Expired salsa Sticky tables (early in morning) at Gabi buffet Every time we got fries it was cold and stale Croissants were stale as well. Even the Frosted Flakes in the packets are all stale Potatoe hash browns stale Falcon restaurants are okay but very limiting Most places except buffet and mangu do NOT allow kids Room doesn’t provide soap gel or soap bars (Soap gel doesn’t lather either ) * edit - also No shampoo Also the tub in the room is dirty , like very dirty. I don’t believe they are cleaned during different visitors. I thought this place was better than the rating on Expedia (4.2/5) . I’m giving 2 / 5 instead of 1 because they weren’t too pushy about buying different activities and trips which was okay.

Scam/ bait and switch Stayed May 2022 Cons- the hotel usually comes with access to the Palma Real property which is right on the beach and has access to the pool as well. We were surprised to learn upon our arrival that the Palma Real property was under a complete renovation which closed access to it. The beach access for the Reserve is right in front of the Palma Real property which means you listen to loud construction noise while you’re trying to relax on the beach. This was a huge disappointment. I was so excited to relax on this beautiful island, on the beach with a book, but the construction noise was so loud that I couldn’t even read my book. When I asked if there was anything they could do about it, they said nothing could be done. By the way, they don’t disclose this before you book. Also, once you arrive, they tell you that they’re going to give you a tour of their beautiful new property Grand Cana, but ultimately what it is, is a sales pitch for their hotel membership that lasts about 45 minutes to an hour. Think time share sales pitch. Not exactly the experience you want once you arrive to a beautiful island to relax. Much of the reserve property is also in much need of upkeep. Several of the tiles in the pool are missing, all the fountains are empty, and there is significant wear and tear throughout the property. Pretty disappointing to find when you’re staying at a five star resort. Pros- all the staff is extremely friendly and kind. This was the highlight of our stay at the reserve. Also, the food at the buffet at The Reserve is absolutely delicious. We were never disappointed with our meals there. There are hundreds of hotels in the general Punta Cana area that are not under construction and won’t ruin your beach/island experience. I highly recommend you book elsewhere.

My kids room had bed bugs in both beds. The management didn't believe us and made us show them the bugs and bites on the kids legs. They then found our kids another room after a lot of fighting with the manager and the second room had cockroaches in it. I would give it zero stars for cleanliness and customer service if I could. This was our family Christmas vacation, December 2022. Never staying here or any melia again. Spend your money elsewhere. This is also a 15 minute walk to the beach.

Jenny Castillo was a fantastic server at the Aqua restaurant. Very charming and professional. Also Jonathan at Hydro Grill was very kind and attentive. That was my favorite restaurant by the way. I'll write more later. But we've been so happy so far.

I recently dined at Aqua Restaurant and had an outstanding experience. From the moment we walked in, the service was impeccable. Jenny Castillo was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. The food was absolutely delicious . The ambiance was cozy and inviting, making it the perfect setting for a memorable meal. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a top-notch dining experience. I can't wait to return

Great stay! Lovey people, great food, not that crowded, clean rooms. Wonderful for traveling with kids (splash pads, kids pool, day care, food options like pizza and nuggets). *6 nights at “The Reserve” w/ a toddler Facts: • The “Reserve” resort is a little dated. The facilities need a little attention - like missing tiles in the pool and little maintenance things. • The “Grand Cana” resort is newer and modern. If you want a more high-end feel, stay at Gran Cana. • No elevators at the “reserve”. If your on the 2nd or 3rd floor it can get cumbersome (specially with children). • They will try to give you a tour - but this turns into a sales pitch for a membership. • The beaches have vendors that walk around and try to sell you things - souvenirs, shirts, braided hair, etc. They are not pushy but do come often. • The “Palma Real” resort is under construction and is located on the beach where you’ll be sitting, not a big deal, but you may hear and see construction work. • You will be taking a chauffeured golf cart to each resort or to the beach. Overall, great stay. Thanks!

We had a great 4 day vacation at the resort. Lots of fun things to do, and food was also great. Our nephew was celebrating his birthday and at dinner at the Aqua restaurant, Emmanuel Gomez, our server, went way above and beyond to make our night special. We had a party of 8 (4 rowdy kids) but he made sure everyone was well taken care of. Amazing service!

