. Slow to get the drinks etc. One morning there no butter, so I asked for some, the staff member got me a couple from the kids' table but never replaced the ones that were on the adults table! Never asked us how the meal was etc (standard questions). Never seemed pleased to see us or serve us. They made me feel uncomfortable at times especially when we didn't want to purchase from the wine menu! I have never had such poor service in a hotel. There was no 'umph' in the staff, no warmth or welcome. We had to chase certain things, such as asking for a dehumidifier for our room. 6. Room For a five star, we don't expect to have to call up for the shampoo bottle to be replaced or for the mini bar to be filled up. There were maintenance issues - toilet broke, sink plug didn't work, sometimes the TV didn't work. The mirror looked really tatty (see photo) and the shower clasp was coming off the wall. Not enough hangers. The lights were weird for both rooms - couldn't work out how they worked! 7. Pool area The main pool was stunning - there just weren't enough parasols unless you got up early and saved them. A pool light came off in the water. I liked the chill out music in the morning - my preference would be to keep it as that. 8. Entertainment Evening entertainment wasn't great on the whole. There is nothing much to do in the evening. I would have liked to have tables to sit around and waiter service, maybe whilst watching a show. We were there 11 nights and the Michael Jackson show was on twice - I wouldn't expect any duplication within a fortnight. 9. Lack of air con in buffet restaurant and reception area (which had a coffee shop and bar) So, this was not as expected. Many flaws, not consistent with a 5 star, very disappointing - we could not feel we could raise this with anyone as we didn't think anyone would be professional enough to do anything about it. Would not recommend, have been to much much better 4 star all inclusive.

Hello! Any chance of getting a reply via emails please? :) Have not had any luck and need to check on something proper to our stay.

The hotel is advertised as 5 stars, but some classifications rate it as 4-Diamond, which is closer to 4 stars. We were particularly influenced by the overwhelmingly positive family reviews from recent months, which ultimately led us to choose this hotel. Unfortunately, our own experience turned out to be very different, and we cannot share anywhere near the same level of enthusiasm — which is truly disappointing. 🌊 Beach and Sea — Pure Delight The absolute highlight of the resort is the beach. Turquoise water, a soft and pleasant entry into the sea, and picturesque shores on both sides create a postcard-perfect setting. Swimming here is pure joy, and for snorkeling lovers, it’s a true paradise: colorful fish of all sizes, stingrays, and even turtles can be spotted right near the shore. 👪 Family Facilities — Theory vs. Practice Despite its family-friendly branding, it is nearly impossible to find free sunbeds on the beach unless you arrive before breakfast. Guests start reserving them very early in the morning, which turns beach time for families with children into a daily challenge. 🎭 Animation and Entertainment The animation team is highly active, especially on the beach, but for us, the constant loud calls to join games felt more intrusive than entertaining. For a 5-star property, we expected a more refined approach. Beach volleyball is a nice idea, but in 10 days the net was set up only a couple of times. Evening shows for adults were underwhelming — the performances lacked the quality and professionalism we would expect. 🍽 Dining — From Shock to Relief Our very first dinner was a shock: a cockroach was sitting on our table in the main restaurant. The staff’s reaction was surprisingly indifferent, which made the experience even worse. The main restaurant offered a limited selection, served in a “staff serves you” format that led to queues. Service was often careless, and communication was difficult as very few staff members spoke and understood English. This is far from the 5-star standard. Thankfully, the a la carte restaurants provided some relief. The French and grill restaurants were excellent, while the Italian was a complete disappointment — it felt as though the chef’s knowledge of Italian cuisine came only from hearsay. 🛏 Rooms — Condition and Comfort We stayed in two different rooms in different parts of the resort. While the design was pleasant, the first room had numerous maintenance issues: loose towel and toilet paper holders, falling hooks, worn furniture, and outdated iron and hairdryer. These conditions prompted us to request a room change. The second room was in better furniture condition but shared other issues. 🧹 Service and Housekeeping — Major Weaknesses Service was inconsistent. Orders were often forgotten or delayed, and reminders had to be given two or three times. Although we are not native English speakers, we have learned English for business and travel and always try to learn a few phrases in the local language wherever we stay. However, hotel staff often seemed surprised or even put off that we did not speak Spanish. This attitude feels unacceptable for a hotel of this class. Housekeeping was by far the biggest disappointment. Despite daily tips, the shower and the toilet were never cleaned inside during our entire stay, I guess 🥴. The floors in both the room and bathroom were also not properly cleaned. And we did our best to indicate what was needed — for example, we placed empty shower gel bottle in obvious spot to signal it needed replacing, but this was ignored. Only bath towels were replenished regularly; towels for hands and face were not. There were other similar situations as well, which daily gave us negative vibes every time we returned to the room from the beach. Perhaps this was due to the particular staff member assigned to our part of the building, but it cannot be overlooked. 🏞 Grounds The resort’s grounds are genuinely beautiful, well-maintained, and spacious. Walking among the palm trees and lush greenery was a real pleasure. 📌 Conclusion Dreams La Romana offers a stunning beach and beautiful grounds with great potential for a memorable vacation. However, our experience was marred by a shocking incident on our very first dinner, ongoing service failures, housekeeping neglect, and maintenance problems. Despite the overwhelmingly positive reviews from families recently, we found the resort far from a true 5-star experience. For those prioritizing the beach and snorkeling, it might still be worth considering, but we would rate it closer to a 4-star property with significant service shortcomings.