There are water and cold towels available in the gym and personal trainers on-site if you need motivation. I piggybacked on another guests recommendation of the Power Smoothie + strawberries and it tasted like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! Located in the Uvero Alto area of the Dominican Republic. While interiors are sharp, it's the hotel's lush grounds that give this property its away-from-it-all atmosphere. Oddly enough, it was never too busy when we went there and we put it down to people not loving Tapas as the food here was top-notch. 20 people arrived and the rest had to be turned away. My advice is, if it's not a financial hardship, the club area is the "cherry on top" of a great vacation. El Carmen has one huge advantage in regards to our dining experience: The coffee shop. Today's best Excellence Resorts coupon is up to 62% off. The EC toiletries are Bvlgari & lovely but not really important to us. Excellence El Carmen: Truly Excellent! We found the signal to be very good throughout the resort. So, to avoid disappointment, arrive early, and maybe grab a drink and enjoy the views while youre waiting! I am SO happy we decided to book this room, and quite honestly I dont think I can book any other room type now. I gravitate towards dishes with flank steak (we ordered the Puebla and Tamaulipas) its easily one of the best beef options and the most flavourful! Just another site is excellence club worth it el carmen We had a fabulous time the first time we went to ERC, which was non club, so much so we went back for our honeymoon. We went on the day they had tacos and it was SO good. by Adrian updated July 31, 2021, 2:41 pm. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. You do not need to bring an adapter with you if you are travelling from North America. Bvlgari toiletries. If you find there are any other questions you have that I dont cover, feel free to get in touch with me! This bar is also a great place to go after dinner. Excellence Club Suites come with access to the private Magna Club restaurant and bar, plus the private lobby puts out special treats and desserts throughout the day. They also have a range of pastries and sandwiches on offer. A steakhouse in an all-inclusive is not normally a good pairing and sadly the Grill at the Excellence El Carmen was no different. The food was top quality and the atmosphere was great. There are only a few tables though, so you have to book the morning you want to eat to get a reservation. You will never have an issue getting a spot at the beach. For anniversaries, you can receive this package up to 7 days before and 7 days after your anniversary, giving you lots of flexibility! My mom and I had big ambitions to participate in some of the physical activities, like aerial yoga on the beach (how fun right?!) The rooms are choicely designed with a great aesthetic. This man was hilarious and was really entertaining. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. There is a newly-placed birm out in the ocean to prevent the seaweed from coming ashore, but there was still a ton of it on the beach. If you love seafood, be sure to hit up the Lobster House! You certainly will never go thirsty here! The perfect spot to sink a few beers and watch some sports. It opened its doors in 2016 and has been a firm favorite for all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. Your email address will not be published. If you buy something through our links, Oyster may earn an affiliate commission. The service wasnt particularly good the day we went as it took over an hour for us to get our main courses. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. If youre an Excellence club guest you will have a complimentary Hydrotherapy session during your stay. You can do that here no problem. The locker key pad is very easy to use. . Tip: bring your own floaties with you! And while there are many resorts that fit this bill, opting for a luxury property means youll also likely get a stunning, serene beachfront, chic pool with a swim-up bar, impressive, The best part of booking an all-inclusive vacation is that everything food, drinks, activities, and accommodations is supposed to be included in the rate. Make your vacation a little more special with this upgrade and receive upgraded amenities and more! Each night in your turn down service the housekeeping staff leave an information sheet with the activities for the next day as well as the special offer for the spa for the next day. The resort is set on large grounds so some of the room locations are a bit of a walk from the beach and the main areas. There are tons of delicious vegetarian dishes (along with non-veg options) you can order you wont miss the meat! We have booked Excellence in Playa Mujeres and in El Carmen for 2016 both non club rooms. There is a huge pastry/bread section, a selection of cold cuts and cheeses, gorgeous fruit and colourful juices, an omelette station, and some traditional Dominican foods, too! ), Excellence Club is not worth it at Excellence El Carmen, 20 Best Cheap Travel Items Under $20 (that are. Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. At our other Excellence Resorts trips, Ive emailed ahead of time to request a certain bottle in our rooms, which you can certainly do, but I left it until we got here this time. It seats up to 8 and there is a set menu. We went for 7 days and flew out of Toronto. Like other Excellence properties, guests can splurge on upgraded Excellence Club packages. But have you ever checked into an all-inclusive resort and noticed that some guests have access to otherwise restricted restaurants, premium alcohol, luxe pools, more comfortable beach chairs, and, Aerial View of Excellence Punta Cana/Oyster If youve been researching the best adults-only luxury hotels in Punta Cana, youve likely come across the sister properties Excellence Punta Cana and Excellence El Carmen. The club pool at ERC had very few beds with umbrellas and being fair skinned i need shade, so found myself having to join in the early morning fight for a bed, it sounds like there will be plenty of club pools at EEC so I suppose that wouldn't be a problem. There is a daily room keeping as well as turndown service which is always nice to come back to: slippers by the bed, sheets drawn back, beside lights on, bottles of water on the nightstands, and flower petals or towels done up in some cute display. So all in all, is it worth it, no not for us! Fooding and Drinking outside the resort (El Hoyo/Fruisa), Holidaying with a 10 month old from UK. There is also a plug inside your safe should you choose to charge your devices while theyre kept away (which I thought was neat!). Dont forget Aroma! The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". They serve food here too, but we never ate there. We have booked Excellence in Playa Mujeres and in El Carmen for 2016 both non club rooms. All of these rooms come with the option of having an ocean view. This one of the Excellence chains has three offerings in the Dominican Republic. You will find options everywhere you go and the nice thing is, if you choose to eat a certain way, you are in total control! It opened its doors in 2016 and has been a firm favorite for all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Theyre very quiet and also have their own bars. All food, snacks, room service, fully stocked mini-bar drinks, and a variety of classes and amenities are included in the package. Excellence El Carmen, Uvero Alto: "What's is the difference between the regular." | Check out 8 answers, plus 8,660 reviews and 12,158 candid photos Ranked #3 of 7 hotels in Uvero Alto and rated 4.5 of 5 at Tripadvisor. This is why I love the Excellence app so much you can go on there and check out the menus ahead of time to decide on which places to eat at each night (you know, if youre into that sort of thing). By this point we were both needing a break from the steak, so we ordered the salmon and the scallops, which were tasty and surprisingly filling. The club package includes a private beachfront dinner, some spa treatments, etc. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Hats off to Chef Masood and his team that churns out some really top-quality cuisine. The setup outside is really beautiful and should be experienced if youre there even if you dont have a full meal just so you can see some of the entertainment! If youve never experienced it before, its a must-do! As a previous Excellence Resorts guest, I couldn't imagine how the service could get any better! The gym is modern and loaded with Technogym treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary bicycles, recumbent bikes, weight machines, dumbbells, free weights, a punching bag, and a squat bench. Is Excellence Club Worth it at Excellence El Carmen? Punta Cana International Airport is about a 45-minute drive from the resort. When we stayed in mid-2019 we paid $2,800 USD for 7 days. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Once a week, Excellence El Carmen holds a Dominican Night, where you can enjoy dishes unique to the Dominican Republic and enjoy live music and dancing. There are 23 pools and 9 jacuzzis at Excellence El Carmen seriously! - See 9,459 traveler reviews, 11,732 candid photos, and great deals for Excellence El Carmen at Tripadvisor. Although a lot of travel websites and places that you book will say that tips are included in your all-inclusive price, we highly recommend that you bring cash with you to tip the staff in person. Keep in mind that you are in the Dominican Republic but the food here is far better than other resorts Ive been to while travelling here. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. I dont know what it was about that cheese but I fell in love with it and cant stop eating it. However, the dress code is one of the reasons why we love Excellence. One of the best elements of the Excellence chain of resorts is their extensive drinks selection. Discover a world of rewards with The Excellence Collection Rewards benefits program. They do advise that you ring before your trip to check availability. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-110442921', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Excellence El Carmen? Before dinner every night we perched ourselves at the Martini bar for a few pre-dinner drinks. Answer 1 of 6: My husband and I are looking into going to EEC and we are wondering if the Excellence Club is worth it. The vibrant colors of the Caribbean are the inspiration behind the dcor at both resorts. The weather was a little windy at times however that's just one of the challenges of trav. Im with the mindset that if we can afford to travel, we can afford to tip. A private lounge, pool, beach, and restaurant are available exclusively for Excellence Club guests, while luxe, in-suite offerings such as private check-in, daily in-suite fresh fruits and petit fours, in-suite sparkling wine and fresh flowers, and complimentary shoe shine . The spa at Excellence El Carmen was a bit different (for me) since it was located off the main lobby and not in a separate building, like at Excellence Playa Mujeres or Riviera Maya. By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. The