The property was nice at reserve but beautiful at grand cana the other part of hotel. Reserve rooms old outdated need to be renovated stains on the curtain stains on the mirror's old furniture mosquitoes in the room holes in the sheets holes in the curtains stains on bed sheets for that much money you should not be seeing any of that extremely disappointed with the food bareky ate all week. We had a complaint with these almost everyday. Not relaxing just when we were in the pool with my family the best part. My nephew choked on hard ribs like rubber Waited an hour and a 1/2 for food at the steakhouse and they left half the order out when they finally brought the food we got up and left after waiting an 1hr and a 1/2. Ruoned birthday and annivetsary dinnrt. Another night I got sick as a dog from the hibachi at reserve it was horrible. My husband found plastic in his pancakes at the buffet the food was not up to our standard at all when we complained all they offered was an upgrade for the two suites we had. Why would we want an upgrade to a brand new hotel once the new part is built after the horrible experience we had if they would have given us a complimentary stay or offered us some money back then maybe but we will never return to this property or a melia property ever again.

Don't stay at this property. The hotel will take your reservation for the property on the beach (which is under renovation) and then switch you to the other low end property called The Reserve and call it an upgrade. I had 4 ceiling leaks in 5 nights we stayed there. It was very frustrating to get a hold of the managers to complain. We had to talk to 5 different managers in 6 days, each previous manager disappears, and was never to be found again, and they will try to give you a run around and hope you give up. I have even sent emails to their "my experience" department at Melia, and all they did was offer 2 nights future stay, which is unacceptable. Why would I torture myself and go back to a hotel that treated you so badly. Read the reviews carefully, especially the latest ones. Many people complaining with the same issues. Also, they are so overbooked, it's hard to get reservations at the advertised restaurants. Initially they told us they couldn't accommodate our group because it was too big, even though we were willing to break up the group to eat separately. Finally after a few complaints, we were able to get reservations at a couple of restaurants. Otherwise they expect you to eat at the buffet everyday. Spend your money at a real 5 star hotel like @HyattZiva, not this zero star hotel. I'm sure, ill get the standard "please contact us so we make make this right" response from their social media department. Don't fall for it, I already wrote to them, they are no help.

The staff and the attention to detail was good. The reason for the 4 stars is due to parts of the resort closed due to renovations which was not expected and for which we were looking forward to. Also, we were expecting an adult only experience, and had booked rooms in what was advertised as an adult only section but found families traveling with young children. We thought we had booked the highest level of room but upon check in was told there was a $100/day optional upgrade for a room with a swim-up pool. I thought this is what I had booked. We were still satisfied with the accommodations but with comments to follow: Upon entering the room it was musty and stale with the air conditioning set at 25C. It would have made a much nicer impression with a cooler setting and some air freshener along with perhaps a flower arrangement, this was, after all, a premium room. In addition, the outside jacuzzi was not working correctly (it was later fixed). The fixtures on the outdoor jacuzzi were old and very tarnished, as they were on the indoor one. I would suggest using some dampers on the front doors of the room as they will slam closed and besides making a very loud noise they could hurt someone if a hand or finger was left there. The property was clean and seemed well kept but many things were looking dated and worn. There were some water features that were dry and looked neglected and several tiles were missing and broken in the pools. The beach club with the food trucks were nice and the beach was fairly nice with the cabanas showing some age. I am hoping the pending renovation to the rest of the property will remedy these shortcomings and bring it back to a five star experience. The staff were very good and accommodating to all our needs. Lewis, our Personal Concierge, was amazing, dignified and polite. We were introduced to to all the key staff members and he handled all of our requests, along with many very pleasant surprises. It is because of his charisma we joined the Meliá Program and with the potential he possesses we look forward to watching him grow within the Meliá organization. Overall we left content and will return once renovations are completed with the expectation of a remarkable second stay.

