We have just returned from a week at Sosua Bay Resort in Dominican Republic. We booked a Wild Card 4* and for the price it was well worth it. Never having booked a Wild Card before, we were unaware that Sosua was included in Puerto Plata. No problem. Speaking from our experience, our room was nice - clean and the bathroom worked fine. Our fridge was restocked daily all inclusive. I did speak with some people that were not pleased with their rooms so it seemed to be the luck of the draw in some cases. The air conditioner worked fine but one couple had to have theirs changed. They didn't get any action when talking to the reception staff but had results when they spoke to their tour rep. We enjoyed being able to leave the patio door open at night and listen to the surf. The entertainment was loud at times but it is a resort - a pair of earplugs fixed that. The food was excellent and we actually preferred the buffet to the a la carte although we only went to one. The wait staff was excellent and $1US goes a long way - it means a lot more to them than it does to us. Also, my husband befriended the night security guard and some venders at the flea market and they are your friends for life if they like you. The timeshare people were quite annoying but you just have to be firm and tell them no, no, no. The biggest disappointment for us was the fact that there was no beach or at least no beach to speak of. The public beach was right next to us and we would not have had a problem paying $2US for a chair but we had 3 days of rain off & on so we just hung out at the pools. The pools are lovely but the water was quite cool (I am a wuss, however, but other people said they found it cold also!) The vendors are very aggressive but if you just go in and take a quick look around they are usually satisfied even if you don't buy anything. "Be nice" was one of their favourite sayings. We met some wonderful people. My husband did get accosted by hookers one night but again just say no, no, no and his friendship with the security paid off this time as they followed him right back into the lobby of the resort. Apparently if that's what you want the resort has no problem with it. Just remember, it is a whole different culture there. All in all, we have very little to complain about, as I said, we went strictly for the price and certainly got our money's worth. Would we go again? Probably for that price and it was quite a bit nicer than the 3 or 4 feet of snow we left here in Ontario!

Just got back from a week here.. the hotel was beautiful, great location, surprisingly good buffet, amazing coffee and clean rooms BUT some serious downfalls...

1. the staff followed me, my boyfriend & our 2 friends around every single second trying to get us to go to a seminar and sign up for their "VIP vacation package". If you have ever sat through a timeshare sales pitch- this was pretty much the same thing. The most insane part of this is, that we already gone to it on the first day, sat through part of it (a super high pressure sales pitch that costs you $5000), but since we left the talk early, they followed us around the duration of our trip trying to pressure us to go back. By the end of the trip we must have said no at least 100 times. They had the same man wait for us after every meal, meet us outside our room each time we'd leave it, approach us at the pool. They also refused to give us access to the bulk of our all-inclusive package until after we sat through the pitch, so we did not have access to any of the water sports, etc the entire time. Every time we'd ask about it or try and sign up for something they'd say they would give us all the info after the talk "upstairs". The guy was like "Where's Waldo".. it became a joke.. he was always watching us and waiting. It was insane.

2. if you are not staying longer than a week they will not let you eat at any of the three restaurants- only the buffet. They don't mention this anywhere and only told us this after we checked it and tried to make a reservation. After we threw a fit to the manager, they allowed us one dinner (telling us they were squeezing us in which proved to be a lie since the restaurant was nearly empty when we ate there) but then told us they were out of nearly everything on the menu when we ordered (at 7 o"clock). After FINALLY eating dinner there, 3 out of the 4 of us got sick the next day (vomiting, stomach cramps, etc), and still remain sick with a parasite one week later. The only person who didn't get sick on our trip is a vegetarian. I guess this means I wouldn't suggest the meat.

This could have been a dream vacation but this hotel- it's false advertising and it's annoying (and very rude/unhappy) staff ruined it. Too bad.

