I stayed @ the Sirenis from the 24th April to the 5th May and I was a solo woman traveller. Had done my research mainly from this website so knew what to expect due to all the photos posted on this site and it was great. I wouldn't rate this hotel a 5 star, more a good 4 star.

Stayed in K Block Tropical Suites - could see a bit of the sea from my balcony, mainly gardens and other blocks which was fine, gardens are kept pristine. Rooms are of a decent size, basic furniture could do with a little spursing up, plently of storage space, I found the beds comfey, room did have a musty spell sometimes when you entered but then it would gradually disappear, so not a problem. Great shower in my room not a basic type which was in a friend's room. Maid service was fine, had to play hunt the ash tray on a daily basis and the maid always put it somewhere different, this made me smile to myself daily.

Check in - smooth as you like, no problems, arrived mid afternoon, room was ready, case arrived shortly after me getting to my room, nice cold cocktails to greet us on arrival.

Food - All the buffets were fine, there was always something there that you'll like, so no complaints from me, some dishes could have been hotter in tempurature but I love my food hot!!

A la Carte - Ate in the Japanese (my favourite) Steakhouse and Italian, enjoyed the steakhouse but I didn't eat much, was enjoying the drink too much and the mamawana's and was having a great laugh, enjoying myself. Italian rest looked great and the service was good but the food was ok as your not paying for it but wouldn't be happy if I was paying for it.

Beach/Pool - Massive pool, with different depths, features, 2 swim up bars, the busiest side of the pool is the Cocotal side and quieter on the Tropical side, Plenty of loungers available and the umbrellas go fairly quickly during the morning. I was always up and out by around 7 am so had no problems getting the beds/umbrella where I wanted on the beach, right next to the BBQ hut and beach bar, perfect spot!! Umbrellas go fairly quick on the beach at the prime spots but outer ones are still available until about mid morning. Lovely breeze on the beach which keeps you cool but make sure you put you sunscreen on or you'll burn. Lovely beach ran for miles in both directions, strong current on some days so accompany your children in the sea. Water was lovely warm, just some waves and it would been great!

Entertainment/Bars - Only went to one show, been to loads of these types of shows and it just didn't appeal to me on this occasion so spent most of time at the bar in the lobby area and went to the disco sometimes - which on the whole was not my cup of tea but I did have one good night in there. I preferred the bar area you got to talk to and meet lots of new people which was so much fun.

Staff - I found all the staff lovely and very helpful, really great people and made the hotel a great experience.

Bugs - had a massive beatle in my bathroom one morning, didn't enjoy this little visit. Otherwise no probs, got one mosi bite which was good for me but did use mosi wipes on myself each evening. Loads & Loads of tiny lizards in all the trees, amazing to watch 'em.

I could say a lot more but it's already been said in many previous reviews

As woman travelling on her own I had a great time and didn't like I was on my own at all. Felt very safe here, they have 24 hr security guards on site and walking around the grounds. And everyone is very friendly on the resort. I had a fantastic time here and am glad that I choose this resort

Did 3 excursions - $139 helicopter ride 20 mins - picked up from the hotel's heli pad, brilliant, loved doing this. Bavaro Splash $74, half day trip - speed boating/snorkelling trip, excellent fun, I so enjoyed the speed boating, was naughty and did some overtaking but hey ho!! Marinarium $83 half day - Swimming with Nursing Sharks/Manta Rays (minus their stings) and then off to dock up to swim and crystal clear blue waters sipping beer and listening to Bob Marley - fantastic!! Enjoyed all my trips and glad I got out and about to see more of the island and local people going about their business - very interesting to watch. Was also given a discount off one of the trips - which I didn't ask for.

To sum up, you could nit pick about small things that could be better about this resort but it has to be said it's a lovely resort and if you fail to enjoy yourself here then I think you will be one of the odd ones out. Would I go back - yes but I'm off to pastures new (as always) the world is a big place and I want to see as much as possible.

A big Hi or Hey to some of the lovely people that I met whilst I was there, Edna from Canada - what a wonderful woman, Chris & Marie - the nicest couple ever!! Kevin & Lizzie, great people to be around, Chris & Natalie - what a lovely couple, had good times with you and too many more to mention but hi to you all.

This resort was amazing, and so much better than I expected it to be. We were there from May 16-23, 2008.

I think a lot of people read the reviews on this website like I do and look forward to reading about others' experiences - so I will attempt to write a review that will hopefully help you decide (or reminisce) about your vacation here.

FROM THE AIRPORT:
Yes, the ride was a little bit bumpy, but in my opinion it is hardly worth mentioning. The bus from the airport to the resort was a big comfy air-conditioned charter bus and we found the ride extremely comfortable. I could have fallen asleep on it. It was about 50 minutes, but didn't seem overly long.

CHECK-IN:
Very smooth. They had a room with a king bed instead of the 2 double beds we requested (which was our travel agents fault - not the resorts'). They immediately switched it, called over a bellboy and we were sent off to our room right away - no wait.

