Occidental Grand Punta Cana Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Families stroll along the beach

At 877 rooms, the Occidental is one of the largest all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. There are some elderly and 20-something couples that happen by the resort, but families are the focus here. Kids are everywhere -- running around the lobby, waiting while their parents are at the bars, and playing on the beach and in the pools. For those without kids, there's a much quieter adults-only pool, but day-long serenity is hard to come by.

Out on the beach, guests and staff get down with dance aerobics or volleyball. Music is everywhere, all the time. Ordinarily this might be annoying, but it's ambient enough to be consistently pleasant. Like the nearby Iberostar Bavaro, there's a predominance of Spanish tunes, which is a welcomed shift from the blaring '80s pop hits found at most resorts. Other guests appreciate this as well, "I go to another country because I want to feel like I'm in another country," said a Canadian I quizzed. This general joviality was definitely not observed at the Occidental Aruba, so I was very happily surprised here in Punta Cana. But, for a little quieter atmosphere, check out the similarly priced Gran Bahia Ambar nearby.

Resort staff leads guests in dance aerobics

Outside the reception, English may be a slight problem, but everyone's so friendly that a bit of gesticulation will get you what you need. The weekly schedule is packed with popular classes ranging from dance aerobics to archery, and all the guests I saw were having a great time with the instructors. One of my interviewees said that she'd been proposed to by one staff member five times in three days! Sadly, I never received quite the same level of attention, though cooks and waiters happily struck a pose for my camera!

The porters by the entrance helpfully stowed my bags for a couple of hours after I checked out -- but before I left -- at no extra charge. They also helped me haggle with my cabbie over how much I should have to pay him to get to my next resort. As a non-Spanish speaker, I found this extremely helpful!

I was told at check-in that someone would come by my room at 4 p.m. to deliver a lock for my in-room safe. This never happened.

My only really negative experience was with the building's "concierge." With a desk by the entrance, he was extraordinarily friendly and arranged to have a "treat" waiting for me at breakfast the next day. Little did I realize that that treat was a meeting to set up a special bookings deal. The "concierge" insisted that I go, finally dropping the facade by saying, "Please, I need the commission." I felt for him, but it sucks to be taken advantage of.

View on a Larger Map

A 25-minute, approximately $27 cab ride from Punta Cana International Airport, the Occidental is near the Princess Bavaro resort, but nothing else.

The beach

The Occidental's white-sand beach isn't quite as broad as the beaches at Natura Park, the Iberostar or the Gran Bahia, but it's considerable. Still, what it lacks in girth it makes up for in length, skirting up the coast to the Princess Bavaro, the Caribe Club Princess, and the Princess Punta Cana. With all the young children at the Occidental, and the traffic up and down the beach between resorts, it's a pretty active spot. The stage where I witnessed a dance aerobics class was right next to a Holey board set which was a step away from a volleyball net. There's also a water-sports center at the far end of the Occidental's beach right next to a strip of stores selling all sorts of colorful handicrafts.

The beach is pretty broad, though you wouldn't know it from the amount of thoroughfare it gets from its own guests, and from the neighboring Princess resorts. But the white sand is powdery as always, the waves are gentle, and the water clear.

As active as the beach is, there are still lots of people lounging about, basking in the sun. Most guests just spread themselves out on the chairs in the middle of the beach, but Royal Club and Preferred Club guests have special sections cordoned off for them. But the Preferred Club section, squeezed in right by the water-sports center with a few lounge-chairs behind a rope, isn't my idea of exclusive, and is hardly worth the extra charge. The Royal Club section is as big a step up as it comes, with a bar all to itself and cabanas with gauzy, billowing curtains. If you're going to upgrade, upgrade big!

The Grand Concierge Deluxe Room (Pre-Renovation)

Guest-rooms all share the same floor plan and are scattered in three-story clusters that sort of look like apartment buildings. The rooms are arranged around open, rectangular spaces with potted plants cascading from the stairwell into the courtyards below. Like most Dominican resorts, there are no elevators in these buildings. If you prefer quiet, ask the front desk if they can check you in to buildings 12 or 14, away from the main pool and theater, or buildings 24, 25, or 26, overlooking the adults-only pool.