Apart from this, the beach is beautiful, the locals are friendly and the many restaurants surrounding the resort are outstanding. The best parts of our trip were spent outside of the resort though which proved much more expensive than we hoped- staying at an all-inclusive. Mixed feelings about the trip, but the hotel was just such a disappointment.

ps. If you decide to stay here anyway- call and negotiate your rate over the phone... we found it on line for up to $175 per person, and when we called, received the rate of $65!

the first mistake I did was book a WildCard 4* with GoTravelDirect. You are guaranteed a 4 star but they choose where you are staying. this is right in the city of Sosua - steps away from the town. The front desk staff are not very helpful and don't smile. I was put up in a room with a terrible view and right above the all night bar. On the other side a discotheque, casino and the nightlife - no piece and quiet and did not sleep for 2 nights in a row. I've asked to change resorts but Go Travel was asking for an additional $400 per person to switch. Other unhappy guests wanted to switch as well. I finally upgraded my room to the Vicotorian house, much nicer and very quiet but not worth the $40US a night extra. The beach is a joke - the private beach of the hotel is like a sandbox - yes you can access the public beach but you have to pay for a lawn chair and umbrella - be ready to get hassled by the locals with food, drink, massage and sexual favours (even one of the hotel staff asked me if I wanted a good deal for sex). The public beach is located where the biggest flea market is, which by the way, was extremely dirty with trash. Lots of dogs running around looking for food too. One of the nicer room building is in ruins and the big private pool and tennis courts were never to be found. The only few good things I will say about this hotel is good food and friendly restaurant staff. It is not a place for people with mobility issues or challenges - stairs everywhere. there's one elevator but none in the room buildings. Oh yeah and be prepared to be hassled by the VIP Lifestyle holiday people wanting to sell you a membership in a vacation club only $15,000US and this will save you money on your next vacations for the next 10 years - yeah right !

We were at Sosua Bay Resort from 22-29 March 08, and I want to give people some hope about this resort. I have seen a lot of very negative reviews but ours (mine and my fiancee's) experience was mostly positive.
First the rooms...our fridge was restocked regularly and our linen was changed whenever we asked. We asked for an ocean view room on a high floor and got exactly what we requested. Our room was clean, and everything in the bathroom functioned well with the exception of a few cold showers.
The buffet restaurant was excellent, I have been to other resorts in the Dominican that did not have as much of a selection and the food here tasted great. There were lots of choices and they changed day to day. The Italian restaurant was okay, and the Mexican restaurant was very good - the service was very fast and friendly. We weren't able to go to the Japanese restaurant as it wasn't open on the day we wanted to go. The other times we made reservations we had no difficulty getting one.
The portion of the beach owned by the hotel is quite small and rocky, so you do have to use the public side of the beach. We didn't expect this and it was kind of annoying because we did not want the hassle of renting a chair from the local vendors.
The town itself is very busy and the section close to the hotel has a grocery store and pharmacy, some restaurants, bars, etc. We did not see or hear anything out of the ordinary. We were only there in the daytime and felt quite safe and were not hassled. The resort is right in the middle of town and it was nice to see some regular Dominican life outside of the resort.
The shows at night were pretty good, I have seen better entertainment at other resorts and more nightlife, but the bar and the music sufficed. On a few occasions I did not find the Animacion Team to be very friendly or helpful, although the rest of the staff ( reception, cooks, room attendants,bartenders) were very friendly and helpful.
The one thing that really bothered us was the fact that the resort has VIP agents that try to get you to upgrade to the Victorian Houses and they are very persistent in trying to get you to listen to them. We gave them a few firm No's and blatantly ignored them until they left us alone. We realize they are doing their jobs, but it was still annoying.
We took a tour to Paradise Island - beware. It is a beautiful island and the snorkelling is amazing but the 2.5 hour ride they tell you about is actually about 3.5 hours, and 30 minutes of this is down a very rocky, very bumpy dirt road. The tour operator was Il Pietro tours (they are used by GoTravelDirect) and it seemed to us that other tour operators there were more organized. Our air conditioning on the bus broke and we had to drive for 3 hours with the windows open. Then the bus broke down on the way back. All in all, we went on a 10 hour journey for about 1.5 hours on the island and 30 minutes for lunch. I would think twice and if you really want to have fun on a tour, the Outback Jungle Safari is your best bet.
So, in general we had a relaxing, fun holiday. Sosua Bay Resort is good value for your money and in most ways is a four star hotel.

E&D
Newfoundland, CA