THE ROOM:
The room was very nice. There was a TV in the living room as well as the bedroom and it has satellite so there was always something to watch. We tended to keep it on TBS though. The beds were a bit hard, but you got used to them. I slept on the couch one night and found it quite comfortable - it is softer than the beds. The air conditioning was ... well, let's just say it existed, but was not as strong as an A/C in Canada or the US. There is a ceiling fan in the bedroom, but you're likely to be a bit warm at night. I brought one of those little handheld fans from the dollar store which I used quite a bit to cool off instantly when I got hot! There was an abundance of closet space in the bedroom, as well as a full length mirror and a safe (which was $3.00/day and a $50.00 deposit at check-in that you get back). I would definitely recommend getting the safe as the hotel policy says something along the lines of it is "not responsible for valuables in your room". The bathoom was also very nice, good water pressure. All in all, I really liked our room.

FOOD:
The food was great! The buffet always had different things and even as a picky eater I always found more than enough to eat. I also enjoyed the pasta bar that was always there for both lunch and dinner. For breakfast, I thoroughly enjoyed the egg station (where you could get omelets or fried eggs) and the smoothie bar! Mmmm fresh fruit smoothies!

For the a la carte restaurants - we tried the Italian, Asian and Steakhouse. The Italian was really really good. The restaurant itself, all fancy and decked out in white linen, was also impressive. The Asian was good - the show they put on while making the food is fun, and food itself was pretty good. The Steakhouse was okay... my tenderloin was a bit tough, but I could have just gotten a bad piece. Everything else I ate was good.

I also really liked the snackbar by the beach and pool, which was great when we had just come from the beach or pool and were still in bathing suits - as you can go in with your bathing suits on. They have lots of food to choose from.... hamburgers, hotdogs, rice, salads, crepes, pizza, desserts and best of all - the soft-serve icecream machine!

BEACH:
The beach was beautiful. We never had a problem finding loungers. There is also some great snorkeling right at the beach! I had brought my own snorkel, goggles and flippers from home and went snorkeling 3 times. There are many colourful fish to see, sea urchins, crabs in giant shells and more! I would recommend bringing an underwater camera... and dog food! The fish love the little kibbles... but I would advise that you throw the food away from you, otherwise they will swarm around you which may be a bit uncomfortable! Also, don't touchi those spike balls (sea urchins) that you see sitting in the coral.

POOL:
Gorgeous pool. Nicest I have ever seen. It was so long, and had many different depths and areas suitable for all types of swimmers. It also had the 2 swim-up bars (though one was closed, as it is off-season now) which were really nice.

NIGHTLY ENTERTAINMENT:
Really good! We weren't expecting much but were pleasantly surprised. There were dancers almost every night and they were very good. Our last night, they did every dance scene from the movie 'Dirty Dancing' and even the costumes were as good as the dancing! Very impressive. There were also some comedy shows and magic shows.

DISCOTECA (night club):
It was nice. It was never packed in there (which probably has something to do with it being low season) but they played a variety of music that was good for dancing to. Another reason people may not go is that the drinks cost money and it is kind of off the side of the resort, not on the way to anything. I really don't think they should be charging for drinks there, but oh well.

STAFF:
For the most part, the staff were extremely nice and fun. I suppose everyone's review on the staff will be different depending on who they spoke with and what their needs were. We did request some extra towels the first night and never received them and the maid we had for the first 2 nights didn't do much cleaning in our room (the other 5 days were great though) - but other than that we were quite happy with the service. The bartenders, especially those boys at the lobby bar - were awesome. They're a really fun group and are constantly bringing more drinks for you and filling you up whether you ask or not! They're always pleasant and seem to stay that way whether you tip them or not. I can't remember all of their names but they were all just so nice and made the drinking experience all the more fun. The pina colada's are amazing. Also - the Carlos Speciale is DELICIOUS (you won't find that one on the menu).

TIPPING:
We left money for the maid every day and gave a tip to the bartenders every 3rd drink or so. For the a la carte restaurants, we tipped as was appropriate and we also gave little tips to the people serving drinks in the lunch/dinner/breakfast buffet if we had them more than once as well as the omelet guy (he was really nice). However, we really didn't see many other people tipping, and I would definitely say that the staff don't expect it, but are certainly (most of them) appreciative when you do tip them. We were walking back to our room one day and one of the gardeners had a bunch of coconuts in his hand and he offered one to us - he sliced and peeled it with his machete and gave it to us cut up nicely to bring back to our room - so we gave him a tip, too.

GROUNDS:
EXTREMELY well kept by the gardeners and staff... they are just gorgeous and so photo friendly.


All in all, we had a great experience and would go back right away if we could. In fact, the first thing we did when we got back was check to see what prices were at. If I went back to the Dominican, I'm not sure if I would want to try somewhere else because this place had everything!

We stayed at the Sirenis Tropical Hotel from May 11-18. (FYI: The ONLY difference between the Tropical and the Cocotal side is that the Tropical side has bigger 1-bedroom style rooms).
This resort is absolutely amazing! I will give you some details that will be helpful.