All rooms basically look the same and come with a decently sized balcony looking out over the property. But prices differ according to the amenities included. My Grand Concierge deluxe room was a step above the regular deluxe room as it included fluffy bathrobes (really, the Occidental has some of the best robes), a fruit basket, turndown service, a free bottle of wine, and a 15 percent discount on spa services. (All rooms receive the robes, spa discount, turndown service, and fruit basket). The Grand Romance deluxe rooms offer a complimentary bottle of champagne, a bowl of chocolate-covered strawberries, the first morning's breakfast in bed, one couple's massage, and a bunch of other goodies.

Like other Occidentals, including the Occidental Aruba, the rooms are thoughtfully designed with terra-cotta-colored tile floors and wooden shutters with a warm, relaxing finish. My favorite detail is a translucent curtain that looks like it's merely decorative, but can slide across half the room to partially separate the bed from the sitting area. This sitting area has two very comfortable wicker chairs and a large flat-screen Toshiba TV. I spent half the evening flicking through the roster of cable channels until our remote's battery finally gave out.

Beds are very comfortable, and have some of the best linens of any Dominican resort -- barring, the über-classy Sanctuary Cap Cana.

Bathrooms are large, well-lit, and have deep, scalloped tubs. Unlike most all-inclusives, the resort includes slippers and a plush bathrobe. The soap and shampoo dispensers by the shower are less impressive, but common among all-inclusives. Remember to pack moisturizer, though -- despite the array of toiletries, there wasn't any lotion up for grabs!

Every room comes with a decently sized balcony. In 2011, rooms were updated with fresh decor, new bathroom fixtures, new TVs, and new air-conditioning units.

A banana boat

There are three pools. The main pool is a sprawling lagoon with a bridge and a restaurant in the middle. It's completely enormous, possibly even larger than the huge pool at the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana, and bigger than the Occidental's two other pools combined. It spills all the way from the steps of the lobby, past the theater, to the first couple of guest-room buildings. There are plenty of shallow areas for small children, but do keep an eye on your tots as the imaginative, tropical layout means that the floor opens up to unexpected depths at times when you'd least expect it. Most of the kids congregate around the fountain in the corner.

The adults-only pool, on the far-side of the property, is much calmer than the main lagoon, but that's partially because most guests prefer to bask on the deck rather than actually swim in the water. Great news for swimmers, though -- the pool is all yours! The Occidental's final pool, out by the entrance to the beach, is predominantly adult, though there is a smattering of children too. Still, there's nowhere near as much splashing, squealing, and shouting as there is at the lagoon.

Two tennis courts and one basketball court orbit around the gym and adjoining Metamorphosis spa. The gym is a pretty humble room with a mirrored wall and a mix of cardio and weight training equipment, but the machines are fairly modern and well-maintained. But on a busy day, there simply isn't enough equipment for more than a handful of people, and at an 877 room resort, you might get stuck waiting for a treadmill.

Like the Princess Bavaro, Natura Park, and many other Dominican resorts, the Occidental's spa is part of the Metamorphosis chain. Larger than the outpost at Natura Park, it is still dwarfed by the Princess Bavaro's facilities. I had no time to get a massage -- but if you have, write us a review!

Though it's open throughout the day, the tiny casino by the lobby is far more popular at night. Then again, it's only a room filled with slot machines, so you shouldn't have to rush over to the nearby business center -- a small cluster of tables with computers that have Internet for a charge -- to check your bank account balance online.

The hotel also has a complimentary shuttle to the Punta Blanca Golf Course, which comes with a free lunch.

An evening performance

The theater is a large, outdoor space with entertainment staffers coming out in full costume to regale the crowd. As my visit coincided with Dominican Independence Day, the show featured a little more than the typical dance-alongs and Michael Jackson impressions (weirdly, a constant at all Dominican resorts). The staff dressed in traditional suits and ball gowns, and performed a beautiful routine of local dances.

