Rating:
"Just returned from a week in Samana (March 25-April 2). Booking through Escapes is always a pleasure and things in that regard went very smoothly. Wendy was most helpful in making connections as well as finding reasonable stop over hotels. The El Portillo is rated a 4.5 resort but I would give it a 3 star. The location is idyllic...long stretches of almost white, powdery sand in both directions, very warm turquoise water, excellent snorkelling right in front of the resort. Food was fine. Resort was small and best suited for young families or older couples. Not likely so great for teens or those in early 20's, as it was quiet and small compared to resorts we have visited. We enjoyed the pace and the fact that we could walk for long stretches and it was isolated and not yet developed. Grounds nice, decor in room pleasant.

The significant problem we encountered which will result in us never returning is that we had sewage back up into our bathtub on 3 different occasions. Extremely upsetting! We were on the ground floor and these incidents happened when showering at peak times at the end of the day. The resort resolved the problem on our very LAST evening by giving us the Manager's Suite. However, by that point, our vacation had been ruined. We were happy while at the beach and went into our room as little as possible...and did so with great trepidation! If not for the sewage problem, which to us was a huge issue, the resort would be worthy of a return visit."
Reviewer: reviewer4688
Date: Apr. 15, 2011

Rating:
"We stay at the El Portillo the week of August 1-8.

Beach -- Simply amazing! It's soft white sand and the water is clear. There are enough chairs for everyone with the choice of seating directly in the sun or in the shade. The only issue is that some people will reserve the chairs with their towels and show up several hours later.

Pool -- There are two pools. One is near the beach, the other one (the quiet one) is near the entrance (close to building 10-12). We've not used them so I will refrain from saying anything else on that.

Restaurant (Buffet) -- Like any other all inclusive resort that we've been to, after a week the selection becomes repetitive. That being said, the food was tasty and fresh. The service was also very good. Thanks Ely!

Restaurant (A la carte) -- There are 4 a la carte restaurants. We travelled with Air Canada vacations so we were able to make 4 reservations. We tried them all. - - 1) Oriental: We did not enjoy our experience at that restaurant. The AC was not working and it was REALLY hot in there. We waited 20 minutes before someone offered us a drink and the food was bland. We left before dessert. 2) Italian: The service was excellent. The food was good. 3) Seafood: We are not seafood lovers but this is the one we preferred. The food and service were excellent. 4) Gourmet: Beautiful restaurant. The food was good but the service was poor.

Bars -- The service at the lobby bar was excellent. We were always greeted with a smile. The drinks were also very good (not watered down and not too much alcohol). During the day, I like to drink a lot of water. There was always a pitcher of ice-cold water at the beach bar.

Check-in -- This is normally done on the bus on the way to the hotel. For some reason, we did not get our package on the bus so we had to register at the reception.

Rooms -- When we first checked-in, we were assigned room 15104. This was a basic hotel room -- small but nice. The AC was not working (believe me you need AC in DR), the mini-bar was empty and some lights were not working. We went to the reception and asked for help. They said that someone would come and fix it. Needless to say that 4 hours later and 3 visits at the reception, our problems were not fixed. They finally decided to give us a different room -- 11308. This was a junior suite. Much bigger and it had a working AC. After we settled, we realized that we had no remote control for the TV. On our way to dinner, we stopped at the reception. They said that someone would take care of it. We arrived Sunday afternoon; the remote was delivered at 12:00 am Tuesday (Monday night). Yep! At midnight. We had our "no molestar" sign up but they called our room anyway. Other issues that we encountered -- our safe stopped working and the shower drain was blocked. All of our issues got fixed but it took time and persistence. You need to ask them at least 3 times before something gets done. Thanks to Joel, our Air Canada representative, some of our issues got resolved faster. If you travel with Air Canada vacations, turndown service is included in your package. If you don't get it, speak to Joel. We learned that is was included the day we left. We did not get this service all week.
"
Reviewer: Riviera
Date: Aug. 09, 2010

Rating:
"I like the Bahia Principe chain. This is the bad one I have being to. The beach is really nice and not crowded. The people are nice except at the reception. It is NOT a 4.5 star as they claim. I would only rate it as mx 3 stars. Food is a hit and miss, rooms are small, only one crowded swimming pool full of children. "
Reviewer: Abby
Date: Jun. 15, 2009

Rating:
Reviewer: Anonymous [via Escapes.ca]
Date: Jan. 20, 2005

Rating:
Reviewer: Anonymous [via Escapes.ca]
Date: Oct. 17, 2004

Rating:
Reviewer: Anonymous [via Escapes.ca]
Date: Jul. 31, 2003

Rating:
Reviewer: Anonymous [via Escapes.ca]
Date: Jul. 14, 2003