beach at the El Carmen resort is truly stunning. There are tons of bars throughout the resort. They are so much fun to do. We spent our mornings at the main pool with their (only) swim up bar, Blue. While both resorts offer access to beautiful beaches, the stretch of sand at Excellence Punta Cana is perhaps just a little bit nicer. To be honest I found the whole club thing a bit snooty and always felt a bit uncomfortable when dealing with club concierge, we paid a lot of money to stay club as we were there for 2 weeks and didn't really feel like we were treated any different than non club, which I suppose is a good thing, but I would have hoped that being a returning guest on honeymoon, the club concierge should have spoilt us and put more of an effort in than they did. If youre in a private pool or swim-up suite. Our favorite thing was definitely the casino night. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. As they fill up quickly. The cleaning in the morning was the main clean of the day and lasted about 15 minutes. We got to give a shout-out to Adriano who served us every day at the beach. and loved it. Ive been looking forward to staying here, and now that Ive fully absorbed all that this stunning resort has to offer after a relaxing getaway, Im excited to share this review with you! Couple that with some onion bhajis and you cant go wrong. Stop by the Food Shark food truck, right at the theatre for tacos, burgers, hot dogs, fries and more! If you have been to the Excellence chain of resorts you will be aware of the restaurants as they are the same across the resorts. We frequented this little shop to get specialty coffee drinks, browse the different pastries and macaroons that were constantly available, and grab an ice cream cone. Or jump to your topic. 1 year ago Save We have been three times now & always EC. Those on our bus who had Excellence Club rooms were taken to those rooms while everyone else was taken to a normal check-in area . When we visited we brought US Dollars and tipped a dollar for each drink we ordered and then $10 dollars for waiters for any of the meals that we had. Resort kids clubs - do they enforce/check ages? There are a range of precautions that the Excellence chain of resorts has put in place and if you would like to review these they can be found here. For honeymoons, you can get this package for free for up to 3 months following your wedding. If you are not in Excellence Club, you can swap out one bottle of alcohol per day. As these pools are not heated, they were very cold during the day. any chance you know if they have pickle ball courts? . A terrace lay just outside the sliding doors with your own entrance to a pool that runs alongside the back of the building. You will see it the second that you arrive. I have seen others tip generously to get their preferred alcohol, or have had them all swapped out at onceIm not sure what the real case is here, but nonetheless youll have alcohol in your room. 7 de junio de 2022; where to buy used bicycles near me We arrived 30 minutes early for our painting session for which they had 8 easels. Does Excellence El Carmen have a club? Their feature menu changes daily and its a great place to visit if you want a quick, self-service bite to eat. Excellence El Carmen: Great hotel ! We loved the modern vibe to the resort; the clean architectual look, the immaculate gardening and landscaping, and the freshness of it all. Resort recs for relaxing, great beach, hot tub? Our all-adult, all-suite world is situated on a beautiful Caribbean beach in a palm grove on the east coast of the Dominican Republic. Massages and salon services are available at the full-service spa, as is a free hydrotherapy circuit, and the excellent gym offers daily yoga and aerobics classes free of charge. There are many options: We never had an issue with the water, from bottled, ice, restaurant water, or brushing our teeth. This adults-only resort is the perfect place to have a relaxing break in the beautiful surroundings of the Dominican Republic. We always stay in the club area to take advantage of the club anniversary package. Drink service is on offer at the pools and beach. The Mile spa is located just off the main reception area. A. A French offering that is set in a beautifully designed spot. Now the bathroom is one of which many people question. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Access to private Excellence Club lounge (7:00 am to 11:00 pm) with concierge service, smart buffets, and bar service. ), classes by the beach, live music at lunch, live music behind the theatre in the evening, live music at the Martini Bar, plus the evening shows and more! The waters were pretty calm, so if youre into ocean swimming this is the spot for you. The question of club vs. non-club is asked all the time on the forums. Nespresso coffeemakers and free minibars stocked daily with beer, water, soda, and snacks (plus full bottles of whisky, rum, and vodka) are also available in all rooms free of charge. Some of the jets really move your swimsuit around and I remember one year I had to hang on to my top and bottoms during some of the water treatments! It is so relaxing. We LOVED the look of the Martini Bar. Thank you for supporting my blog! The menu for the room service was very extensive. The beach at Excellence El Carmen is long its a beautiful, soft, and golden stretch of beach when there is no seaweed. Youll find all kinds of entertainment throughout the day, from water activities and games (you may even be roped into it, but dont feel like you have to