Hear me out. I am the pickiest of travelers, and we LIKED this place. I would attribute it to the atmosphere. This a fun and happy hotel.
The rooms: We got a room on the third overlooking the ocean, and it was fantastic. That building has a small elevator which took us up to our room. The room had tall ceilings and stayed exceptionally cold. The king bed was extremely comfortable and the bathroom was huge. Give our rooms a high mark.
The bar service was excellent. They moved the lines fast. Made great cappuccinos and good drinks. I don't do top shelf stuff. I am ok with mixed drinks and beer all day long, so it served our purposes.
On Saturday, the entertainment was quite fun. The team did water aerobics, a foam pool party, and a fun Dominican Time theme show.
The food is where I dip. The carte menu is meh. I wasn't feeling it. The fish dishes were small tiny cuisine. The dumplings were not rolled correctly. I did not try the italian food but I did go to the fish one. We ended raiding the buffet afterward.
Overall, I would come back here again. Not a great luxury 5 star, but this place has a fun personality. Much more than the one in Playa Dorada, (Heaven).