I would not return for the price I paid $1076 per person for 7 nights. I have been to other all inclusives so know I am not suffering from 'new to all inclusive' customer experience..
Here is what bothered us the most:
1) We refer to our vacation as a 'solicitation' - on the beach, in the grounds of the hotel (for timeshare) - it always put us on edge, and it did not stop. the only 'escape' was to swim in the pool or sea. 'I get paid $10 commission, PLEEEASE come to the meeting' - while holding my arm as I try and walk past. That is NOT OK.
2) The 'snack bar' was really awful. If you were hungry outside of buffet opening hrs - it was that or nothing, and sometimes nothing was a better option. Not expecting anything amazing, but the stale pizza, dry burgers and bread the birds had been picking at was not very good.
3) There was really no where comfortable to relax outside of the room in the evening. The lounge chairs were in bad need of replacing - the metal bar dug into your lower back.
4) The entertainment was REALLY bad. I'm not a snob, but know the difference between what is acceptable and what is clearly a waste of time. The problem is (again) that if you don't like being blasted by the entertainment sound system - where do you go to relax in the evening? a fire pit / chairs would be good on the beach for example.

5) Service. Nearly ALL the front desk staff were just plain indifferent to a guests needs. When we checked out - not one word of 'hope you had a good stay, have a good flight, hope to see you again' - NOTHING. In fact as soon as we arrived we could see a lot of guests looking kind of shocked and heard a few walk away saying 'they are rude'
We started to convince ourselves that 'they must be very proud people' as to not take it personally that there were no smiles, no genuine feeling of 'welcome'
There was one bar tender on the beach who made the effort to walk around and actually take customers drink orders - one guy in the whole place. other than him - we always had to walk back and forth to the bar - no matter where we were (unless seated in the buffet) - so again, felt the level of service (for a reported 4 star) was minimal

What we did like was:

the overall beach (clean) - but no the sales people on the beach
the room was cleaned well by maids
location - close to airport
a la carte was OK - although serving 'sushi' that had ham and cheese as the filling - goes to show how good it really was...
guest services lady was nice
rocko the barman was awesome - made our stay nicer
pool was clean
size of resort nice- not too big

lasting impression - too easy to see no-one is looking after the details, all the bones are there for an excellent resort, but unfortunately attention to detail and perhaps training staff in service is poorly missing

We arived and were givien a room right accrosse from stage. We asked to change room and were given one accross from spa. Beautiful.Everyone was on there toes and very friendly.

Been there in the past and new management has changed some things for the worse. None for the better.

Things aren't as advertised on the web sites. See negative points.

Beds were poor low cost mattresses.

rooms need some serious work

We enjoyed this resort. The food was the best we have experienced on all inclusive resorts.The grounds were beautifully manicured. The people were nice. When we arrived our safe would not work they fixed it immediately our fridge also did not work they fixed that right away

We went as a group of 10. We had selected this resort as it was an adult only resort and did not wish to be bothered by children nor did we want to be a poor influence to them. We were not expecting it to be a seniors resort though. We were treated as VIP's by the staff at the beginning of the trip. Of course they would, they were trying so desperately to sell us timeshares. They finally got our attention after 4 days, it was raining and they said they wanted to give us some souvenirs. They never told us this was for timeshares and got so upset with us as we told them we are too young to invest in one vacation spot for the next 20 yrs.

The older people were fun, we tried to be considerate of them and their vacation and they respected us as well. As we were prepping to leave, many people came to us and said the resort would be much less fun now that we were leaving.

Our overall experience of Blue Bay was good. It did rain for 3 and a half days staright but we still made the most of it. It would have been better if the entertainment staff had tried a little harder to make it fun. It was a very quiet resort.

We did run into a few issues with the rooms. 5 different rooms and each had issues. In our room, the roof was leaking in the bathroom when it rained. The AC never worked in one. One room would get cleaned but never had towels put back. they always had to call front desk and wait 30 min to an hour to get towels. Conveniently the cable was out during the rain. And they rarely had clean beach towels, we went the first 3 days with the same towels and only got new ones because on the 4th day we went Ziplining and had left all the towels in one room with a note and a tip.

Ziplining/ Monkey Jungle OMG such an amazing experience. completely safe and the crew defiinitely made it fun:)

We all had a fun time but i dont think we will be going back to Blue Bay any time soon. Unless to visit George, Commando, Mayo or Coca Cola :)

The food is very good, the bars staff are always friendly and the animation teams keep an active program going almost all the time, but don't harass you if you just want to relax by the pool.
We made it to the steak and the seafood restaurants and were impressed by the food, however there is an extra cost for most of the premium dishes.
We found the beds very very hard and we only had one stool for seating in our room.
The last time i was there internet was free now too costly($9 an hour for poor connection), but a short walk down the street has internet cafe where it is free.
We were able to avoid the yellow shirts(blue bays time share salesmen) which can be very annoying.
We also used the offsite taxis as they were half the cost of the ones on site providing the same service.
This was our second time there and we had a great time, but sometimes old memories are better.

