Bahia Principe Fantasia Punta Cana — Hotel in Higüey

Check-in was decently quick; although we requested a first floor room due to having a stroller, they originally assigned us to a third floor room set up with birthday decor for our daughter. They quickly switched us to a first floor room, however the birthday decor took several reminders to finally be set up the day of her birthday in our new room. For birthday decor, they put a banner on your door, tie the window curtain up pretty, add some flower petals/balloons and leave a chocolate(?) castle dessert piece in your room. They mentioned a cake but we never received one.||The room itself is dated but functional. Floors are EXTREMELY slippery when wet. Doorway entrance area is VERY cramped if you have a stroller. Air conditioner wasn’t very strong. Not many plug sockets. Tons of mosquitoes get into the room through the cracks of the door. Room service was super convenient, however although available on the app, it doesn’t work; make sure to call your order in.||The complex itself is nice, good size. However due to renovations at Grand Punta Cana, getting around via their train system was not the easiest; we never made it over to the Turquesa waterpark to compare to Fantasia’s.||Lobby is open air and attached to some shops, the main buffet, two a la cartes only for Fantasia guests, a bar, show stage and the Game Center. The Game Center was closed for renovations which we did not know about prior to our stay as this was something we were looking forward to for the kids. We talked to the desk right next to these stairs and suggested they remove the sign if it’s closed so others don’t carry their strollers and lug their kids all the way downstairs to discover it’s closed but they just re-aligned it. No signage to indicate it’s closed until you reach the doors. There are three sets of ramps to get up to the lobby, however the one right by Building 98 is bumpy and steep at the very bottom as if they built it on top of a tree stump. The evening shows repeat weekly but with the lobby being open air and exposed to the heat and bugs, it was extremely uncomfortable to sit through a whole show. For a resort catered to kids, the shows did not start until 9:00pm which was too late in our opinion as most nights our kids were already falling asleep and demanding to go back to the room or asleep in the stroller. The castle show that happens at 8:30pm every night was okay, but not something you’d really care to watch more than once.||Beach is a short train ride or 5 min walk down the road. There is a specified Fantasia section with a buffet/bar right behind it. Next to it is the Punta Cana resort Fantasia guests can also use. The Truck and one of their main pools is right there. On the other side of the pool is the Olas Beach house where some of the available a la cartes for Fantasia guests are located. Vendors who are not affiliated with the resort walk up and down everyday with souvenirs, jewelry, clothes, excursions and hair braiding services to sell.||The waterpark was a highlight for our kids. They were so excited to go there, however the excitement did wear off after a week and they didn’t care for it the last few days we were there. The little snack bar was super convenient for a quick drink or chips. We loved the BBQ lunch served at the garden circus (nearly) everyday. Made it easy to not have to go all the way to the lobby for the buffet lunch. The main pool was good too, three different sections with two being identical with semi-working jacuzzis and being quieter. The big main section had a nice shallow end for kids to play in and acted as sort of a stage for their entertainment team.||We visited The Village twice after dinner at the Olas Beach House since there is a train from there that takes you to The Village directly. It was a large square with shop vendors to buy souvenirs and necessities (at a premium) if forgotten at home. Haggling is accepted, generally the more you buy, the bigger the “discount” the shop will give is.||The Kids Club seemed to be sort of a “summer camp” for ALL ages 4 and up. We saw some pictures that looked like parents had the option to stay with their kids when doing activities but when we stopped by with our kids we were told we had to drop them off which we were not comfortable with so we did not utilize the Kids Club at all during our stay. The interior also seemed underwhelming with one “game” room of video games and a foosball table and another room with tables and chairs for drawing. Then there was a small baby room with cribs and a few toys they let us stay in for a bit for our kids to just do some drawing which they quickly got bored with.||We only did the buffet for dinner our first night but did not acclimate well to the open air style so we avoided the main buffet other than for lunch one day. We preferred the quieter setting of the Garden Circus for buffet breakfast and cookout lunch. We booked our a la cartes via the app before arrival and had no issues with cancelling/rescheduling (if available) while we were there. They were good in general with the Garden Circus Steakhouse and Rodizio being our favorites. The Italian was also good but the portions were tiny, had my favorite desserts which we often skipped because we were so full from the appetizers and entrees.||We tipped anywhere between $1-10 USD depending on the service/quality. Some of the staff at the Garden Circus were wonderful and remembered our usual drink orders.||Not sure if it was the sun/hot weather, food (son had the beef/steak dish at Il Paradiso the night he got sick and my daughter and I got sick the night after eating at Tequila), travel in general or a combination but I along with two of my kids got sick. Woke up throwing up in the middle of the night. Called to ask for help with cleaning the floor where my kids had thrown up and ended up waiting over an hour.||As many other reviews have noted, this resort is great for young kids but we wouldn’t choose it again to return to when our...

