Zoetry – Everyone should enjoy Endless Privileges

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This year’s family vacation was to Zoetry Agua Punta Cana, a beautiful, luxurious, oceanfront property, with the most amazing amenities!

When we first arrived in Punta Cana, we had a driver waiting for us with a private nonstop transfer to take us to the resort. From the moment I stepped foot into Zoetry, I fell in love. We were immediately seated with warm towels and drinks while they checked us in. The exceptional service never stopped.

Zoetry Agua is located on an isolated stretch of beach that gives the resort an exclusive feel. Although we were advised the resort was full, it never felt crowded. Beach chairs were always available and there was never a wait for anything. Easily accessible on the beach, is a batch of coral reef that could be easily seen through the crystal clear water along with tropical fishes. Every night, we would receive the resorts newsletter “Sundial”, which listed all of the following day’s activities. Zoetry offered a wide variety of daily activities to choose from. As a family, we chose to go horseback riding on the beach and took a bike tour around the neighboring towns.

Being as I was in the Dominican Republic, I wanted to try some local dishes. Unfortunately none of the dishes we wanted to try were officially on the menu; however, the Chef was more than happy to cook us up some local cuisine. One of my favorite Dominican dishes is Mofongo. This dish is comprised of mashed up plantains with garlic and a side of fried cheese or a choice of meat with a side of broth for dipping. Another one of my favorite dishes is called La Bandera. La Bandera is spanish for “the flag” as in the Dominican flag. It is named the Dominican flag because it is the traditional meal for Dominicans; consisting of rice, beans, choice of stew meat, salad, and fried plantains The next day, a Zoetry staff member brought us local Dominican fruits like zapote, guanábana and guayaba to make fruit platters and shakes for us. Nonchalantly, I mentioned to a staff member how much my family and I enjoy coconut milk. From the time I made that remark, until the day I left the resort, the staff made sure to have fresh coconuts waiting for us as we arrived at the beach even though I never officially asked.

Due to the small size of the resort, guests are able to become familiar with the staff and vice versa. The staff catered to our every need, if we wanted something, they found a way to get it to us. They made sure you felt like Zoetry was your second home. It made leaving so much more difficult, because not only are you leaving stunning surroundings, it feels like you are also saying goodbye to good friends. On our last day, the restaurant manager surprised us with a special last lunch with all of our favorite dishes.

Zoetry Agua is hands down the best resort I have been to with Apple Vacations. A great resort, offering excellent food and drinks, great service, broad choice of activities, and a relaxing homey feeling, everything I think makes a great vacation. Zoetry Agua is my benchmark for measuring future resorts experiences and what an amazing trip should be.

Rest Assured, Guest Services 24/7

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Here is a different look inside Guest Services at Barcelo Maya Palace Deluxe, which is just one of the many resorts we offer. I recently stayed at Barcelo Maya Palace Deluxe and had the opportunity to interview the Manager of Guest Services, Andrea Gonzalas. This was a great way to see how a resort handles client issues. Andrea personally explained to me the order of operations for Customer Care in Resort. More specifically, how Guests Services is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a team of dedicated representatives that are able to tend to any need or resolve any concern.  Here are the top questions I asked…

MB: How does the Guest Services department communicate with our Apple Vacations Representatives in resort, if there is a customer concern? 

AG: Most times, if there is a customer concern, the guest will first contact the Apple Representative. The Apple Representative will work directly with our Guest Services department in coming to a resolution.  However, if the concern is first brought to Guest Services, our Guests Services department then contacts the Apple Representative to advise of the client situation and how the client situation was solved. We always communicate with our Apple Representatives to ensure our guests concerns are always addressed.  We follow up with a courtesy call to any guest who may contact our Guests Service department, to ensure the guest is completely satisfied.  Guest satisfaction is our goal!

MB: What is the escalation path if there is a client concern?

AG: Guests Services department is called first, and most times Guest Services is able to solve any concern brought to our attention.  The first and most important step if there is a customer concern is to contact Guests Services or the Apple Representative on resort.  Waiting to express any concern after a guest returns home makes it difficult for Guests Services to resolve any issues.