attend! We knew we'd go back so I thought I would do . The service here gets a 5-star rating from us, it was literally impeccable. The Excellence El Carmen is about a 45-minute drive from the airport. We did two excursions when we visited. Rounds here range from $100 $150 depending on the time of day you play and the season. The beach is the real gem in this resort and we will delve into that in a bit. I know they have tennis and their activities list pickle ballbut do they actually use pickle ball nets? If youre celebrating your anniversary or honeymoon, be sure to take advantage of that at Excellence El Carmen! To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. Save it for later! Read a full Excellence Punta Cana vs Excellence El Carmen face-off, here. The room we stayed in when we visited was a junior swim-up suite. Access to twelve private pools and seven jacuzzis (hot water) in the pool area. I worry about hidden fees- is EVERYTHING Included in all inclusive? What let the side down here was the quality of the meat. I also appreciated that while we asked for two mimosas, he brought us a whole bottle of sparkling wine, in case we wanted two each. Its like he knew us. If youre on a tight schedule or just want to get on with your day, the buffet is your friend. If you are booking a room with a swim-up suite make sure to request a room that is directly in the sun during the day or in the morning. This post contains affiliate linkswhich means I earn compensation when you click on the links at absolutely no extra cost to you! When we complained, we were also upgraded to a beachfront room. If you want those photos, just be prepared to haggle hard. You will be greeted at the main door with a glass of prosecco and a smile. There is no option for that here, but you can purchase wine off a separate menu if you wish to splurge! We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. What is VIP Service? Its important to remember the Excellence dress code! we decided to splurge and upgrade to Excellence Club Junior Suite with Private Pool. The balcony was covered in cigarette butts when we checked in. The Dominican Republics minimum wage is the equivalent to $154 USD a month! As you walk through the doors there is an impressive view down to the main bar area and you really get the feeling of luxury and grandeur. Tech features are solid and include iHome docks, wall-integrated USB plugs, and big smart TVs with satellite channels. For a more serene atmosphere, dont miss the pools by buildings 11-16. They do have a dress code for the Grill but we saw many people in cover ups and flip flops. The vanity has a double sink and there are numerous towels, hand towels, and facecloths, along with a hairdryer. We stayed at the Excellence El Carmen in mid-2019 and our review is based on that experience. Each restaurant has numerous options for lighter fare. more, You seem to have JavaScript disabled. You can, of course, enhance your stay by option to upgrade to their paid honeymoon and anniversary package which includes everything in the complimentary package, plus dinner on the beach, and a 40 minute spa package. The bar service is also better on the EC part of the beach. The wait isnt long, so stick around (or maybe have a drink first or head to the Flavour Market next door for some tapas!). There is a gorgeous jacuzzi which is deep and big enough for two people which looks out to the patio (and pool if you have one). This Asian eatery serves up the most famous dishes from Japan, Thailand, China, and Vietnam. You can read more about my impressions of Excellence Club at this resort on my other blog post, which I felt deserved one of its own, if youre really into details! Youll also get a 15% discount on photo and spa packages! If youre part of the Excellence club you will have the likes of Absolut Vodka, Johnny Walker Black Label, and Anejo Rum. . NEW riu palace bavaro ----opening when?????? Ecological park with flamingos and macaws on-site. Serving up all of the traditional dishes there are the classics and some dishes that you probably have never heard of before. My husband doesn't drink and I may have one drink a day at most so the liquor is not of value to us, however, we are interested in the spa. My mom had a good point if you need to rinse your straws out, it can become inconvenient with having to run to a sink to rinse out, or could possibly make you sick if youre not using bottled water. As you walk down the hallways, it's common to see the doors of these couples' rooms decorated with banners celebrating their occasion. There are plenty of lunch options for you to try during your stay, and you wont go hungry! ordered the flank steak and charcoal grilled chicken. I thought the additional cost was worth it overall but would have probably had a good time without it also if I had never experienced EC level. . Excellence El Carmen, which reopened successfully on November 28, has that vibe, too, but this property is more like a night in the city. There are lots of antipasto dishes at Oregano, along with risottos, custom pasta dishes, and pizzas to satisfy your carb craving. I definitely would like to stay at this resort. It looked like they had drinks and a canopy thing going on there. By far, our favourite dinner was at the Grill. Unfortunately, there are some guests who havent been to all-inclusives before that dont know that isnt the norm, and pay it. If those are things that you would have done anyway and spent money on, I would consider doing the club level for those freebies plus all the other added daily perks of being club. In the past 30 days, there