Just returned from Fantasia Punta Cana, had a great holiday, went with wife, daughter and grandson (just turned 5), we selected this hotel for our grandson as it looked amazing for him. When we booked we requested 2 adjoining rooms, 1 month and 2 weeks out i messaged them to again request adjoining rooms, i checked into hotel before arriving using the app but in truth don't understand the point as check in was not the quickest, when we arrived we were told we didn't have adjoining rooms, Yohanna on reception was excellent and booked us into adjoining rooms.| We had booked 2 side castle view rooms, these were reasonable size and comfort. Sink only had hot water and shower was good. Our maid was very good and polite (sorry but didn't get her name) but on her day off we had a different maid, she was rude and when asked her name she ran off, spoke with management about her and rest of holiday both rooms had our maid, she was very good (would set up our grandsons toys for him).| Electric buggies are used to take guest around the hotel, the complex is huge, 6 hotels in total, this became quite confusing as we were unsure what we could use or where restaurants are. Everything is done through the app we we found when making reservations they sometimes didn't go through. There are lots of buggies but in truth we walked to beach or to restaurants in other hotel and mainly didn't see buggy so walking was quicker.| The beach is about 10 minute walk from hotel, there was plenty of sunloungers and the beach is nice, slightly rough sea but ok, the beach bar is nice and serves simple snacks.| Pools - there are 2 quiet pools behind the castle bar, the large entertainment pool where games and activities were held, this had a swim up bar, we spent most of our time here, our grandson loved it. This pool was always staffed by life guards and they were excellent. The staff at swim up bar were ok but didn't seem happy to serve none Spanish speaking guests and even though i would leave regular tips they seemed unappreciative, they would have received more if they had been more polite.|There is a kids water park as well, this was excellent and had a bar and snack bar, this was very good.|Restaurants - the buffet breakfast we all found disappointing as we didn't like the selection of foods, limited fruits, random items in hot plates, did not enjoy breakfast and missed a few instead getting something from snack bar, before anyone says there is a large selection and you wont starve, we didn't go on holiday to survive, we want to enjoy our food . Lunch and evening meals were far better. The Circus restaurant was closed (this was not briefed out) and meals were at the Le Gourmet, the service, staff were excellent but the food sadly was not, this was our worse meal. Thani (Indian restaurant) was in another hotel (Grand Punta Cana i believe), we ate here twice, the first was excellent with good food, view and service, but the second time the service was very poor bordering intentionally poor. We ate at the Il Paradiso twice and the food and service here were great both times.|Lobby bar - the staff here were very good and didn't appear to favour Spanish speaking guests, the drinks here were also better.|Entertainment - day time activities were good but nothing to say where they are held, there was a kids club but our grandson didn't use it much as they only spoke in Spanish, we complained when they were doing games in pool and so one of them just dragged him around the pool, we took him out of this as he had more fun with us, he did a couple of craft sessions but they didn't speak to him in these. Evening entertainment was ok for hotel, the magician and circus act was very good the the other nights were ok.| This is a very noisy hotel, the pool music is loud, the sound proofing in the rooms is none existent, evening music is loud, this isn't a problem if your kids do not have afternoon naps or go bed early but it was an issue for us at times, sadly cannot recommend a part of hotel as different parts are noisy at different times.| Cleanliness - the hotel appeared spotless at all times and the gardens were immaculate.|Other guests - the children here seemed to be very well behaved on the whole and the families seemed polite.|We had a fantastic holiday here and have some great memories but would probably not return due to the lack of spoken English, the majority of guests are Spanish speaking but our grandson missed out on kids activities because of the language barrier and we only came here because of him. Some of the staff seemed indifferent to none Spanish speaking guest which is a shame for the rest as it definitely effects there tips. Most of the staff were excellent and would spend time with our grandson making him laugh. The app needs improving. Better information around what can be used and where things are.|This is a great hotel especially if you speak Spanish, very little was spoken in English and to adults this was not a problem, but this is not an adults hotel, it is for families with young children and because of this we would probably not book a Bahia Principe hotel while taking our...

