We stayed at the Hacienda Garden Clb in july 2006 we thought it was going to be a dream holiday it was a nightmare the food, accomodation and entertainment left a LOT to be desired the food was disgusting nothing was hot, even he a la carte was a joke, the accomodation was shabby and in need of repair, the ight life was non existent it was dark by 8 o'clock and the lighting at the bar was so poor we couldn't see each other or the company we were in, thank goodness we met some really great people who at least made the time easier, couldn't wait to get home again will never go back.

You may have already read some reviews about this resort, and
I must say, me and my partner who have returned from a 2 week stay at this resort yesterday, were shocked at the bad reviews it has received, particularly some I have read on this site.

This is a 3* star hotel, it will not have all of the facilities of a 4 or 5*. This is a fantastic resort to stay at, it was very economical and has a good atmosphere. The resort is only a short bus ride from the Puerta Plata airport, but the ride there does give you a chance to see a bit of the scenery, please, if this is your first time to the island, do not get put off but the airport and the way the people are around there, such as the porters who literally try to snatch bags away from you to carry a few feet to your bus, and have the gall to ask for a 10 US$ tip, you have to keep hold of you bag and tell them firmly no! I was worried when seeing the buildings and the way the traffic works in the country and wondered what I had let myself in for!

When we arrived at the resort we were greeted by friendly staff and shown to our room. There are individual Haciendas which means no trawling through corridors etc! It also means that you get little noise from your neighbours. The rooms are pretty basic, they have all you really need, a shower, private toilet, TV, telephone and a huge double bed well if you were that way inclined it could have easily slept 5 in it.! Plenty of storage and a safe. There is also a balcony with a couple of chairs to sit outside in the shade in an evening after dinner. The rooms do have the wooden shutters instead of glass windows in the toilet and shower which can be shut up to limit the number of bugs etc but it does give a nice breeze through the room, if that is not enough there are pretty decent air con units and a ceiling fan also. I have also read reviews of people saying they found 'lizards all over the walls,' these are not lizards, they are ghekos, these cute and harmless creatures are vital to the environment as they keep the bug population down, n our 2 week stay, i found a baby one in the bottom of the shower, they are less than an inch long and can easily be picked up and placed outside, but this can obviously be too much trouble for some people who enjoy a moan about seemingly eveerything. I would suggest that this type of person researches countries they are visiting before going, if you are scared of a few ants and the possibility of a mosquito bite, then don't go there unless you have a good insect repellent. The number of insects are not the fault of the resort, this is the environment of the country. You may have also heard about 'rats' these sightings are not of rats, as there is not a rat population, there is however a similar looking creature which is more similar to a squirrel called a solenodon and it feeds purely on insects and worms!

The facilities at the hotel are pretty good, the pools were very well maintained, quite large and clean, the pools were cleaned every morning and were surrounded by sun loungers, small huts providing shade and a basket ball net, 'football' nets, volley ball nets, lilos, even table tennis and a giant chess set. there is also a smaller pool about 1 minute walk away which few people visit and it is great in the early morning as there never any children, the ideal
There are some aerobics classes held early mornings, as well as Yoga classes and massages pool side. The pool bar is very well stocked, there is only a list of about 5 cocktails, but the are shelves of spirits and different juices and soft drinks to mix etc. even a chance to drink it from the pineapple or coconut your drink was made from. All served by very cheerful bar staff, one of which spent the 2 weeks saluting my boyfriend whenever he approached for a drink.

The meals are served in the large restaurant, this is all open, made of wood and leaves, not glass, which lets you get shade form the sun but still get a light breeze while you're eating. It is a litle weird to see these raven type birds fly in, they will steal food from your plate if you leave it, but we were never bothered by them at all. The food as it has been mentioned in other reviews, is very good, but it does get a little boring after 2 weeks so I would recommend walking to the beach barbecue which is only around 5 minutes walk away and all reasonably priced if you want a change. There is always fresh salad for lunch and dinner, and plenty of fresh fruit available for each meal. If you love chicken and vegetables 'al dente' you'll love the food. If you're a bit of a junk food addict like me, you can just go to teh shop and buy some chocolate and crips etc!

If you're planning a cheap holiday or you are planning to go on a lot of excursions, this is a great place, as there is not much travelling time. We found that as we spent less on the holiday, we had more money for the excursions. Who needs a 5* hotel if you're leaving it everyday. We strongly recommend the Outback Safari and the Paradise Isle trips while you are there.

All in all, we had a fantastic holidfay and I can't wait to go back!

This was the first trip to the Dominican Republic for my wife and myself.
The resort was as discribed in the brochure and the staff were very friendly and helpful.
There was a wide selection at the buffet retaurant and produced to a good standard.
There is a very good pool bar and the Banana Mama's are highly recommended.
The beach is clean and is worth a visit.
If you are looking for a quiet and relaxing holiday then this is the place.

Just returned from 1 week at the Hacienda Gardens. We booked this as a bit of a last minute holiday and took pot luck with allocation on arrival.

The flight was not the most comfortable (cattle class) and they charged for everything!! Arrived at the Hacienda Gardens a bit weary and couldn't wait to get to our room. Although the huts look quite nice in the pictures, we were really disappointed with the accomodation. Unlike some others I would not say that the bathrooms were clean or could even be classed as a room! The shower curtain was dirty, the floor covered in limescale and rust, and the toliet smelt of urine upon our arrival. The huts look like they have not had money spent on them in the last twenty odd years.

The food at the Hacienda is not great. There seems to be very little choice and if I never eat another salad again it wont be too soon! The food definitely gets very samey after a couple of days and the choice of drinks is limited in the restaurant.

The pools were quite nice and warrant 3 star - shame that the same cannot be said about the accomodation. The only thing that I would say about the pools is that twice a day for a couple of hours it is not so relaxing as the entertainment staff rally people round for games. This would not be a problem if you did not have to listen to their bizarre choice of music playing on loop while it went on.

The choice of bars is very limited and the only bars available are the pool bars. The glasses are all plastic cups and contain more ice than drink. We were desperate for a drink out of a proper glass by the end of the week.

Some of the staff are very friendly but others we found to be a little frosty.

I would agree with others that the A-la-carte restaurants are a joke but a change is very welcome from the buffet!!

The nearby beach is only a five minute walk and quite nice compared to some of the other beaches we saw in the Dominican.

A word of warning - do not do the city tour (Puerto Plata and Sosoua) It costs about £20 a person and they drive you round and round in circles stopping at different 'souvenir shops' claiming them to be the best in Puerto Plata. They all sell the same. The guide however was really nice!

Entertainment at the Hacienda Gardens is a let down. In the evenings the only thing to do is go to the pool bar or the amphitheatre to watch dancers.

All in all we managed to relax and unwind but only because there was nothing else to do.

Sorry to all those that love this place but it's definitely not a three star and we wont be going back again!!