Back in 2020 we visited the Nickelodeon resort in Punta Cana and had a blast. Here is more information about that trip if interested – Nick Review. Therefore we made the decision to head back for Spring Break 2022. We were looking for another all-inclusive resort to relax. It was also nice that getting into the Dominican didn’t requre a vaccine or covid test. Here is our experience at the Dreams Macao Beach resort.
Accomodations
Upon arrival to the resort we were whisked away in a golf cart to the preferred lounge to check in. There we received drinks and snacks while we waited to check in. Once that was complete we were escorted to our room and our bags arrived shortly after that. We were supposed to have a butler as part of the preferred status but never met ours the whole time. That was frustrating but we didn’t let it ruin our time there.
We requested 2 beds but they didn’t have any. Knowing we have 4 people, we received a King bed with a sleeper sofa which worked just fine. However, I wish they would have provided sheets for the sleeper sofa and more than 2 towels in the room.
The bathroom was great as it had a tub and two rainfall shower heads and two sinks. I will still never understand why resorts put a window in the bathroom though. I don’t need an audience when I am showering LOL!
There was enough space for us to unpack and put away our clothes & shoes. The best part of the room was the pool right off the patio! The kids took advantage of that right away.
Pools
There is one main pool near the beach. It is a good size and never seemed over-crowded. However, they could use more chairs. By 8:00am all the chairs were taken by people throwing towels on them even though the pool didn’t open until 9:00am. There were 2 other pools for Preferred Members. One was an adult-only pool which we never visited. Then there was an infinity pool toward the middle of the resort. Again chairs filled quickly but we were always able to go at opening and find some available. They also had a couple Bali Beds at this pool that you can reserve for aound $60 and you would receive a couple other goodies such as a fruit plate and champagne.
The resort also had a good splash area for little kids. It was never too busy and looked perfect for toddlers.
The main attraction for my family was the water slides! These were so much fun and there were never lines. They had a couple twirly slides and a couple steep and fast ones. They had 4 racers which were a lot of fun for us to go all at once and lose to the boys. Then there was a peaceful lazy river around the area that was great as well. There were also chairs spread out in this area to relax. This was the highlight of the resort for my boys!
I should note that while at the pools you will be solicited for the Spa and Excursions.
Beach
The beach was beautiful. The different colors of blue in the water was gorgeous and the sand was nice and soft. The sea was rough with some rip currents. Luckily the lifeguards are very diligent and keep everyone funneled into a safe area in the water. The resort had some boogie boards that the boys used to try to catch some waves. There are solicitors that come by on the beach so just be aware.
There is a preferred members section on the beach, however it was far away from the water which seemed pointless. However, I guess if you just want a chair in the sand to relax this is a good spot. No solicitors are allowed in this area.
Dining
If you have read any of my resort reviews in the past you might know that the breakfast buffet is important! Unfortunately, it fell short at this resort. I was disappointed with the lack of pastry options. I also was not fond of the setup. You had to go wait in different lines to ask for what you wanted. For example, I had to go wait in one line to get eggs and then another line to request two pancakes. It was not efficient. I prefer the buffets that allow you to serve yourself. Also when we ate at the buffet it was hard to get any service. We had to flag someone down to ask for coffee. Then one evening when I went to the buffet with the kids no one greeted us and we never got anything to drink…and they weren’t busy as it was 8:30pm.
One evening we went to eat at the Oceana restaurant by the main pool. We had great service and due to that left a larger than normal tip. The server then requested us to come eat where he was working going forward….and we did! The Oceana restaurant opens for breakfast and lunch for preferred guests only. When we went there for breakfast and it was great. I loved that the fruit came in a coconut shell.
We also visited the Mexican and Italian restaurants which had good food. They do a nice job with the decor inside the restaurants and sticking with the theme. All the restaurants have the same kids menu but if they get sick of that they can always order off the regular menu.
The food at the SeaSide Grill, Barefoot Grill and Room Service were nothing that blew my hair back but weren’t bad. Although, we often didn’t receive someone’s meal or got the wrong thing. It became a a running joke with our family and we quickly learned to order extra!
We visited CoCo’s Cafe multiple times a day. They had delicious desserts and coffee. My boys loved the donuts and ice cream!
It was very convenient being able to order room service on your phone via the AMR app!
Also the bars offered virgin drinks for the kids which was a huge hit. The kids had more drinks than mom and dad!
Activities
- Water Slides-our personal favorite
- Splash Pad
- Chess
- Beach Volleyball
- Boogie Boarding
- Tennis
- Nightly Entertainment
- Spa $
- Arcade $
- Bowling $
- Zip Lining $ – was not running the days we attempted to go
- Paint Ball $
- Kids Club
- Teens Club
- Pool Games – They had daily games at the pool such as musical chairs and ping-pong.
- Excursions: The resort offers a few different excursions for extra money. We did the Manta Ray & Nurse Shark encounter. We were told we would be leaving the lobby at 1:00pm. The bus arrived at 1:30pm. We took a 30 minute bus ride to a beach where they shuttled us out to a bigger boat where we all packed on. We drove to a crowded area to snorkel. There were a lot of other boats around and and a small area for us to explore. After about 30 minutes we were ushered back to the boat. It didn’t allow much time for exploring once we got the kids and ourselves suited up. Then we proceeded to an enclosed area where they had sealife. We went to a small section where they had a large Manta Ray. We all stood on the edge as the staff member took the Ray around a couple times for everyone to touch him…..and I know it was a him as it had 2 male parts!!!! Then we went and jumped in a section next to it with our snorkel masks to try to find nurse sharks. By the time we got the kids in and found a nurse shark in the corner, we were told to get out (less than 15 minutes). It was very strange that everything was so rushed. We spent a lot more time on the bus/boat then we did actually doing activities.
Overall
For the first time I am conflicted when it comes to recommending this resort. Would I go back? No. Did we have a great time? Yes!
Cons
- Service was lacking: For example, it was hard to get pool-side service. Also, difficult to get things for your room like towels. We tried to use the app for things but it seemed to be a blackhole. Except it worked great for room service!
- Sea was rough: red flags everyday
- Lots of soliciting
- Kept running out of pool towels
Pros
- Water Slides!
- Clean & beautiful resort
- Great Location with gorgeous Views
- Dinner Reservations not needed
- Not overly crowded (even thought it was busy, the resort was nicely spread out)
On a side note, it was a PIA leaving the Dominican. The resort made the Covid testing super easy. It took about 10 minutes and then they send you the results via email. Then we filled out everything online for American Airlines and provided the test results. Our transportation to the airport was 30 minutes late (no surprise there) but good thing we had lots of time to spare. When we got to the airline we had yet another paper they made us fill out regarding Covid. Then we stood in line for about 90 minutes to check in and drop off our bags. We had to show our negative Covid test results yet again (even though we had already uploaded). When we finally got through the horrible American Airlines check-in we had to go to yet more lines for immigration. You get the idea. I recommend getting to the airport with plenty of time to spare!
