We recently stayed at Serenade Punta Cana Beach & Spa Resort for eight days and seven nights. This is a detailed review of our experience – what went well, what didn’t and our overall rating.
What went well
1. Engaging activities for kids
The resort’s Kids’ Club is perfect for young children, offering activities like crafts, mini-disco nights, and fashion shows. The play area also boasted of a lot of different games and activities that kept our daughter engaged when it was too hot outside.
The staff were very attentive and enthusiastic, ensuring our daughter was entertained and well looked after. They also had dance and balloon nights for kids on a couple of nights we were there and our daughter absolutely enjoyed dancing to her favourite rhymes, albeit some of them in Spanish.
2. Variety of Pools
A good mix of swimming pools cater to all age groups, including a water playground and slides suitable for toddlers. We also loved the water slides. There were a couple of different ones and one specific to kids. We were there in November, so not exactly peak, but we didn’t have an issue finding available deck chairs to relax by the pool.
3. Great Beach Area
The one thing we did enjoy thoroughly was the beach. We could walk a few meters in and still have the water come up only till our hips. It was a great experience sitting on the sea bed with fishes swimming around us. The water was also calm and a pristine blue, which made for great photos.
4. Diverse Dining Options
With several different restaurants on-site, including Italian, Japanese, and international cuisines, there was something to our ‘food moods’. We enjoyed the variety of the buffet but we quickly got tired of it as our stay was seven nights and they could only change it up so much everyday. Our pick was the Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant and the pasta and desserts from the Italian restaurant. They also had a special themed spread for Halloween that our toddler thoroughly enjoyed looking at.
5. Friendly staff and entertainment
We had a great experience with all of the resort staff. Especially the ones responsible for entertainment and activities and the buffet staff. We had a different activity lined up everyday and it catered to all ages with dancing, foam party, halloween shows and some sports at the beach.
What was meh
1. Dining Reservations
Reservations for à la carte restaurants are required well in advance. They can be made through the resort’s app which was difficult to access and was down most of the time. The reservations were also full most days despite it being off season. We also couldn’t get a reservation to the Mexican restaurant despite trying every single day we were there.
2. The Room
The view from our room was the construction going on. It didn’t feel like we were near the beach and we had to stretch our neck to even get a sight of the blue.Our room also featured an open-concept bathroom with glass partitions, which may not provide the level of privacy some families prefer. We were lucky that someone left out a stick-on curtain that we could use during our stay. If you are going with older kids or prefer privacy, our suggestion would be to carry a stick-on shower curtains or check with the hotel beforehand about getting a room with a covered bathroom.
3. Service Delays
Though the service was usually alright, there were occasional delays in housekeeping and room service. We also didn’t get water bottles a couple of times after we asked. We had to find housekeeping and bring it back to our room.
4. Virus Doing Rounds
On the third day, both me and my daughter fell sick. I had a sore throat and a fever while she contracted hand, foot and mouth disease. This obviously had us stressed throughout the trip and we couldn’t enjoy it fully even though her fever subsided by the fifth day. She still had her rashes and we couldn’t put her in the swimming pool. This is pretty difficult to avoid when there are a large number of people in a concentrated area and especially in the swimming pool. Our only advice would be to carry medication for common types of illnesses.
5. Drinks
Even though some of the drinks were delicious (Coco Loco and Mud Slide get a special mention here), they were watered down. Even 3-4 glasses of it didn’t get us tipsy and by the time were done with four, we felt too stuffed to have more.
Pricing overview
We booked a package directly with the resort for about $1700 (~$2400 CAD) for the three of us (my daughter being free of charge as she was under 2 at the time) for 8 days and 7 nights along with flights to and from Toronto. We also withdrew about $250 from the ATM for tipping, emergencies and paying our taxi to and from the airport.
Tipping guidelines
While it isn’t mandatory, tipping is appreciated, especially if you are satisfied with the service. Here’s a general rule-of-thumb:
- Housekeeping: $5–$10 per day
- Bartenders: $1–$2 per drink or at the end
- Restaurant Staff: $3-5 for the person serving you at à la carte restaurants
- Bellhops: $5 for helping with the luggage
- Spa Services: 15–20% of the service cost
Tipping in U.S. dollars is common, but since we are from Canada, we withdrew Dominican Pesos and converted the equivalent . It’s advisable to carry small bills for convenience.
Overall Rating – 7/10
Rating breakdown:
Food – 6/10
Service – 7/10
Entertainment – 8/10
Room – 5/10
Common areas – 8/10
It wasn’t our absolute favourite but it’s a solid resort with a great beach and entertainment. While there are areas for improvement, such as restaurant reservations and service efficiency, the overall experience was net positive. We felt it was great value and definitely a destination worth considering for families seeking a tropical getaway.