There is also Mangu Night Club, open from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Entrance is free but there is a charge for drinks.

The playground

The Occidental is a major family destination. Kids are everywhere but -- most importantly -- they all seem to have a good time. They immediately zoned in on the massive, kid-friendly lagoon pool and the broad beach, but the colorful kids' club (for 4- to 12-year-olds) with its slides and jungle gyms seemed relatively abandoned, at least during my stay. If you don't want to drop your kids off at the club, you can also request babysitting for an hourly rate of $10/child.

Cribs and roll-away beds are complimentary -- and the rooms are certainly large enough to fit both at once. However, there's a maximum occupancy of four people/room, so larger families will have to book an extra room.

No complaints here. My room and the grounds were both perfectly clean when I was there. However, the paint was badly peeling in one corner of my room.

A array at Le Buffet

Quench your thirst at La Bodega, and then head down the stairs to the Le Buffet the (surprise) resort's main buffet restaurant, open for all three meals. There's as much of a selection as I saw at the Iberostar Bavaro, though food wasn't as varied or plentiful as at Natura Park. Still, the buffet options far outclassed the Melia Tropical Club -- I wasn't stuck eating burgers and pizza the whole time!

The Occidental has six à la carte restaurants that are included in the all-inclusive package, but tables have to be reserved in advance. The Mexican restaurant La Hacienda and Las Reses seem to be the most popular with the guests we interviewed. The pizzeria, however, proved to be the biggest hit, what with playful waiters happy to spin a pizza for my camera and serve up fresh slices all night long. Yup, that's right -- all night!!

Though I didn't get a chance to investigate them, the Italian restaurant Via Veneto and the Asian-themed restaurant, Oriental, seem to be the least popular. Don't agree? Write a review and let us know!

The Occidental only serves local Dominican liquor. If you're looking for Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire, or even Sam Adams, you'll be sorely disappointed! But there are three bars to choose from and a nightclub that stays open til the wee hours of the morning. Drinks there, however, require an extra charge.

The terrace, a popular ceremony location

• Wedding Size: Up to 200 guests, depending on the location; two weddings max per day

• Extra Fees: If you don't choose a package, a minister or priest fee costs an extra $300 and a nondenominational officiant costs $770; $55 day pass required for all wedding guests and outside vendors (such as a photographer or a musician) who do not stay at the resort.

• Wedding Packages: Packages start at $1,270 for a wedding consultant, a bouquet and boutonniere, a champagne toast, a cake for 10 people, and a next-day breakfast and dinner for the couple. The most expensive package costs $3,175 and it includes, among other things, champagne and cake for 20 people, a semiprivate reception, and his-and-hers mani/pedis and massages.

• Ceremony Location: the Terrace, on the beach, or in La Hacienda restaurant

• Photographers and Videographers: Unlike most all-inclusive resorts, the Occidental does not have a staff photographer or videographer; the hotel can help you find a preferred outside vendor, but you have to pay an extra $55 for each person visiting the resort.

• Music Options: A DJ costs $670; a full band costs $1,500 for three hours; for the ceremony, a music trio or a CD of wedding music is provided (depending on your package).

• Food and Drinks: Plated dinners cost between $35 and $50 per person; buffets cost from $36 to $60 per person. Hors d'oeuvres cost an additional $18 to $27 and an open bar ranges from $8 to $10 per person per hour for a domestic list to $21 to $25 per person per hour for premium list of liquor.

• Cakes: From $7 to $12 per person, depending on the flavor and decoration

• Spa Treatments: The spa offers massages, facials, as well as the standard hair and nail treatments.

• Honeymoon Suite: Most newlyweds stay in a Junior Suite with a private balcony.

• Airport Transportation: The resort does not provide transportation to Punta Cana Airport, which is a 25-minute drive away (about $27 by taxi).