We stayed at the Reserve at Palma Real at the end of March. We had an amazing trip and wouldn’t have changed a thing. Our concierge Irvin was quick to respond and arranged our dinner reservations each night, which was awesome. Shout out to the bartenders at the reserve bar near the beach (Sunrise) and Victor at Gabi Beach bar. The food was great and the staff was all very friendly. Having stayed at a few other all inclusive resorts, we weren’t expecting the food to be as good as it was. The food at the sit down restaurants was definitely better, but the buffets were still good. I was honestly a little nervous before we went after reading a few negative reviews, but we really had a great trip and would definitely go back. For those debating between the reserve and the main hotel, I must say that we would absolutely do the reserve again next time. While it is a short walk or a quick golf cart ride from the main hotel and beach, we loved the reserve. It is incredibly quiet and the pools nearly empty. Most days we had entire sections of the pool to ourselves and never had trouble finding cabanas (in fact they were all empty except for near the kids pool). The pools are surrounded by green foliage and you really felt secluded and when you wanted the action of the beach it was easy to get to. We also had water park privileges at the water park at Grand Cana next door. While we thought this was far away, it’s actually right behind the reserve spa and walking distance. The food at the water park was actually really good too. They do not have liquor but serve beer. The rooms were also beautiful and spacious, which was nice while traveling with kids. Overall it was a great trip with great service and would recommend.

Our stay at Melia Garden Suites was superb, and Jenny, our waitress at Aqua Restaurant, made it truly outstanding. Her exceptional service added a personal touch to an already luxurious experience. Hydro Grill food was delicious on Mexican and Steak nights. Jonathan at Hydro Grill gave excellent service. Highly recommend for a delightful getaway!

Aqua was amazing! Truly one of the best restaurants at the resort! Elizabeth was our waitress and she was attentive and kind. She was so great to us, we really appreciated her! The food was amazing and so were the drinks! We also ate at hydro grill for lunch, and we especially liked our waiter Emmanuel Gomez! He was so kind, funny, and friendly. We loved him!

My husband and I have a pleasure of staying at the garden suites by Melia we loved it so much we had to extend our stay 2 times. The bartenders Fernando and Doris were more than amazing they would go above and beyond. They were so kind and they had amazing personalities. Also Pedro he was from room service he was so amazing. He attended to every needs and my husband definitely took advantage of the 24 hour room service he would always come up with a smile on his face, and asked if we ever needed anything else. I 10 out of 10 would recommend this place. Every staff member we came in contact with always had a smile on their face and would try to accommodate you as best as they could. Thank you so much Garden suites for having us stay here we will definitely be back!!

We had breakfast and lunch every day at Gabi Club and were very impressed by the food options and wait staff. I would especially like to mention Margarita and Jenniffer for their outstanding service. They were very attentive, friendly, and always had a smile on their faces.

We had a great vacation the whole staff was amazing! We had a great dinner at Aqua with an incredible server, Leticia was so great and Emily the manager was so accommodating! Would recommend this place to anyone. Truly had a great experience.

We had dinner here two nights in a row, once at Mizu and once at Aqua, and were served by Emmanuel on both occasions. The food at both restaurants was delicious. Emmanuel was fantastic! He greeted us with a big smile and a fist bump on the second night. He was incredibly attentive and made sure the food and drink kept flowing!! Would give him more than five stars if possible!

We stayed here while visiting family! Our service was amazing and food was delicious. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. We loved having access to Falcon too! Definitely will be back. We are at Aqua restaurant twice! So good. Leonardo Ramirez was our waiter; so attentive and kind!

Amazing resort and amazing workers. The rooms are beautiful overseeing the pool area. The food so far has been amazing. Junior at the aqua restaurant was extremely friendly and a great server. Funny, kind and makes you feel like family. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone

Junior was our server at Aqua & he was absolutely fabulous. He gave us a great experience & recommended some really delicious menu selections. We are staying at Falcon but decided to eat at this resort and we were not disappointed. Food was delicious

Aqua was a yummy treat. Junior was an excellent and attentive server. The food was delicious and the servings were right sized. I especially loved my dessert. It was so decadent. Junior went above and beyond to accommodate our requests. He was also very kind to let us practice our Spanish.

Made reservations at Aqua (Mediterranean food) in the resort. The food was excellent and the presentation of the food was beautiful. Our waitress (Leticia) was very nice and helpful and attentive. We really enjoyed our food and drinks. Highly recommend the at least one reservation to try the food.

There is no words to describe the warm kindness of the people from Dominican Republic. They are simply the best. In our case Leonardo, was an amazing exemplification of rapport and empathy. He is the best in what he does. An authentic servant leader. If you come to Aqua you'll feel the true connection with the best of Dominican Republic. Thank you Leonardo and Aqua staff for a great family celebration.

