Tropicana Suites Deluxe Beach Club & Pool

We had a short weekend stay in January, booked through Booking.com after seeing good reviews there. The listing was for Tropicana Studios, Punta Cana, reservation # 4516986212. The location was inaccurate: our Uber driver couldn't find it and dropped us about two minutes away. At reception, a woman said we had no booking with them and sent us to a different property next door. That property couldn't host us for the whole stay, so we spent the first night somewhere else and had to move again the next day. They said our original room would be ready at 2 p.m., but we then had to wait until 11 a.m. the following day to move. Getting a room that first night took almost two hours. They also asked for cash up front, and the breakfast included in our booking wasn't provided. I felt completely let down by Booking.com. They didn't answer my calls and said they weren't responsible, even though I contacted them on the second day. Tropicana Suites also ignored Booking.com's calls and requests. Neither company took responsibility for our extra out-of-pocket accommodation and food costs, which really ruined our holiday. Then staff at Tropicana Suites called security on me, claiming my reservation wasn't with them. I recorded them locking the door, but Booking.com won't let me submit the video. They don't seem to care. Now I can't even leave a review on their platform because they canceled my reservation. Be very cautious when booking with them.

The room wasn't as pictured when I booked. The walls were dirty and covered with dead flies, which was disgusting. Sometimes the shower water smelled like sewage. The hotel has no private beach, and the pool was dirty, so swimming there wasn't an option. The beach is about a five-minute walk away, but you have to pay for a chair and umbrella. I booked a deluxe suite for six days, but the hotel changed my reservation and gave me a different room, saying it was the same. Later I found out the room belonged to another hotel, and it wasn't the deluxe suite I'd booked. Staff weren't nice and didn't explain anything. They charged the same price as the suite but didn't provide breakfast, even though it was included in my booking through Booking.com. My room wasn't cleaned once during the six days. I had to ask for toilet paper, and the staff didn't speak English. They just walked away without trying to understand or help. There was a small garden by the room where garbage was collected, and it smelled bad. This wasn't a good place to stay.

The location is good, though nearby clubs made too much noise. Check-in took ages. Breakfast was at a nearby restaurant and wasn't bad, but it wasn't worth paying extra for. The place looks much better in the photos. Our room hadn't been cleaned properly and smelled of insect spray. Nothing seemed maintained; everything was run down, and the Wi-Fi didn't work. Two huge rats were roaming in the garden, so I wouldn't swim in that pool.

The air conditioning leaked and left a puddle in my room the next day. I asked for cleaning and maintenance, then waited five hours. When I repeated the request, the receptionist started shouting. Room service stole my breakfast tokens. I raised it with the receptionist, who didn't deny they had taken them but refused to return them. If you want a clean, safe hotel, this isn't one.