We visited friends at this resort last year while staying nearby. After looking around we knew we wanted to stay at Blue Bay this year. It's a beautiful resort with great service. The grounds and villas are well-maintained on a daily basis. All the staff was very friendly and helpful...from front desk to room maids. Small tips in the rooms and at bars help a lot to get exceptional service. The actual rooms, as mentioned in other reviews, are not lavish but are impeccably clean. There weren't even any of the teeny, tiny ants you sometimes see in D.R. hotels. Our shower head bracket was broken but we managed to use it somehow!
The buffet was excellent...terrific food and wonderful staff. Specially love Lorelei for her breakfast smoothies, Domingo for his great omelettes and wonderful smile and Nilson for great table service.
The Playa Dorada beach is nice. Not the vivid Caribbean blue sea and white sand of Punta Cana but still pleasant. Found the good snorkeling spot up the beach in front of the Gran Ventana referred to in other reviews. Never a problem getting lounge chairs. Buy some jewellery from "Cheapie Willie"!!
We were a group of 11, including singles and couples, ranging from 30's to 80's in age. We all enjoyed ourselves here! One of the positives was the 'all adult' category, which made for a quieter atmosphere.
The entertainment was the only kind of negative thing, most nights it was just games and competitions with volunteered guests (hide quick!). Only one night was there a 'show' in the week we were there...a"Fire" show, which could have gone badly! The crew was great tho, really hardworking and funny.
Had a great vacation here & will likely return.

We had a great time. The resort is clean and the service excellent. The beach is brown, so if you want a white one, you'll have to go to Punta Cana, but it was wonderful and not overcrowded. There was always a seat for us and we had a group of between 9 and 13 during the time we stayed. The food is very good with lots of variety every day. The natural fruit smoothies every morning were a treat and the fresh fruit every day was wonderful. A few of us tried the aroma spa therapy which was awesome and a very good price. It added to the enjoyment of the whole trip by helping us relax. We loved the beach bar where we met before dinner for a drink and good conversation. The shows were home grown, but well presented. The rooms were simple, but clean, and we had everything we wanted. The pools were awesome, clean and well kept. There were pool games and fun every day. There are no kids allowed, so it was great from the standpoint of not dealing with kids running around making lots of noise or splashing people around the pool. This my second time at the resort and I would recommend it. The value was great for what we got out of our vacation.

This is our 2nd time at this resort and we will definately be returning. Simply awesome. The food is great. The animation team are incredible.

My wife and I stayed at Blue Bay for 2 weeks in January 2012. The resort is extremely clean and well looked after - the grounds, the rooms, the restaurants, the washrooms - all impeccably clean! The rooms are basic but comfortable. The staff are friendly and the food in general is pretty good. We found the buffet to have a good selection which changed enough so we never became bored of it. The ala carte restaurants are so-so in quality with the seafood one being the best in our opinion. The steak restaurant was not the best food and the music too loud for us during the meal. Our only complaints would be that servicing the rooms was hit and miss (they would sometimes forget a towel, soap etc. but was quickly rectified). Staff for the most part very accommodating, however the front desk staff need some lessons in hospitality. As for room locations, blocks 7 & 8 are the quietest and have their own pool by the spa, which is a no smoking area as well. Would we go back? Probably not as we like to experience different places. Would we recommend it to others? Yes!

THE BLUE BAY VILLAS IS A SMALL AND QUAINT RESORT TO ME A PERFECT SIZE, ALL THE STAFF MAKE IT THEIR JOB TO KNOW YOU AND CALL YOU BY NAME, WHICH MAKES YOUR STAY VERY ENJOYABLE. FOOD IS EXCELLENT AND VERY FLAVOURFULL.
THE ONLY NEGATIVE I CAN SAY IS THAT THERE IS A LOT OF "SALES PEOPLE" ON THE BEACH BUT IF YOU SAY NO THEY USUSALLY GET THE MESSAGE. BUT IF YOU MUST BUY, GET IT FROM CHEAPY WILLIE BEFORE YOU FLY!

place tranquille et très belle plage

Good hotel - great staff. Had some problems with check in but our vacation rep took care of everything right away.

We had a great time on our holiday, but it was more due to the great people we met, and the activities outside of the resort, than the resort itself.

Our Room: we requested a room by the spa, because it was supposed to be quieter than all the rest. However, we had no balcony/outside area, when everyone else did, and the tiniest closet of all the people we met. Our closet was so small that I stored some clothes in the safe. Everyone we talked to got chocolate on their pillows, and swan shaped towels, and we were lucky if the sand was washed out of our shower. And this was after tipping $5 at the beginning, and a few more throughout the week.

The Food: I really enjoyed the buffet. Sure, it wasn't a 5 star meal, but show me a buffet that is. The variety was good, and changed often enough that I didn't get bored.
The a la carte restaurants were OK, but nothing too special. In fact, I'd avoid the asian themed one altogether, unless you really, really, like salt and gummy meat.

The Staff: No complaints here - everyone was very friendly and generally helpful. Things moved slower than I'm used to, but I got over that.

Our major complaint was, for an 18 resort, there was NOTHING happening after midnight. Sure, there's a 24 hour bar, but it only played Ghost/Dirty Dancing soundtrack covers, and if you like to drink alone, then go there. I've you looking for something more lively, sneak into the Barcelo, or go into Sosua or Cabarete.

