Having read the reviews before going on holiday on 31st October 2007 we were expecting the worst.However it just goes to show you cant please everyone.Those expecting a 5 star holiday with no insects and perfect facilities should get a life.This is what you pay for, it is a very hot country, and insects are part of life here.
Although the accomodation was basic, it was adequate and clean.We had hot water and stopped insects with a towel under the door.The staff were helpful and friendly and the food was good.The pool area was well maintained and overall we were pleased with our stay.Yes you do get a green wrist tag, and yes people did have gold ones and silver ones, so what, if you pay more you get more.
We were able to see other areas of the Island on trips, and yes the people are poor, however wherever we went they were friendly.Some of the scenery is great, the views picturesque, the beaches and sea were what you think of a tropical island.I recommend the trips on the catermaran and the trip to paradise island.The snorkling was great.
We were lucky with the weather it was perfect, beware to book after November 1st as this is the start of their summer season.The weather the previous week had been poor.Overall we enjoyed our holiday and would recommend to others.

We read loads of reviews before visiting Lifestyle Vitalis this September gone - chavs creating havoc and peeing in the pool, a rep's child peeing in the pool, loads of room facilities not working, being treated like a second-class citizen for wearing a green armband etc....

I'm pleased to say I was pleasantly surprised. The Vitalis is very pretty and the dinky hut/chalets have a lot of character. Yes, our door had a gap under it and a few ants got in, but I stuck a towel under the door at night and wasn't troubled by the ants at all.

Other people will refer to how poor the DR is and that the staff are badly paid, so don't expect first-class service. I found the staff to be fine and friendly (some more than others) - their just not always in a particular hurry to sort things out - but then it is the Caribbean after all.

We did have a bit of a long wait, standing our ground with dogged determination, when our air conditioning broke down. Eventually we spent one night in another 'hut' and our air conditioning was fixed the next day. Some people got in a strop and demanded to leave while we were there. I can only say there are 5 star hotels in Puerto Plata and the VIP club and all that snobby stuff, if you can't exist without first-class treatment, but you won't come across that in 3-star Vitalis.

We were lowly green bands and chose that option for the value for money (as we were also taking a trip to expensive Turks and Caicos on route). The thing about this is not so much we were made to feel like second-class citizens, but more that's it's really confusing knowing where you can and can't eat. As a result, we ended up drinking in bars we weren't supposed to and eating in restaurants we weren't supposed to be in. You have to get your head around it.

The 'green band' food was fine I thought, and the whole thing good value all in all. I particularly enjoyed the beach and swimming in the sea - and the Spa is to die for - had a couple of massages there. This all-inclusive experience could be just the ticket if you want a nice, hot chill-out place for a week or two, do a bit of horse-riding and go on a few excursions (all sorted out for you) - nothing too taxing.

Me and my husband Paul did go scuba diving with the local club on site run by Stephanie and Peter? (Scandinavians). They are great, but sadly the diving wasn't up too much. Maybe they've blasted the reef for fish catching, I don't know. In nearby Turks, however, the diving is well worth it with shark, ray and all sorts.

If you're the philosophical type with a sense of humour, you'll be fine here and have a good time. We were out of season, so it was quiet and we didn't run into the drunken shenanigans that some other posters have written about.

Be aware - unless you go on a lot of excursions, life revolves around the site. I think it would hard work attempting to travel through the Dominican solo or as a couple. The driving is terrible and you would probably be hassled for money constantly. Our scuba diving van passing through the town of Puerto Plata met with some hostility with locals trying to clean the windows and being rejected. They were banging on the van and shouting and the place felt a bit edgy. It is a poor place and that's very obvious.

Aside from that, have fun. x

Sarah B

we have just returned from the lovely dom rep wich i must add we have been to before, but after seeing in what we where staying i was a bit disapointed but when we went inside my heart sunk it was dirty old and very tatty,but i thought we only have to sleep here, but we lived out of our suitcases because i just could not fetch myself to put our clothes away. the food was terrilbe i saw a chef one night drinking under the food area where he was serving food.there was only one pool bar and no where to sit at night. the staff were very pleasent but to me did not look very happy,i would not go back there and not recommend it to anybody. from a very disapointed middle aged couple

this place is not for the faint hearted rooms basic ie 1 bed 1 toilet 1 shower 1 tv no kettle no fridge in fact sleep and be wary 2 inch gaps under door allows everything in that crawls from ants spiders lizard you need to place a towel at the base of the door i dont think the insects get feed as the bite as often as they see you the staff were friendly and the weather was great but would never return to this place even if it was free ,read some of the other reveiws (bad ones) there all true cleansiness is not at the top of there tree got a bad ear infection from the pool if any staff do anytthing for you its tip tip dollar dollar,we did find a place that was good clean and the food was exelent visit chris and madys down by ocean world the steak melts in your mouth and the drink is cheap we went there every day as we could not stomach the food on the complex unless you are a gold member,time share welcome gift tell them to --- i intend to complain to going places that we booked with