Just returned from a week at Cayena Beach Resort. Absolutely LOVED the beach. The resort is next to the hotel and it gave the chance to sit quietly or go to the hotel beach and join in the activities. The pools and grounds are gorgeous and the staff is friendly. The room was average but it was spacious with alot of storage areas. The drinks were excellent and by no means watered down. The food was less than average and the flies were too many for me. In fact I lost several pounds that week. We did two excursions. The Sanoa Island trip was OK but I wouldn't do it again. (The Cayena beach was just as nice). The bus ride is 1 1/2 hrs. long each way (with no bathroom) and the catamaran ride was also 1 1/2 hours long. Everyone was very friendly but it was REALLY hot on the boat. The island had some neat snorkling opportunites so if you have equipment...bring it. The speed boat ride on the way back was alot of fun and they stop so you can swim and see huge red star fish. Getting back on the boat is very tricky. The ladder rungs are round and not flat so it's very hard to get a good grip with your hands or feet. In fact, one man fell into the boat and got a good cut above his eye. We also took a monster truck ride with Funny Monster Truck company. We set it up at Cayena. This was alot of fun and I would do it again. It is however VERY bumpy...which is part of the fun. If you do it, bring something like bags of candy b/c you toss them off the truck to the kids who run by and wave. They loved it! We were also able to go into a school and see the students. That was a wonderful opportunity. Overall the vacation was what I wanted...lots of beach and R&R and a couple of excursions to see what daily life is like in the D.R. If it wasn't for the food and flies, I would go back again.

OK, Prior to our departure I made the mistake of reading the reviews on this site for this hotel. There were only a small amount of reviews that were positive, it scared me pretty good. I just kept my fingers crossed that they were wrong- and they were!
My family and I traveled to the Dominican Republic the last week of April '08.

Before you leave, I would recommend contacting the hotel to set up transportation to the hotel from the airport. It's a bit of a ride, and you want to feel at ease.
The drive to the hotel is a little bumpy, the area is still being established and so the roads are rough.

Once at the hotel we were greeted by a receptionist and welcomed. We were given a cold drink and damp wash clothes to cool off.

Our room was a junior suite, it had two double beds, a sleeper sofa, and a large bath with jacuzzi tub. Our room was immaculate. It did not smell of mildew, the linens were clean, as was the bathroom & towels. The a/c worked, or if you wish, there were two sliding glass doors to open for a great cross-breeze.

The stairwells and walkways are terra-cotta tiles, when wet they are slippery. I would advise bringing skid proof shoes/flip flops.

We did get some rain. Mostly during the overnights, or late in the afternoon. We were very lucky! The weather is gorgeous. The sun is hot!! Bring lots of sunscreen, we have two children, I only brought one bottle for them with us. Next time, at least two bottles! You'll loose count on how many re-applications you do during the day.

From our room it was a short walk to the beach. The chaise lounges are all around, with a few large tiki-umbrellas for shade. Get your spot early. We would walk to the beach prior to breakfast to save our spots. The mini bar in the room has large water bottles, bring one with you- it's hot!
The sand on the beach reminded me of flour. It is fine, and smooth. Even though the sun is shining on it all day, it's not hot to walk on. There are no rocks. The shells are so small, you can barely see them. Each morning, the maintenance crew actually rakes the beach of the sea weed! Wonderful. The water is as blue as the sky, clear and beautiful.
Before leaving I bought some shovels and pails, they sell them in the gift shop, but it is cheaper to bring them from home. Bring books, and magazines to relax with on the beach or by the pool.

The Cayena club has a smaller pool. A small kiddie/wading pool, and a larger regular swimming pool. After spending several hours on the beach it was nice to take a dip and cool off in the pool. The larger, LTI Resort has a huge pool that is also very nice. Both pools have large sunning areas with chaise lounges and tables. Very inviting.

The grounds of both hotels are beautiful. Everything is well maintained.

There are several restaurants at the resort. There are sit downs and buffets available. It amazed us that no one was tipping the waitstaff- except us! Just because you are paying all-inclusive, doesn't include the servers. Bring LOTS of dollar bills, a tip and a smile work wonders! Tip them!!
At one of the buffets there was a sandwich toasting station, our children are very picky eaters. The man working the station was willing to grill us up some grilled cheese sandwiches for the kids. The pasta station guy would cook the spaghetti plain with butter and add some grated cheese...they are all accomodating and pleasant.
The food is not the best, but you will find something. We NEVER went hungry. The ice cream is delicious. The hot cocoa is delicious. Of course the fruits are great too. The crossants are great too, try toasting them & dipping them into the cocoa! YUM!

