I booked a room at this resort for couple of days. Found an internet special for 74 US for a garden view room. (The view was actually of Tree 4 feet from my window) Room was large and clean. Did not have a cable box and took couple calls and 18 hours for them them to repair.

They had few computers set up in the lobby but did not have wifi connection. Not sure if they charged for the service

Beach/pool area was great.

I only ate at the grills and buffets and found the food pretty good. There was enough variety so you could find something you liked. Remember you are not in the US or Europe, so the food may not taste the same.

Close (within 2 or 3 blocks) of shops, bars, bank, pharmacy.

Hotel appeared to be in good condition overall. Someone mentioned the clock tower in the garden did not work.....who cares.

This really was a bargain at the price I paid.

i just got back from casa marina reef and really enjoyed my stay there. We arrived 18th may for two weeks there was me, partner, two children (4 and 5) my mum and dad. I was dreading the flight with the two girls but they were brilliant didnt moan once the flight was great no sooner were we up there watched a film had dinner we were landing. We were in casa marina reef we got a garden view which i changed after the 1st week because i wanted to be around the pool so i could watch all the fun games while the children had a afternoon nap. The hotel/grounds are kept beautiful by the staff who dont stop all day.
The rooms are nothing special but who goes to sit in there room?? the maids came round everyday and done a good job!! The entertainment team VICTOR, MURPHY and MOSQUITO are lovely people they come round the pool asking to join in the games but if u dont want to they will just go to the next person in my eyes that was our biggest mistake, the 1st few days we didnt really talk to them or join in when we did we didnt it was brilliant they were all so funny really made our holiday!! The entertainment for the children was abit limited with a woman on the stage doning the birdie song and things like that but the kids were happy running around!! The shows they do are brilliant they all put every ounce of energy into them but and a big but you all have to sit in rows like in the cinema with no table for drinks and with hundreds of people there and 1 bar open it was quite a while before you got a drink that i found horrible we actually didnt go to alot of the shows because we met a family out there and enjoyed sitting chatting round a table with a few drinks but u couldnt at the show so we ended up at the beach bar. The food was lovely all cooked well with a big choice and different themed nights like bbq-spanish night! however this did get abit boring but u can book into 1 of the 3 restaurants there mexican,seafood (which does steak aswell) or italian (3 times aweek) we didnt go to to mexican as someone told us it wasnt very good for the kids but the italian was lovely however you have to book 9.30-11.30am for that evening but there was people at reception booking up 3days ahead which is wrong as the 1st time i went to book for seafood they said 9pm or nothing else and i had small children who would have staved before then. The only complaint i have is the bars shut at 11 dead on and so much started at 11pm like magic shows/karoke etc down by the cash bar which i thought was bad because so many people out there couldnt afford to buy drinks so either missed entertainment or didnt drink (i was glad my kids could read so they didnt know) We went on 2 trips 1st to ocean world which is a must we took the kids in with the dolphins and found it cheaper to get a taxi return and pay at the door we just told the taxi what time to pick us up and he was there. The 2nd trip was brilliant we went on monster trucks, they were great fun they take and show you where the rich dominicans live then take you to a school where u can give stuff to the kids i didnt take anything because i didnt know we were doing this but my little 5yr old had a plastic bracelet on and gave it to a little school girl around the same age it was so sad to watch, after the school u go to where jurrasic park was filmed then on the a poor village which was a real eye opener i loved it the people who work on the monster trucks visit different villages to make it fair as they hand out alot of stuff, the children in the village were so chuffed with a lollypop so if you are thinking of going on this put a pack of something in your case anything from a packet of sweets or pens, old clothes or shoes!! also on this trip after visiting the village u have all the beer/rum u can drink we were very drunk singing very badly all the way home!! Outside the hotel the shops are very much the same if you've seen one you've seen them all they ask you in tell you cheaper than asda!! You must knock them down they ask silly prices 1st time i borught a big wooden black man for 1,000 pestos which is roughly £15 then bumped into a lady who payed 750 for a pair of flip flops, people say dont go out the hotel that rubbish we found them ery friendly even though we didnt at night there were alot of poeple we met and talked to there who did and said it was fine!To sum up my holiday it was lovely it was really really really good our second week the weather could have been better we had a storm on the bank holiday monday but it didnt stop the fun we were all sat out drinking having a laugh (it always rains bank holiday) but you will enjoy yourself! I would go back tomorrow if i had the money haha!!

