Viva V Samana By Wyndham, A Trademark Adults All I

The only highlight was Playa Coson, up the beach to the left. It had spectacular views, but I had to walk over there every day to enjoy the nicer stretch of beach. The food was limited and disappointing. There’s no snack bar, the buffet didn’t have the range I’d expect at an all-inclusive, and my husband and I got food poisoning from the restaurant and cafeteria. I also got sick at the Fusion Oriental restaurant during my birthday dinner. Room service was a daily hassle too, with food taking at least an hour, or not arriving at all. Staff kept pushing memberships, spa services, and souvenirs, and I felt they focused on selling and tips instead of service. I’m a Viva Hotels member, and this was a horrible experience. We missed an excursion because we were ill, and they initially refused a refund unless I got a doctor’s note. How was I supposed to leave my room when I felt that bad? After arguing back and forth with management, they offered another day. The adults-only setup didn’t make much sense to me with so little entertainment and limited bar hours. The small Club Viva members’ rooftop section has a pool and amazing views, but it closes at 7 pm, so you can’t enjoy it for long. This was my birthday weekend, and I’ve never had a worse resort stay. I travel to the Dominican Republic several times a year. When I stay with Viva Wyndham, I usually choose Dominicus Beach Palace in La Romana, which is cleaner and has more bars, pools, space, and entertainment. I’ll never return to this hotel.

I especially loved the yoga classes, which ran twice a day. The instructor from NRG2GO was professional and adjusted the poses for different ability levels. She was also personable, so the classes were fun as well as useful. I went regularly, sometimes twice in one day. My last week at Viva V Semana resort was full of lovely experiences that I’ll remember for a long time. The location was beautiful, and the staff were attentive. I was more than happy with my stay and would definitely come back. Hopefully sooner rather than later. 🤞

The beach was great for walks, although the surf was incredibly rough and the cloudy water made snorkeling poor. The resort seemed to attract mostly people in their twenties or older retirees. The food was excellent, but the service fell short. If you don’t speak French or Spanish, staff ignore you. I found them aggressive about tips and more focused on that than giving real service, from the airport to the resort and on day trips. It wasn’t a bad stay, but plenty of other resorts are better.

The room was clean and nice, and the sound of the waves was lovely. The omelet was really good, but most of the food was terrible. My husband called it gross. The pasta was cold, the cheese warm, and juice was either empty or there were no glasses. The pizza was okay, but at this price I didn’t want to be eating it at every meal.