I agree. Sun Village was wonderful! Carlos, and all the staff were wonderful, they really know how to treat guest. From the people that cleaned the rooms to the security, bartenders, and the recreation people. It was my first time in the DR as well, but not my last. I can't stop talking about the wonderful time I had. The place was not crowed, thats what made is so wonderful. No long lines, I was catered to and everyone knew my name. There was security around at all times when I was there. My room was always clean, I left valuables out that were there when I returned. Can't wait until the November film festival! I have a group of friends that will be going back to SUN VILLAGE with me for vacation next year (2009).

We stayed at Sun Village Resort Spa 28th July – 11th August 2008 for our honeymoon and had an absolutely amazing time. We loved every moment, and can’t stop talking about it and dreaming about going back…so I apologise in advance if this review is abit longwinded….!!

Flight (I figured as this is TRIPadvisor the flight is part of our trip)
Flew with first choice and upgraded and it was great – lovely food, drinks, great movies etc – no problems what so ever, I actually enjoyed the flight (I am not a great flyer!)

Check in
This was very quick and painless. They give you a very nice cocktail whilst you wait, which goes down very well! The reception staff are very nice to, we had booked a superior room but as it was our honeymoon they upgraded us to a spa room for no charge. Then they whisk you off in a golf buggy to your room when the bell boy explains the room amenities and emergency procedures, again, he was very friendly and very nice.

Room
Wow, so beautiful. The biggest bed I ever seen and a flat screen TV and IPOD docking station to. The bathroom was very nice to, not huge, but more than sufficient for 2 people. We had a big whirl pool bath to. There is also a hairdryer and toiletries which get restocked when you use them (shampoo’s, mouth washes etc) And the best part of the room? – the air con!! Best air con ever! And as it was so hot, it was very greatly appreciated! We had a nice big balcony overlooking the spa and spa pool also. There’s a fridge in the room that gets restocked every day with beers, coke and sprite for no extra charge.

Restaurants
Our favourite part of the holiday by a long shot! Where do I start? The food is amazing, never had a bad meal!
Buffet: Great breakfasts, the egg chef is a legend! Making omelettes and fried eggs to order. Then there is all different meats (bacon, sausages, cold meats) cereals, pancakes, waffles, syrups, fruits, croissants and many many other delicious things!
Lunches here were also great, so many choices – soups, pasta’s, meats, potatoes, chips – the pasta’s and meats and cooked to order aswell as the most delicious pizza’s! Then there is salads, breads and so many choices of desserts!
The evening meals here were very nice here to – the Dominican night was very nice, with a Dominican stew and rice and beans, we had chicken pie and mash one night which; being British; was very much appreciated! Ha!
The specialist restaurants is where the hotel really comes into its own, out of this world is putting it lightly!
Senora (Mexican) – Our favourite. Such a fun atmosphere, overlooking the beach pools. The food here is delicious, particularly the chilli for starter and beef fajita’s for main – also ask for a “special” coffee, amazing! The staff here are lovely to.
Citrus (Italian) – This was very close to being a favourite! Its air conditioned and a beautiful room and the food is delicious, hard to recommend anything inparticular – the gnocchi and the chicken were very nice! Oh, and the chocolate mousse is to die for! The lady who works here seating guests was lovely, and so was the manager, they always made our meal so much nicer.
Lemongrass (Thai) – This again was really good, lovely atmosphere, the ladies get a cushion to sit on here, which is a nice touch – and made us laugh that the men don’t! ha! The Tepanyaka here is the best thing on the menu for sure!
In all the restaurants we loved how they constantly top your wine glass up and bring you a beer as soon as your glass empties, what more can you ask?? The staff really cant do enough for you.
Beach BBQ – available from 12-6 I think, and its very nice, not a patch on the buffet for lunch, but if you cant be bothered to walk up ALL the stairs from the beach to the buffet it is great! Burgers, Ribs, hot dogs, jacket potatoes, salads etc. We ate here a few times and really enjoyed the food.

The Pools:
There are 7 pools, and are all lovely. The swim up bar pool was great (for obvious reasons!!) and has a fantastic view of the ocean and surrounding countryside as it is the highest pool (right near reception) we also liked the adults only pool (even if kids used it a lot) as it is the only deep pool – all the rest you can stand up in, but this is over 2mtrs and has a lovely waterfall. There is a children’s pool with a slide, a spa pool (which we preferred most, but you have to either have had a treatment or be staying in a spa room for this pool) – it was incredibly chilled out with the comfiest loungers! There are 2 pools by the beach to where most of the activities take place (Water polo etc) and again these pools were great. There are towels available on all the sun loungers to, and you can go to “towel stations” and get one when ever you need one – then just drop in the designated areas when you are down with it. Saves using your same towel for a whole 2 weeks!

The Beach:
I have read a few bad reviews on here about the beach – I completely disagree. Its lovely, the double beds are great to lie on and drink a cocktail, its incredibly clean and the water is very welcoming when its so hot! There are also water sports here – some area part of the AI like boogie boarding. There are also a few huts on the beach selling souvenirs, henna tattoos and hair braiding is also available.