We never really left the compound. We walked a lot along the beach. We found little shops on the beach with all types of crafts, tshirts, jewelry, and rum. Each one wants you to buy from them. We were able to haggle some prices, but for the most part they are not trying to rip you off. Everyone is friendly and polite.

The LTI has a few gift shops. One of them has chips and candy, drinks, snacks and stuff. Great for bringing to the room for later. Or if you have extra room in your luggage, bring snacks with you! If you are traveling with children, bring a loaf of bread, jelly & peanut butter for sandwiches.

None of us got sick from the water, or any of the food. Just be aware of what you are eating. Obviously you don't want to eat any chicken that was sitting out. I wouldn't suggest eating anything outside of the hotel- unless it's at the Hard Rock, or at a different hotel. We brushed our teeth with the water from the faucet, we drank with ice cubes in our drinks. Drink the water bottles.

Our trip was amazing. We look forward to returning soon! Every staff person was friendly and chatty. We aren't Europeans, and were treated like family. I miss them all already.

Cayena Golf Club at LTI Beach Resort is beautiful. I stayed in a newly huge 2 bedroom 3 bathroom apartment/condo that displayed their culture's art in every room. The apartment/condo was beautifully decorated. This place was fully equipped with everything you could possible need for a week stay or longer. They even had a washer and dryer in the apartment/condo. The entire staff was very professsional and treated me like their special guest everyday. I enjoyed the magnificant entertainment nightly and the white sand beach close by. The excursion were breath taking. I got out in the city on my own and the people were friendly and very kind. I got to meet and make new friends. This place and city is beautiful. You have got to put this on your "To Do" list.

Sincerely,

Z.L. Jernigan

We just got back from a week at the Cayena Beach Club. Myself and my husband plus our 2 kids, 15 and 10 went. We really had a good time.

The staff is great, the grounds are absolutely spectacular, the beaches are great. The Cayena pool is wonderful. It's not crowded and it always has an ocean breeze blowing so you don't get hot. The main LTI lobby is incredible and very Caribbean. The rooms are better than average but this is not a luxury resort. They were clean and comfortable though. I did not have any musty smell. The a/c didn't work well in one of the bedrooms but you could open the door and the ocean breeze blew in. I laughed when I saw the shower because the curtain is about 6 inches too short and I remembered reading about it in the reviews. It was aggravating though because it took 3 towels to keep the floor dry while you showered and then they were saturated.

Because it is all inclusive you eat and drink free all week. The food is only average. But this was a common complaint by everyone I spoke to in the airport and they all stayed at different resorts (RIU, etc) so I guess its just the area, not this hotel specifically. The drinks were great I just wish that someone had been walking around the pool and beach taking our order and bringing them to us. We ate all our meals at the hotel except one (Hard Rock Cafe). We ate fruit, meat, salads, pasta, pizza, etc. We drank water at dinner and no one in our family got sick. The only precaution we took was to use the bottled water they provide in your room to brush our teeth.

If you go to the beach and turn left and walk about 1/2 a mile there are vendors on the beach. They sell rum, cigars, bathing suits, beach coverups, art, etc. It's worth a walk down there. They are very aggressive sales people but they will bargain with you.

We went on 2 excursions which the hotel will happily arrange for you in the Cayena lobby. We went to Manatee Park and swam with the dolphins, this was one of the highlights of the kids trip. We also did a 1/2 day trip to the countryside to see homes, schools, villages, etc. It was a great trip and I highly recommend it. Our kids loved that too.

A few suggestions for you. Don't bring a beach towel, the hotel provides them. The bar soap, shampoos that they supply aren't too great, bring your own. Quite a few people missed their flight on Saturday. You need to get to the airport about 3 hours before your flight (they tell you 2 but it's not enough if it's busy). Be prepared for chaos at the airport. It is very disorganized and I saw quite a bit of bribing going on to move people to the front of the check in line, it was maddening. The hotel will arrange for a nice taxi/shuttle with air conditioning for you for $34.

The Dominican Republic is a good blend between African and South American cultures. It is still very much a 3rd world country. If you come here knowing that then your visit will be much more pleasureable. Come expecting to relax and have fun, it is a great place to visit and it is a nice resort. You'll be glad you came!