Natura Park Beach - EcoResort & Spa

My husband and I just returned from Natura Park. We were there from June 2 till June 9. This might be a little long but I don't want the negative reviews to change your mind about going.

We had a fabulous time. We got there about 10:30 am and check in was a breeze. When you check in they give you your room key and a key for the safe also cards to get your beach towels. They also put a wrist strap on you which isn't bad because it is a piece of rawhide. After check in we went to the guest service desk to sign up for the ala carte meals. They told us that theywere all booked for the weekend. I told her that the next day was my husbands birthday. She ended up getting us in on the seafood restaurant. They also gave us a fruit tray and a bottle of rum for his birthday. That was a surprise. We were told the room was all ready. We went to the room and they brought our luggage there. We were on the beach within an hour of getting there.

Here are the experiences we had.

Our room was on the ground floor. The room was bigger than we thought it would be. There was a king sized bed, a sofa and a desk and chair with a TV on it. If you want a remote go to check in and ask for one. The pamplet in the room says there is a 20 dollar fee which will be returned after you bring the remote back. They didn't charge us anything.

The rooms are somewhat dated. The drawers were broken in the closet, but that wasn't a big deal since there are also shelves in there. To turn on the electricity you have to put the keyring in the slot by the door. We were told by a couple, who have been going there for the past 7 years, to take a brochure and fold it in half and put that in the slot. It worked great. You can keep the air on 24-7. We also kept the fan running. There is also a patio with a table and chairs. The bed is a little hard but we slept like babies. It was very quiet.

The shower was hot and the presure was strong. There is a mini bar in the room that they unlock when you get there. They lock it up the last night you are there. They forgot to lock ours. You get 2 large bottles of water, 2 7-up's, 2 pepsi's and 2 bottles of local beer. There are other things in there that you have to pay for. They give you a price list.

The beach was wonderful. No bugs, no shells and the sand didn't get that hot. You could walk barefoot on it and not worry about getting burnt feet. There is seaweed but they rake it up twice a day. We had 2 days without hardly any seaweed. We took water shoes but didn't even use them. The water is so clear that if you stand near the reef you can see the fish. If you want a good spot on the beach go early and put your things on the chairs you want. They will be there when you come back later. We went to the beach about 9 am and left our towels and snorkel gear. Nobody touched anything. You might also see topless women at the beach. There weren't that many women that did this. Mostly Europeans.

The pool was also nice. There is a waterfall, a childrens pool and a jacuzzi all attached to the main pool. Behind the waterfall is a pool bar. There is also a bar above the waterfall area. Great place to catch a breeze and have a drink. There always seemd to be a breeze during the day but it seemed like someone threw a switch and turned it off around 6pm. The grounds were beautiful and well maintained. There was always someone cleaning up the property.

The staff were very friendly and everyone even the grounds keepers said Hola. The service was great. In all of the restaurants they constantly were filling your glasses and taking away our empty plates. The specialty restaurants were fabulous. The lobster was so good we could of ate another one. The steak restaurant was also very good. The fillet was done just the way we like it. The meal in the Italian restaurant was also outstanding.

The buffet was also good. A lot of variety. If you couldn't find anything to eat then you might be too picky. The restaurants are all open air. To my husband and I it just added to the tropical atmosphere. There were also themed nights. One was chinese and the other dominican. On the dominican night they had venders come in. There was also tea service in the bar near the buffet from 4:00 to 6:00 every day.

The spa was great. My husband and I both had hour long massages. The price is about the same as here, it was $60.00 for the hour.

Here are a few hints. Don't drink too many coconut drinks in one day. Coconut and pineapple are natural laxatives. I learned the hard way. Take plenty of $1.00 bills beacuse it is hard to get them when you are there. Men have to wear long pants to the specialty restaurants. There is internet service. Buy an hour, they give you a slip with a password on it so you can use it over till you use up all of your time. There is a green bridge at the entrance, get some bread from the boxes they have around the resort so you can feed the turtles and ducks.

The enertainment was good. They had a different theme every night. Mr. Natura night was great. If you were there you know what I mean. We managed to see 5 shows while we were there. We had a good time at every show.

Don't forget your in a 3rd world country. The people work hard for very little money. We were told that they make about $700.00 US a year. Some of them must work 12 to 16 hour days. They work 11 days and get 3 off. The resort has an international feel only about 25 to 30% were American.

In closing this was one of the best vacations we ever had. If your looking for rest and relaxation this is an ideal location. We feel Natura park represents an excellent value for the money.

I went to your Resort for my sister's wedding. Only stayed there for a couple of days but it was an awesome experience. I loved the service of the staff, the food at the restaurants and the activities. We were really treated as if we were very special guests. A special thank you to the manager Mr. Phillip Gorin. He made sure that every detail in my sister's wedding was taken care of. If I ever get married I think is the best place to have my wedding at. I am recommending Natura Park to all my friends.

We stayed at the Blau Natura from March 26 to April 3-2009.

We were a little bit afraid given some of the reviews we had read ... well I have one word -AMAZING!

The resort was beautiful, the food great and the staff very friendly!

I have no idea where people found the negative things to write about !

Thanks to pleasant and friendly staff at Natura Park especally the animation team "Jesus Blondie", Jimmy Walker and Carmen who worked so hard and with such good humour to teach us how to Merengue and Borchata.

The hotel is beautiful the room we had was great and although there were a few minor problems if you just chill out , relax and smile and be pleasant to the wonderful staff you won't go wrong.

We thought the food was good in the buffet and in the a la cartes especially the grilled snapper in the seafood restaurant. Only minor complaints are that some guests did not show enough respect eg throwing loads of bread in the ponds, smoking in the a la cartes and eating round the pool and on the beach but hang on now I'm being a moaner!

Met very few fellow Brits(a good thing methinks) but nice people from Canada, Argentina,Chile Poland etc etc.

The situation is beatiful with a great beach but it is isolated and you are far from any town and it didn't quite seem right to me that the only Dominicans you are likely to see are hotel staff. We didn,t do any trips as we have been before maybe we could have made more effort to get out

My wife and I just returned from our second visit to Natura Park and I am already picking our time to go next year. As most others on here mention the beauty of the grounds are second to none, the variety of wildlife and their personalities are a reason to visit by themself. If you've been there I am sure you know who I am speaking of when I mention the cranky geese...too funny.

My wife and I are in our early thrities with two children, and a relaxing week away is what we look for. Our rooms were beautiful both years, the first year our room was looking onto a garden and this year we had a beach front patio... which was amazing. My wife being a pickey eater had no problems with the buffet what so ever and I ate pretty much everything they served. No sickness. either year.

The staff was AWESOME both years we encountered some of the most friendly people and best service I have ever experienced, which says alot becuae I have spent the last 11 years managing several retail operations and have a higher standard than most for customer service.

The beach is beautiful and offers some of the best snorkling and diving I have experienced. Take bread or bananas from the buffet with you and the fish love it. $10 or less if you barter on the beach will get you a boat ride out to the corel reef which is the best money you'll ever spend. The activities/games during the day were a blast and provided a great opportunity to meet and interact with the other guest and the AMAZING animation staff. I won a few diplomas and couple bottles of rum. THE best part of all were all the amazing people we met while there, we met people from all over the world who just had such positive and upbeat attitudes it really made our trip.

I recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a great time away, families, couples groups anyone with one exception though.. if you are younger singles and looking for nightlife and "friends" this may not be your best choice, although we did meet a few guys that had lots of luck, but other than that this is the place to go.

Little hints, tip people, take tiny gifts like skin care products, costume jewellery and mostly anything else we find up here at Dollarama or other discount stores. There is a midnight grill at the steak restaurant and the guy there "Tony" is the man. Most people either forget about it or don't know it is there.

Anyhow, I can't say enough about how much I love this place. Check it out for yourself, you'll be glad ya did.

Just got back from Natura Park (7 day stay). Travelled with my husband and my mom and dad.This was a 2nd time at Natura Park and would go back in a heart beat. I don't understand how people complain so much about the resort. (I think that these people must be somewhat bitter) The hotel itsself could use some updates (mattresses). But the rooms are clean the grounds are beautiful (well maintained) and the staff are wonderful. The beach is BEAUTIFUL!!!!

The check in was painless (10 mins tops) we arrived 3 hours early before check in and they gave us our rooms right away. With in 1/2 hour from arriving at the hotel we were on the beach with a drink. No problem. The food was great (did not eat at any a la cartes)

chose to eat at the buffet each evening.

This staff are friendly, helpful and would do anything for you. Some don't speak english but you can always make yourself understood and they try very hard to try and understand but will ask another staff to translate. ( remember your in their country).

This hotel does not have alot of nightlife so if that is what you are looking for this hotel is

not for you. (That is the only warning I would give people if that is a warning) If you want to take tours (dunebuggy, para-sailing,horseback riding,fishing ext.) book it with HECTOR a local on the beach selling tours you can trust. His prices are great (wears a black CANADA hat) Booked tours with HECTOR 2 years ago and this visit no problem!!

Enjoy your stay!!!

Natura Park gets 2 thumbs up way up.

This resort is absolutely gorgeous!!! The food is fresh and delicious..very friendly staff and great beach. This is my second visit to Punta Cana and i chose this resort because it was different from the others. Its not as big as many of the other like Barcelo, Oasis etc..but that is a positive aspect as you can comfortably walk the whole resort and never wish there was a tram to get around. It really is an "Eco Resort and Spa", meaning it is a very natural setting...there are ponds everywhere filled with fish that you can feed. Flamingos and ducks walk around freely.

I visited the spa 3 times during my 5 day stay and it is top notch. The prices are relative to higher-end spa treatments at home. The spa staff are professional and really know what they are doing. There is also a huge variety of treatments available and GREAT massages!! They use quality products and the spa itself is very clean with a very relaxing atmosphere.

The drinks are quite good..although i found most of the juice mixes very sweet. The coffee and cappuccinos from the main bar are delicious.

The buffet was fabulous for every meal; made to order eggs and omelets for breakfast. They also prepare fresh fruit smoothies with fruit of your choice every morning. Lunch and dinner always have variety and the menu changes everyday. Fresh pasta, carved meat, and the fish was always good. I went to 1 a la carte, seafood, and got sick immediately after (so did 2 other people i met there and dined with) -that was the only bad food experience. There is also a lunch buffet by the beach with good food. Often they would also set up grills by the beach and cook something different each time. I went on this trip only a week after visiting Cuba, so i cant even begin to describe how much i appreciated all the great food!!

The rooms are spacious and clean. If you have a ground floor room like i did, you may encounter the occasional bug. I recommend mosquito repellant because i was bitten over a dozen times..although no one else i met seemed to have been bothered at all.

The beach is clean but i found the water have a lot of seaweed and debris closer to shore. I was always able to find a bed by the beach but if you want to lounge by the pool -get there early (like by 8am) to save yourself beds. Beach towels were plentiful and even tho your towel card says you can only have one towel/day..i was able to trade mine in for a fresh one several times a day. There's only one pool but it does have a swim up bar.

This resort is great if you just want to relax -if you're looking to party then book somewhere else or be prepared to leave the resort. There's no disco, so its very quiet at nite. There is a shuttle that comes each nite at 11:45 to gather people who want to go out to "Imagine" which is a club in a natural cave..costs $25 US plus drinks. If you like to party then check out Imagine..its a great experience.

Internet access is available for $3 US/15 min. Calling cards are also sold on the resort. There's an ATM machine if you need to get extra cash.

The only annoying thing is the "flea market" that makes its rounds to all the resort 2 or 3 times a week. These guys are SO pushy and totally bombard you. It took me almost an hour to make my way thru them all to get back to my villa. The "town" is about a 10 minute walk from the resort and currently its a strip of about 30 shops all offering the same type of souvenirs. Again..these guys are very pushy and will literally pull you into their shop. There were building what looks like a mall right across while i was there.

Overall, great stay. Best for couples and families. Like i mentioned, if you're looking for nite life i wouldn't recommend it.

Just returned from one week at this resort, and all has been great.

We arrived at 9:45 P.M. and were asked if we wanted to go to the buffet before it closed and come back later for the check-in. We didn't go, but thought it was nice to be offered. 95 % of the staff is very friendly, polite and smiling. The place is very clean and the gardens are beautiful. Every morning we would leave small gifts and a tip for the maid, and our room was impeccable. We asked for more bottled water, coffee and bath towels, and it was never a problem. Treat them well and they'll treat you well. Very good water pressure and always plenty of hot water. The beach could have been kept cleaner, although I suspect the bad weather before we arrived to be the culprit. Only one restroom on the beach, close to the pool. The buffet was good, not excellent. Not consistent in the variety of food ; for example, bacon one day, none the next. The difference between a 4 and a 5 star resort. We tried 2 À la carte restaurants: the steakhouse was very good, but not the Italian restaurant. We had a stress free vacation, and a great time. Would definitely recommend the place.

This trip at Natura Park in Punta Cana was amazing! i went from feb 5-12 2009 I went with my family of 4 which included teenagers. I loved that the resort was only a 20 minute drive from the airport.

Service/room:

check in was fast, if you want to upgrade to a larger room (connecting room) without paying extra simply e-mail the hotel a couple days before you leave and your recommendations will be met. Our room had a few burnt out lights, but that was fixed the next day. Maid service was good, mini fridge was always stocked with beer and pop, water and coffee were also stocked in the room. The floors in our room were mopped everyday, beds always made, and the towels were always changed. A small tip was appreciated but was not always necessary. The room was spacious, and ours was right beside the beach with a balcony.

Food:

The main buffet had a good selection of food, but the variety never really changed. The Buffet included dominican style food, a health food section, and hamburgers, hotdogs, and fries. The steak restaurant was the best restaurant, didn't care for the italian restaurant as the service was slow, and it took an hour for the food to reach the table.

Staff:

The staff were exceptionally friendly and always smiling and saying hola.. Most spoke broken english and a little spanish goes a long way! The staff appreciate it when you try to speak to them in spanish, and they tried their best to speak english. the main languages spoken there were english, spanish, and french, some even knew german, and italian.

Overall, the grounds were kept clean and we always saw people mowing the grass and trimming plants. The resort is rich with a wide variety of animals and plants. If you are looking for a relaxing holiday in a natural setting then this is the place for you. The beach was amazing, clear water, no seaweed, white sand. The beach didn't have harsh waves which was nice. There are many huts and chairs set up but on a nice day you should reserve a hut and some chairs early in the morning around 8am by placing a towel over the chairs. It was cheap to go snorkeling only 10$ a person for an hour, we did this through a guy selling excursions on the beach(not through the hotel). Another excursion we did was take the local bus to the city of Higuey about an hour away, which only cost 3$ for one way. The locals are also very friendly. The only thing i must warn about are some "friendly" males. Females beware you will have to deal with stares, cat calling, and possibly harassment when travelling outside the hotel...this will also happen at the resort too, but not as much, it didn't bother me much, just be friendly and don't take it seriously as this happens in other countries as well when your a foreigner. There is also a mini market about a 10 minute walk outside the hotel. If you want good deals on souvenirs then buy things outside the hotel, not the giftshop which is way overpriced!