I think there is nothing more comforting than having a friendly and knowledgeable staff that will help make your stay unforgettable. If you are in resort and feel something is not being delivered as promised, make sure you speak up while in resort so you can experience the Apple Vacation you dreamed of!

Customer Care in Resort – Amstar DMC. A friendly face in a faraway place!

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Each day, thousands of Apple Vacationers are relying on Amstar’s services. In Mexico , the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, Amstar’s enthusiastic and service-minded teams await to tailor your vacation and to convert ordinary stays into unforgettable life-time experiences.

They have an extensive list of services, products and activities as well as a full range of transportation options, exciting and innovative excursions , and a wonderful, multilingual staff. Whether looking for pleasure and relaxation in sunny tropical surroundings, or a boost of adrenaline through exciting adventure and action tours, rest assured Amstar can fulfill those dreams.

Amstar DMC knows what it takes to surpass expectations and bring dreams to life.

When you’re planning your Apple Vacation (online, with a Reservations Specialist or Travel Agent) be sure to check out the various excursions available at your destination. Amstar has many different activities to choose from regardless if you like exciting and thrilling or prefer laid-back or romantic. It’s completely up to you and your style of vacation.  If you’ve already booked your vacation, you can still plan your excursion when you’re in resort. Just look for the Apple Representative on the property. A friendly face in a faraway place! The Apple Representatives will happily assist you book an excursion or tour. They can also help you with any questions you may have.

To see a full list of Amstar’s activities and tours visit www.amstardmc.com

*Tours available in Mexico, Jamaica, and Dominican Republic only.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana

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One of Apple Vacations Senior Marketing Executives just got back from a family vacation to the the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana. We got a review from her son yesterday, but here is what she had to say about the vacation:

We just returned from a great trip to Hard Rock Punta Cana. The resort was very impressive—grounds were beautiful, beach was awesome, and food and service was excellent. Our room was very spacious with a jacuzzi and great decor.  They are updating the rooms from the Moon Palace decor (which was already modern and tasteful) with a  Hard Rock touch—Rock ‘n Roll art, etc. The spa was huge and amazing and so was the casino, and there is all kinds of Rock memorabilia throughout the hotel.

There are something like 11 pools which are all big too and many with swim-up bars.

Being relatively new, the resort was not even close to capacity, but even when it is I can’t imagine having to get up early to reserve chairs because there are so many pools, all set along the beach. My teenage sons participated in the activities at the main activities pool and really enjoyed  the entertainment staff.

Unfortunately one of our bags got misdirected by the airline, and the hotel’s Customer Service staff was very helpful in terms of  making phone calls to the airline to follow up and arrange a ride to the shopping center. They also sent extra amenities to the room and made several follow-up calls to ensure we didn’t need anything. Complimentary long distance phone calls was another great perk!

If you like big hotels and don’t mind walking a bit , you’ll love Hard Rock!  If you are traveling with teenagers this is a great place to go as well because the staff really engages them—we have been on many Apple Vacations and this ranks at the top of the list!

Don’t forget—If you book by 12/31 Hard Rock Punta Cana is currently offering an air credit of up to $700.00 and resort credit of up to $1500.00. Click here for more details on how to redeem the credits and what they are good for.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana

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One of Apple Vacations Senior Marketing Executives just got back from a family vacation to the the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana. Before we had her write a review, we asked her teenage son to do it so we can have his opinion.  Here is what he had to say:

This was an all-around great resort. The food was fantastic and the beach was incredible, but the best part about the trip was the service and the workers. The people who worked at the resort we’re extremely friendly and genuinely cared about how you were doing. Some people in particular include Jose “The Pink Panther” Torres, Maximo Nunez, Marcos, and Deivy the bartender. These people did everything that they possibly could to make this trip extremely enjoyable and fun for the people staying at the resort. Jose and Maximo took the effort to make sure that we were having a blast every time they saw us. The only negative thing that I can say about the resort is that there were not enough people there! (compared to the enormity of the hotel). But other than that, the trip was a blast and I would recommend the hotel to anyone who asked.

If you book by 12/31 Hard Rock Punta Cana is currently offering an air credit of up to $700.00 and resort credit of up to $1500.00. Click here for more details.