Ocean El Faro - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9015 reviews

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  El Faro

  Susana in Daisy club is absolutely amazing! She made things so special for my kids. Resort was nice and plenty of food options. The blue crew was a lot of fun to watch. Wish the tram was around more for pick ups. Drinks are delicious and the pools and beach are so nice.

  Mar 31, 2025
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  One Night at Ocean El Faro

  My boyfriend and I stayed at Ocean El Faro for one night. We were bussed there courtesy of the airline since our flight was delayed until the next day and the airline covered the stay for all 200 people. I was surprised that an all-inclusive resort would have that kind of availability during Spring Break season. A downside is that it's 45 minutes from the airport. I was pleasantly surprised when we walked into the lobby. It was really nice - a totally different vibe from the place we stayed at before, which was also very nice, but it just was different. I think the decor is called Caribbean Colonial. Our room was on the first floor of the very first building right after the shops and restaurants overlooking the pool. So it was NOISY. When we walked into our room, there was a musty smell which told me the room isn't used much since it is so noisy next to the shops/restaurants - but was okay to give to the airline refugees. It was "free" so we didn't complain. It had nice decor and the bed was comfy, but there were some issues. The bathroom sinks clogged up, the mini bar didn't have any water and was not stocked, and the walls were paper thin. We could hear our neighbor continually coughing at 5am. We arrived too late to go to any of the ala carte restaurants as they were booked, so we went to dinner at Mercado, the buffet. Totally understaffed and the staff moved very slow like they didn't care. You don't see that in the US. Also they ran out of plates, and people were scrambling. The cook who grilled the chicken and the beef used the same utensils for both meats and did not change or wash tongs after handling the raw meat. So I chose another option. The food was just ok. We had breakfast at the other smaller buffet by the beach the next morning. Do not bother going there. We absolutely loved the lobby bar! It was the best part of our stay. It had a cool decor and had top-shelf alcohol, which our previous resort did not stock. They made the best drinks in pretty, fun glasses adorned with fruit. The male bartender who worked the night of 3/19 (didn't catch his name) was very friendly and a true pro.

  Mar 31, 2025
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  A Cautionary Tick Tale

  Over the March break 2025 we travelled to Ocean El Faro resort for our family vacation. This was the first 5 star vacation we have ever booked, and we were utterly disappointed. The Good The rooms were nice and spacious, the pools were great, most nights the entertainment was fantastic for the evening shows. It would be great to have them include entertainment for kids on stage before the main show begins (competitions and activities), as the kids entertainment was pretty repetitive). The Bad The food was terrible. The warming dishes did not keep the food warm at all, most of the buffet style food was cold and very unappealing. Often the fresh food cooked on the grill was overcooked and very dry. (However, the 2 a la carte restaurants we ate at were very good, but slow service. We regret not booking a reservation every night). The service at the buffet hall was not very great either. The Ugly Day two of the trip I was bitten by a tick. How do I know it was a tick? I pulled it out of my lower back and threw it in the sink after I wasn't able to brush that strange lump off of me. Now, tick happens ... right? Well, not in the over 15 resorts I've been too, but I'm sure it's possible. That's not the worst part. The worst part was the horrible service I received from the supposed "guest services". They could definitely use a little more training in the "Treatment of Guests" chapters. Not only did they not believe I was bitten by tick, they tried to convince me it could have been a mosquito, an ant, or a chigger. They also looked at me questioningly (as though I wasn't being truthful) when they asked if it could be possible that I was on a tour and brought it back with me! They questioned why I filled out a report about it and were not impressed that I had. Their concern was all about reputation and not about their guest at all. When I finally got in to see the doctor, I really had to advocate for myself to be prescribed the necessary medication as the DR is a high endemic area. It's better to err on the side of caution then risk contracting Lyme disease, right? Not in the eyes of the guest services managers, that's for sure. This whole ordeal ate up over 10 hours of my trip (over 3 days) and it was something that should have been taken care of quickly. Overall, it was not worth the cost of a 5 star resort. I've been to numerous 4 star resorts and had much better experiences overall.

  Mar 30, 2025
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  Excellent

  From the time we arrived at Ocean El Faro we were treated excellently. Thanks to our Butler, Alexander D for a great time. He went above and beyond to make sure all are needs were met. A shout out to Elena at the lobby bar for the greatest mojito. Darius and his team at the El Beso beach bar were excellent, making the best drinks on the beach. Kudos to Ana Christine, Melvyn, Diego and rest of the staff at the Privilege Lounge for making breakfast and lunch a great experience. We would recommend Ocean El Faro to our family and friends.

  Mar 30, 2025
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  Adult Pool Experience

  Arline and Enrique have been excellent pool hosts on the El Beso adults only side. I was asked to participate int the games and they made me feel like I was part of their crew. The music was great for a younger generation of adults as well. Francis and Juan Carlos in the pool bar provided excellent service as well. They remembered my drink order from the first day all the way until the last day.

  Mar 30, 2025