Some extra things that stood out to me were the nightly shows which were quite entertaining as there is an emphasis on audience participation. There are about 3 culture based shows a week. There is a swim up bar in the pool which is cool. Also there is a bar which is open all night from 12am-5am which serves drinks and snacks. There is a disco called "imagination" outside the resort which the animation team/staff will take you to about 5 nights a week. The tv has about 60 channels and only about 3 are in english. This didn't really matter as i wasn't there to watch tv. There is a spa there and you can also receive massages on the beach! There is also a kids club but i am not sure if thats costs extra. Oh and the pina coladas and strawberry daiquiris are amazing! just make sure you say no alcohol if you don't want it, becuase they put alcohol in everything there and will even serve it to kids (well ages 12 and up, if they look older)! No one in my family got sick there, so that wasn't an issue. I think i covered almost everything.

I don't understand why there are so many negative reviews for this resort! I don't know if people are too picky or what!?! I highly recommend this resort and would go back in a heart-beat!!!!! I reccomend this resort to everyone.

My wife and I travelled to Natura Park in early February '09 with our two young children aged 4 and 2. We had an absolutely wonderful vacation!

Our Air Transat flight was on time and check-in at the resort was quick and efficient. We had phoned ahead to ask about a bigger suite to accommodate the 4 of us. Valentina, the reception manager, was able to accommodate our request and for no additional charge we were upgraded to a suite with a living room. Great service indeed!

The resort itself was beautiful with lots of lush vegetation, flamingos and birds etc throughout. There were plenty of restaurants and bars both in the main area as well as down by the pool and beach. The staff was courteous, helpful and professional.

Of course the main reasons we Canadians take these vacations is for the sun, sand and surf. This is where Natura Park absolutely shone. The beach was one of the nicest I've ever been to (and we've been to resorts in Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica and Europe). Beautiful white sand, turquoise water, beach bar, massage hut and 30 degree weather greeted us every day.

The beachside grill or beachside restaurant made lunch quick and easy. The pool area is also very nice with a swim-up bar and is just steps from the white sand.

The Kids Club took two year olds which was important for us. What also proved invaluable was the kids play area located on one end of the beach. We could keep an eye on our kids yet soak up the sun, go for a dip and drink pina coladas at the same time!

We found Natura Park to be a fantastic, beautiful resort and would recommend it to anybody, kids or not.

My boyfriend and I went to Natura Park as a romantic getaway from the 1st of Feb to the 8th. We had an amazing time in Punta Cana and also a learning experience. We decided to go with Natura Park because of the great reviews we researched through Trip Advisor. We would definitely come back to Punta Cana, but most likely try another resort!

Arrival:

We arrived to our destination close to around 2am. The bus ride from the airport to the hotel was great. Once checking in, it took us a long time to find our room. Each time we asked for help, we would get there halfway and the bellboy or manager would get distracted and help someone else and leave us stranded. We were tired and frustarted. FINALLY after 7 people helping us, we found our room...the room number was NOT hanging by the door!

Food:

The food at the buffet was actually not so bad. You got your variety for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. There were nights when the food wasn't all that great, but of course you have to come with an open mind when coming to a different country and culture. They had 3 a la carte restaurants: Italian, Steakhouse and Seafood. I enjoyed all 3, but the steakhouse being my favorite. If you go, order the tenderloin....it was soooooo good!!!!! There were so many options for desert....yummy! The coffee from the coffee maker in the buffet section not so good....it is very thick. During breakfast, the best time to have the coffee is to get one of the servers to get you your own coffee thermos.

Service:

The service was inconsistent. Some days you would get great service and some days you would get bad ones! There was one day when we didn't get any towels in our room. All employees always spoke to you in spanish. Most of them didn't speak english, which is not helpful for those that do not understand it.

Beach:

The beach was absolutely beautiful. We had a lot of breeze and a couple of days of off and on rain...but it was still so beautiful. The bartender at the beah Raoul, was really nice. Great server! There were always security walking around the beach, and of course peddlers...but that was expected! If you decide to take a walk on the beach past the Natura Exit Point, be very careful...security warned us in telling us that there is a certain point you can cross when walking that way. Apperently there are people that love in bushes with machetties that will jump out at you and steal whatever you have on you. So be very careful! Make sure not to have any jewelery or money on you when walking the beach and always walk with someone.

Activities:

There are lots of activities offered to you on the resort. One I would suggest is the to try Saona Island. Extremely breathtaking island. We went there on a Catamaran and it was so much fun and such a beautiful scenerie....taking in the ocean and the island around us! We got back by a speed boat, which broke down on us in the middle of the ocean, then we had to switch boats by climbing into the other one after about 20 minutes if waiting and then we were taken to the Natural Bath in the middle of the ocean where you can swim adn the water goes up to your belly. Overall it was amazing! We loved it! We only paid $60/per person for this excursion whereas the hotel charges $110/per person for the same excursion. Talk to Edouardo...he will be standing by the towel hut with a binder in hand and a friendly smile...he can offer you really great prices on excursions and is always honest with you on what you can expect!!! Great guy!!!! Don't go to Manati Park...the zoo is great for kids, but you will notice that once at the dolphin aquarium, it is not pleasant to see. The dolphin swim is $90 per person for only 5 minutes and all you do is take a photo with the dolphind and pet them. It is also done in a very small pool (practically shallow) and you can tell the dolphins don't even want to be there. It was so sad to see them in that condition. We were told Ocean World is the best place to go to if you want to swim with dolphins!

Departue:

Our flight was not scheduled until 12:50am on Feb 9th, so we had to check-out on the 8th before noon and leave our luggage in the luggage room. make sure if you do, to lock your luggages...the door can either be locked or open at times! I noticed there wasn't much security measures for the luggages! Our flight was also delayed, but I think due to weather. No arguments there...

Just some notes:

Local calls are charged by the minute there. The driving of cab drivers and some bus drivers are crazy...so buckle-up and be careful. You'll also notice that peddlers are extremely pushy...so be patient! You will also notice that there are a lot of Dominicans driving motor bikes....you will be shocked to notice that a lot of the drivers have at least 3 to 4 passengers with them...and some even little kids to babies! Bug spray is always handy....got bit a couple of times, but didn't really use it! Alcohol is strong in drinks...if you are not a big drinker, ask for a little bit in your drinks! Remember to barter with the peddlers...they will do whatever they can to keep the prices high when its not even worth it! Oh and a few nigths during the week, they have peddlers in the resort near the bar and buffet standing around selling things and driving you crazy when all you want to do is go eat or drink...we tried dodging as many of them as possible. They try to intice you by giving you a free necklace...be persisitent in saying no if you do not like to be hounded!

I think overall our experience was great, and I think it's because we made the most of our time together! Some people complained about the service, but also note that in the buffet, they were short staffed, as well as in the restaurants. My only complaint would be about not getting any towels in our room. Also, please be careful if you decide to stay at the bar and drink all night...we had a friend who walked back to his room around 2am one night and got jumped by a security guard from the resort trying to steal his money. Always be in pairs!!!! But also, if you decide to go...make the most of it and have fun! Remember, you'll hardly ever be in your room and there are so many activities to look into doing and a lot of them are either half days or full days...or you could even just enjoy laying in the sun and taking in the beautiful beach! Oh and be careful of the geese on the resort, they tend to chase people or attack people. We saw one man pushing the geese away because it was attacking his foot! They are not so friendly!

If you want more infor, just let me knw! Would be glad to give some insight!!!!

Other than that...all I can say is HAVE FUN!!!! :-)

My husband and I travelled first time to Natura in January of this year. We found the resort to be a decent 3 star in OUR opinion, but not anything that would really call us back. We found the service in Jan to be lacking to say the least, with the exception of a few staff. We had many issues, including maintenance knocking our door after midnight, to fix a problem reported 3 days earlier!! ok. BUT

It was imperative that I be in Punta Cana for the first week of June this year, due to a beautiful baby that was due her entrance to the world! Unfortunately my husband could not get the time off work so I recruited a friend (who also recruited her sister!)

When we went to selloffvacations to book a last minute for us, we found that Natura Park was not only on sale, but had no single supplement. SOLD. I was pleased that I could have my own room, as three women sharing one room was not an ideal situation for me.

I must say that this time, I was MORE than satisfied. I had phoned Luce from Guest services in advance, explained that I was a returning guest from just a few months back, and that we had booked two rooms..needed ground floor as we had a wheelchair bound person, and please if possible put us close to each other and halfway thru the resort so it was equal distances to the buffet in the lobby area, and the pool which is down by the beach. She came thru beautifully. We had rooms side by side (actually each little "cubicle" off the main hallways has two doors to two rooms..) and she fufilled all of our requests.

Rooms.

Both rooms were nice and clean. My room had a broken airconditioner that did not get fixed (although it was not from lack of effort) until four days into my trip, and a broken fridge that never got fixed (room 2112) However the hotel did offer to move me, but it was easier to stay so that I could be of assistance to my friend in the wheelchair.

Food.

Food was decent last time, but very good this time. Twice there was dinner around the pool, and the beach buffet was excellent for lunch. Not sure why, but this time the main buffet was closed for lunch, low occupancy maybe?

The breakfast buffet was always good, with omlettes made to order, smoothies (try adding a yougurt YUM) and various other offerings. In January there was bacon every day, but May only 3 times out of my stay. No biggie.

Dinners were very good. I enjoyed the buffet, but last time in Jan I never had the opportunity to try any of the alacartes as we were off resort alot in the evenings. This time I had a hard time making reservations, as they were all FULL? yet almost empty the two I did get to? Anyway I tried to book the reservations the first opportunity that I had (morning after we arrived) only to be told the only option was the Meda Luna (steak house) for the night before we were to leave.

Dinner at the steak house was exceptional. Service was the worst that I had on the whole resort on BOTH my trips. It started as I arrived before my dining companions. We had brought a bottle of wine with us, and I asked for an ice bucket from the manager. He said "yes. one moment" . Ten min later I was still sitting there, no ice bucket and no one had even offered me water or anything. There was a nice girl working there who finally asked me if I needed anything. I explained to her about the ice bucket (her english was good, and I had put the managers lack of providing one down to a language barrier, my fault not his, as I do not believe we should expect them to speak english, rather we should learn some of the language of the country we are visiting) She prompty poured me a house wine and said she would get an ice bucket for me. She turned around and asked the manager in spanish...and he (two tables away) YELLED at me." I TOLD YOU FIVE MINUTES!! WAIT!!" I immediately stood up and asked him "are you being RUDE to me?? I was not rude to YOU!!"

The girl rushed over to me and said she was sorry..he did not understand english. I told her that rudeness shows thru any language. She spoke with him. He came over and kept saying "sorry, we are friends," Whatever. I still enjoyed the meal, we drank our wine, sat thru a thunderstorm and enjoyed each others company.

Seafood Restaurant. Though I did not get reservations for this one, I really wanted to try it. My travelling companions hate seafood, but we met some great people at the beginning of our trip and they had reservations. I went in with them and there were no questions asked. The mixed grill was very nice and included a small lobster.

BARS

what can I say. The service has improved GREATLY. Natura Park makes the best Margaritas of any of the AI's I have been to in the Dominican Republic. Also this is the only AI I have been to that allows me to have my fav drink (mimosa) all day EVERY day.

STAFF

I cannot mention ENOUGH how much happier the staff seem than when I was there in January. With the exception of the manager from the steak house, I would say that this is the best I have been treated, and that includes in the last year or so a trip to the Grand Palladium, EdenH (NH real arena) and our last trip to Natura.

In fact this was aprox trip #20 for me to the DR. This was the best service with a smile I have EVER had.

I do not want to leave anyone out,,,BUT I must mention TWO

Pilar. She worked the pool bar several of the days that I was there. She was always happy and smiling.

Bruno. He served us most days in the buffet. This is one awesome waiter and I suggest if you go to Natura you sit in his section of the buffet.

BEACH. well. BEAUTIFUL. it IS Punta Cana lol

In Closing, I will say that we will return to Natura Park. While it is not polished marble floors and fancy bathrooms ect... I think it has now become my favourite resort in PC, and I will be returning once again before year end.

Lynn

My husband and I booked this trip at the last minute. This was the first time down south for both of us, so keep in mind we have nothing to compare it to.

We arrived at the resort around 11am, so we didn't expect our room to be ready. Check in was really fast and our room was ready right away, so that was a good start. We couldn't find our room, but staff was very helpful. There was a guy in the main bar area that could see we were walking around lost and he was very helpful to come over and take us right to our room! Our luggage was brought up to the room for us only minutes later. Our room was pretty basic but very clean. There was a strange smell but I'm told that's pretty standard given the humuditiy. The smell disappeared after you opened the balcony doors for a while (or we just got use to it). I recommend bringing a can of lysol so you can spray the room (bed and curtains). We were always given extra water and beverages in our room. I reccommend bringing your own hair dryer because the ones in the room would take you probably 2 hrs. to dry your hair.

The resort isn't huge which I enjoyed because everything was so close. The grounds are very lush and there was lots of ducks, geese and flamingos.

Staff were very friendly but it's a good idea to know some Spanish words as they don't speak much english.

The pool wasn't huge but it wasn't a problem for us. We always had lots of room to swim. There were a few children at the resort but they didn't bother me at all. If you wanted a spot by the pool you had to get up pretty early to claim your spot. I recommend sending your husband!

We missed the orientation with our travel representative due to 'stupidity' on our part. Once we realized we missed it, we found our rep very easy and she just went through some things for us. It was useful information but I already knew most of it, so I wasn't that disappointed to miss the hour long orientation.

Night life isn't very big at this resort which we enjoyed. We didn't go down south for a big party. We went down to relax and we did! They did have entertainment every night, but I understood that it was pretty generic compared to most resorts.

My only complaint was making reservations for the a la cart restaraunts. There are 3 on this resort and we only got a chance to eat a 2. They were both fantastic, but I recommend trying to book for all 3 at once during your stay. You have to wait in a fairly long line up in the morning to book for the next day and by the time it's your turn, the one you want is all booked.

Overall we were very pleased with this trip and would definitley return to Natura Park.

Me and my dad went to Blau Natura Eco-Resort from April 13th to April 20th. We loved it!!!

Food: The food at Natura Park was good. The buffet was my favorite even over the a la carte restaurants. The buffet had good breakfasts and lunches, but the dinner wasn't the best. I would usually grab a piece of lasagna or a couple pieces of quesadillas, but the rest was stuff that was very exotic. The food at the restaurants was very good but the next morning for all 3 dinners I had an upset stomach. I only went to the Italian Restaurant and Steakhouse since we don't like Seafood so they let us go to the Steakhouse twice. Book dinners as soon as you can, they are hard to get on the dates you want! Overall was pretty good.

Staff: The staff was very good and friendly. They spoke pretty good English, but don't go expecting them to understand everything you say because you are still in a different country and they don't know full English. If you go, look for Fredy, the luggage and bag carrier. He's very nice and we made friends with him.

Beach and Pool: The beach was so beautiful and clean. It was light blue in some parts and green in others. The resort was located right beside the jungle to the left side while most resorts have other resorts on both sides. The pool was very clean too and had platforms with palm trees on them in the middle of the pool. Overall the Pool and Beach were awesome.

Wildlife: The wildlife was very good. There were 5 turtles, 4 doves and lot's of other birds and flamingos. They were so beautiful and the staff encourage you to feed them bread if you want to. The birds follow you around sqwuaking until you're out. Even the flamingos will come out from the middle of the pond to eat. One of the ducks even ate out of my dads hand. Overall was very good.

