We just returned last night from a week at the Sosua Bay Resort. We purchased it as a 4 star "Wildcard" from Go Travel Direct. We knew we were going to the Puerto Plata area, and we knew we were getting a 4 star resort, we just didn't know the specific hotel. Upon arrival we were sent to the Sosua Bay, which was a relief as our flight got in late and it was only a 10 minute drive from the airport. Upon arrival everything looked great. Nice lobby, a good number of staff on duty at 4 o'clock in the morning. We were given our room number and helped with our bags. Our room was situated in Building 6, on the top floor. No balcony, just a small window with an air conditioner under it. I should point out that Sosua Bay is a multi-level resort, there are stairs everywhere. Our room was on the top floor of 4, meaning 8 flights of stairs. 8 flights of stairs every time you have to go to the room. Might not sound too bad, but trust me...climbing up and down stairs gets very tired.

Our room was more like a 2.5 star than a 4 star, at best. The hotel is old and tired. Scuff marks on the floors, tired furniture. The shower head sprayed more water on the sink than it did in the shower. Make sure you get an extra towel for the floor, the tiles get slick when wet!

Due to a previous injury to my ankle we requested a room on a lower floor first thing in the morning. The guy at the front desk told us, in barely passable English, that they were full and he couldn't give us another room. When I asked if he could let me know if one became available he took down our room number and said he would call. Shockingly, we never got our room moved. In fact, all of our experiences with the front desk were terrible.

It rained two days while we were in Sosua. Not light rain, monsoon rain. Sosua Bay Resort has absolutely, positively, NOTHING to do when it rains. There are very few common areas to congregate when the sun isn't shining. On the first day of rain we went to the front desk to ask for a remote for the television (which does not work without a remote you can only get at the front desk). The same clerk who told us he would move us as soon as he could informed us that he didn't have any remotes. Please come back in a hour. Back up the stairs, then back down a hour later. This time no batteries. Please come back in an hour. Back up, back down. Now he's given all the remotes away. The biggest complaint we have about this hotel was the service by the front desk staff, or the lack thereof to be exact. How hard would it have been for him to take our room number and send up the remote? Probably not very much, but I don't think that they think in terms of guest service beyond answering questions.

I'm going to get the rest of my complaints out in one shot, then move on to a more positive note. Only 2 of the 4 free "a la carte" restaurants were open at any time, and getting a reservation in one of them was like winning the lottery. As with all of the all inclusives I have been to, you are supposed to show up at 11 to make reservations for that day, or the day after you have arrived. Most of the the restaurants were booked for three days at a time. One morning we were the first in line and they told us we had to wait 3 days to get into the Italian restaurant. When I asked to book for that one, as well as the Carribean, I was told I couldn't book 2 at a time for consecutive days. When I asked how it was possible that people had managed to do just that, I was told that wasn't how it happened. I firmly believe that a few pesos is what it took to get it done, but there was no way I was going to do that. The 4th "a la carte" was French, and easy to get into, but you had to pay an extra $30.00 to eat in that one...definitely not as advertised. The only other issue I would bring up is that they are trying very hard to do two things at Sosua Bay - revitalize the hotel (they were jackhammering rocks on the beach all day on Thursday and Friday - the two best days of our 7 day stay) and sell you on their VIP Club (read: timeshare). We were approached on our first day to hear about their sister hotel, and promised a day pass to visit it. We listened to a pitch that didn't work for us, and when we said no they were very good about not pushing us. They also told us at that point that the promised day pass was only if we bought something, which is not what they said to get us to sit for their presentation.

Now, on to the good parts. The food at almost all of the restaurants was excellent. The main buffet had a great variety, and the service from the staff was superb. The only negative experience we had was at "El Patio", but that might have been because they had opened it again on short notice after complaints that there weren't enough "a la carte's" open. The staff everywhere but the front desk were friendly, helpful and courteous.

The location on the beach is most certainly 4 star. The view from all areas of the hotel is great, and the snorkeling right in the area of f the hotel was excellent. The hotel has a scuba center which also offers snorkelling trips everyday.

As long as you aren't paying allot of money to visit this resort it's a good value. I would disagree with the 4 star rating it has, but once it's been renovated and updated I would go back.

Having read some of the latest reviews of Sosua Bay Resort, I felt compelled to write my own review to set the record straight!!

