Gran Bahia Principe El Portillo Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Samana Peninsula, Dominican Republic

Guests on the beach

The guests -- mainly couples, judging by the tables in the restaurants – hail largely from Europe and North America. During my stay, there were a few large groups of friends there to party. I also saw a few young families, including a German child who made the bellman watch him slide across the marble lobby floor for nearly an hour. (The bellman responded with claps and a thumbs-up.) Given the predominantly European crowd, there can also be topless sunbathing by the pool.

The lobby bar is a center of activity. Throughout the day, raucous laughter echoes from the billiards table, across the long bar, and all the way to the specialty coffee station in the back. Couples and groups of friends smoke cigars and drink cocktails long into the night. Some guests plant themselves under the wrought-iron chandelier just to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi.

Porters dress as safari guides

The bellmen, dressed like safari guides, were extremely helpful and chatty. They never let guests pick up their own bags or search for their own cab. The front-desk personnel were all easy to work with, and they all spoke fluent English (which can be hard to come by in the Dominican Republic). Joneisy, the head of guest services, spoke English, French, and Spanish.

The breakfast buffet staff waltzed through the room, kissing familiar guests on the cheek. Sporting mint green vests over white shirts and black pants/skirts, they efficiently collected used plates and silverware. Although someone on TripAdvisor wrote, "The staff are a little slow at removing the plates," I never had that experience.

View on a Larger Map

Stashed in the middle of a remote, heavily wooded area of the Samana Peninsula -- one of the D.R.’s least developed tourist regions – the Gran Bahia is a luxury hotel on the forefront of an up-and-coming region. But the Samana Airport, which opened in 2006, is a 90-minute cab ride from the hotel and costs $60 to $70. The nearest ATM is 10 or 15 minutes away in the quaint town of Las Terrenas , a $10 cab ride from the hotel.

Other than the long El Portillo beach, there is virtually nothing to do in the hotel's immediate vicinity. Surrounded by trees and greenery rather than development, the hotel is built for a remote vacation. Those seeking nightlife, food, or even noise could head to Los Terrenas.

The beach

Located in the Samana Peninsula, where the beaches are known to be among the best in the D.R., the beach at the Gran Bahia did not disappoint. The beach is huge and rife with blue lounge chairs -- for watching waves, building sand castles, napping, and reading. Like most reviewers on TripAdvisor, I found the beach to be among the best in the Caribbean -- you can walk for miles on soft sand beside perfectly clear water.

Guests seemed extremely pleased with the beach's cleanliness and chair surplus. One middle-aged couple who'd been at the hotel for a week said they never once had a problem getting lounge chairs.

The Standard Room

All the rooms are in detached one- and two-story structures strewn all about the property. The suites, called "villas" by the staff, are closest to the beach, although select standard rooms are still near the sand. Groups of standard rooms line the road leading from reception to the main entrance. But there are no elevators anywhere on-site; guests with mobility challenges should request a room on the ground floor.

All beds are extremely comfortable. In my room, the pillows and sheets smelled freshly laundered. And unlike in most of the D.R., the blankets were heavy enough to combat the strong A.C. In-room electronics include a 21-inch Philips TV, a small black jWIN clock radio, and a Hamilton Beach coffee maker.

The junior suites are extremely roomy. Light pink tiles and heavy balcony drapes keep the room cool (even without air conditioning). But the best features are in the bathroom. As one TripAdvisor guest from Ontario simply put it, the "jacuzzi tubs rock!!!!!" Indeed, the powerful Jacuzzi is an enormous asset, as are sweet-smelling bath products, separate shower and bathroom stalls, marble floors, and plentiful towels. Even the soap smells like strawberry candy. One guest I spoke to at the pool remarked, "The candy soap is so much fun!"

All suites come with a balcony that, by itself, is nothing to write home about – just a narrow strip with a plastic table and chairs. The view, however, shot directly over the La Olas snack bar and to the water. The public Jacuzzi and parts of the beach were visible to the right.

The pool

The pool was plenty big, but most preferred the nearby bar and white recliners. Kids in floaties did most of the actual swimming. Table tennis was available next to the pool.

The Bahia Spa provides massages, facial treatments, manicures/pedicures, and various services in its treatment rooms and hair salon. . Soft lounge music and an affectionate staff give the spa -- which had its own Jacuzzi -- a thoroughly relaxed vibe. There’s also a massage hut between the pool and beach.

Internet in the lobby costs $6 for 30 minutes, but wireless (for those with laptops) is free. The rooms, however, did not get a wireless signal.

The gym, housed within a red wooden villa, held virtually no equipment. Its three rooms contained just a few free weights, a couple of stationary bicycles, one treadmill, and one lifting machine. But the radio was playing “Pour Some Sugar on Me” -- that's got to count for something.

With an array of crafts stands by the pool, a large al fresco dining plaza, and quiet music over the P.A., the word "party" is not the first that comes to mind. But the scene is certainly relaxing – something hard to come by among Dominican all-inclusives. The after-hours scene in the lobby bar was a bit more boisterous, but far calmer than the booze-induced mayhem at the Bahia Principe San Juan Resort.

The rooms and bathrooms were spotless. Except for some water that leaked from the Jacuzzi into the entrance hallway, the resort’s rooms were flawless. Likewise, the grounds were well tended and tidy. Indoor areas like the lobby bar and restaurants were just as clean.

Service at Las Dalias restaurant

Lunch and dinner at the Las Dalias buffet were pretty mediocre for the price ($196/night) – about on par with most Dominican resorts. But the breakfast spread included fresh pancakes and donuts. Service was especially friendly, and staff members even came around at breakfast and kissed familiar customers on the cheek.

The a la carte restaurants are a big improvement. During my stay, El Pescador, the seafood restaurant, served grilled fish, fried squid, salmon filet, and beef tenderloin. A former guest from Cambridge praised the restaurant on TripAdvisor, explaining, "the food is excellent." Orchidea Restaurant offers a “mystical surf and turf” as well as salmon, beef, duck, and pork. The Oriental Restaurant generates the most buzz among guests. To most folks, it’s the best – but that means snagging a reservation can be tricky.