Honeymoon to Horror: Warning About Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

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I wanted to like my experience at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana so much but from the moment we stepped foot on the property everything started to go wrong.

Let me start by saying that the resort has 7 “resorts” at different price points in different locations. This is important to know, as we quickly learned that cheaper deals equal lower quality of service.

I will be using quotes for the word “resort” throughout this post, as this is one resort split into different price points with different customer service protocols based on where you stay.

This was supposed to be our honeymoon, but we did not get anything off the honeymoon package, and when we inquired, they just struggled their shoulders.

Grand Punta Cana “Resort”

After being told we could check in early we had to wait for over an hour after regular check-in only to be provided a room with a gaping hole in the door. Prior to our arrival, I explained I needed a mobility-accessible room as I was recovering from foot surgery. The room they originally provided us I was unable to even get into the tube which was also a shower.

We complained to the front desk because this would become a safety hazard for me. The receptionist was the nicest person we met that day & she upgraded us to a room closer to the beach that had a walk-in shower.

After watching the receptionist get sexually harassed (I don’t know enough Spanish to have helped the situation) we were taken to our other room.

I had hopes that this would be the end of our adventurous disaster but I was very wrong.

We tried to write everything off but on day 3 I was hit with one of the worst food poisonings I’ve ever had.

We had reservations at the Brazilian Steak House on the property. It was the one restaurant my husband was looking forward to. After being served the bacon-wrapped turkey I took one bite & it tasted very off.

Thankfully my husband didn’t eat this which saved him from getting sick. But after our meal upon returning to our room I started to feel very sick. Within a day I had spiked a high fever & could not keep food down or in me. The symptoms last the rest of our trip weeks upon my return home.

After weeks of testing I learned I contracted both Salmonella & Shigellosis Dysentery from the Brazilian Steak House.

Throughout the rest of our time we spoke with numerous other guests & we learned this is not uncommon especially if you are staying at the Grand Punta Cana Resort. In fact we met at least 4 other people suffering similar symptoms.

I wound up eating a BRAT diet the best I could throughout the rest of my stay but the buffets don’t make that easy & most days the bananas were black before they were even put out for consumption.

If you want to go to the pharmacy/doctor on resort they will charge you thousands of dollars for help.

Thankfully I never reached that but a few others did. So I highly recommend travel insurance! (We got ours through AAA)

Staff at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

Besides the one helpful receptionist, we were met with many unhelpful and downright rude employees.

The night I got food poisoning I overheard & saw staff making fun of my husband. Needless to say, I was extremely angry by this but I don’t know enough Spanish to have said something.

Later throughout our trip, there were trams (train stops) & many of the drivers were polite & helpful but others were not so much. One driver saw me limping & my husband tried to wave him down but he told him to go to the stop which was like 50 yards away. By the time I got to the stop, I was crying because of the pain I was in. Again I’m recovering from foot surgery & I have good days & bad days, that was a particularly bad day.

Another yelled at my husband after he politely asked if he was going by a restaurant we were headed to & he pointed us in the wrong direction which my husband knew was wrong right away.

There are other tram drivers, especially the morning crew who were much nicer & helpful, but it was rare we saw them.

Food at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

After slowly trying to recover from food poisoning we ventured around the complex of other “resorts”. We decided to eat at one of the morning buffets. We did not have a problem with the staff that morning & our waiter was very nice to us.

We did not realize that our wristband color was the indication of where we could or couldn’t eat (we were not informed of this during check-in). That night we decided to go to the buffet in the same area & after my husband got up to get me something the hostess came over & told me we were not allowed to eat in that location.

Ok not a problem, we were unaware. However here is what we realized. The other locations that cost a few extra hundred dollars have better food options along with food safety regulations.

This in itself is bothersome because poor food safety is what cost me my health on this trip.

The buffet for the Grand Punta Cana was always cold, had the worst flavoring, and heaven forbid you have allergies. There was so much cross contamination I could barely eat even when I wasn’t sick.

Additionally, the hostesses were hit or miss. One morning we walked in & were politely guided to our seats the next morning we were told to go ahead & seat ourselves while they seated everyone else.

Lastly, there are 2 buffets for the Grand Punta Cana, one of which has an awful nausea-inducing smell. The other while not much better, doesn’t smell as bad but can get very busy.

Restaurants at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

We stayed for 9 days & were only allowed to book 4 nights at the restaurants. This was less than what we got per day at the Bahia Principe in Jamaica so we were a little shocked by the ratio but it wasn’t a deal breaker.

However, because I have food allergies my options were very limited.