Rooms: The rooms weren't awesome but they weren't horrible. The T.V was small but we didn't really watch it. We had no problems with our room.

I liked this hotel and would go again.

My husband and I are both teachers and were looking for a tropical getaway for the week of school vacation that didn't break the bank. After doing some research, I came across Natura Eco Park....you couldn't beat the price. I spent a lot of time on tripadvisor reading the reviews...reading both positive and negative opinions...obviously thinking more about the negative ones and worrying we made a bad choice and thought we should have just paid the extra $$ for another resort.

Now that I've gone and saw it for myself, I can report, with all honesty, that we had an amazing time at Natura Park. Sure there was a bit of mold on the tile in the bathtub but everything else in the room was clean...the beds are hard but when you're in such an amazingly beautiful place, who cares. We always left a little something for our roomkeepers and the fridge was always stocked with beer and room perfectly clean before we came back each day.

Food was alright. I'm an extremely picky eater and the first day was a challenge navigating the buffett but day two I got the hang of it. It's not fine dining but I never went hungry. We ate at both the seafood and steak houses and they were decent.

The beach was our favorite part...we are early risers so we didn't have a problem getting a hut but found that after 7, most were taken. The beach had to be one of the nicest beaches I have ever been to and I've done quite a bit of traveling in the Carribean.

We went on two excursions...ATVing and deep sea charter. We booked both through the towl hut near the pool. My husband caught a Marlin on the charter...he had the time of his life! I could have passed on the ATV tour...way too long and was a 1.5 hour ride from our hotel. It was nice to see the country and see some of the people...though, like most islands, DR is very poor and the people selling things are relentless.

If you go with the right attitude and enjoy a laid back, relaxing tropical atmosphere you're going to have an amazing time.

We stayed at Natura Park for two weeks from 1st to 15th April 2009.

I needed quiet and relax and I’ve got everything what were important for us. The resort was lovely, the food delicious and the staff very friendly!

Grounds: It's a fun to walk through the grounds. The buildings blend in so well and are very attractive within the lush environment.

Our room was patio number 7 on the left side, closest to beach (2137). Room was fine with everything working. Bathroom was OK but I think that the ceiling needs to be renewed in the bathroom. Daily maid service was great.

Beach: wonderful with beautiful white sand.

We had great weather - sunny all 14 days with few small clouds.

Excursions: we did 3 trips: Saona Island ($60 adult, $30 child), Santo Domingo ($65, $30) – have been bought from Hector, and swimming with sharks ($45 each).

We enjoyed this holiday very much and recommend everyone!!!

Prior to booking this hotel I had read many reviews, both good and bad, and decided to take a chance on it. The hotel itself is lovely - it is older but has had improvements. Many others have complained about mold, but it is in the tropics and it is damp there, so it is inevitable that mold will occur. That being said, I found my room to be very clean and comfortable with no mold. I had a lovely balcony overlooking the grounds with a view to the ocean. The maid service was excellent. My only complaint about the room is that the fridge did not keep the drinks cold. They were tepid at best.

The grounds are beautiful and immaculately kept with a very large grounds staff working everyday. There are many small interconnecting ponds with flamingos and other birds that feed on a multitude of small fish that populate them.

The beach is the prize of the Natura Park. It has white sand sprinkled with pink coral bits. Regardless of how hot it is the sand is never too hot to walk on. I think that is because of the strong breezes that are constantly blowing. At first I was dismayed, but found that the breeze kept suntanning pleasant. There are lots of loungers and if you stake your claim it is good til you decide you are done with it - I did not see any poaching. As many people have complained - there is seaweed washing up on the beach - it is the sea after all. For those who don't like it there is always the pool. I did not spend time at the pool, but went past it several times a day and it is beautiful.

The bars are nice, the drinks are poured all day and the staff is very friendly and helpful. They work very hard, from opening to closing and I think that they earn their tips.

And now to explain the title about the hospital stay. The food. When I got there the food seemed OK. After all, it was the first day that I saw it and there was a big selection. Not everything looked appetizing to me, but I do think that could be the case at any Buffet. However, I did get sick and spent 2 days in the hospital. I am sure that it was something that I ate, but I would never be able to pinpoint it because I was being open-minded and trying lots of things. That was a BIG mistake according to the resort doctor who treated me at the hotel and spoke to me after I returned from my stay in the hospital. I was on an IV drip for 2 days and was give a lot of antibiotics. However, it seemed like most everyone else was chowing down with no ill effects, so perhaps I just had a sensitivity to something that others could tolerate.

Despite my trip to the hospital I would still recommend the Natura Park. The food problem could happen at any all-inclusive. I am sad that I had to cut my trip short because it is a lovely resort. I know that I would be very reluctant to consider any all-inclusive again, not just the Natura Park, or if I did go that route again I would be very careful of what I ate.

We stayed at Natura Park for one week. During that week, we had a lot of fun. After the airplane ride there, we needed a place to relax for we were very tired. Right away the staff checked us in, which was great. The rooms in Natura park are okay. In the beggining you incounter a smell unidentified, but as you stay longer and open the balcony door, the smell goes away. The beds were okay for people who don't mind hard ones. Every day, we got a new bottle of water so that we could drink it since the water in the tap was not pureified. The beach is truly amazing. The water is clean and although in the morning seaweed washes up to shore, the staff wake up early to clean it, so it never caused any problems.

There was a pool near the Beach which was convinent and close. Whenever we wanted to play games or do activities, there was always something.( Volleyball,water polo,darts etc...)

The resort was clean.

In addition, there were small ponds with bridges for crosssing and pink flamingos. Ducks and fish were also a part of the nature.

There were three resturants and one buffet. The food was great and there was always something for everyone. In conclusion we would go there again.

(P.s, i don't know how people don't like the resort, its beautiful)

This was my first trip to DR....I found this Resort very clean, the park was will kept. I really enjoyed waking up to the sounds of the animals in the park. The park was very beautiful and peaceful. I found must of the staff very friendly and helpfull. The Steak house is to die for...i found the steak very juice and tasty. I went down to relax and veg. and have some fun away from the fast pace of life...and my goal was reached.

Natura Park was my first time in a resort (for 2 weeks). The first days was awesome! Everything seemed magical, but after a week i kinda got bored as it was all repetitive....

So i made some friends in the staff, it was easy cause i speak some Spanish. They brought me to some cool places outside the resort! At first i was a bit scared but i met this girl who was always giving me tips and protecting me. Went out every nights from there.

In the Dominican Republic, you cant trust everyone, as its a poor country and people are smart, you can get ripped fast and realize it only when its too late. However, you get to meet some very great people that you can trust with your life!

As for the hotel, i thought it was very nice, but a month later i stayed in the Grand Oasis on the same street (Cabeza de Toro) and found out that Natura Park wasn't so great. I had to pay 30$/day for wi-fi access while at Oasis it was only 1$/hr.

One thing that shocked me is when i saw some staff emptying the recycle bin with the same stuff that the regular garbage bins...

The service is great tho, staff is smiling most of the time. Some are not smiling at all but its mainly the ones with baddest jobs with lowest salary, with not or almost no tips. They get paid only 300 Pesos/day (about 8$ US) and have to work 14-16hours. So if you can tip them, do it.

I saw some people yelling at a bar tender cause he didn't have their kind of alcohol... I felt ashamed. The poor guy is working like crazy for less than 50cent an hour and he has to endure this on top...

One thing i noticed about tipping is they don't really look happy when you give it to them, but be sure they are! I'm still not sure why they don't show it much tho...

The room was nice, better and cleaner than my little apartment in Montreal anyways :) I am not too picky on this, i could sleep on the floor and still be happy. You don't go there for the look or comfort of the rooms anyways, imo, if this really matters to you, pay the price or stay in your rich country :P

I saw some ants, flies, cockroaches even some snails! But no big deal, you're like in the jungle, what do you expect? Its part of the "Natura" lol

The location is great, the beach is nice, palm and coconut trees everywhere, its really like a paradise, i didn't want to leave this country! The only thing is that its the last hotel in Cabeza Toro street so its like 15 minutes walk to get to the nearest local bar (Toro Cafe) or the Casino (from Oasis).

There are a few local bars, discotheques, nightclubs (strip clubs) and casas (wh0rehouses) less than 30 minutes in taxi, just ask the reception to call you one, they are safe. For optimum safety, ask them to wait for you outside for the same price or less (you can negotiate almost everything in the DR), he will be happy to wait for an extra money as you are probably his only customer for the night (most people stay in the resorts the whole time). You don't even have to pay him until he brings you back to your hotel, if you have no more money, he will wait for you at the reception :)

The food at the hotel was ok. I am a Vegan (strict vegetarian) and didn't have any problem eating good every day. Had to be careful tho, almost ate some pigs hidden in a salad that looked clean.

I did the excursion to Saona islands witch i think was a rip off. Had to wake up at 6am (hard when you go to sleep at 5 on average:)), then had to do a 2 hours bus ride to reach the catamaran, for some reason they weren't there so we went to the island in a speed boat. Arriving there you're explained the rules witch are to stay in this specific area, what you can eat and drink, etc... They try to sell you some sea food, coconut juice and oils or some CDs/DVDs... You stay there for 2 hours and go back, normally in speed boat but we did the reverse so it was a catamaran. The ride itself was nice, i didnt drink tho, maybe i should have, some people looked to have lots of fun! Arriving on the soil, you get invaded by salesmen who try to sell you fake cigars. I asked the price just out of curiosity and he wouldn't let me go, passing from 100$ us to 5$ us for the box lol...

A little tip: just say a Firm NO! if you're not interested and leave. If you do are interested tho, here's another one: Example:

How much is this?

- 2000 Pesos

No, to expensive (sign no with the head and wait)

-1500 Pesos

No no no (fake to leave)

-How much you wanna pay?

I can give you 1000 pesos

- No puedo, I cant

Ok then, cya (and leave)

When you walked about 1 km, you will hear "OK OK COME BACK 1000 PESOS" :)

On average you can always pay 33% less, 50% less if you are a good bargainer or even 75% less if you have elite sales skills.

As we were almost at the hotels, they guagua (bus) stopped again to some local stores pretending he had to see someone there, making everybody wait 15-20 mins so they could sell more stuff. It was funny to see that the bus driver stayed at the cash the whole time and counted the money in. Then when everyone was in the bus i saw the shop owner giving a commission to the driver.

All in all, this excursion took 10 hours instead of 6 for only 2 hours of Saona beach, witch is really awesome, and 1 hour of catamaran, rest was boring, for 85$ us. I would have preferred to sleep until 12h pm, then go at the Punta Cana beach, it would have been almost the same. But this was my personal opinion, i saw some people (drunk mostly) having lots of fun :) If you do it i suggest you don't expect too much, beware of pressure salesman and drink a lot of rum :)

The "disco" in the resort closes at 1h am. Then you have like nothing to do if you stay there... Kinda sucks for people who likes to party until late, then you can go to Imagine Disco in an organized shuttle bus with the animation staff. But be prepared to pay 8$ us per drink.

Little note about girls you see in the nightlife... Most of them will lay down for money. Here is my approximate estimation:

Cafe : 10%

Bar : 25%

Discotheque: 75%

Nightclubs / Cabaret : 100%

Prostitution is legal in Dominican Republic.

Prices vary from 1000 pesos to 5000 pesos for the whole night. However, i was told that the cheaper ones are not "Guaranteed". Meaning they can steal from you. In some places, the company gives you the guaranty that they wont. If they do, they get in serious problems.

My two daughter's and i just returned from Natura. We stayed from March 22nd-29th. After all the reviews, i was a bit nervous based on all the negative feed back we read on travel advisor.

1. The front reception desk were helpful and very friendly.

2. The grounds were beautiful & imacculately kept.

3.The food was OK. Not fantastic, but we certainly did not starve to death.

4. The rooms were clean. A little out dated, but we slept comfortably & had no issues with air conditioning, The fridges were stocked everyday with water , pop & beer everyday without having to ask. Clean towels were replaced everyday, there is a sign in the bathroom advising that you put them in the bathtub when you leave for house keeping . It is a third world country & they try to keep laundry to a minimum when possible. I don't change my bedding everyday at home , i didn't expect it there .

4. The beach was stunning !

5. The spa was absolutely fantastic ! Prices are about the same as spa prices in Toronto.

6. Snack Bar is open from Midnight till 6am. Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and French Fries only. Look for Tony who works there every night & he will treat you like gold & entertain you with his easy going nature. We really adored him and visited him every night !

7. There is a internet cafe @ $3 american for 15 mins or $10/ hour ect.

8. There are two bank machines. One to the right of the spa near the gym. One approximately 5 min walk up the road near security. You can buy a prepaid phone card to call home for $20. There is a phone beside it specifically for that purpose.

9. The Micheal Jackson show was amazing !

I traveled with my two children ages 5 and 12. We really enjoyed our stay at Natura & would most definitely return ! We are still talking about it ( 6 days later ) & felt we owed it to Natura to let everyone know that you can't believe everything you read & hear.

My better half and I were at Blau Natura from March 7-14 2009. I wish we had stayed longer. The location of the resort is breath taking. It blends in so beautifully with the natural surroundings of the country side. You are literally amoung nature when you step inside the resort. It is very open and the vegetation that surrounds it is beautiful. The wildlife includes all sorts of birds, flamingos, fish and geese. Walking around the grounds of the resort is very enjoyable but only one of many things available to do during your stay.

We booked the trip through Sears travel as an all inclusive package. The food and beverages were spectacular. The dining choices include 4 seperate restaurants with one buffet location which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dining at either the Italian, Steak or Seafood restaurant requires a reservation which needs to be made at the resort reception area. My favorite of the 4 was the buffet style restaurant. There was plenty of choices avaialble for breakfast, lunch and dinner with the service being top notch. One individual in particular stood out for me with his excellent service. The young mans name is Bruno. Be on the look out for him because his smile is infectious and he will bend over backwards to provide you with stellar service.

The beach was where we spent a large portion of are time at. The water is beautiful and the sand feels great between your toes as you're walking hand in hand enjoying the company of the person you're with. The weather was perfect with a constant cool breeze blowing off the ocean and should you want to stay out of the sun there are plenty of huts available along with a snack/beverage area.

The room was nice with a lovely patio door leading onto a small deck area where you can sit and enjoy a morning coffee or do some reading. My only complaint with the room is that I found the bed quite hard but fortunately enough didn't spend too much time in it. Sleeping wasn't one of the priorities during our vacation. The house keeping did a wonderful job keeping the room clean and providing new towels and bath products.

The night time entertainment was fun and it's always enjoyable lounging in the bar area with a cold drink. My personal favorites included the banana/coconut and blau natura. Rum is the most prominent liquor in the majority of the drinks available at the resort but that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy a cold beer, glass of wine or margarita.

All in all are stay was a very pleasant and enjoyable one. I would highly recommend it to anyone planning on visiting Punta Cana. I just might need to come back myself very soon.

