All-Inclusive Hotel Stay w/ $250 resort credit at 5-Star Ocean Blue & Sand in Punta Cana. Airfare not Included

Best bar tenders around! Ramon decal cru at the bar villa marina is the best! He makes the best drinks and is the most friendly and outgoing bartender we've ever met. He made our day everyday!

Ocean Blue and Dand escape Second Christmas in row spent here at Ocean Blue and Sand. Lovely people, beautiful clean rooms and extra added touches for the holiday season. A special thank you to the staff and all their work for making our experience amazing again. Can't wait till next year. Thank you Amable for all your assistance! See you next year!!

CANNOT RECOMMEND, Read Why We are here now as I write this review, on Dec 26, 2025, wrapping up a 5-day stay. First let me say the H10 perk of Free Transfers turns out to be BOGUS if you are only going one way. Roundtrip transfers are offered, but if all you need is a taxi ride going from the hotel to PUJ airport on your departure date, you are out of luck. It’s not free, it’s not half price, it’s nonexistent. The front desk makes no attempt whatsoever to assist you in this, making the hotel’s attractive “free perk” a total scam, IMO. Also, at $350 per night we did not feel an additional “upgrade” to “Privilege” should be necessary (reserved section of beach beds/pool lounges, expanded breakfast buffet + name brand liquors), so we opted to remain “regular” status. *The PROS: Our room was spacious, modern & clean. Lounge area + balcony overlooking pool, dual vanities, walk-in shower, robes, 60” TV, and decorated with towel art for our birthday/xmas stay. Thank you for that :) Convenient trams run day & night as the grounds are very spread out. In the light of day the hotel was not initially impressive, the vibe was “dated” and worn down. However in the evenings the grounds are beautifully lit and ambient. There’s a lobby bar, theatre, small casino, bowling, batting cage & gym. A white sand beach is plowed daily for seaweed, and the surf is vigorous. Poolside massages are available but there’s no Spa, no Salon. Both pools are well maintained and each features a swim-up bar. One pool is relaxed while the other is lively with a DJ + pool games spoken mostly in Spanish (if you’re English-speaking you’ll find most of the resort is not, though pool staff & bartenders try.) We enjoyed the Sensai (habachi) and Blue Moon (romantic) restaurants. Mike’s Coffee Bar was a nightly after-dinner stop, with baked goods and a myriad of delicious coffees, it’s very chill and their staff is warm and friendly. The Ice Cream Hut gelato was SUPERB, far superior to the soft ice cream at the buffets. *The CONS: Inconsistent service throughout. Tipping doesn’t even get you a smile, let alone improved service. Service stays the same if you tip $5, $10, or $20. Waiter service comes with a bad attitude at Bodegon Steakhouse. It’s as if they are doing you a favor by taking your order, serving your food, and clearing the table. Several other guests of the hotel said the same. The steak was absolutely inedible; tough and of low quality, especially if you are accustomed to USDA Beef standards. Your satisfaction is not their concern, even if you leave a completely uneaten steak on your plate, no one asks if there’s a problem, what else can I get you, or would you like something else. That said, I would not recommend paying $50-$100 extra per person to “upgrade” to a supposedly better cut of meat… if you put a dress on a pig it’s still a pig, so why risk investing in a highly uncertain option? At the Villa Marina lunch buffet overlooking the beach (fabulous setting), I purposely used tongs to take food items (cheese, bun) from my plate and place them onto the grill. Then, despite having a spatula right in front of him, the grill guy put his bare HANDS all over the meat patties, the buns, then pressed his fingers down into the cheese, before using bare hands yet again to plop the burger onto my plate. Absolutely inexcusable, not to mention unsanitary. (Needless to say I threw that burger into the trash!) He was arrogant, and totally unprofessional. How can you possibly justify this? The following day, a different man was working and he very kindly agreed to my polite request of “no hands please” and even put on a pair of gloves - thankfully! Another man who set up our dinner reservations (aka the Sommelier) seemed annoyed that we even showed up at his desk; he was openly unfriendly, bordering on rude. The Receptionist at check-in, forcing a smile, gave very little info about where things were located or what there is to do. She didn’t bother telling us the resort has an app listing daily activities & shows. We overheard it mentioned by guests at the pool on Day 3. Our #ChristmasInTheCarib vacay is not over yet. If additional concerns and/or compliments arise… I may update/edit. UPDATE: We received a letter slid under the door, in response to feedback we left on the hotel app. It said: Stop by Guest Svcs. so we can offer ways to improve your guest experience. Their “offer” was no meal upgrade, no compensatory gesture, no perk of any kind. They didn’t even offer complimentary late checkout (our flight was delayed), instead they charged us $15 extra, per hour. So much for making things right. They simply handed us a “suggestion form.” This review will serve as my response. ***AVOID THIS PLACE*** if you are accustomed to good service, quality food, and premium facilities — you will not find them here.