The first restaurant we went to was The Greek. The menu seemed like it would be simple & easy, but with a lack of full explanation, we were disheartened when the Chicken Shawarma turned out to be a few small pieces of chicken (less than an once) in pita bread. Not something we were used to as we eat Greek food a lot back home. The kabob came with only 1 small piece of beef & 2 small pieces of pork. (I wish I had taken pictures of both for reference)

Peter did like the pumpkin soup & I enjoyed the baklava as part of the Arab dessert option.

The next night we went to the Brazilian Steak House & this is where I’m pretty sure I got food poisoning from an undercooked piece of bacon-wrapped turkey. (I started feeling ill about an hour after dinner.)

The Brazilian steak house was pretty good along with the dessert options.

The next few days were pure hell for me. I could barely hold food down or in, everything made me sick just by the smell & I ran a fever for 2 days. Let’s just say I had to stay close to a bathroom at all times. And it took over a month to recover from both foodborne illnesses I contracted.

Our 3rd restaurant was the Garden Grill Steakhouse. This place definitely has potential & I won’t lie it may have been the best food we had the whole trip.

However, because I was still sick I struggled to eat. Which pissed our waiter off even more. I say even more because after being seated it took 20 minutes for him to come over & take our orders which he kept walking away every time we spoke to him. People sat after us had their orders taken long before us. Thankfully by the time dessert was to be ordered, we had a new waiter who was on point with offering me something else to eat since I barely touched my dinner.

We learned later in our trip, thanks to our new friends, that the restaurants available to the Ambar or Aquamarine had much better service & food options. However, because we were part of the Grand Punta Cana we were not allowed to book reservations at these.

In comparison, we went to both Italian restaurants, Portifino & Capriccio.

Portifino starts you at a bar with top liquor options before being seated. Once seated the food options include starters, pastas, soups, and more.

The service is top tier as well from start to finish.

While the Capriccio was an attempt at Italian with poor service and poor food options. I started by explaining my food allergies to the waitress in which when I ordered the lasagna I learned it had one of the foods I’m highly allergic to after it was delivered to me. If I had taken even the smallest bite of the meal I could have gone into anaphylactic shock.

Thankfully I noticed it right away & Peter switched meals with me. However, his chicken dish tasted funny & I opted after 1 bite not to finish it incase I came down even sicker.

Traveling with a Cpap at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

Prior to our arrival, I had reached out to the resort asking where we could get distilled water. I received a reply almost a week later saying they forwarded my request but I heard nothing more. I know I should have called but life & a major holiday got in the way before we left for our trip & it escaped my mind.

Upon our arrival, we asked again about where to find distilled water. We were directed by the concierge that the only way to get it is via a courier which would cost $45 yes US dollars!

We could have added a gallon to our carry-on for $2. But after getting to our room we found bottles of purified water that my husband was able to use, although not ideal.

Throughout the week we asked specifically if we could get these bottles in most of the time we did get 1 but some days we got none.

Our room at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

After the fiasco of changing the rooms on day 1, we were moved to a newer building right by the main pool & beach. This was convenient as we spent a lot of our time on the beach.

The room was spacious with a sofa, chairs, a nice balcony, & king-size bed. Additionally, the bathroom was well taken care of.

We struggled with sand flies & mosquitos to the point we started to wonder if there were bed bugs. But after reinspecting the room we didn’t find evidence. However, our room was infested with tiny ants all over the shelves. We left a coffee mug for an hour & upon return, it was covered in ants. I soon found them in our suitcases as well. I’m not sure how we will get rid of them upon our return home just yet.

Bugs at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

Waking up with 30 bug bites on day 4 was not something I expected & it continued to get worse throughout the trip. But I would find these bugs flying around the room & after closer inspection of the room I don’t think we had bed bugs but I won’t know until I’m home at this point for a few days.

We did pack bug spray, but we did not know sand flies need a flea spray. Because I’m allergic to a lot of the industry stuff the “Off Natural” was not enough to help. Throughout the trip you could see bug bites all over people which really made us concerned that there was a widespread bed bug issue, however after doing a lot of googling & rereading the reviews the only mention was from 2019 in which the resort seemed to take care of the situation.

However unlike the Jamaica resort this resort did not do anything to help maintain the level of bugs but did offer you a $25 bottle of Off!

Again we did find ants in our room which quickly infested our suitcases no matter where we put them.

Additionally when in the Grand Punta Cana Buffet on our first day we saw cockroaches crawling around the tables. (I wish I had taken pictures but I wrote it off since they had a small garden within the dining area.)

Amenities – Pools at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

There are at least 15 pools including minimally 2-3 water parks.

The main pool(s) are located next to the beach which majority of people use especially if you have kids.

The pools in the middle of the “resort” we found to be the quietest.

You are allowed to go to the other “resorts” pools but if you want to get drinks you maybe turned away, however we found if you tip the waiter they will break the rules but this is not always 100% the case.