Being our first trip south, I have nothing to compare it to, but it was GREAT! The gardens really made you feel you were down south. With the sound of the wind in the trees, and of all the birds, it was really relaxing. The last thing I wanted was to hear a telephone, or see a computer, and that was accomplished very easily. There could be 50 people out on the grounds and you would never know it unless you saw them walking between the trees and bushes. It was very clean, every morning the staff was out clearing any debris that may have fallen from the trees. Stay on the paths though, because there is a chance you could get a coconut on the coconut!!!!

I'm not one to sit on a beach and soak up the sun, but I did just that and enjoyed it very much. The beach was great, and clean. Every morning there were staff out there cleaning up the debris, and making sure the beach area was safe. The sand is definately not like our local beaches. Queensland beach just doesn't match up!!!!!!!!! For those from the maritimes you know where I am speaking of. There were plenty of activities, but I would recomend that if you are going to do any of the activities that are inluded in your package, book early. And when I say early, by at least a day or two.

If you want to lounge around the pool for the day, I would recomend getting there early and claiming you chair. They tend to fill up quick as the pool is not, from what I hear, a large pool for a resort. None the less it was very nice, and refreshing. The bar tenders were great, tip them good at the beginning, and they don't forget you for the remainder of the trip...... :) the rum will flow like water. Oh and bring an insulated mug, save on trips to the bar, and ask for a mamawana colata!!!!

Then night time entertainement was not too bad, and no that was not me on stage wearing only my stanfields!!!!!!! They have a mini disco for the kids which was cute to watch. I would definately bring our 2 1/2 yr old next time. It definately isn't a place for younger people who are looking to party hard. After their nightly show, it quiets down pretty quick. There is a disco nearby that the entertainers encourage you to go to. Transportation too and from the disco is provided.

When the market comes in you can't avoid them because they are set up around the lobby area, and you have to go through them to get to the buffet or bar. There prices I didn't find were so cheapie cheapie..... you can probably do just as good in the gift shop at the resort.

No complaints with the food. We never got sick, and tasted great. The omelettes were awesome. But if you are going to do the a lacarte restaurants, again book early, a day or two in advance.

Off site excursions.... well you get what you pay for. If you book through the resort, or you travel agent it may be more expensive compaired to they guys going around trying to sell you the "Same" package. There is definately a difference in the level of service you receive when going on these trips. For example we booked a trip to Saona Island for $60.00 per person, the catamaran we went on only had beer and rum, nice buffet on the island, and returned in a speed boat. Another couple we know took a trip to the same island, payed $160.00 per person, and had a full compliment bar, on both catamarans going and coming, and by the sounds, had a much nicer buffet. So if you are on a tight budget, the $60.00 is ok, but if you can afford it, pay the extra.

Everyone we met were really friendly. There were people from all over the place, Spain, France, England, Poland, Germany...... etc. There were alot of Canadians on the trip. The staff were even referring to being in Punta Cana-da.

It was well worth it, and I would go back in a heart beat. Again I cannot compare it to any other resorts, but from what I have read in some reviews, if you are expecting the a Five Star at a Four, you are going to be dissapointed!!!!!

I stayed at Natura Park Beach Feb. 22 to Mar.1. My friend and I were looking forward to a relaxing week holiday and were not disappointed. This hotel is quiet and I wouldn't recommend it to younger people or those who like to party. We found most of the staff at the hotel pleasant and helpful. The price was right at $1040 plus taxes for the week out of Winnipeg ,Canada.

CHECKIN- Went quickly.We had booked double beds but when we got to the room it was a king. Went back and they changed us to a double with no problem.

ROOMS-We stayed in building #4 room 1151 on the main floor. The room was clean and spacious but it did have a bit of a mildew smell the first 2 days. The air conditioner worked fine and there was also a ceiling fan. Shower was great with plenty of hot water. The beds were hard but I still slept fine. Maid service was great . She was pleasant and we had no problem with having the fridge stocked or extrawater when we asked. We would leave her 2 dollars everyday.

GROUNDS- All I can say is beautiful. Well looked after by the grounds keepers. Wild life wondering around such as flamingos,geese,turtles and one night large frogs. Ponds were stocked with fish.

BEACH- I have been to Mayan Riviara, Cozumel , Cuba and Fiji and this has the best soft white sand I have ever seen other than some seaweed along the shoreline. They have workers out early every day raking it up. There was a breeze everyday and the sand was never hot to walk on. Natura Park Beach has a long stretch of beach and as an added bonus has virgin beach for kilometers to the left that is great to walk. To the right there are about three or more hotels side by sideand very busy. The water is fairly calm due to coral reefs out further from the beach. It was great for kayaking or paddle boating. There is a ok place to snorkel to the left about 100 m. from the resorts boundry and 50 m out. Just be VERY careful as there is a lot of boat traffic sometimes. I did see some squid and small tropical fish. I was out at 8:30 most mornings to get two chairs under a palapa. I went down to the far right where it was less crowded and quiet. Enjoyed the beach so much we never did go in the pool. Vendors would go by occationally with their wares but would not bother you unless you called them over. Some of the watersport staff were pushy trying to sell you trip excursions.

FOOD- The food was good. There was always a good selection other than the lunch beach restaraunt. We ate lunch at the main buffet most days. It gave us a chance to get out of the sun for awhile. At the steakhouse a la carte the steak was very good but the service wasn;t great. The Italian a la carte wasn't really Italian, but the food was good especially the desserts and the service great. Didn't go to the seafood a la carte. The main buffet was good for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Service was great!

Nightly Shows- were the only entertainment in the evening. They were light and funny envolving a few members of the audience. The Michael Jackson show was excellant if you get a chance to see it . They would have a bus come at 11:30 to take you to a disco off site.

LIKED- Beach, grounds, staff, not a large resort

DISLIKED- Nothing

Went with a girlfriend and had a nice time - 5 days/4 nights. The place is really clean and well laid out. The people who work there actually had me believe that they enjoyed their jobs and were happy to see me. They all were so friendly (except a sulky guy at the towel booth). I speak a little Spanish and they were ready to engage with me in conversation. They understood me and I understood them. That was sweet. Eveyrone says HOLA! and gives you a smile. On other foreign travels, I would speak French or Italian and the locals would answer me in English.

Among the reasons we chose this place was that it seemed more low-key than some of the other big resorts.

We are both in our 50s and wanted a relaxing quiet environment. Since it is Spring Break, we wanted to avoid drunken college kids and loud Vegas type shows. This was a good choice for that. Also, it is on the end of the strip of resorts, so when we took a walk on the beach, we could choose to walk along a jungle type of topography without any development - just the sea and nature. Or going the other way, we would walk by other resorts. The grounds at Natura Park are lovely with ponds and sweet little bridges throughout. Ducks, geese, herons and flamingos are abundant and one really feels like one is in the tropics.

For various personal reasons, I have been through a tough winter and just wanted to relax. My friend also wanted this but was very interested in snorkeling. She went snorkeling a couple of times and enjoyed that. The hotel hosts various excursions that are not part of the "all inclusive". She went on one that was $10 for an hour that included equipment and a little boat with driver and a few other guests. She loved it.

I split my time between the pool and the beach. It was a bit windy on the beach so after a couple of hours, I needed a break from that.

Loved the pool. Gorgeous clean water and nicely designed. Apparently the hotel was only up to 65% capacity, so it didn't feel crowded. But I did have to reserve my pool lounger. I'm an early riser, so I would go to the pool at around 7:00, and lay our towels on a couple of chairs under an umbrella. That would "save" them.

Always, there is the music. Most of it is lovely - a variety of songs in Spanish, which I like. However, sometimes by the pool they play that thumping synthetic bass beat type that bugs me (thump, thump, thump). And they insist on trying to get every one up for activities, dart throwing, meregue dance lesson, etc., always using a microphone. The activity folks are very nice and talented but I felt like saying "Lemme alone, shut up!"

But I understand it was MUCH mellower here at Natura Park than at other fancier and bigger resorts.

Biggest complaint: the food. Sheesh, that really was bad. Even the coffee! Couldn't get a decent cup of coffee. And the wine at dinner - seemed like wine flavored water. I'm not a big drinker - and usually after 2 glasses, I get a little buzz. Here: nothing.

But all in all, I am glad I went. To lie on a beach lounger, watching the light change on the gorgeous blue water and the way the clouds change, reading a book and relaxing... this is what I went for and I got it!

We stayed at Natura March 6 thru 13, 2009. Aside from a single excursion, to pet the stingrays and snorkel, we never felt the need to leave the resort. It was just too relaxing. We purchased the trip thru Apple Vacations and flew, direct, roundtrip, from Philly. All-In, it was $1,100 PP (dollars), a great value. Our typical day included a walk on the beach, a big, leisurly breakfast, lounging by the ocean, lunch, maybe a swim or two, a game of dominos and several rum & lime cocktails with Iris at the pool bar. Then we'd freshen up for for dinner, more eating, more drinks, chat with other guests and catch the show staged by the Animation crew. I thought the food was very good but you've got to work the buffet to keep it interesting. The Ala Carte restaurants are a nice change. The staff is very nice especially when you leave some small $2 or 3 dollar tips around and as hard as they work - - why not? I know a few nice phrases in Spanish but didn't feel there was a language problem. There were few American guests, (a nice change), lots of Canadians, and a fair sampling of French, Germans and Italians. If I could pick 3 things to improve - heat the pool, improve the quality of the wine and stop pestering me to participate in the pool-side activities, dance lessons, yoga, etc., and/or to buy stuff. All-in-all, this was my second trip to Punta Cana and I truely enjoyed it .

We have just returned from a two week holiday at this hotel and found :-

Good

The grounds of the hotel are lovely.

The bedrooms are large and cleaned daily.

The beach is very nice, white sand and turquoise blue sea, some weed at times but that is cleared away by the hotel staff.

A good selection of food in the buffet restaurant.

The communal bars etc were clean and spacious.

The whole place had a relaxing ambience.

Bad

The service in the a la carte restaurants left a lot to be desired.

We left some trainers on the terrace outside the room and these were stolen.

The night time entertainment was poor, apart from the Michael Jackson night.This is not the place for you if you want top class entertainment and fun packed nights out.

This was an all round good value for money holiday from First Choice.

If you want to book excursions use Eduardo who stands by the towel hut[tall black guy who wears a baseball cap] We booked the Saona Island trip with him for 60 dollars and had a great day out, the price with First choice is 90 dollars .

very beautiful setting and grounds! The beach to the left of the resort was soooo beautiful! I didn't care too much f or the beach directly in front of our resort..too much seaweed. I found that the staff really didn't speak english too much...however we managed to get by with no problems. Enjoyed the resort! Would recommend!

expensive for what you get but a great setting, fabulous, wildlife-riddled gounds (a good thing except perhaps for the attack frogs), excellent and friendly staff but food not consistent - lots of it but you have ot be careful of what you choose. Get Andrea to make your "ommelleta" in the morning! Beach! Utterly fantastic with the lovely waters of the Carribean/Atlantic so warm and inviting. Palms waving, bamboo forest lulling you to sleep each night. Beats the cold of the north!

We visited Natura Park Feb. 23-March 2/09. Upon arrival the reception took care of very quickly, we received our room key, safe key, towel cards and tv remote.We were helped to our room and it was explained along the way where to find our meals and bars.

The room was a suite with a king sized bed, living room, changing room outside the bathroom. Our room was directly on the beach and had a wraparound deck with 3 patio doors for great breeze at night. Room #4245. If the fridge seems like it isn't working stand your drinks upright, it seemed to activate something.

Maid service was great, language barrier but if she didn't understand me she would call front desk for me to speak then they would translate to her. Tips and couple of small gifts got us very good service. (razors and pantyhose expensive there)

Buffet meals were good and lots of it and also was always warm. I am a picky eater and always found lots to eat. We both really enjoyed the steak a la carte (we went there twice)the italian restaurant was good but preferred the steak restaurant. Don't know about seafood as we didn't go.

There was always something going on by the pool area, aerobics, games, dance lessons.There is a schedule on the side of the towel shack. they also have volleyball, soccer and archery. The staff work hard to get people involved but not always with lots of luck, not for lack of trying.

The beach was beautiful soft velvety sand. There is seaweed along the beach but the workers were out raking by 6:30 in the morning. We had no problems getting a chair but lots of people go out early to reserve there spot.

We went on the Outback Safari (full day). I am very glad we went, very informative really enjoyable day trip.Make sure you take a few extra dollars with you as they have things for sale such as coconut oil, vanilla, coffee beans cocoa and cigars all very reasonable prices.We also went to Macoa beach which is also beautiful but also has lots of waves for the boogie boards.The other thing we did was parasail at the resort., $80 for 2 people for 12 minutes. It was expensive but we really enjoyed it as this was our first trip anywhere.

We didn't go for the nightlife as we were up so early every morning so I can't review this.

There is internet service at the hotel but it closes around 3 pm so if you want to contact home do so early in the day.It cost $6 for 1/2 hr of internet time.

We had an absolutely wonderful time, would go again tomorrow if I could.

Certainly the ambiance of the hotel complex was one of the best features of this resort. Being surrounded by tropical lush vegetation, ponds, birds etc throughout the complex created a sense of being in a private tropical oasis. The beach was beautiful with wonderously white sand and beaches that could be walked upon for a number of kilometres without coming across any other development.

The service from all the staff was outstanding and exceptionally attentive. Entering the Cana dining area, we were always greeted by a hostess who would escort us to a table within a few seconds of arrival. Waiters cleaned used dishes away from the table within moments of their being empty. The bar tenders and waitresses were equally responsive. Particular cudos go to Francisco and Ramone at the main bar who remembered our preferences and made the best espresso coffees we have ever had. The housekeeping staff kept the rooms very clean which surprised us given some of the more negative comments that we read on this site before arriving. There was no evidence of mold as asserted by previous commentary and all the room amenities were in good condition.

The recreational amenities were in good condition and availability was never hampered as long as the amenity was booked the day before. We had access to the catamarans every day of the stay ( for free if one declined the insurance fee of $6.00). The sea kayaks were always available.

Activities available included aquasize, horseshoes, water polo, bowls, ping pong, archery etc. The only down side of these activities was the loud exuberance of the recreational directors. The voice of one of the them (Jesus) dominated some of the pool side and beach-side areas when he was leading the activity.

Other commentaries about this hotel resort have noted the food. We found that the selection of food choices in the central common restaurant was adequate. While there were naturally repetitive items on the menu ( it is hard not to repeat egg options for breakfast), every day had something different. The three specialty restaurants were OK. If ordering in the fish restaurant, go for the mixed grill if you like lobster. There was no mention on the menu that the mixed grill included lobster but it made part of the mix. The Italian restaurant was nothing overly special except for the buffet of appetisers. The best specialty restaurant was the beef restaurant which served a very nice fillet as that was our choice.

We walked to the resort next door. Although it was much more modern, it lacked the unique and warm ambience of the Natura Park. Consequently, if we were to return to Punta Cana, we would not hesitate to book the Natura park again.