We went on the catamaran trip, and it was great snorkelling, but the trip out there and back too way too long, and played the worst music.
We also rented a car and drove to Cabarete for the day, which was a great town! Had a great lobster dinner on the beach - if you are in the area, definitely check it out.
The second day of our car rental, we, and another couple, drove over to the 27 waterfalls, which is also incredible!

This hotel was ok but the front desk staff are not very friendly. we were put in a room far away from the rest of our family. They said there was no other room available which was ok for a night or 2 but we were never given another room as promised, in the 2 weeks we were there. We asked everyday for the first week and a half and then gave up. The bathroom in the room was so small my husband who is quite tall had to litterally sit sideways on the toilet! The rest of the staff were great. The animation crew were by far the best I have ever seen. Nightly shows were all great! Food was great although there were a couple of supper meals in the 2 weeks that were mediocre.
The beach was nice. Very clean. The people selling on the beach were plentiful although very nice. If you told them no they left you alone. Overall a great holiday and we will definately return to Blue Bay.

great price for great holiday!

We found that this resort was exactly as we expected. If you've ever been to a 5 star before, it's clear the difference between a 4 and 5 star, however the price of the trip reflected that! We were very impressed with the beach and the cleanliness of the whole resort. It's kept in beautiful shape! The staff was friendly and there were tons of activities to enjoy. The food was food - the buffet was better than expected, the room service was less than expected (especially paying an extra premium for it). The bars were good, but not great - not a lot of selection, and the 24 hour bar was not conveniently located, and also because it was the host of 2 of the a la carte restaurants, it was unaccessable during certain hours. The location was neat; being close to a "mall" and golf courses. All and all, it was a good experience, not amazing, not mind blowing, but good.

Overall experience was very good. Food, beach and pools were excellent. Rooms need to be updated but overall the resort and location was great. Great location if golfing as it is a short walk across the street.

excellent service at reception and very good entertainment from the staff

pas de bain simplement une douche qui sort au compte goutte, propre mais vieux resort, buffet, bien cest un buffet assez bien varié. beau décors mais cher pour ce que j ai eu.ÉVITER LES GILETS JAUNES ILS ESSAYENT DE VENDRE UN FORFAIT A 25000.00$ POUR 25 ANS VENTE À PRESSION, TRES DÉPLAISANT.

endroit tres sympatique

This hotel is spotless and cares about its clientel. Outstanding service and beautiful people. Buffet food very nicely presented. A little something for all ages at this all adults only resort. Nicest beach and great pools.
I will miss the nice atmosphere and kind people. Its a 4star with a 5star in many areas.....Be thankful if you go here, worth every penny, and tip well!

Overall, I give the hotel a passing grade. Some aspects of the resort were better than expected however, there were also areas which needed improvements.

bel hotel,fonctionnel,bon service,
le café (bad),,le gym (non fonctionnel)
la plage (pas nettoyée)
le coffre,,non compris,,pas de debarbouillettes,,,

All areas were clean and shiny, staff there is fantastic. I would be ready to go back at any time and would highly recommend to anyone looking to get away and relax.

The staff and animation crew were very good. Everyone from the front desk staff, to buffet waiters and especially the animation crew try very hard to make sure you are taken care of and are happy. The complex grounds are immaculate and food was above average. The rooms are VERY tired. Ours had no drawers for clothes (only three 1 foot square shelves)

This was our second time at Blue Bay and we have no complaints at all. Food, service, cleanliness and staff were all great. Will be going back again next year.

We splurged for the Emerald Deluxe Junior Suite Garden View package for the jetted tub and the luxury offered with this particular package for our honeymoon/birthday trip. The room was not as described, the living area consisted of a small loveseat and a coffee table, there was no jetted tub, but rather just a standard bathroom with a cramped shower. When asking to have this rectified, front desk staff was very rude, and even the tour rep was unable to rectify the situation, stating that they don't offer rooms with tubs or jetted tubs to guests, they are exclusively for Holiday-Club Members. The included spa services were limited to a 45 minute basic massage, a manicure, a pedicure, or an exfoliation. The $50 spa credit per person was incredibly dissapointing as we were informed it could only be used for the above 4 services, not for anything off of the extensive spa menu. Housekeeping was very inconsistant with re-stocking the included mini-bar, as well as exchanging towels and *beach towels* (*which is an included service with this package). We had a Cockroach in our room which they then fumigated during our stay without providing alternate accomodations. Also be prepared for Vacation-Club sales staff to hound you on a regular basis, offering you free merchandise to promote where you stayed to your friends and family, which is actually their door to lock you into a 2-3 hour sales pitch to push you into buying a Vacation Club membership. The beach is nice, but expect to be approached by locals peddling various items more times than you can count on a daily basis.
On the positive note, the food was great, the restaraunt staff and entertainment staff were great, the spa treatment staff were very nice, and the yoga was a very nice touch.

Overall was a good resort, not great.

It is made up of its friendly staff instead of its physical appearance.

Puerto Plata is where it is at though, much more to do than in Punta Cana.