Arrival: We flew Air Transat (very uncomfortable flight, luckily its inly 4 hours). The ride from the airport is really not as rough as eveyone makes it to be. Yes its bumpy and long (an hour drive at least) but you get to see the life, the animals, the streets and it keeps your mind occupied long enough until you get there.
We had no problems checking in, our room was ready when we arrived and we were given a map with directions to our room (Tropical side - bulding M - right beside the main pool). Our luggage was brought to us within minutes and we were settled in with no issues. The safe costs $3 per day with a $50 deposit which you get back when you check out.

Rooms: Our room was extremely clean, the maid did a great job everyday and we left her little tips and goodies every morning. We had no problems with bugs in our rooms even though we were on ground level. The bed was a king size bed, not 2 beds pushed together. It was definetely a hard matress, but you get so tired that it doesnt matter where you sleep. The room didnt have any kind of bad smell, and everything worked just fine. Just be patient with the shower as it takes a couple minutes for the water to get hot.

Grounds: Are absolutely incredible. There are gardens and flowers everywhere and people are there constantly cleaning everything up. There are flamingoes and ducks in the front just waiting for you to come and visit. The hotel really is gorgeous. Its the best one I ever stayed at and this was my 6th time in Dominican.

Beach/Pool: Pool is always being cleaned, very refreshing to swim in, especially in the mornings when its quiet. Beach is really calm in the morning but the wind really picks up in the afternoon which makes it uncomfortable to lie there. Just a tip for you: Be careful with your towels - mine got taken on the first day. Which costs you $20 USD but we ended up going out at night and searching the pool area and were lucky enough to find a towel that was left behind which we switched for a clean one in the morning. People were complaining of their chairs getting taken after they were saved. It is now considered off season and the resort was still pretty busy. I was out by 7:00am everyday to get a palapa, by about 8am there was not much left so I cant imagine what its like in high season.

Food: There are 2 buffets but only one was open while we were there. There is a large selection everyday for all meals. We only ate there during breakfast and some dinners. Lunch can be eaten in the large snack bar at the pool which has the well known soft-serve ice cream machine which always has a line up and also a crepe kiosk (delicious). There is also a BBQ Grill Hut right on the beach that serves chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries. A la Carte Restaurants: They tell you that you are limited to only 2 reservations per week, but what you can actually do is go to all 6 restaurants if you want. All you do is come up the front around 9:30/10:00am and book a reservation as long as its for the same day. You cant go to a restaurant twice but you can probably do each one. We did Japanese: ABSOLUTELY A MUST! The food is fantastic and the show is entertaining as well. Mexican: Just okay. Seafood/Mediteranean: Good if you like seafood. Italian: Fantastic! Its beautiful inside and the service is fantastic. These people serve you much better there than in Canada where you are required to leave a tip. So we left at least $2 in each restaurant, depending on the service.

Excursions: There are a few available. We did the swimming with Sharks and Stingrays. Its a half day trip (go in the morning, much cooler, and the fish are more active). The ride there is 1.5 hours and the same thing back so its tough. You get taken out on a large catamaran with an entertainment team. There is music and drinks and snacks. First you stop at a coral reef and jump out and see some fish and then swim with the group into a caged area where the sharks and stingrays are. They literally are right underneath you. Wonderful experience! Then you get taken to a natural pool where they give you drinks right in the water. The trip costs $89USD so its a little expensive for half day but worth the experience.

Entertainment: The staff are always alive there, never a dull moment. Look for Macaroni - he will always make you laugh! The show starts at 9:00pm everynight with an ice breaker and at 9:30 with the main show. After that, is the karaeoke or live band. The casino is also open during all this as well. The disco starts up at 12:00am if you still want to party. Overall, lots to do at night.

Bugs: There ARE mosquitoes on the property, even though they fumigate the place everyday. So bring bug spray.

I would definetely recommend this hotel to everyone. Go, enjoy, relax and have a great time! I hope this review helped!

We have just returned from the Dominican from staying in the Sirenis Tropical Resort - 11th May till 18th May 2008.
The Sirenis is a great relaxed and organised hotel, beautifully kept gounds in the most magnificant location. The hotel possesses a beautiful lobby area and enterance. The rooms were fine, clean and furnished well, maid service was good with a fully stocked mini bar everyday for free !
The grounds of the hotel are very well kept and look great. The pool area was clean and well kept - there was always sunbeds freely available around the pool. If you like activities like me - this hotel is great. it has a decently equipt gym, a great spa with ice tub, hot tube and steam room. Tennis court, ping pong, archery and a few other things. The entertainment staff are great, always about organising activities, water polo, beach football etc....also if your there on a weekend you can verse the locals in arm wrestling ! The food is great, loads to choose from and 6 different resturants to book - all inculded in your package ! I would recomend the Italian and the Japanese ! The night entertainment is ok, with a different show each night.....the karoke is a laugh too ! The casino is small but also good !
The hotel staff were all very friendly ! The beach is amazing, with a selection of water sports included in your package !
This was a great holiday for me and my fiance and were thinking of going back in november.