I stayed at Natura Park & Eco Resort Feb 23-28th 2009 with my girlfriend and another couple. We arrived mid-day after a free van ride from the airport from Apple Vacations. The service at the reception desk was brisk and easy. They handed us an envelope that contained a key to the room, cards to redeem beach towels, and a television remote. Bell hops assited us with our bags to the room. The room was large with a king size bed, a walk-in closet, room safe, mini-fridge (stocked with beer, soda, water), and two bath towels/wash cloths. The room was perfect for us. The AC worked great and the ceiling fan also helped to keep us cool at night. The view from the balcony faced the lush surroundings and foot paths of the resort. I couldn't have asked for anything more. Each morning we got up at 7A went down to the beach towel hut and got our new towels for the day. It is highly recommended that you go lay out your towel on the beach chair of your desire each morning. There isn't much competition but the palapas/shade is valued highly. I suggest walking out to the beach and heading to the right. Look for one of the two beach bars and set up your beach blankets on chairs near a palapa in this area. The beach is fantastic and the water feels great. By waking up early our group landed the same spot on the beach all five days. If you are not an early riser than you may be beat to the chair of your desire. Each morning I would come back to the room from laying my towel out on our chairs and then go back to sleep for 45 minutes, then get up and go to breakfast. After breakfast we would come back to the room, lather on the sunscreen and then head out to the beach. When we left for the beach we would move the do not disturb sign from the door handle so that housecleaing could come in. Each day we would leave 3-5 dollars on the bed with a note asking for more beer, water and more towels if necessary. Each day housecleaning came through. My suggestion is to build repore with the staff. It goes a long way if you can say "Hola and Como Estas". The service throughout the resort was fantastic. The language barrier was hardly an issue unless you were trying to haggle a price on a souvenier not sold in the gift shop. If you don't like to haggle then buy your wears in gift shop. They have reasonable prices on everything and sometimes are less expensive.

The pool was nice and refreshing and hardly used. The beach is the main draw but it was nice to have the pool to hop into after a long hard day on the beach. The swim up pool bar was nice but shaded. We prefered going upstairs after a dip in the pool to the main pool bar. Jorge's bar! This guy Jorge worked tirelessly blending our banana mama's and pouring beers. One note...bring your own plastic cup. The plastic cups the bars use around the pool/beach are a bit small. I brought a pint sized plastic cup and washed it out each day. It's a moot point since all drinks are free but it saves repeated trips back to the bar.

The food was decent for the value: Breakfast buffet was excellent...they had everying I wanted. Omellete/fried egg chefs each morning plus anything else you can imagine. Lunch buffet was good too. We only went to the dinner buffet once but it was decent as well. For all the haters in the other reviews I have to scoff at them. I could complain about the variety of the buffet food but I really can't. Even at a 5 star hotel you'll eventually get tired of buffet food. Natura does a decent job for the value. If you want more variety go to a bigger resort. That said, the alacaarte restaurants varied. The steakhouse was fantastic. Get the ribeye, the mixed grill or the tenderloins. Stay away from the buffallo wings. Dominicans get some things wrong in taste. Their wings do not taste like hot wings from the States. You'll encounter a lot of items that are a bit off. The pizza, burgers, hotdogs....all American items don't taste quite right. I blame either the DR cooks for lack of knowledge not for lack of trying. The other alacarte the Italian and Seafood are just mediocre. I found them to be bland, but worth trying. The cleanliness of the buffett and restaurants was on par. Each restaurant/buffet is in an open-air environment. You will see ants and flies from time to time but do not let that bother you. Have common sense. This is a big operation to run a resort...you cannot expect the staff to chase each fly away. If you don't like it, don't eat it. Same goes when you're in your own back yard barbequing. Don't be a princess in Punta Cana. The alcohol was Ron Classico liquor. It's not top shelf by any means but if you're expecting top shelf pay more and go somewhere else. The Presidente beer is excellent I just wished Natura stocked the light version...but who really cares after you're drunk. You're on vacation....live it up a little.

Lastly the excursions were fantastic. Look for either Edwardo or Hector they'll set you up with good valued excursions. We took speed boats out to a snorkle site on one excursion and on another we rode dune buggys to Macow Beach and then drove over to a swimming cave....then we rode horseback for 20 minutes. 45 bucks per person on each excursion.

One the day of departure the only complaint I have is that Apple Vacations dropped the ball on our free ride back to the airport. Who cares? Apple wanted us at the airport 3 1/2 hours early. We took a cab, paid 30 bucks and had an hour more to spend on the beach and got lunch at the resort before we left.

I did not expect any more for my money. My girlfriend and I along with our close friends are all in our 20-30's. We are patient, fun loving and flexible. You pay for the value at Natura Park Resort and you get what you paid for. Again be sensible don't drink the tap water, don't be a diva and you'll have an excellent time at this resort!

My Husband and I went to Natura Park from February 5th-12th. We had a great time. The resort was beautiful! The grounds were very well maintained, and there was lots of wild life to see. There were ponds all over the resort with pink flamingos, cranes, geese, turtles and ducks.

The food was pretty much what I expected. It wasn't fantastic, and it wasn't awful. There was always lots to choose from. I am a pretty picky eater, but had no trobles finding something to eat. The food selection was much the same from day to day, but with all the choices you can have something diffrent every time. I really liked the breakfast, you can have an omlette custome made or eggs done any way you like. The a la carte resturants were good. I enjoyed the food at both the Itialian and steakhouse. It was nice to order from a menu and have your food brought to you. I didn't have a chance to eat at the seafood one but heard it was good as well.

I found the service pretty good everywhere on the resort. A tip goes a long way to ensure continued service. One day at the main bar we didn't have any small bills and didn't tip our waitress and she didn't come back to take an order again. After awhile another waitress came and we had small bills for a tip and she contuined to treat us great! Jorge at the beach bar was my favorite! He gave great service with a smile every time! If you are a wine drinker be prepared! The wine is the worst! The rest of the drinks were great! If you like the premium liquor you have to ask for it otherwise they will pour the local liquors...and lots of it! Bring a nice big travel mug to save on running back to bar all the time. The cups are really small.

I found our room comfortable and roomy. The beds are hard, but that is how I like it so it was no problem for me. I loved having the patio to drink coffee on in the morning. As for the reviews about not being able to get enough bottled water in the roomor not having your beer restocked you just have to go to the customer service desk in the loby and ask for as much as you want. It will be delivered to your room right away. I always had three or four big bottles of water.

The beach was amazing! We didn't have very good weather the week we went so didn't get much beach time. Too bad because the sand was white and fluffy, and the water calm and the prettiest colour of blue. The resort is the last one on the beach so to the left you could walk forever along the beach and find your own private spot.

The only thing I found is that the resort is pretty secluded the closest town is pretty far away. If you just want to relax on the beach and enjoy the sights this is the place for you...as long as you don't get the weather we had.

We stayed seven nights at the Natura Park, from feb 15 - 22. We read TONS of reviews before we booked this vacation and it seemed this hotel was the most pleasant.

The Food:

The food was excellent. Nobody was sick from it, it was always fresh and always tasty. Lots of choice at the buffet and the staff is eager to have you seated and served.

The Rooms:

Okay, GORGEOUS views. Every room has a balcony which is nice. The only downfall... the beds. Hard as a rock. I ended up on the couch, but other than that, the rooms are great.

The Beach:

Simply the best. Cleanest, whitest beach anywhere. The whole getting a chair issue every ones talking about, didn't happen with us at all. Just have to do some scouting and bring chairs together if you're in a big group. We'd get to the beach around ten and would always find somewhere to lounge.

Shopping:

Vendors come to the resort a couple nights. Its DEFINITELY worth the twenty min. walk to the market place. tons of things to buy. Be ready to negotiate lots.

Entertainment:

The animation team is great. From contests on the beach to the nightly shows, there is always something going on to either watch or participate in.

Overall, this resort is fantastic. We had a medical emergency during our stay and we were treated with the utmost respect. The hotel staff was eager to help and got us to a hospital and back safely and at their cost. It helps to make friends with the staff by offering to bring them drinks, tipping etc...

Worth the money. I'd go back in a heart beat. It's a 4 star resort in the middle of a third world country. Just go with an open mind and you'll enjoy it!

Travel Feb 8 to 15 2009.

Nice resort. Very large. Great entertainment with Andres, Yowill and Jesus. They are the best entertainment I have seen in all the places I have been. They are 3 crazy guys but very fun! Went on the Out Back Saffari and had a great time. Sammi and Papi are the best. We were booked in for the Tropical Storm but they decided to cancel without telling us. We had waited for them for 2 1/2 hours, called the signature Emergency line Ha ha recording only. When she came in at 10:30 we told me they cancelled at 9:00 am but no one let us know. Nice! I do not have much to say about The signature Rep here as I only saw her 2 out of the 7 days I was there. One being the welcome meeting and the other when I tracked her down for not being picked up for the excursion. Overall we had a great time in Punta Cana. We would go back for sure!!!

My Husband and I got an amazing deal to stay at Natura Park through Signature Vacations and we brought our 9-month-old daughter Laura Lee (LL) along.

Flight: It was fantastic to travel from our home town (Kitchener) directly to Punta Cana. Avoiding the busy Toronto airport (and the low cost) was the main reason for traveling to this destination. I would 100% recommend traveling out of Kitchener. It was delightful - even if they confiscated my tambourine (due to improper tanning of the hyde, there were hairs in it that apparently could affect our crops)!!

Rooms: Ours wasn't great. There was a leaky roof over the tub (at one point a stream of water!) All of the lovely wood was warped including drawers, door and patio screen door. The ceiling fan looked like it would fly off the ceiling at any moment! I had read ahead of time to bring facecloths so we were ok. We were, however, right beside the pool and beach so location made up for small problems. It was large and clean and tucked away in the back of the building as I requested so the baby wouldn't disturb others.

Food: fine. Not cruise-worthy but enough variety for us. Our experience was much like Cuba: the resorts do the best with what they have to work with. The meat is tough (Bring dental floss and toothpicks!) and in gereral the food is bland (I brought seasoning salt because I'm a salt-a-holic) I was glad because it was so humid that the salt shakers were always plugged. I stayed away from salads and only gave LL breads or fruit I peeled myself. Generally anything cooked is OK. We didn't try the a la carte restaurants so I can't comment on those. We always went right when the restaurant opened at 6:30 and we had excellent service. We sat in the same section each night so our waiter looked after us very well. Tip well your first and second night for sure and you'll have good service.

Beach: Fabulous! We were there every day! Not choppy at all, just gentle waves and clear greenish-blue ocean. The day after it rained at night there was a lot of seaweed in the water, so we swam in the pool instead. Not too many people bugging you to buy things. Recommend getting a chair by the beach or pool early (I was up at 6 every day with the baby so I went for a walk with her to reserve our chairs and watch the sunrise.) We brought water shoes and didn't use them once. Very few shells and coral.

Tours: Hubby did the Segway tour. He liked it, but fell off and hurt himself. He's still in pain almost 2 weeks later. Others said they liked swimming with the sharks, etc. We walked to the vendors on the street. Some were very pushy and others were sweet. There is one guy in the middle of the building who just leaves you alone until you ask for him. The guy who called us in to the shop was very mad when I didn't want to pay the price he asked.

Good for Families: Absolutely! It's very good to know some Spanish words to communicate effectively (e.g. I got agua caliente/hot water every night in a thermos to rinse the baby dishes after I washed them out.) There were several families with babies, toddlers and young children. Also I recommend bringing the biggest stroller for the storage underneath. There is no size restrictions on strollers! The typical wooden highchairs do not have the straps I am used to finding at home, so I was glad I brought my First Years foldable high chair. It attaches to the restaurant high chairs (and our room's chair) to feed her more safely.

Health: We didn't take malaria pills since we didn't go off the resort. Hubby got very sick but baby and I were OK. We brought immodium and pepto and used both.

I didn't see any mosquitoes, but I managed to get a few minor bug bites here and there. LL didn't get any.

Service: The service is whenever they get around to you. There are some that hate this and are quite rude sometimes. I don't care as long as it gets done. I liked that the staff is friendly if you attempt to talk to them in "Spanglish" and the tourists are from EVERYWHERE! It's fun to strike up conversations with strangers while you're in line for stuff.

Tips: Apparently toothpaste is like gold to the locals, along with other toiletry items, so pack extra and give them to the staff or as a bonus to the vendors. The vendors also like it if you give them one of your pops from the room. I also brought clothes donated from the Church for LL to wear and gave them, receiving blankets and toys in a bag as I was finished with them to various people with young babies at home. Apparently the maids, bartenders and waiters get lots of tips, but other workers like gardeners don't make much money or get many donations. I gave a bag of school supplies to the gardener with 2 young boys who spoke French to me.

Would you recommend this resort: Yes, but only to people who are not "high maintenance." They should go on a cruise instead where they strive for perfection. We knew this trip would not be anything like the Cruise we took for our Honeymoon, so we went with an open mind. They did their best at Natura with what they had to work with I'm sure, but some people were unhappy there (not us!) Signature vacations was excellent also. Smooth transitions from airport to hotel and back again.

The food is always the same all the time, the A' la Carte restaurants were opened 1-2 times a week (the steak house was only open one day the week we went), breakfast was hit and miss with some breakfast staples, ie: one day there's bacon for 2 hours then once they run out that's it they don't make more.

The staff were awesome, to name a few Ramon was our favorite bartender, Anthony was our favorite server, Jimy Walker and Chocolate Jesus were the best entertainers, they made our stay good. Also if you want the best deal on any "Excursion" i would recommend to go see Eduardo (he wears a yellow shirt and carry's around his binder with the pictures of what you want to do)

The place was not busy at all , i would guess 1/2 capacity which we enjoyed, not having to fight for spots on the beach or pool, or fight for food at the buffet, Also i'm guessing since it was summer maybe that is why there A' la Carte restaurants were rarely open.

The area was very nice, we loved the loud birds (Flamingos, ducks, geese, etc) also loved how we could take a 10 minute walk and be in town to do local shopping and explore.

We stayed at Natura Park April 5-12, 2009. This was a last-minute trip we hadn't planned for, so keeping costs low was important and we got a great deal with Sunwing for this resort, $900 taxes in, the cheapest we've ever paid for an all-inclusive. I purchased it from escapes.ca (a Vancouver-based company) same as with all my other vacations as I find they have good prices and great customer service (very responsive).

$900 total is a great price, but that said, upon arrival, it was obvious that you get what you pay for. It was by far the least posh of any resort we've been to (and we've become accustomed to the better ones as a result!)—I know other people might say I’m picky, but the amenities and service were truly not as up to par as we’d have liked, and Natura Park is certainly not a 5-star as Blau rates it.

Here’s the rundown:

CHECK IN: no drinks or cool towels for us upon arrival, just a rushed check-in where only 1 and then 2 staff were checking in the group, I was unimpressed. And you have to wear a little leathery bracelet all week (most of the resorts I’ve been to don’t do the bracelet thing anymore).

ROOM: We booked a "double room"--I did not realize a double room in the DR means two single beds. Not a huge deal, we didn't even bother asking if another room was possible as it wasn't that important to us (and I was anxious to get right to the beach!). The air conditioning is quite weak (I had it set for zero degrees and it still wasn’t very cool), but with the fan it was cool enough for me. Otherwise the room is sufficient--my only complaint is the safe. It is not a programmable one, it functions with an actual key so you have to carry around your safe key all the time. I much prefer the type of safe you program a code for.

RESORT GROUNDS: Quite nice, lots of pretty vegetation and lagoons. Love all the birds (ducks, egrets, flamingos, etc) that call the resort home. Very clean.

The pool is very small, and packed, this is where the kids tend to be.