Amenities – Beach at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

Be prepared to save your chairs before 7:30AM otherwise you will be out of luck!

Yes, there are signs that you can’t safe chairs but on our first day we arrived at the beach around 10 to find barely anyone on the beach but every single chair saved.

We learned from others that the key is to save your spot early in the morning. To do this we sacrificed 2 of our books we finished on day 2 instead of our towels.

Something to be prepared for with the beach are the hecklers & sales people bothering you throughout the day.

Now something to know is that the country is very poor & we understood this. After speaking with a few of the sellers we learned a few things 1) they work on commission 2) they are employees of the resort 3) you have the ability to negotiate.

There are multiple types of vendors.

Jewelry
Bags
Excursions
Messages
Hair braiding
Clothes
Animal photos (birds & iguanas)
Nic Nacs/shells

We purchased a few gifts for family from these vendors but be prepared to be shocked by the cost and be able to negotiate.

Additionally, if you aren’t in the mood to deal with them don’t be surprised if you get asked every few minutes by someone new if they could offer you the same exact thing. Honestly, it became extremely annoying & frustrating many days.

Amenities – Towels at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

Be prepared to use the same beach towels for days… or weeks if you are there for longer.

Every time we went to get towels by the pool or beach we were turned away because they were always out of them.

We would try multiple locations throughout the “resort” to no avail most days. However when we would go to other resorts we were turned away again because we did not have the right color bracelets.

What we did find though is that the areas where we were informed to get towels all other “resorts” were allowed to get towels from making it more difficult for us to get towels directly from our designated towel exchange.

When we went on a full day excursion of snorkeling we asked the lobby for towels but because we were in a different “resort” we were not allowed any towels. Thankfully we met a nice couple who got us an additional towel for the day.

Lastly, don’t lose your towel or towel card, it will cost you $10 if you don’t turn it in at checkout.

Amenities – Pharmacy & Doctor at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

We opted not to see the doctor despite how sick I became due to my medical conditions & medication history.

However, on day 7 Peter came down sick as well & we opted to go to the pharmacy for medication to help get both of us through until we got home.

Excursions at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

Catalina Island – Snorkeling

This might have been one of the best days we had our whole trip because it wasn’t on the “resort”.

I did get very seasick, but the crew on the boat immediately rushed to help as I vomited off the side of the boat. Their quick actions to help cool me off with ice water helped the sickness pass & they did their best to help me on the way back knowing I had been sick earlier.

The snorkeling was fun but I wish it was longer than 45mins.

There were loads of jellyfish and at one point a small school of fish swam with me. Unfortunately, I forgot to put my SD card in our GoPro so I couldn’t get any photos.

When getting off & on the boat for the snorkeling you have to be very careful as Peter fell in the boat & got a nasty rope burn along his arm.

Let me just say watching him go down the stairs the way he did almost gave me a heart attack.

After snorkeling you are taken to Catalina Island. There we sat in the sun for 3 hrs. I tried my best to eat something but struggled because of being so sick. The options included pasta, potato, 2 rice dishes, some veggies, & either pork or chicken.

There is a souvenir shop on the beach but we opted not to buy anything. Mostly because it was all the same items you could buy at the resort but for a higher price.

My favorite part was finding a hermit crab in the wild especially since I didn’t get to see a sea turtle (someday I will).

Boogies & Cave

We have always wanted to do a cave swim, so when we saw the opportunity to do some off-roading with Boogies (what the company calls them) & swimming in the natural springs cave we jumped on it.

This may have truly been one of the best adventures we did this whole trip.

You start by taking a 15-20 min ride on an open air truck from the lobby to the location where you pickup your boogie.

After signing a form you are placed in your groups based on what language you speak then divided based on # of people in your party.

Since it was just the two of us we drove in a 2 seater.

The cars are small but can fit a larger 300+ person in both the driver & passenger sides of the car.

You take the boogie for about a 10-15 drive to a village where you learn about the history of the area. Afterwards, you walk down a large flight of stairs to the spring.

We highly recommend not wanting to get changed because there is barely any time to do it. The spring is cold & the bottom is full of uneven rocks. Definitely wear swim shoes to protect your feet!

You get about 15 minutes in the spring before you are rushed off to a taste-testing opportunity for tobacco, coffee, & hot chocolate.

Afterwards, you are taken back to your boogie where you get to spend about 30 minutes driving through a premade course.

Note, you do have an opportunity to switch drivers at halfway through, but make it a quick switch bc you are off again for the longer part of the ride.

Conclusion of Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

I would never recommend staying at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana. While I enjoyed their Jamaica resort, the way we were treated at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana was deplorable. Between severe food poisoning, the staffs behaviors, the countless sexual harassment, the mistreatment of guests and staff, the lack of bug control, and more there is no true reason to recommend this location.