Sunscape The Beach Review
March 2007
This is a very nice resort although advertised for
family, it is more geared towards families with very small
children and not kids 10 yrs through 15 yrs. The explorers
club disappoints when it comes to entertaining the children.
One really nice thing about their kids program is the
one-way cell phones they give to the parents, in case staff
needs to call for any reason during the time the kids are in
daycare.
The grounds at Sunscape The Beach were absolutely
gorgeous. All the landscaping was impeccably maintained.
Pools were also very well taken care of and they were
located conveniently in the resort.
The food was more than adequate for an all-inclusive
resort. There were two bar/grills; one close to the beach
and one further in by the pools. The smell of that was so
tantalizing on the beach mmm, it also tasted great!
Another fantastic daily food event was the fresh fruit
display set up along the sidewalk between the pools and
beach. The stand was attended by one or two resort staff
cutting up the fresh tropical fruits then placing them on a
skewer so you could carry fruit on a stick while walking
about the resort. People seemed to appear from everywhere as
soon as this was set up each day a big hit!
The morning buffet was great! Also offered in the
morning was a fantastic Smoothie Station with a variety of
pitchers filled with fresh pressed fruits; apple, mango,
watermelon, cantaloupe, etc.
Entertainment was great Its more like a Las Vegas
style show, however the down side is, that it really isn't
all G rated material and they do not involve the children.
If you bring your family, its nice to see them
participating in the evening entertainment at least a little
bit. It seems to me that Sunscape The Beach, needs to
decide; Adult or Family.
Beach and sand are beautiful, water temps were warm .
Some days there was significant wave action and with NO
LIFEGUARDS on the beach, that was major concern for me so I
had to watch even my teenagers very intently. They aren't
used to waves like these, much less the currents and I
wasn't sure the boys fully understood the dangers however
they truly had a blast riding the waves and kayaking.
Snorkeling could be done right off the beach. There were a
lot of fish but not a huge variety right in that area. And
get this, they don't give you fins something you miss and
need with such strong waves and currents. Another thing
that's strange is they ask you to pay them a $20 refundable
deposit for the goggles and snorkel. Our VIP agent had
warned us about this and told us we could sign a waiver
instead, which we did, but a lot of people did not realize
they could do that and they weren't too happy about the
whole set up. I don't blame them.
Bungee Trampoline and Water Trampoline were inoperable
and had been for some time. These were items my family would
have really enjoyed during our stay. There were no water
cycles, or sunfish sailboats contrary to the brochure and
online info provided about Sunscape The Beach.
The Sports Area is really great, offering pool tables,
ping pong, foos ball, board games, tennis courts, archery,
darts, a basketball court and more. We spent family time
doing several of these activities. They even have a
non-alcoholic bar in this area but we were surprised there
wasn't one of the ice cream machines here.
There was a shopping plaza just down the beach you can
walk to. We did that once and if you enjoy intense haggling
and people practically taking money out of your hand, trying
to look into your bag to see if you really have more money,
then by all means take the walk down the beach to shop. I
will not be doing that again stress I don't need, I came to
vacation with my family.
The Dominican Republic does make you feel a little
uneasy, politically speaking, as there were military guys
with guns posted in several areas and you never know what
could arise while you are in the country just like many
other places we all visit. All things considered, I would go
back. We did enjoy our vacation very much. And I would
return to Sunscape The Beach, but probably hesitate to bring
children between the ages of approximately 8 and 15 yrs old.
The resort is lovely and there are many upgraded aspects.
The lobby is just as stunning as the rest of this beautiful
property, the management and the staff maintains a pleasant,
friendly demeanor with a willingness to help you enjoy your
stay and that means a lot.
Til the next adventure
Paula Smith
Boise, Idaho
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