Be Live Grand Marien Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Games in the activities hut

Be Live Grand Marien is a warm, laid-back kind of place. Families tend to outnumber couples and partiers, though at 1:30 a.m. you might find a few guests drinking in the disco. The lushly landscaped resort consists of nine compact buildings that surround an enormous zero-entry swimming pool.

View on a Larger Map

Be Live Grand Marien is located in the Costa Dorada complex of Puerto Plata, next to the Iberostar Costa Dorada and along the town's main road. There's not much to Costa Dorada -- just a casino, a scooter rental facility, and an ATM.

• 20-minute drive west of the airport (about $33 by taxi).
• A number of restaurants and clubs and a golf course are only five minutes east at the Playa Dorada complex, a gated tourist community.
• Many restaurants along Puerto Plata's Malecon are about a five-minute drive west.

The beach

The resort has a huge chunk of beach, but it's considerably more crowded than its next-door neighbor, the Iberostar Costa Dorada. Still, most guests praise the beach for its calmness, warm waters, and plentiful seats. In general, the sand along Puerto Plata's beaches is more packed and wet (as opposed to the white, sugary sand found in Punta Cana).

Porch of the Superior Garden View Room

Buildings 6, 8, and 9 were constructed in November 2008. The guest rooms in these buildings look far nicer and, unlike the other rooms, have up-to-date flat-screen TVs. Building 9, for example, has a Zen-like garden running down the middle of the hallway and light wood fixtures in the bedrooms. By comparison, Building 4 comes with chipped furniture and floor tiles.

Newer guest rooms include:

• Large bathrooms with a marble shower (good water pressure) and a separate Jacuzzi tub, as well as an assortment of hotel-brand toiletries
• White marble floors -- great, except when wet and slippery.
• Platform king bed with a modern headboard and semi-canopy
• Spacious closet
• The minibar includes a coffee maker, tea bags, and ample storage space next to the mini-fridge. Somewhat confusingly, guests are entitled to two free bottles of beer, two bottles of soda, and one large bottle of water per day, but the mini-fridge also includes other drinks and snacks that cost extra.
• First-floor rooms have a spacious terrace with nice-looking wooden chairs and a table.
• 27-inch LG flat-screen TV with HBO, Cinemax, Headline News, and numerous channels in Spanish
• Tip: Although security guards patrol the property 24/7, guests staying on the ground floor of Building 9 might want to take special care to ensure their belongings are secure (use of an in-room safe costs $3). Building 9 runs along the property's boundary line, separated only by a small fence.

The gym

At the center of the resort is a large zero-entry pool. The pool itself isn't crowded -- with bridges, waterfalls, and a separate volleyball area, it can feel like a village unto itself. But most lounge chairs are occupied or reserved with towels by mid afternoon, and finding a spot to lounge in the shady can be difficult. Also, some guests complain that the pool is on the cold side.

• Large non-air-conditioned gym with older, but ample equipment (treadmills, weight machines, ellipticals, and bikes)
• Two clay tennis courts, adjacent to the gym
• Kin Ha Spa, a large, bright space with a full range of treatments from a $10 eyebrow wax to a variety of $130 facials
• Just off the lobby is an Internet room with PCs available for $4 per 15 minutes.
• Guests with laptops can access the hotel's wireless network -- available only in the lobby -- but it requires installation by one of the staffers. The rate is fairly reasonable: $15 for 25 hours of use or $60 for a full week.
• Large but unremarkable casino
• Modern conference center available for meetings and functions
• A couple on-site shops sell sundries, souvenirs, wines (mostly South American), and cigars.

An evening performance

The resort has a large, impressive amphitheater for nightly entertainment. It also shows movies on a projector screen in the sports bar. During the day, the resort hosts activities like "crazy games" and "Latin dance lessons," which are common in virtually every Dominican all-inclusive. There's also a games area adjacent to the pool with Ping-Pong and foosball tables.

Kids may need to compete with these guys for chairs

Though not entirely kid-focused, like the nearby Holiday Village, the Be Live Grand Marien is still a fine pick for families. The resort is compact, flat, and easily walkable, and most action is centered around the huge pool with great shallow areas for children.

• Rooms are large enough to contain two double beds and a rollaway.
• Between the buffet and fried-food-heavy snack bar, the resort offers plenty of kid-friendly food options.
• Unlike most other Dominican resorts, there is no kids' club.

Staffers are constantly cleaning, whether in the lobby, at the restaurants, or in the hallways. Overall, my room felt very clean. I even walked in on the housekeeper mopping the floor -- always a good sign.

Minor issues:

• When I arrived, my guest room reeked of cigarette smoke. When I complained to guest services, they apologized but insisted that guests are only allowed to smoke on their terraces.
• Stains on the throw pillows on my bed
• Some stains on the floor of the shower

Hot dogs on the grill

• Buffet: open daily for breakfast (6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.), lunch (12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.) and dinner (6:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.)
• Gourmet is a fine dining a la carte restaurant open 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Reservations are required and kids under 7 are not allowed.
• Snack Bar is a beach and poolside bar with a drinks service available until 2 a.m.
• La Cohoba is a sports bar and a night club open 24 hours.
• Mexican serves Tex-Mex fare from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
• Tubano is a poolside karaoke bar open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Rodizio serves Brazilian fare; open 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

La Cohoba Sports Bar

The resort's liquor selection includes Stoli and Absolut vodka, Johnnie Walker Red, Tanqueray gin, and Dewars scotch. There is also a "cash bar" that includes Hennessey, Jack Daniels, Di Saronno amaretto and Drambuie, among other brands.