The location is pretty isolated—we usually like to go into the town, but there’s really nothing nearby.

THE BEACH: Sand is white and powdery, but there's a lot of the wiry seaweed mixed in (see photo). The water is shallow and fairly warm but again, bits of seaweed in it (see photo). This doesn't seem to bother most people, but having been in much nicer beaches, this was a little disappointing. A ton of seaweed washes ashore, but the staff rake it up every morning so that was great. Plus, note that the beach is very, very breezy.

By far, the worst thing about the beach is the motorized watersports (parasailing, jetboats, waterskiing, you name it). I didn't realize this beach allowed it. You cannot escape the roar of the non-stop motors and for some reason, the boats insist on sailing by right near the shore (so they’re a mere 50 feet or so away from the beach), meaning every time the party cruise sailed by, you hear its’ blaring music. Not peaceful at all.

There are a fair number of palapas on the beach, but as with many resorts, you have to get up literally at the crack of dawn to save one for yourself. If you want relative peace and quiet, go to the right, past where the boats are stationed (where the watersports building is).

There is also no waiter service on the beach, you have to go get your own drink at the little bar on the beach (on the left side).

Also, I found the beach was not as clean as other beaches--you'd often find plastic cups or straws discarded in the sand. So while this is the disrespectful tourists who litter, the staff are not on top of keeping the beach absolutely spotless.

Another downside: lots of vendors on the beach, offering braids (a look that works on no one older than the age of 12), necklaces, parasailing, etc.

I did not know before booking this trip that the nicest DR beaches are in Santo Domingo and La Romana (on the south side of DR), and this is where I would go if we ever go to the DR again.

WEATHER: Mix of sun and cloud all week, probably about 30 degrees Celsius. No need for long sleeves ever, nights were still warm. Humidity the first few days. Very breezy on the beach all week. It rained very early on Sunday morning of our departure as we waited for our bus to the airport.

FOOD: I would say this was my favourite aspect of this resort. This was probably the best resort food I've had at an all-inclusive. Lots of variety, burgers and hot dogs grilled at the snack bar. You can have lunch at the restaurant by the beach or at the main one (La Cana). At La Cana, there's a "healthy eating" section, but it only ever included two dishes: white rice, and broccoli. One night there were shish kebabs, another fried steak or pork chop, both were yummy. The a la cartes were not so great, we mostly picked at our dishes, and it wasn’t uncommon to see other people leave the restaurant midmeal. FYI: the ribs at the steakhouse were actually half ribs that were way too fatty and gristel-y to eat, and half a hunk of ham. My boyfriend found it inedible and we left to go to the buffet. At the seafood restaurant, note that the Mixed Grill includes a very small lobster—I thought it was ok tasting, wasn’t fond of the rest of the dish though.

STAFF/SERVICE: There is a language barrier, as we don't speak any Spanish and the staff don't speak any English. So this made even ordering the most simple thing difficult at times -- and that's when you were able to find someone to ask for your Coke (we often had our entire meal before getting our drink). However, some staff do make an effort--at two a la cartes, when we ordered something they didn't have right at the restaurant, the waiter ran over to the main bar to get our sangria and champagne.

In the rooms, the maid often didn't leave us the two promised bottles of water a day, only one left most days. And for some reason, she never gave us face towels after the first day. The minibar is stocked with two beers, and two soft drinks daily.

We ordered the room service breakfast one day, and it arrived at 8:30 when we’d ordered in the 7:30-8 AM window.

In terms of the shows, I found them much less entertaining than I’ve seen in other resorts. You’ll have Miss and Mr. Natura (so lots of audience participation-type nights), Michael Jackson night, Stars night, Karaoke night. That said, the people who watched the shows seemed to enjoy themselves.

THE CROWD: Lots of guests from Montreal and Halifax, and lots and lots of Europeans (so expect plenty of toplessness at the beach). Non-smokers get ready for a heavy dose of secondhand smoke. I don't smoke and hate being around smokers, so this meant having to leave my palapa until they were done smoking. In the lobby bar, forget it, you will not escape the smoke anywhere (everything from cigars, cigarettes, to pipes). For smokers I suppose this is paradise for you, smoke anywhere and everywhere you want to.

EXCURSIONS: We only went on one excursion, to the island of Saona. It costs $89US. The bus picks you up at 7:30 and the bus ride took us 2.5 hours (not under 2 hours as the Sunwing guide told us). The bus stopped twice to pick up more people. At a little town, you get on a catamaran for about 1.5 hours to Saona, on the catamaran there are drinks, fruit and chips served. You stay at Saona approx. 3 hours. This is where you have lunch (barbecued chicken, pork chops, fish, and a variety of sides). The beach is nice, but not spectacular. And it is not quiet here either, as they have music blaring.

After your time at Saona, you get on a speedboat that takes you to what they call “a natural swimming pool.” People, this “natural swimming pool” is otherwise known as THE OCEAN. Yes, it is shallow (about chest height) and the water is pale blue, but it ain’t that exciting. Here, you will see starfish though. You swim here for 30 minutes, then the speedboat takes you back to the bus.

On both stops during the bus where you can shop if you wish, the break was way, way longer than the 10-15 minutes the stop is supposed to be. Again, a waste of time given most people are just keen to get back to resort or to Saona.

NOTE: Have $30US per person—you pay $10 at the airport when you arrive, and $20 when you depart DR.

OVERALL: an okay vacation if you're on a budget. If you can afford to spend, say, $400 more, I definitely think it is better to go elsewhere. I much prefer in Cuba both Sandals Royal Hicacos in Varadero, and Paradiso Rio de Oro in Guardalavaca, and what was originally named Fiesta Grande in Mayan Riviera (renamed something Palladium now).

My girlfriend and I were there from February 14th to 21st. She has been to seven different all-inclusives in DR and Cuba; this was my first.

Regardless of the comments to follow, we had a great time, simply because we spent most of our time on the great beach and were not in the cold north.

Here goes...the buffet was monotonous and not overly appetizing. We did see many ants on the buffet tables.The tables were often dirty, missing cutlery, and dirty glasses. The Italian ala carte wasn't too bad but we did notice many did not get what they had ordered. The steakhouse is in a nice setting and the food not bad but warning...don't order the ribs unless you have steel teeth.

The bars were not bad though some of the drinks were definitely watered down. Our room was acceptable but neither the frig or TV worked. Many ants around the sink and bath-tub. Put your do not disturb sign on your door or you will be walked in on at 8:00am. Our room faced the back of the resort where below our balcony were two ponds, or rather cess-pools that were never cleaned and reeked. On our last night there our room was bombarded with bass-pounding music which we found out was from a disco a mile or two up the beach.

The main problem with this resort is the service. Either they were short-staffed, poorly trained, or indifferent, even when tipped. This is not a four star resort as advertised. My GF rates it no more than a three based on the many she has been to. Walking up the beach we found three that were considerably nicer (went into each and chatted with guest there).

I just returned from a week at The Natura Park Resort. We were there from Feb 14-21, 2009. This was my first visit to an all-inclusive as well as to the Dominican Republic.

However my traveling companions and other friends have all been there before.

I am not certain if I would go to the Dominican Republic again. If I did, I would definitely try another resort, on another part of the island. However, we felt that overall it was good value for what we paid, which was a little over $1300. CAD, per person. We did book this last minute though.

I have done alot of traveling and would rate this resort as 3+***.

The resort is really pretty and very clean. The grounds are beautiful, and well maintained. There is a pond with beautiful pink flamingos, other ponds with cranes and turtles and 2 HUGE resident geese 'couples' who wander all over and honk alot! Beware: The white one can bite if you come too close. He is very protective of his mate! They definitely provided us with the 'entertainment' for the week.

My room was nice. Clean and large, but a bit dark. Although I asked for another table lamp, I never got one. However they did fix the burned out lights immediately, as they did my friend's tv. There was always bottled water available, as well as clean towels. Room service was a 'hit or miss' though. Several times we pre-ordered breakfast. However it never came at the time we had requested. But, eating it on the balcony, which overlooked a pond with a resident stork and a nice view of the ocean, made up for it.

The staff were pretty friendly, although some of them seemed to be more interested in getting a tip before providing the service. Others seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs and interactions with the guests. The 'work ethic' is definitely not standard American or Canadian. Although some of the staff did seem 'lazy', as noted in other reviews, I think that this could be an 'island thing', as I have encountered this elsewhere in the Caribbean and Central America. But, it is easy to just take it in stride, when you realize that you are not 'at home' and standards will be different in different countries. On the other hand, resorts catering to a mainly North American clientel should probably try and ensure that standards reflect what their customers are used to and expect. After all, at the all-inclusives, guests are spending most of their time at the resort. Most would probably be alot more satisfied if the quality of service and food were more North American in standard.

Language: A few words of Spanish will go a long way and elicit smiles. Many of the staff were multilingual, which was quite impressive.

The Food: Iif you are expecting gourmet cuisine, travel elsewhere! The bread was fantastic, but everything else was just ok. The buffet was repetitive and the later we went, the worse the selection was. They didn't seem to replenish the tables, after about 7:30PM. Several times, the coffee machines were empty and there were no clean cups. This situation was not rectified. One evening, we noticed an army of ants crawling on the deserts. Some people brought this to the attention of the restaurant staff, who just shrugged. The infested deserts were not removed from the table. So, check your deserts, before eating them! We were also quite surprised at how awful the coffee was, even though coffee beans are grown in the DR. All the coffee served at the resort tasted like instant and came from the coffee machines. I have actually had better coffee in Asia.

The 3 restaurants were better, although the service at the Steak restaurant was very slow. We noticed that several tables did not receive what they had ordered. We also had to ask several times for a basket of bread. The Seafood and Italian Restaurants were better, both in service and food. All were a welcome change from the buffet though.

The Barbeque Grill on the beach was awful. Although it was convenient for snacks between meals, the hotdogs were very undercooked and the hamburgers were boiled first, then grilled and were pretty bad.

The beach was very nice, with alot of available chairs, no matter the time of day. It didn't seem to be the same at the pool. There never seemed to be enough chairs. If you wanted a clean beach towel, you had to get to the kiosk by noon, or else they ran out. It would have been nice if the water in the pool had been heated a little too. It was colder than the ocean and few guests seemed to use it. Also, both the pool and beach are in complete shade by about 5:00PM, as the sun sets on the other side of the island.

If you are planning to go to the Dominican for scuba diving, don't use ScubaCaribe on the beach, which is affiliated with the resort. Although Hamlet, the dive instructor was fantastic, the operation itself was very unprofessional and the equipement was quite old and was not in great condition. The diving was not very good, even at Catalina Island. The reefs seem pretty dead and there is a lack of fish. This is not a dive or even snorkle destination, for sure. Plus, the ocean can be very choppy and rough, so water sports can be cancelled, especially when it is very windy.

Our check-in and check-out were flawless and very quick. I was traveling with some friends and we had requested rooms next to eachother. We ended up on opposite sides of the resort, but the next day they found a closer room for our friends.

Summary:

The Best: The beauty of the resort and the great drinks.

The Worst: The food and dive operation.

Caution. Although we did not buy many souvenirs, upon departure we discovered that our suitcases were substantially over the 20kg allowance. They wanted us to pay $20US per each kg we were overweight. We then took out everything that we had purchased. We were still overweight. Quite interesting, since we had been substantially under 20kg when we left Montreal. They finally agreed not to charge us, even though we were still about 2kg over. We were pretty sure that this was another 'cash grab' and that the scale was 'weighted'. Other friends have experienced the same practice upon departure from the DR.

Another note: Although the food wasn't great, we never got sick. There are also many signs warning guests not to drink the tap water. Smoking is allowed everywhere on the resort and in the restaurants, which may be unacceptable to many Americans and Canadians.

Traveling with Signature? Be WARNED

Cost for two people: We had payed $2200, Canadian dollars, a pretty reasonable price for a total package down south. We were there the week of February 2, 2009 to February 8, 2009.

The Good

Beach: Overall it can be said that the beach has wonderful white fine sand, the sea is calm (good for families with kids) with very clear turquoise water, definitely, not much of the way to critique here. One should watch out though for pieces of broken glass (some were found in the sand), as this could cause quite a nasty foot injury. It can be reasoned that the sand should periodically be raked by the hotel staff.

Food Buffet: The buffet in our opinion was tasty, offered reasonable variety, catering to many tastes and one could definitely have a different meal every day. Important to mention in this part of the review is the fact that we never experienced any gastrointestinal problems during our stay at the hotel.

The drinks: Original, not watered down excessively, definitely worth trying: Blau cocktail, Coco Feliz, and Carlos’s special (the small beach bar).

The Bad

Service: Not sure if the hotel was understaffed or the workers were simply lazy. We had the distinct feeling that they were more interested in having a personal good time and were rather inattentive to serving the needs of their guests. The staff is waiting for a tip, but has no intention to earn it.

A la card restaurants. Definitely the worst experiences were at the two a la carte restaurants that we attended; The Italian restaurant and the Stake house.

In both cases the service was what we considered substandard, with cutlery pieces missing from the table in the Italian restaurant and the staff doing their best to throw the collected dishes and cutlery into the sink located right next to our table. If the constant “cling” of flying dishes combined with the unprofessional behaviour of the staff does not interrupt your dining experience, should you be sitting in that very spot, then you might be fine, thought we found it very unromantic and distracting choosing to leave the restaurant before we fully finished our meal.

The Steak house restaurant was not much better. The steak itself was not all that bad, but the service is another story. Again the best word to characterize the staff is simply “lazy” and faintly attentive with minimal shown effort. We had to order our food twice, as none of the waiters had any idea of who ordered what or if we have ever ordered. My onion soup was brought over by the gentleman sitting a few tables over who overheard my conversation with my wife, with respect to the onion soup, and who was gracious enough to bring it over since he was served two portions (unsure if he even ordered one). At the same time, my wife’s appetizer (chilli pepers) was never brought to the table. When she inquired about it, she was ignored (first time), she heard that there is nothing like that on the menu (second time), she was served potatoes skins with bacon (third time), and finally she got what she has ordered, but it was retrieved from the unwanted section of the heating rack and it was dry and not too tasty, god only knows how long it was sitting there (fourth time). Again we left the restaurant before fully finishing our meal. It was our view that the experience was unpleasant enough that we did not care to stick around for the desert menu.

Beach chairs: A mad rush in the morning to grab one. It appeared that there was not an ample supply for everyone and it was necessary to be at the beach around 7AM to reserve one (by placing a towel on one). On at least one occasion we were also informed that there were no beach towels and to come back “later”, unfortunately my request to define the word “later” was ignored by the attendant as he was busy talking to his two buddies standing in front of the both.

On another note, keep an eye on your towel; it had a tendency to “disappear” from your beach chair. In order to obtain a towel you have to present a card (you will get them at the check-in), when you return towel, you get the card back, and so on, every day. At the end of your stay at the hotel, you have to return towel cards to the reception desk; otherwise they will charge you $20/towel. We “lost” one towel and faced a possibility of being charge $20 for an old, heavily washed out towel. Luckily we were able to find one hanging on the fence.