are 52 WorthEPenny members who reportedly saved an average of $16.22 on their purchase with Excellence Resorts coupon codes. If youve never tried Indian cuisine, I recommend branching out and trying some new dishes! We love to tip, and I feel like everyone should tip, even a little bit! When it comes to adults-only luxury, Excellence El Carmen in the Dominican Republic has it down to a science. Hairdryers, magnifying mirrors, scales, robes, and slippers come standard. All are part of the hotel's all-inclusive rates, as is 24-hour room service. The Excellence El Carmen is just a 40-minute drive from Punta Cana international airport. The butter chicken was really good. Travelers wanting a beautiful island setting with a grown-up vibe should book a stay at one of the numerous adults-only resorts in the Caribbean. To cooking lessons where the chefs will teach you how to make local Dominican food and sushi. Yes, even though you didnt consent to it. The bartender Emilio was great fun and served up the best Margaritas at the resort. Since you mentioned your anniversary, look at the anniversary packages that you would get for free if you travel over your anniversary and stay for 7 nights. Best Adult Only All Inclusive in Punta Cana? We did take a Spanish class which was a lot of fun, and we also painted one afternoon and you get to take your painting home! The EC beach is similar to the non EC but you get the loungers made up for you & concierges to look after you. It makes a great all-inclusive resort option for those wanting luxury and comfort. The wide and varied selection continues in your room with a packed mini-bar and a number of premium liquor bottles available. Maybe Im just getting older, but I dont like the rough feeling of wet, sandy feet against flip flops or sand in my bits after a day on the beach. We have celebrated our past 5 anniversaries at Excellence Group resorts (Excellence Riviera Cancun and The Finest). Keep in mind there may be a separate wine list at the restaurants where you can opt to purchase bottles of winebut we drank the house all week and we loved it! We went there for dinner and were a little disappointed with the food. So, in our opinion, they are always worth that extra cost. The Excellence El Carmen is another top-class offering from the Excellence chain of resorts. I LOVE Excellence properties, and Excellence El Carmen is nothing short of an amazing resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. There is a beautiful swan-neck fountain in the corner of the pool which adds to the ambience. We passed so many doors with celebratory banners on them, and its not hard to understand why: Excellence El Carmen offers a great price point and value for money, and is known to provide a top-tier stay in a tropical paradise. If youre in Excellence Club, try Magna for breakfast at least once! . Our Vacation was Exellent! The poolside service was always quick, the entertainment staff were a blast, the waiters were so courteous and attentivethe list goes on. I realize this may be a dumb questions-but I have never done all inclusive and after a lot of research, it seems that sometimes all inclusive isnt really all inclusive and actually has a lot of extra hidden fees. However, there are some subtle differences worth considering before booking. The EC beach is similar to the non EC but you get the loungers made up for you & concierges to look after you. The expansive property seems large but its very walkable and manageable (as well as accessible). Your best option is a 35-minute drive from the resort. We even had a decent signal on the beach. This resort is a wonderful place for adults to relax and de-stress, and the Excellence Club in my opinion is absolutely worth it. This was very close to being our favorite as the food here was very authentic and delicious. If you don't have it that's not going to ruin your vacation, but if you can swing it it will enhance the experience. There are too many food stations to even mention. Getting married here seems to be a very popular choice. I also visited DR this year and I can only say it is a wonderful country. By the end of day one, he had our drinks orders ready before we even had to ask. The nightclub stays open late and has a DJ who takes request. This resort was beautiful!!!! There are entirely separate menus for that. Our two favorite spots were the Martini bar which is the main lobby bar and the X Lounge. Excellence Club is described as the best adults-only all-inclusive resort experience in the Dominican Republic, with upscale service and elevated offerings. When my lovely friends invited me to their destination wedding at Excellence El Carmen, how could I say no? Youll have a great view of the pool and ocean and a nice breeze to enjoy your dinner with. The rest of the pools are either for guests staying in Swim-Up units or exclusive for Excellence Club guests. Insider tip: Dont miss the hidden gem by building 10! The steamer in the walk-in closet works great, but its advisable to use bottled water for it. The views at Oregano are lovely (as its located on the other side of the Lobster House) and it makes a great setting with the ocean breeze at night. hirako83 7 mo. Excellence is known for their corporate responsibility and they look after their staff, and it shows through the service you receive. We had some insightful conversations with some of the employees there and they really love their jobs and are grateful for them. There are many options: silicone straws, metal straws (which keep your drinks cold) or paper straws.
Re Manisty's Settlement Case Summary, Articles I