Do people ever really win an Apple Vacation?

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Christine May (Managing Editor)

Everyone wants to win a prize. But, do people ever really win an Apple Vacation? Yes they do! Here is a review from a happy prize winner from Facebook who just returned from Punta Cana.

We want to thank Apple Vacations so much from for such a wonderful trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

We really were amazed the way we were treated. We won the original 3 day fully inclusive trip but live in the Boston area. When we mentioned we would have to fly from Boston to pick up the departure the day before the trip, you upgraded us to a Boston departure, for a 7 day fully inclusive vacation! Then when the original resort was overbooked, we got upgraded yet again to one of the best on the Island, Secrets Royal Beach. Our room was a beautiful Junior Suite with Jacuzzi and far exceeded our expectations. The resort was fantastic, it had great food, a great location, and the staff was so friendly and helpful.

We found that the whole trip to be well run and supported by your Amstar representatives. They had all the relevant information for the resort and good advice for day trips that were available. My wife lost a bag on one of these trips and they both followed up with the outside tour operator, they found the bag and got it back to her intact.

The way we were treated was exceptional, and we would not hesitate to use or recommend Apple Vacations in the future. Our daughter who entered us in the contest said how much she had enjoyed using Apple Vacations for her vacation and how accommodating you were. We can certainly confirm that and want to thank you all again at Apple Vacations especially Susan for a wonderful (free) vacation experience.

T & D
Boston, MA

Zoetry – Everyone should enjoy Endless Privileges

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Chau Tran (Punta Cana Revenue Analyst)

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.

Playa Bonitas Inclusive Hotel

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Eileen Herncane (Editor at Large)

Playa Bonitas Inclusive Hotel. This hotel is strategically located on a quiet peninsula about 15 minutes from downtown, surrounded by rainforest. The lobby is air-conditioned and is reminiscent of the Marriott in Cancun or the Riu Palace Las Americas. Very elegant and upscale with marble flooring, crystal chandeliers and sweeping vistas of the ocean. The property itself is shaped like a huge U with all rooms facing the ocean. It is spread out but manageable. There are 3 fairly large free form pools in the center of the property as well as a wonderful 10, 000sq foot spa (Bonita Del Mar) and gym. The property is not all-inclusive, but offers a variety of meal plans. There are 3 restaurants including the Lighthouse restaurant for fine dining in a gorgeous setting. The rooms are spacious and mostly white with pops of bright colors. The rooms all have a view of the ocean and have the usual amenities of flat screen TV, mini bar and internet. The beach here is swimmable per the GM but is nearly nonexistent during high tide. During low tide the ocean retreats almost 2 football fields leaving a large mucky area. The hotel has a kids club, which they are looking at expanding. This hotel has the best of both worlds, a quiet, pristine setting but only minutes from the city. With the addition of a few more amenities (another dining option perhaps) this could easily be a 6 Apple resort.

Playa Blanca Part 2

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Eileen Herncane (Editor at Large)

Playa Blanca

I had lunch and toured the all-inclusive Playa Blanca. The hotel has a casual feel with a rather nondescript open-air front desk and lobby. The buildings are large and painted white which gives the property a stark but Mediterranean feel. The hotel grounds look a bit older but appeared fairly active. The rooms were modern and done in neutral tones. FYI — the Jr. suites are differently designed — long and narrow with a sitting room as you walk in — strange use of space. There are 2 large free form pools with a separate kid’s pool. There were a lot of dining options (5) and bars including an open-air disco, which was modeled after the deck of an old sailboat. We had lunch at Maki Sushi right on the beach. Food and service were excellent. The beach here is white sand — very wide and very long — really beautiful — I felt like I was in Riviera Maya (almost).

Visit at the Solarium Coronado Beach is a new high rise built on Coronado Beach, the area where many Americans are retiring. This facility is part hotel and part privately owned units much like the Whaler in Hawaii. The first 5 floors are hotel rooms, which are bright and airy units with kitchens — great for families with kids. (There is a grocery store nearby) This property is EP (no meals) with a small restaurant and bar in the lobby. The main pool is built on a tiered terrace overlooking the sea and would be the perfect place for destination weddings. The view from the top floor that houses the health club and an additional pool is nothing short of stunning. One can do a complete 360 and see the mountains, the coast, and as far away as Panama City. The beach in front of the property is almost a black sand beach and very narrow during high tide. While I liked the look and atmosphere of this hotel very much, the fact that it has only 31 rooms and only 1 dining option makes it much less desirable for a typical Apple Vacationer.

Drive to Playa Blanca

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Eileen Herncane (Editor at Large)

Breezes Playa Blanca

The drive to Playa Blanca was approximately 1 and ½ hours on great highway through scenic areas. It went quickly and was very enjoyable. I checked into Breezes and strolled the property. First impression of the Playa Blanca area — This is definitely what Apple Vacationers are used to when looking for a “sun” destination. The beach itself is on par with the likes of Riviera Nayarit. The sand is lighter but the color of water is a darker blue as most Pacific beaches tend to be. They do have occasional rip currents and most beaches have lifeguards. Interesting note — because of the way the land curves you can actually see the sun rise over the water on the Pacific coast in this area. The hotel appeared full and was active with families. The first children I’d seen at any hotel in several days! I had dinner at the a la carte Japanese restaurant called Munason. It consisted of the typical tapenyaki/sushi fare. The restaurant tries to seat clients into English and Spanish speaking tables because they seat ten. Food was ok, service excellent.

Breezes Playa Blanca

The hotel is a higher standard than some of the other Breezes properties I have visited. It is shaped like a U and is compact and easy to maneuver. The open-air lobby is at the top of an incline and offers sweeping views of the pools and beach below. The rooms are spacious and were well appointed with flat screen TVs, iPod docking stations and stocked mini bars. The décor is bright and tropical. The entire hotel itself feels very light and airy. There are 2 a la carte restaurants in addition to the buffet and snack bar (Japanese and Italian). I spoke with clients staying at the resort and most commented on the good service level. There is a kids club and teen center and the hotel appears very active. Good for families and young people. The pool is 3 tiered and houses a large Jacuzzi near the snack bar at the beach. They serve hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos etc. There is a swim up pool bar. As I mentioned before the beach is long and quite beautiful.

Royal Decameron

I also visited the Royal Decameron which is all-inclusive. This property is so large all guest should receive a map and flare gun upon check in! It is built parallel to the beach so you are never too far from the water. Also, each section has its own pool, snack bar and restaurants nearby — so you don’t have far to walk for a drink or to grab a bite to eat. They often tend to put families in one section, couples in another etc. The entire resort is built on a fairly steep incline, so those booking an ocean view room should keep in mind that they will have an uphill walk consisting of a lot of stairs back to their room. This is definitely a full service hotel and the type of resort our clients are used to as far as amenities go i.e. 10 restaurants 9 pools, 11 bars, a casino, a spa, shops etc. The rooms themselves are moderate and locally decorated with a Panamanian flair. Nice spa facility. The disco is open air and located at the end of the property to keep the noise away from the rooms. The beach is long and wide and the sand in this area appears very white. The hotel offers a lot of palapas and tented chairs for shade on the beach. There is a convention center on property. This hotel also has a section of independently owned vacation villas located on a golf course across the street. The 18-hole course is well maintained and designed by Randall Thomson. This would be a great group hotel option and suitable for families, singles and couples.