The Ugly: WARNING to prospective buyers from SINGATURE travel agency in Canada

One of the primary reasons we purchased this holiday package from Signature was that it was an 8 night vacation package. Given that our flight was not scheduled to leave Punta Cana until the midnight Sunday, we were pleased to think that we would not have to vacate the room until later in the evening on the 8th of February. Just to make sure that everything was as scheduled, we wanted to confirm the 8th night with our Signature representative, Stephania. She told us at first that everything was fine, and asked us to meet her on Saturday to confirm this fact one more time. What a surprise, a Saturday was her day off. When we made the inquiry at the reception desk, we were informed by the hotel staff that we are to vacate the room by 12 noon on the 8th of February (12 hours before our flight departure). We sought to take this matter up with the hotel management meeting with the “sub-director” on two occasions (Saturday and Sunday). The only and firm response that we received from the hotel on Sunday was that they received payment for 7 and not 8 nights from the Signature. The hotel manager promised to clarify the matter with the Signature representative, but he was unable to contact Stephania until Sunday morning. Her phone was conveniently turned off. The manager further questioned about this issue stated that this problem has occurred on previous occasions but nonetheless he has no means to rectify this situation and we were requested to promptly vacate the room after 7 nights. When further inquired as to why the hotel continues to do business with what appears to be an untrustworthy travel company, no answer was provided. The Signature travel hotel representative, Stephania, was unsupportive and suggested that we take up the matter with the agency upon our return, because “it is not her problem”. The moral of the story; we spent $50 US to extend our stay in the room by 7 hours.

Final comment:

Although we recognize that vacation package was a fairly good financial deal, objectively the experience was not all bad; the subjective feeling leaves much to be desired off. The reader of this commentary will without doubt make up her/his own mind as to whether they want to travel to this resort, however, on our part it is fair to say that we will not return to Blau Natura Park Hotel.

We we're at the Natura Park from Jan 26 to Feb 09 2009. Natura Park holds up to its name by having a beautiful and peaceful property with a variety of vegetation, man made ponds full of fish and wildlife (ducks, geese, bats, flamingos, woodpeckers, herons, turtles). The beach is nice and big with lots of palms trees, chairs and palapas for shade but you'll have to compete with the early risers to get one. The Ocean is beautiful but does have some minor washed up sea-weeds. It is also a busy spot for water activities so there are many boats driving around..nothing that drove us crazy. The pool is fairly small with probably around 75 chairs. The rooms are nothing less than what I'd expect from an All inclusive Resort at this price except for the twin beds that forced my girlfriend and I to sleep in seperate beds for 2 weeks. The fridge does need changing. Plenty of daytime activities at or out of the hotel. Pretty slow in the evening and the night shows definitely need to be improved (except for the Magic show). No nice shows here and they ran the same schedule on the 2nd week. Restaurants....Lots of staff so the service is often pretty good. Nice to have the coffee pots on the table in the mornings, the water jugs at lunch and dinner and the self-serve coffee and juice dispensers. The food...ahhhhh. I've travelled much but this was the worst. Edible but the same boring menu day after day. Lots of wasted food here. A la Cartes (Italian and Seafood we're somewhat good. Steakhouse offered us the best steak the one week but the worst the next.) The restaurants/buffet also pushed out cold appetizers and food that should be at least warm. Somewhat isolated resort with a small market 15 minutes walk away...nothing else. I'd say stay here if you get a good deal and if you want a relaxed environment. If you like the action, loud music, night time entertainment definitely go somewhere else. Blau has a nice resort here in Punta Cana but I sincerely believe the poor quality of food will keep people from going back.

Arrival – January 29 to February 5, 2009

Rooms

Our arrival was around 9 pm. There were 10 of us checking in. The staff was organized for us. Unfortunately our room was not as we had requested. Because of the late check in there were no rooms left to move us to, but the following day we were moved close to the beach. They do try to accommodate.

Restaurants and Bars

The main buffet served breakfast, lunch and dinner. There was lots of food. One section was a selection of Dominican foods. The middle section had a selection of pasta, breads, meats, fruit, deserts. Each night had a different main course (meat). The food was good but lacked seasonings. The meat was always well done.

The main bar was next to the main buffet. The drinks were served in “real” glasses and lots of alcohol was used. Table service is slow, so recommend ordering at the bar. This is the meeting place and can be very busy. The entertainment stage is next to the bar.

The beach buffet served a light breakfast and lunch. Sometimes the chef would be cooking up paella or a surprise for lunch from the bbq next to the beach buffet. Behind the beach buffet was a hot dog/hamburger stand.

The beach bar served their drinks in plastic cups (6 oz). We found the drinks to be inconsistent each time. They used lots of alcohol and syrup and in a small cup not so good. Recommend bringing your own travel mug for a “longer more consistent” cold drink and not so many trips to the bar. There were 2 beach bars and a swim up bar. But do bring your own mug.

In the evening – there are 3 a la carte restaurants and the times and dates are already scheduled for you. Even though there are several seatings you are never made to feel rushed. Please note that most of the staff speak very little English. So don’t expect a lot of answers unless you are pointing to the menu. They do not understand. Fortunately one of us speaks Spanish and this opened lots of doors. Very enjoyable conversations were had.

The La Perla became the seafood restaurant in the evening. We did not read the menu carefully and missed out on the lobster because it was labeled mixed seafood grill. We were not thrilled with our choices but we are the ones who made the choices. The staff was great.

The Media Luna – steak house. Only used for the evening meal. The setting was charming as the restaurant was surrounded by water with flamingos, ducks and geese. We ordered medium rare rib eye steaks and they were cooked to perfection. The menu gave you a choice of french fries or rice, but the steak came with a baked potato as well as the rice. The staff was very accommodating as we asked to change our table and they did it immediately.

The Gondola - Italian restaurant. The food was very tasty and the presentation was wonderful. We had the mixed grill and the curry chicken. The curry chicken was the best meal I had all week! The service was great.

Beach, pools and grounds

The grounds were mature and well laid out with ponds and bridges. There were boxes along the trails loaded with bread to feed the geese, ducks and fish.

The pool was small compared to other resorts. It was about 4’ deep and was a great place to cool off or play with the kids. There was aquasize classes in the am and pm.

The beach. If you wanted a lounge chair – you needed to claim it by 7 am or have a hard time to find several together. As most people kept their lounge chairs all day. We found the east side the best place as it was closest to the washroom, buffet and bar.

The beach is cleaned every day of seaweed. It is fine sand so no need to wear shoes in the water. The water is warm even though it is on the Atlantic ocean. The swimming area is buoyed off to keep boats, etc away. Within this swimming area we found the best snorkeling with lots of colourful coral and fish. There is a reef that you can see about ½ mile away. See below.

Activities on and off the resort

The “animacion crew “ had activities all day long from mini golf to meringue dancing. Then in the evening they were part of the entertainment starting at 9:30. The evening shows were good. Sometimes it was audience participation and some nights there was a Magician Act or a Michael Jackson impersonator. Go early to find a spot as it gets very busy.

The resort had boats for hire to take you to the reef (about 3 minutes away) to snorkel or dive. Approx $10 US. There were also catamarans, paddleboats, kayaks, and wind surfers but you need to sign up early for these.

Off the resort

We went on the Marinarium ½ day snorkeling adventure. If you like to party this boat would be for you. We snorkeled for about 20 minutes (in a crowd follow the leader) and then swam in the nurse shark and stingray pen. Then back on the boat to a natural lagoon where they served us drinks in the water (we could stand up in) and then lunch more drinks and dancing back to the dock. I would recommend the Reef Explorer if you want to snorkel.

We went on the Mega Truck excursion. We left at sunrise and came back at sunset. Very long day 11 ½ hours. Gave us an overview of the country away from the resort. You had the opportunity to buy coffee and cocoa from the locals. I don't think this excursion was worth the time or the money.

There is a bus that takes you to the shopping outlet mall from the resort. We didn’t go but heard mixed reviews. There is no 2 pm bus.

Other comments

The resort rooms are in need of a remodeling. Most mini bars do not work. A/C is sketchy. Sometimes your room could be made up at 9 am or as late as 5pm. The service is the same whether you leave money on your pillow or not. You need to ask for extra water bottles. DO NOT DRINK THE WATER FROM THE TAP.

There is too much tipping at this resort. We spent $50 in one week tipping from the bell boy, bar tender, restaurants, the troubadours, maid, concierge. Everyone seems to have their hand out.

Bring bug spray as we had quite a few mosquito bites in our room while sleeping with doors shut. There is a general store but the prices are ridiculous. A bag of pretzels is $8. So bring your own salty snacks as the resort does not serve them. There are lots of vendors on the beach and some evenings by the main restaurant to buy jewelry, paintings, carvings, rum, etc. They are not aggressive but looking to them means you want to buy.

Over all impression

The resort was favorable and worth the money. If this was you’re first all inclusive you would be awed. The resort had the qliches you would expect to find in a Latin country.

I found this resort to be a three star at best. First time traveling to Punta Cana and thought that it is a beautiful place... lovely water beaches ect.

What was disappointing was the staff and service was very poor. I was traveling with my girlfriend and we were harassed non stop... I felt frustrated that we couldn't walk to around the resort without comments from men working there! this was astonishing to me as it was on resort grounds.

Also while lying on the beach - there would be people trying to sell tours and excursions, braids, jewellery ect... this got tiresome after the 5th or 6th time each day

The rooms felt like a cabin not a 4 store suite. beds were stiff and the slider door to bathroom broken, oh and not to mention the fact that the fan squeaked non stop!

The food was ok! nothing to write home about.

The birds were neat on the resort I did enjoy the nature feel that the resort offered.

I would not visit this resort again... the bottom line you get what you pay for - not going back again

I wanted to spend a quality week with my sister and brother in law whom had already booked before me at this hotel, so it wasn't my pick, but my sister researched it on this website and thought she would be getting a true 4 star resort. This did not turn out to be the case for the following reasons:

1- very slow service at bars and restaurants

2-getting the wrong drinks quite often and sometimes in a dirty glass as well as running out of certain ingredients for drinks

3-they only give one room key per room, which is inconvenient if you are on a different schedule from your room mate from time to time

4-hotel needs repairs and updates such as furniture, tv's, bathroom fixtures, elevators don't work, not enough lighting at night on the stairways, ripped screens on balcony doors, bath tubs with chipped porcelain and rust, broken coffee pot

5- food was often cold at the buffet as they din't have enough covered hot dishes

6-never any shrimp at the buffet, lunch or dinner

7-unless you get up early, hard to get a beach chair under shade

Here's the good part:

1- The grounds are beautiful

2- The beach is very nice with lots of tall palms and you can walk a long way where there is unspoiled beach and no hotels

3- Michael Jackson show is great, all the rest are same old

My husband and I stayed at this resort from Jan. 27 (should have been the 26th, but good old Skyservice was Delayed AGAIN! but that's another story) until Feb. 2nd. This is the first time I was on a holiday and looked forward to getting home and back to work.

We read the reviews after we already booked our holiday, and we thought, we will go with an open mind, and enjoy ourselves.... So, I'll start off positive, The grounds were Very nice, & very well kept, the beach was beautiful, white powder soft sand, some seaweed on the beach, but calm beautiful blue water. The a la Carte's were pretty good, the Seafood one was really good, and great service, the Steak house was ok, our steaks were good, but everything else on the plate was COLD, and in this restaurant, the service was terrible, we ended up leaving before we even finished our dinner, it also didn't help that the people sitting beside us were Extremely RUDE, by the time they were finished burping and farting, my appitite was Gone, I guess they enjoyed their meal more than we did.. We didn't make it to the Italian but others we talked to said it was good.

Our room was ok, bed was uncomfortable but oh well, the room was fairly clean. We had to clean the shower head with a needle so it sprayed more than 3 streams of water, but again, oh well, no big deal.

The staff was very friendly, and spoke pretty good English, I was impressed, they were very thankfull when we gave them little gifts or tips.

Ok, now the not so nice stuff, on the first day the buffet was good, nice variety... The second day, hmmm nice vartiety but it looks the same..... 3rd day... what the..... it's exactly the same as it has been for the past 2 days, lunch and supper...same, same, same... and if you plan on having a good breakfast, even though they say they are open till 11am, get there before 10:30 because they start cleaning the buffet off, and the omelete cook gets a little grumpy if you ask her to make you an omelete, cursing the whole time.

They only had one kind of beer, I didn't like it, but my husband didn't mind it, but maybe that's a guy thing.

We did go on a sunset happy hour cruise, ummm, we don't really recommmend this, but maybe it was a miss understanding between us and our Sunquest rep. we thought we paid for a relaxing, lobster supper cruise, but it ended up this was kind of a party boat, with cheese sandwiches and something deepfried, (still, not really sure what that was).

Also, if you enjoy Seafood as much as we do, don't expect it in the buffet.

Anyway, we did find a Great restaurant down the beach, it is called 'The Jellyfish', it is down by the Barcelo, it was Awesome, best part of the Whole trip. We paid a taxi $23 to take us there, but the restaurant paid for our taxi ride back, Well worth the $23.

Another good thing about this resort is, there were alot of Canadians there, and we met some very nice people from the States. Unfortunately, we also come across some very rude foreigners.

Ending on positive note, the weather was Awesome:) we will definatley will go back to Punta Cana, we will just stay in another resort....

Intro

I’m writing this as someone who visited the Caribbean “BC” as in before children. Now that our brood is old enough to actually get something out of a tropical trip we took the plunge and set off for Natura Park in Punta Cana from February 4 to 11. We did a lot of research before the trip and by and large it paid off. Here is what is bang-on about the advice from trip advisor:

1. The hotel is expecting a ‘voucher’ but Westjet does not provide one. They will accept a print out of your Westjet itinerary so bring a spare copy. Otherwise you’re sent off to the Internet café for penance at the rate of $3 per 15 minutes while downloading. Of course if you don’t have it on file in your e-mail account you’re at the mercy of staff that seem to make up the rules as they go along. Yes – the resort is always ‘full’ but fresh rooms appear magically with the right persuasion.

2. By the time we were checked in it was dark. The desk clerk circled our ‘patio’ on the map on the back of our envelope and sent us on our way into the darkness. I thought it was easier to move from building to building via connecting links – Wrong! The wandering paths through the garden are actually simpler but in the dim lighting we walked almost around the entire resort before finding a security guard who, though speaking no English, took one look at our room keys and took us ‘home’. I paid that tip gladly.

3. The beds are hard. The two ‘double’ beds are actually ¾ size beds based on North American sizing. Our 10 and 12 year old daughters found them adequate but mom and dad were glad for the king size bed in the adjoining suite.

4. Language issues continue to dominate one’s experience. More on this later.

5. By and large this is a get-what-you-pay-for-experience. More on that later.

6. Bring a travel mug – details below

Hotel

Natura Park looks like it was built in the early to mid 70s. It is in reasonably good shape but is clearly showing its age. If you are looking for pristine anything move on to another property. The site bills itself as eco friendly but this seems to be more of an excuse for air conditioning that works only when the outside air temperature is deemed warm enough, fridges that struggle to keep a couple of beers cold and ceiling fans that look as if they might come detached from their lofty perches at any moment. Most important – the main buffet, all restaurants and all bar areas are covered only by a roof. Nature can and does take advantage of the access and not always to your comfort.

The main area of the hotel is covered with extensive gardens, pools and wildlife, all cared-for expertly. If the same effort and expense was directed toward the guests this would be a 5 star at 4 star prices.