I first visited the hotel in June '07 with my best friend and I had the time of my life!! We stayed for two weeks; the hotel, location, weather and people were perfect and we didn't want to leave!! Unfortunately we had to come home, but within a month I'd booked to come back! My second visit was in November '07 and was just as amazing the second time around!

The lobby upon arrival is magnificent! A simply beautiful, and very large lounge and reception area with coffee and cocktail bar. The staff were so welcoming and we were taken to the room without any problems. The views from the lobby are stunning! Panoramic view of the entire bay, the beach and the pools. It's second to none and never fails to impress.

On my first visit we stayed in one of the main hotel rooms. We had ocean views, a balcony; the room was incredibly clean, the linen was changed daily, fridge re-stocked every day, very tasteful decor, constant hot water, cable TV, lovely clean bathroom and fantastic Air con. We were VERY happy! I thought these rooms were impressive, but Victorian House.....WOW!! I stayed here on my second visit and it is the epitome of luxury! Victorian house is a smaller boutique hotel, still part of the Sosua Bay complex, but the rooms are exceptional! ENORMOUS dark wood beds, beautiful white linen, magnificent ocean views and large balcony.

I cannot understand how anyone can have a problem with the food at this hotel!! The buffet is full of variety...you're spoilt for choice at breakfast...the pancakes were a personal fave!! There's always fresh fish and meats cooked right infront of you on the grills, frash pasta bars, again, cooked while you wait from fresh. There's food from many different cuisines and cultures...caribbean, Italian, mexican.. as well as fresh tropical fruits and salad bars. The actual buffet is under-cover but is open-air so again you get those brillliant views of the sea while you eat!
The a la carte restaurants are based in Victorian house so you get the same gorgeous views, excelent service and the food is to die for!! There's a mexican, Italian and Asian. All three are exceptional. You do have to book in advance as they run on alternate nights but they are definitley worth it.

The evening entertainment is also amazing. The dancers put on shows every night and they are so talented!! The entertainers are very friendly and always try their best to make you feel at home.
I recommend trying out the snorkelling and diving, and there's always plenty of activities to try out every day. We also took a day trip to near-by Ocean World, which was so much fun!

The beach is also stunning...beautiful clear water, clean golden sand surrounded by palms. Around the edge of the bay is coral reef, which is perfect for snorkelling and diving. The hotel pools are constantly cleaned, one even has a water fall and pool bar!! The selection of cocktails is excellent and perfect for cooling down in style!!

I seriously don't have a bad word to say about this place! I couldn't believe my eyes when reading the bad reviews! Please feel free to contact me if you have any doubts or questions. I'll be only too happy to reply. Happy Holidays!!!

My wife and I went for New Years so it was a short stay (4 days). We probably would not return. Advertised as a 4 star but it is a 3 star. For a 3 star it is acceptable, the rooms need better cleaning (had to change rooms due to bad smell), and better maintenance is needed (bathroom needed some work). The staff are friendly and helpful. The nightly entertainment was . . . entertaining. The drinks were okay (we only saw domestic, except for New Years Eve) and the food was alright but there was a bit of repeats and there could have been a bit more choice. The pool and sunbathing area was nice and this is really where we spent most of our time. I guess you get what you pay for, it was not an expensive mini vacation.

Warning there looks to be construction nearby, but there was nothing going on when we were there. And for people that have difficulty with stairs this place is NOT for you. After your first breakfast they will try and get you to do something like a timeshare seminar (you'll see them as you exit the buffet), we did it and it didn't take long (that will depend on you, but they make it hard to say no). The market behind the beach is a tourist trap and they can be a little pushy (but friendly). Sosua town is safe we had no issues walking around and we hope to someday return to the area (but we will try a different hotel).

A complete disappointment. We have travelled the world, Asia, Europe, North & South America and have never had such a terrible experience. The food is inedible. They say there are 4 restaurants but its a scam since the 2 main ones are in the same location??! The "Asian" restaurant was so bad we couldn't eat anything and the buffet is ridiculous. The rooms in the Sosua buildings are run down, curtains falling down, broken furniture. NO HOT WATER! That's right, cold showers only. The beach chairs are old and uncomfortable. They say they have towel service but kept running out. The drinks were awful with no drink or food service at the pool. The staff were unhelpful and unfriendly. The only positive were the shows each night. The dancers are very impressive and we throughly enjoyed the entertainment. They are too good for Sosua Bay Resort! We would absolutely not recommend this place to anyone!