We flew roundtrip first class on Delta Air Lines. They are not serving meals right now nor any beverage aside from beer, wine or water. I know other airlines are serving more selection in first class as well as meals so I was more than a little disappointed. Our flight down to the DR was 3:30 hours and return flight was the same amount of time. On both legs we were presented one snack box to replace the usual meal that would be be accompanied by snacks out of a basket offered prior to landing. The crew were all very nice but once again, Delta has fallen far behind in premium service when their counterparts are back to meals served covered and full beverage compliment. I know what the other airlines are doing because I work for one of them.
Customs was easy enough at the airport going into and out of the country. They did pull random people to take a Covid test upon arrival, I’m not sure how they are choosing at random but we were not chosen. We made it from airplane to beachside in less than one hour so we were pleased with the efficiency here.
The resort itself was beautiful. The grounds immaculate, pools spectacular and staff was very friendly and professional. We booked an ocean view suite in the Preferred Club side of the resort. I do highly recommend booking with PC at all Secrets resorts as this status gives you full resort access including private beach, pools, bars and restaurants. It was not a huge up charge when we booked and my husband and I have booked PC since our first stay with Secrets 2 trips ago in Cancun. Our room was nice, big shower with two shower heads, decent sized balcony with a soaking tub and a lounge couch. The floors are a polished marble and there are very few rugs so keep this in mind when your feet are wet as it can be hazardous. I was honestly shocked they hadn’t been sued yet for someone slipping and injuring themselves. If you book these resorts BEWARE OF THE SWIMOUT ROOMS that are NOT on the beach. These rooms are on the first floor of all the buildings and they have ZERO privacy. People walking by can look into your bathroom if you have the curtains open and your only view from your “private pool”, that you share with everyone else with a swimout room in thay building, is the lathe way around the hotel. I’m sorry but if we paid the additional thousands for the swim out option, I do not want to be able to high five people walking to dinner from my deck. Do not waste your money on these rooms unless they are the beachfront swim out’s and even then, it’s the same exact room we had as an ocean view.
The drinks were good. The snacking options were fine but overall the food was awful. The food was bland, most of the time cold and took forever. We had dinner one night at the Italian option and the Cannoli’s they brought out for me were not stuffed with a blended ricotta, they were stuffed with the filling you would find in a doughnut. I honestly lost weight on our honeymoon because I never completed a full meal. The best meal we had the entire trip was the final evening we had dinner at the Hibachi option and it was phenomenal. I would eat here for the entire trip if we return to this property. We were both surprised by the awful quality of food as we have stayed at other Secrets resorts and not had that experience. I also want to add that I do not consider myself a food snob but I felt like it with this trip. We typically cruise 3-4 times a year with Royal Caribbean or Celebrity and the food on ship was 1000 times better than anything we had at this resort.
The beach was beautiful and well kept. We splurged and got a beachside cabana for the day. It was only $100 for the whole day and that Included your own waitresses as well as lunch and snacks served to you in the Cabana. Long story short it was a lovely experience but once again fell short of our expectations. We are so used to cruising and service and details are just done so much better there. Our “dedicated” waitresses vanished after dropping off the ice bucket of champagne, they brought us towels which were supposed to be pre-set, only after we asked for them and wind barrier curtain was broken in our cabana so we were getting blown away. We have booked and enjoyed private cabanas on Royal Caribbean excursions and they were beyond amazing. Once again, we might have a different opinion on what above and beyond service looks like while on vacation.
Overall we had a nice vacation but it did not feel like a honeymoon and I doubt we will be back to this particular location. If you are looking for a nice vacation book here!! If you are looking for an above and beyond honeymoon, look elsewhere.