We are one week into our 10-day stay at Bahia, traveling as a group of 13 people ranging from infants to seniors. I want to share this experience as honestly as possible, because this is not the same Bahia we visited in 2019 when it truly felt like a 5-star resort. Today, it’s closer to a 3-star property at best. I hope this review saves you from the same disappointment.||⸻||The Basics That Shouldn’t Go Wrong|| • Hot water is unreliable. At night, there’s often no hot water at all. During the day, it’s the opposite — scalding hot, with barely any cold water to balance it out.|| • Air conditioning barely works. It defaults to “eco mode” and shuts off unless you constantly monitor it. Rooms quickly become stuffy and uncomfortable.|| • Bedding is cheap and uncomfortable. Instead of a proper quilt, you only get two thin sheets.||⸻||Severe Mosquito Problem||This is one of the worst parts of the stay. After 6:00 pm, stepping outside feels like stepping into a swarm. You get bitten every few seconds on any uncovered skin. These mosquitoes are stealthy — you don’t feel them until after the bite. In just 7 days, I’ve personally had over 40 bites, and others in our group are dealing with the same. Bug spray doesn’t work. It makes evenings outdoors almost impossible and miserable for kids and adults alike.||⸻||Cleanliness & Comfort Issues|| • Cockroaches in the bathroom. Yes, even inside the room.|| • Ant infestations. Anything left outside to dry will be covered with hundreds of tiny red ants.|| • Construction noise. Rooms facing construction deal with constant loud noise starting early in the morning.||⸻||Food & Dining||Food is where Bahia has really dropped in quality. At an all-inclusive, dining is supposed to be a highlight — here, it’s the opposite.|| • Overall quality is mid-level. Buffets and à la carte restaurants are repetitive, bland, and sometimes unsafe — many in our group had stomach issues. Adults dealt with diarrhea, kids with constipation.|| • Rodizo and Le Gourmet were forgettable and not worth the hype.|| • Reservations are pointless. Even with a booking, we waited 15–30 minutes because restaurants weren’t prepared with tables.|| • Maiko (hibachi) was the one “highlight.” The chef and waiter made it fun and interactive with great energy. But while the experience was entertaining, the food itself was only mid-level — not the kind of quality you’d expect from a specialty restaurant at a so-called 5-star resort.|| • No late-night snack bar anymore. Unlike past years, there isn’t a 24/7 snack bar. If you want food late, you’re stuck with limited, slow room service options.||⸻||Services & Amenities|| • Shuttle service is unreliable. Sometimes it comes quickly, other times you wait far too long. Worse, we had a disturbing incident where another female guest pushed my wife while boarding because she felt she should have gotten on first. When we raised it with staff, they mostly listened to the other side because they spoke Spanish. Only one staff member listened to us, and in the end, the other guests simply walked away with no accountability. That one encounter ruined our night — and showed us how poorly situations are handled here.|| • Room service is inconsistent. |Sometimes they simply don’t answer the phone when you call, leaving you with no way to get food or basic items.|| • “Free transportation” is misleading. It’s only to a nearby mall where prices are inflated (most items $10 USD+). It’s not a perk, it’s a hustle.||⸻||Health & Safety Concerns|| • My young son developed a high fever and severe diarrhea that hasn’t gone down even with medication. For parents, this is heartbreaking — and reflects how unsafe the food and sanitary conditions are here.||⸻||Excursions||The excursions were fun, but you need to know the hidden costs no one tells you upfront.|| • Ray in the lobby is trustworthy and booking through him felt safe. We did catamaran and ATV, and the experiences themselves were enjoyable.|| • But — expect lots of surprise charges. For example, ATV goggles are mandatory but not included; they cost $20 USD each. On top of that, the photo packages are aggressively upsold at over $200 USD for a group, knowing families will want the memories. These small fees add up quickly and take away from the “all-inclusive” feel. What looks like a good deal ends up being much more expensive than expected.||⸻||Overall||This resort once had high standards and true 5-star quality, but today it is far from it. Poor food, basic comfort issues, severe mosquito problems, pests, construction noise, inconsistent services, hidden excursion costs, and even safety concerns make this feel like a downgraded property.||If you’re thinking about booking Bahia, please think twice. Don’t let the pictures or old reviews mislead you. For the amount of money you’ll spend, your time, health, and peace of mind are worth more.||I’ll update this review once our trip is complete, but after just 7 days, I can confidently say: Bahia is no longer a five-star experience. It’s a 3-star resort...