I have just got back from 2 weeks at the Casa Marina Reef Hotel (21st May-4th June 08) and I had an amazing time and would love to still be there!

As a 23 year old female I went with a friend and the hotel beat are exceptations as we were a bit dubious that we had got it for so cheap and that it was being advertised on so many different sites but we were pleasantly surprised and so glad that we went.

The grounds are big with the two hotels combined (Reef and Beach) together meaning you can use all 3 pools and other facilities. The food was very impressive as well. Having not done an all inclusive package before I was worried about it being bad but it was far from it with a huge variety and well presented.

I have never stayed at a place with such hardworking and happy staff. They really do look after you and always have a smile on their faces!

The entertainment team are fantastic! (Especially Mosquito!!) There are lots of activities to tak part in each day and the shows of a night time are good and varied. You will get pestered to take part in the activities but if you don't fancy it then that's fine.

There are plently of sun loungers and you get a clean beach towel each day. The beaches were lovely with clear blue water. There are even security guards on the beach which is reassuring. I didn't take part in the water sports activities but there is a lot to chose from which is included in the all inclusive package inclding snorkelling, kayaking, windsurfing and a scuba diving lesson in the pool.

The bedrooms were nothing amazing but we didn't go on holiday for the decoration in the rooms! They are kept very clean though with maid service every day. It had everything you needed (apart from hairdryers) and clean towels were provided each day. We did have a small leak in the wardrobe when there was heavy rain but to be honest it didn't bother me.

It is safe to go outside of the hotel into Sosua and I don't know why people say it isn't! it's nice to see outside of the hotel and there is Sosua public beach 5 mins walk from the hotel with lots of gift shops and restaurants etc. Just be prepared to get hassled when walking past! Make sure you barter with them as some shop owners like to charge you 2-3 times more than what they should. Generally speaking I thought it is quite expensive for a Latin American country but I think it's because it is a very touristy area and taxis can be pricey. A good alternative is the bus of local taxis which you can share with other Dominicans (just be prepared to be squeezed in!)

My only criticsm is that when you arrive, it is hard to work out where abouts your room is as there are so many rooms so better signage would be good but apart from that, that was my only complaint!

I would definately say it was more of a hotel for families and couples opposed to young singles but if you like chilling by the pool and beach, taking part in the activities and just generally chilling out you will have a good time. Sosua has lots of restaurants and bars etc if you don't want to stay in the hotel every night. The Calypso Disco at the hotel was surprisngly not too bad! It's air conditioned; not overly big but good for a dance if enough people are in there and they play mainly reggaeton, RnB, hip hop and merenge music.

Overall a great holiday and would definately reccommend.

Have a great time!

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Casa Marina Reef for 17 nights after booking a last minute holiday just a couple of days before.
I have to say it was by far the best holiday I have ever been on, we both had an amazing time.
The rooms were very clean and comfortable and we had a lovely view of the pool.
There was so much to do in the hotel that we didn't get bored easily. There's a choice of 3 pools, the beach and the jacuzzis (loved them), loads of watersports and daytime activities.
The evening entertainment was fantastic, the only downfall was that it started a little late for me and I struggled to stay awake until it started (mainly due to jetlag)
The food was lovely, especially the fish restaurant, you must try the seabass in there, it's delicious.
The staff and entertainment team were very helpful and friendly.
The only thing I would suggest is to take plenty of sun protection with you as the choice of lotions in the shops are very limited. I could only seem to find a very low factor or a very high factor, no in between