We paid $800 to upgrade to a suite that gave us one king bed and two ‘double’ beds in two rooms joined by a private hallway. It was money well spent. All of our Westjet companions ended up far away from the beach, often with the wrong bed layout and facing forest. So much for Westjet maintaining a block of rooms! By booking a full suite we were promoted to the edge of the ocean with a perfect view and a balcony that joined our two rooms. The balcony made the trip! We spent many an afternoon on it drinking wine and beer while watching the horizontal rain and big waves roll in from the ocean. All of our Canadian friends were very jealous!

Room

The resort is shaped like the letter U with the restaurants at the top and the two arms holding the ‘patios’. We ended up at the end of one arm of the U with an ocean view from our balcony. Given that everyone we met from Canada was unhappy with his or her first room we can only attribute our good luck to the upgrade we paid for. Other posters have commented on poor privacy, loud plumbing and maids who barge in at 0830 so I won’t go into much detail here aside to mention that all these things happen.

Your sheets will likely not be changed during your stay. Towels are changed only and I do mean only if they are left in the bathtub. Leaving extra tips for the maid may or may not result in extra beer and water, depending on the maid you get and what mood she is in. Room door locks are mechanical and easily by-passed with a credit card so leave everything of value in your safe!

Remember all those shampoo and conditioner samples you casually throw into your kit every time you stay at a hotel or motel? This is the trip where you’ll use them all up! Toiletries were refreshed irregularly. We finally gave in and purchased a bottle of conditioner from the gift shop at the princely price of US$12!

Staff

“Two solitudes” may be a Canadian concept but it applies very much to the DR. At the end of a week we came away feeling that the staff understood far more of our English and French than they cared to acknowledge. We did our best with please and thank you in Spanish and were grateful for the staff that introduced us to other useful phrases but by and large we sensed a great divide. Language skills were particularly absent when trying to solve even the most minor problem. This could well be due to the fact that staff work and live at the resort for 11 days straight and then have three days off with their families who often live several hours drive from the beach. That’s not much of a life for anybody so it is with some empathy that I point out the person who is being so sullen may well be starting another boring 11 day stretch of ‘duty’. Nonetheless some staff exuded such a hostile attitude that it was hard not to comment on it. By the last day I spoke French exclusively (my second language) and got far better communication.

Food and Drink

You will take most of your meals in the main buffet restaurant. The food is adequate but uninspiring. Custom made omelets in the morning, some decent coffee and a wide range of choices are the high points but after 7 days it all gets a bit boring. The beef was universally tasteless, likely from being too lean. Tacos and burritos were pointless exercises in blandness.

The a la carte restaurants fare a bit better but not enough to get out of the mediocre range. Neither the Italian nor the steak house was anything to write home about and considering they served the same wine as the buffet there wasn’t much different about them.

Speaking of wine – the white is barely drinkable. You are better off to go to the main bar and order as much champagne as you can carry to get you through your meal. The red is a bit more interesting but you’ll be missing your favorite shiraz or merlot within minutes!

Talking about wine brings us to booze. If you think you are walking into the land of free-flowing Johnny Walker and Bacardi – think again! While these brands are available at the main bar on specific request the vast majority of the liquor you’ll get will be local brands of questionable potency. The draft beer is Presidente and resembles a discount brand at an Ontario beer store. To be fair this makes sense, considering the deep thirst of your garden variety 20-something male – which would very likely be literally swinging from the trees if fed full strength sauce from 1130 onwards. Suffice to say you will be able to drink a lot without getting hammered.

You will get two bottles of beer per room per day. Again, this is uninspiring stuff but drinkable on the whole. Canadian breweries need fear not – nobody is going to come back looking for Bohemia pilsner at their local beer store.

Finally we need to talk about water. There was never enough of it. Bribe the maid or not we were always looking for more potable water. The stuff in the tap isn’t fit for even brushing your teeth! Want to make a pot of coffee in the morning? Not if you got thirsty in the middle of the night. Want to brush your teeth? You may have to use pop instead of water! Providing more water would be the one simple and cheap way this resort could improve service!

Smoking

While smoking in a food service area is no longer acceptable in Canada it certainly is in the DR, especially in bars. And remember that open concept? Cigar smoke at breakfast is not at all pleasant. There are no signs respecting smoking but ashtrays are provided only in bars and the a la carte restaurants.

Weather

A complete disaster! One good day at the beginning and of course perfect again when we left but otherwise frequent rainstorms, howling winds and cold temperatures. The beach and pool patio would clear out in 15 seconds and stay empty for a couple of hours while the squall blew through. A local vendor said this was typical for the DR in February – if only we’d known!

Pool/beachfront

Punta Cana is well known for its excellent beaches and Natura Park lives up to this reputation. The resort faces due south and gets a lot of wind but on a sunny day you’ll be glad for it. Hotel staff cleans the beach of washed up ocean debris every morning and the swimming is very nice. As with most resorts you’ll have to play the reserve-a-lounge-chair game every morning. Beach area bars and restaurants reduce the need to make the long walk back to your room.

The ‘animation’ staff is supposed to get the guests out of their chairs for dancing, exercise or whatever other silliness can be imagined. I loathed the constant announcements in Spanish, overly loud music and ridiculous displays of intoxicated machinations but then I’m only one commentator. Leave me alone to read my book in the sun – but that’s just me.

Other

Things I wished I’d known before taking this trip

1. Bring a big travel mug because the bars use 6 ounce cups and it gets to be silly running back for two more gulps of beer.

2. Bring all the toiletries you’ll need. Gift shop prices are 300% of normal.

3. Bring a nylon shell jacket for protection from wind and rain.

4. Forget access to the Internet. You have to go and sit in a small room and pay $10 an hour for crappy throughput. I will not go back to this resort for this reason alone.

Health

Two out of four of us developed GI issues and our friends from Winnipeg came down with cold/flu like symptoms. We were very careful about sanitation but I suspect there are deficiencies in kitchen and food handling protocols.

As noted earlier, none of the main bars and restaurants is enclosed, meaning flies and birds are frequent visitors that usually are unwelcome. Staff is very casual about cleaning up tables after guests leave and in many cases we had to either refresh the table ourselves or point out the dirty placemats, cutlery, etc to serving staff who then took a very relaxed approach to bringing the table up to standards.

Vendors, Attractions and Excursions

We had little contact with beach vendors and what did happen was all positive. There is a small local ‘market’ within a short walk from the hotel but this amounts to about 20 small shops all selling the same trinkets, tee shirts, coffee and rum. Oddly enough, all bidding started at $95US and ended up at about 1/5th of that. Why anyone would want to buy alcohol that does not have a potency declaration on the label is a mystery to me.

There are many excursions but the costs are high – figure $100 per person on average. We didn’t partake and ended up back home with exactly $1 left over from a budget of $500US. A family of four that likes to ‘do things’ will need about $1,200US in cash to give everybody two excursions and leave enough for the daily tipping, gift shop, etc.

Finally

Departing the DR is organized chaos. Prices for food and drink at the airport are beyond belief! If you plan to eat a meal there then bring lots of cash! The duty free shops are surprisingly reasonable, especially if you are buying a known brand. I picked up a litre of Fundador Spanish brandy for $12US. That’s a deal considering that 750 ml of the stuff is $26 Cdn and I have to go to Calgary to get it! NOTE! No credit cards are accepted at Duty Free and judging by the amount of refused product at the cashiers, not accepted anywhere else either.

Natura Park delivers reasonable return for what you are paying. Based on what other travelers told me about the Mayan Riviera I think I’ll give it first consideration next time, even though it means giving up Westjet (who service Mexico only from Calgary and points west).

Ratings:

Father and youngest daughter (10 years) gave this holiday 6.5 out of 10

Mother and eldest daughter (12 years) gave this holiday 7.5 out of 10.

Combined rating is 7.0 out of ten.

I would consider returning to Punta Cana but this resort would not be at the top of my list.

I am writing this today because I rely greatly on traveller reviews when I am researching possible destinations, and I feel I owe all of you an exact picture of what this resort is. I am sorry this is going to be long, but I have alot to say.

First off, it cost us $978CD per person to go to Natura. We were there the week of Feb. 02 - Feb 09/09 and to be honest I was counting the minutes until we got home. While the resort website makes this ecoresort look beautiful, the only beautiful thing about being there was the beach. As always the beach in Punta Cana was a gorgeous white soft sand, the water was a nice aqua colour and there were always tons of chairs to soak up the sun.

Check in: When you arrive dont be surprised to just be handed an enveloppe and asked to write your name and personal information on the attached sheet. You see, even if you ask for specific things like a pool view or to be on the 3rd floor, its not even taken into consideration. When we arrived the check in counter had about 20 enveloppes out and once they looked at your confirmation to see that you actually were supposed to be at that resort they just went and picked any one of the envelopes. So needless to say, we did not get anything we asked for!!!!

The rooms: large king size bed that was as hard as a rock, I could have just slept on the floor and had the same effect. The pillows are small and lumpy....we usually stuffed clothes under our pillows to sort of raise them up. There are wooden sliding doors for the bathroom, but these doors have wooden slats in them so if you are in a room with someone else they can hear everything thats going on in there.....hint: tell them to turn the tv on real loud so you have some privacy.

House keeping: was always done each day, we always received fresh towels and our floors were swept and mopped (not very well mind you). As for restocking the mini bar well it was hit and miss. Plus dont leave any bottles of pepsi on the night stands half empty cause they will just put them back into the mini fridge and not give you any new ones.....dont get me wrong either - we tipped our maid 2$ a day for the cleaning and 2$ a day to make sure our mini fridge was fully replenished, after the 4th day we stopped tipping altogether cause it wasnt getting better.

satellite tv: unless you understand spanish or german, there is only one english channel and its the cartoon network, not my cup of tea seeing as we were two 30 yr olds on this trip.

Food: where do I begin, now I have travelled before and NEVER been sick. For three consecutives days, and two days once I was home I was the sickest I have ever been. I personally went through one whole box of immodium and one bottle of peptobismal. When I got back home I had to go see my doctor to get antibiotics to fight the bacteria in my stomach. I did not eat anything that could have possibly been washed in contaminated water as I am EXTREMLY OVER CAUTIOUS in this department. My boyfriend was sick as well only not as severly. To add to the already bad impression we had of the food, the buffet table that had all the desserts on them was often covered in ants and it didnt seem to bother any of the staff!!! If you do eat at the buffet bring drinks with you cause it was next to impossible to even get a glass of water when it was dinner time.

A la carte: After reading reviews on different sites we came to the conclusion that the only one worth trying was the steak house. As a starter we ordered potatoe skins which were rock hard and tasted like bananas for some odd reason. For our main course my boyfriend ordered a rib eye steak that was so burnt it was honestly black and was as thin as paper with tons of fat. I ordered beef tenderloin well done, when it came to the table and I started to cut into it the blood just came pouring out. So we left our food there and went to the buffet instead.

8 Days with Signautre vacation: if by chance you book through Signature Vacations and you get an 8 day vacation be wary of this as you will be only checked in to the resort as a 7 day and will be required to pay additional money at the resort in order to keep your room if its available. Our departure was a very early morning flight on the 9th however we were told we had to check out of our room on the 8th at noon otherwise pay additional money. When we showed them our receipt that clearly indicated Feb 1 - 9, 2009 they said that Signature had only booked us until the 8th and we would have to take it up with them, they were of no help at the front desk at all.

Air conditioning: All I have to say is GOOD LUCK!

Bars: They advertise 7 bars, you are lucky if there are 3 open at any given time.

**bring games, cards, books anything to keep you occupied incase it rains cause otherwise there is nothing to do.

I realise that we are in a 3rd world country and that I have to go there with no expectations, which I definitely did. I have been to 3.5* resorts in the DR where I had better service and was not sick, so please dont think I am just here to complain. I genuinely want to offer you insight into our experience so you can make an educated decision for yourself.

If you have any questions, I am more than happy to offer any information I can.

What can I say - this hotel is HORRIBLE! The walls have holes in them for the cockroaches (yes we saw them go in!), the beds have stains, the floors and pillows have mold, the upper levl balconies did not meet signature vacations code so we could not stay in the upper level. The grounds and beach are absolutely beautiful, but don't let that fool you! Honestly, just don't go here, I have pictures to back this ALL up. We complained, moved rooms and wanted some reimbursement when we came home and the hotel chain (BLau) said "we did not follow the correct procedure and fill out the proper paperwork while there" so not only is it gross, they are very sneaky and underhanded. The kids club is FAR from everything, cleaning closet is open, bathroom was out of service because it could not flush the moldy poop, club doubles as storage room, unbelievably dirty - you will not leave your kids there or even let them play!

Just save yourself the trouble - go somewhere else. This is not just me, it was the buzz of the hotel, many guests could be overheard talking about the issues.

Chose this trip because the price and the "4-star" rating. Pictures are deceiving. Rooms are hot, air conditioning barely working. Water trickles out of showerhead. Bed is a matress thrown on top of a wooden platform. No elevators. Our room came with a rat that we saw on two nights and which left droppings on the floor. The food is the same day in and day out and many of the dishes that should be served warm are cold. I have been traveling for many years and this is the worst place I have ever stayed in. The beach was beautiful. Good thing it is because there is nothing else to do there. Island is very dirty. On ride there you see piles of trash and trash strewn everywhere throughout the island. There is minimal shopping and this can only be done during daytime. I will never return to Dominican Republic. The fitness center had five contraptions (guess you could call them treadmills).

First I would like to say that I have been on vacation and not reviewed the resorts. This is my first and I only want to save you your time and money. First lets start with the check in, no welcome at all you are handed and envelope and sent on your way to find your room. Mini bar is not a bar as you would expect in an all inclusive resort it contains two beers and a bottle of pepsi, if you leave the pepsi out on the table they will but it back in your fridge and not restock it. Good luck getting bottled water! You only get two in your room and if you do not tip you will not get more! We tipped and I still had to hunt the maids down and ask for more, they look at you like you are insane. I understand that tipping is not expected at an all inclusive resort.....However my husband and I usually tip here and there......I MUST TELL YOU THEY EXPECT IT HERE if you do not tip at the bar good luck getting a drink! They advertise jacuzzi, sauna, snorkling as included HA HA Jacuzzi cost $5 for 15 minutes per person same with the sauna! Snorkling is $10.00.

Ok Here is what did it for me....THE FOOD SUCKS! the buffet is the same everyday I can tell you what they are eating right now. There are little ants on the tables and I seen them in the dessert area. I ate watermelon daily. My husband got sick so sick he spent a day and a half in bed in the hotel room. It will cost you $9 for a small bottle of pepto. You can get chips at the store it cost $8 for a small bag of chips but I paid it because I was starving! I was never so hungry in my life! While we were there we over heard people talking daily about how bad the food is. OR HOW SICK THEY GOT. I know when you read reviews you sometimes think well maybe they are wrong it has happened when I have read a review and it was diffrent. PLEASE BELIEVE ME DO NOT STAY HERE! I would not let my dog stay here. The only good thing about the resort was 1) the grounds are amazing and 2) the beach is nice a little rough on the feet compared to most, but really nice! I hope this helps someone save there money BOOK SOMEWHERE ELSE unless you like to spend the day starving or your day on the toliet!