Great experience for my family and I! Restaurants were easy to book. Staff were very friendly. Javier was our Bulter and was amazing help during our trip. Habitat (Kids club) is an amazing place if you have kids. Either drop them off there to be in great hands and enjoy your free time or stay with them. Shuttles to the beach came under 10 minutes. Just let them know that you are waiting for the shuttle. Also brush up on your Spanish!

Junior at aqua was a wonderful server, always ontop of all. He was very attentive and the food at this restaurant was amazing. Overall 10/10 highly recommend. Junior was the best ask for him if you go!

We had fabulous and very attentive service at dinner @ Aqua. They definitely catered toward the idea of parents and families on vacation. We all had a wonderful time. Leonardo and Emily were energetic and accommodating to our family.

We had dinner tonight at Aqua. Reynaldo opened the door for us and escorted us in with great friendliness and enthusiasm. Emily checked us in quickly and got us seated right away. Our server Emmanuel was very kind and attentive. Our dinner experience was lovely! The restaurant is very beautiful and the food was amazing. It was our second time here and it didn't disappoint. It's probably my favorite restaurant at this hotel.

Had a wonderful time at Aqua! From the moment we walked through the door with a warm greeting from Emily, to the amazing service from our server Jenny. They both made our dining experience unforgettable and hope we can see them again when we come back!

First the pictures on the booking are not what the real life hotel looks like. When we arrived long time to check in , the ladies were slow. After we went to our room , the furniture was old some things were defective, and broken. The room smelled humid dusty and the floors were sticky . The room also had roaches .The snacks were the same always everyday. No microwave the lack of lighting it was dark like the hotel with yellow lights .This hotel was very far from the beach you have to travel in golf carts to the other hotel the falcon . The Buffett was open door it was hot the cheeses and ice cream were always melted. The food had an off taste . I was sick from the food here. The main pool had missing tiles the kids park was closed the spa was colored . They need to remodeled this hotel asap . The costumer service was bad the staff never knew nothing , was slow for everything and expected tips for doing the minimum . The restaurants very poor quality 3 main courses reservations were always full and the restaurant were empty I think they wanted everyone at the buffets. The spa you had to travel to the falcon and the prices were overly expensive. The employees had argument during work hours. Next to our room there was a couple arguing and screaming. Very trashy environment. Also limited menu for the kids . The activities during the day were not attracted and at night you had to travel to the other hotel falcon for night activities, that were also disappointing I don’t recommend this hotel at all and won’t come back here.

We had a terrific week at The Reserve. Mariananyi was our concierge. She is so warm and cheerful and enthusiastic there was no way we could not have fun! Leonardo is a waiter at Aqua (also he keeps popping up everywhere LOL). He is super friendly and has a lot of great ideas about how to improve your time there! Maria and Domingo were our servers at the buffet. Everyday they greeted us so warmly. Really nice service. Miguel is a bartender close to our room and he is pretty much the best resort bartender I ever came across. Danely is a masseuse at the spa and she gives a really excellent hot stone massage. It is true that the rooms need an upgrade. The furniture is a little scuffed and out of date. Maybe the buffet could use a freshen up also. The designated beach here is a golf cart ride away. At this writing there is a slight issue at the beach because of seaweed and also construction at Paradisus Palma Real. We worked around this easily by taking a taxi to Macao beach (round trip $80US the driver waited for us while we spent the day beaching). You can also take an excursion to Saona for blue water swimming. Overall the vacation was excellent. I feel the price point was adjusted down a little because we got our package for a real bargain. Next year, when the renovations are complete this place will be more expensive for sure.

Of the 3 groups that arrived over 2 days everyone had delayed check-in. We waited an hour for our room, our friends arrived around 7pm, waited 2 hours! This was in Nov well off peak travel. The place was not busy and well staffed. Just a lot of people doing nothing. Once in the room the snack bar was not stocked and the mini bar had 2 water so we asked for more waters. Took 2 calls and 4 hours to get the water. The mini bar was stocked only once after that during the trip. The facilities are nice, about 4 stars. Typical pool and swim up bars. The wait and bar staff were attentive and fast. We got assigned a "concierge" to arrange reservation and other needs while we where there. Unfortunately, their definitely of "concierge" and the American is clearly different. I asked ours for suggestions and ideas of what to do but he was only able to book reservations not really help us figure out where to go and what restaurants where available. Seating is limited so book when you first arrive. As a few of the other recent reviews suggest the food is poor. Unfortunately, they offer very little in local Dominican cuisine, so the food is an attempt to make familiar food and is poorly executed. The food was probably the most disappointing experience. It's all you can eat so I didn't expect exquisite cuisine, but this was really disappointing. If getting off the property wasn't so difficult and if our "concierge" could have suggested some off property restaurants we would have gone out nightly to not have to eat provided food.