Entertainment:
Daytime activities: Always something going on – football (soccer!) waterpolo, volleyball to name a few! There is also an internet room where you can pay to use the computers and it is a very reasonable rate. (it is by the beach)
Evening entertainment: There is a different movie shown every night at 7pm in the theatre lounge (We watched Hancock one night) then after this the entertainment begins, ranges from staff shows, to cabaret acts, competitions, music/bands, karaoke and a Michael Jackson impersonator one night! Everything was great, we enjoyed it, but didn’t go every night, you have to remember it’s a third world country – so don’t go expecting a show of Las Vegas Standards! But the guys work incredibly hard and I haven’t a bad word to say!

Spa – I had a caviar pedicure and my husband and I had a couple’s aromatherapy massage. Both were amazing and highly recommended. Was a great experience as the staff are beyond lovely and helpful. Always bringing you drinks and sandwiches! Also you get to use the Jacuzzi and steam room as part of the price.

Meal on the beach:
We paid for the meal on the beach on the last night, it was $150 but worth EVERY penny! So romantic, food (4 course surf and turf) was delicious, the drinks lovely (we got through an awful lot in our 4hrs!!) and best of all- our waiter Edwin Rodriguez was so nice, so helpful and polite! We enjoyed this meal the most out of every single meal we had there, so idyllic sat on this beautiful laid out table on the beach on our own. It was beyond perfect – you must book it if on a romantic break!

Excursions:
We booked a few trips through the first choice rep at the hotel – we did the outback safari which was a fantastic day, so much fun – highly recommended. We did the half day city tour, which was good (rum factory, amber museum, puerto plata) and ocean world. We swam with the dolphins and had an all out great day – a daytrip must as it is 5mins from the hotel. We also went to the Bravissimo show night here and had a few goes in the casino and this was fantastic to, so glad we did it.

So to sum up – WE LOVED IT!!!! We wouldn’t hesitate in going back or recommending it to anyone.

Sunvillage was a great experience for me and my aunt. We were met and greeted by the bell person, walked to the front desk, and a very nice man assisted us with our quick check in. The property is huge and beautiful; they took us to our room in a golf-car since it stays in a hill. The room was GREAT, comfy queen size beds, beautiful decorated, not with the typical "flower bed cover". These were delicate 100% cotton white sheets, so soft and comfy and I didn’t want to get out of bed. Room and bathroom were clean and sparkling. Everything works perfectly.
Later prior to dinner they gave us a tour of the hotel, very impressive, large public areas, several pools, spectacular beach front, gazebo for weddings, conference rooms, several restaurants to chose from. If you want to enjoy a sunset in DR, this is the place to be. Just seat and sip your favorite cocktail by the ample and breeze terrace and admire the spectrum of reds until the sun sets in the horizon. The food was superb, the wines selection is for all taste and price ranges.
Overall my stay at this hotel was very pleasant and satisfied, all the way from upper management to the taxi driver, people were very nice and hospitable to us. I'm looking forward to come back again and stay longer. Thx.
TLopez, Miami, Fl.

Having read some of the reviews immediately before travelling to Sun Village I was concerned that I might be disappointed with the hotel and/or fall ill. My fears were unfounded - my son (aged 13) and I had a wonderful 3 weeks there and would like to return again in the future.
The staff - nothing is too much trouble. Everyone greets you with a smile and any minor issues were resolved quickly. The staff in the Citrus Italian restaurant were outstanding and any questions I had were always answered at the customer relations desk.
The food - we did not have stomach bug at all during our stay. My son & I had minor stomach upsets which you have to expect with the change of water and eating habits. I had no concerns about food temperature or preparation. Our favourite restaurant was the Citrus, the Sonara was of variable standard, the Lemongrass was good and the buffet was great for breakfast and the occasional lunch - most evenings we used the a la carte restaurants. The beach BBQ was fine for lunchtime snacks - & I was pleased to see that items such as chicken had been partly pre-cooked before being placed on the BBQ to ensure the meat had been cooked through.
The Room - AC functioned well and we rarely needed to use the ceiling fan. Everything worked - although I did look forward to returning home to my power shower!! The beds are very comfortable and looked quite new.
Entertainment - my son enjoyed the daytime activities and the use of the sailing boat, canoes etc was much appreciated. The evening entertainment was not up to the standard we have experienced elsewhere & no beach/cocktail parties or steel bands unfortunately.
Overall - we had a great time. Do remember to take high strength insect repellant (& it's expensive to buy there) - I was badly bitten despite using repellant each evening. The weather was ideal - just a couple of thunderstorms during our entire stay. The beach was kept clean and became quite breezy on occasions - which could be welcome on a hot day. Walk to the right of the beach to snorkel. What a pleasure to have so many pools to choose from - none of them became particulary busy and no need to reserve sunbeds - what bliss!! If you decide to visit I hope you enjoy your trip as much as we did.