Arrived Friday, April 29, 2022. Room has a strong mildew odor. Spoke with manager came and cleaned room two days later and turned off AC unit in the process. We noticed the smell was semi gone until we turned on AC and noticed smell was coming from vents and manager refused to move to new room. Don’t book room (4304) unless you don’t want to breathe correctly. For price you’ll think room would have been relaxing and accommodating. Can’t get over horrible smell. However, Resort is beautiful!!! Food was a hit or miss. Hibachi was the best Tokimeku was great! concierge was okay. Was told that I don’t get all the perks I was promised when booking. Hopefully, my last day is pleasant. Came for Birthday and Anniversary. Definitely won’t book again, (no entertainment) husband and I wasn’t pleased with stay.

The best hotel of Punta Cana. I highly recommend to book Swim-up rooms at The Reserve for a private pool and bungalow. There are lot of trees and private zones (Grand Cana is more open and public). Concierge Juan was very attentive and friendly. Mina and Kao restaurants were great, with delicious food. The only one thing, quality of equipment (music at evenings) - it definitely should be better. And presentation of Circle was not interesting for us. All staff - friendly! Thanks again for a great vacation time.

No one is nice or kind, is all about the money, always. If you need any help, you have to tip first. I'm all for tips, but it becomes a crazy situation in which it seems you are surrounded by beggars, not hotel staff. Shortly after arrival, I was scammed by a waiter who offered to exchange my large bill with smaller ones. Never came back, and when I went after him, he suddenly couldn't speak English anymore and pretended not to know what I was talking about. Money lost to a hotel employee. Even the hotel concierge tried to scam us by saying that the only way to get reservations to the restaurants was through him, and it was almost impossible to get the restaurants we wanted. Also said that if we paid him, he could get better prices on the tours, and that some restaurants had to be paid extra in order to get a table: all lies. That's no random guy in the street, that's the actual hotel employee! At the beach, no way to relax: every minute an insisting salesman tries to force you some amazing special deal, better than the ones who the other guy offered you the minute before. TV doesn't work and minibar doesn't cool well enough, but I'm getting short on cash - so I won't bother asking for help.

The Aqua restaurant on property is wonderful! Very attentive service and the food was outstanding. I had the snapper and my husband had the lamb. Both were amazing. Everyone went above and beyond to make sure we had a wonderful experience! The property is beautiful. Such a peaceful space. If you are looking for a quiet, quaint spot in a Punta Cana, this is it.

Restaurant Aqua has a very delicious food. We like Jenny Castillo. She is amazing!!! So friendly and intelligent. Love everything!!! Thank you very much Jenny. It was such a lovely dinner for our family. Will come back again:)))

My best friend and I choose Melia garden Suites for our annual girls trip. We have a swim up suite situated nicely in the far corner of the property. We have noticed that this property has much more privacy than the other properties on the resort. We love that we don’t have to fight for a pool spot daily with towels. In fact, the pool area is so vast that even if you are not in a swim up room you will always find a cozy and private pool spot. We have walked in the mornings to the beach and it is beautiful with everything you’d need for a fun day at the beach. The beaches are crowded. The staff has been very accommodating and the food has been plentiful. We love the little coffee and candy bar! The staff is always keeping the property clean and the groundskeepers have brought us a daily coconut to drink! Emmanuel is wonderful at Aqua and Emily the host is very sweet. The food is top notch and drinks are outstanding. Our only small complaint is that the walls are thin. The guy above us blasts music and the children next to our room were a bit loud in the evenings.

Ate at the Aqua Restaurant during our baby moon in the DR. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. We were seated right away by our hostess, Emily. We were served with fresh warm bread with the option of butter or olive oil. Our server, Debora, was very attentive, made recommendations, ensured that our drinks were plentiful, and was very meticulous in making sure that everything was in order. Overall, it was a great experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone.