Ocean Sand/Ocean Blue Golf & Beach Resort Punta Cana

Just returned from Ocean Blue/Sand on Feb. 24th. I thought the hotel was beatiful. Pools were large and gorgeous. More and more people were arriving each day, but we still had the pool to ourselves most of the time. We only ate at three of the a la carte restaurants. I enjoyed the Italian and Mexican, didn't love Route 66 (american). I found lots to chose from at the main buffet restaurant. I wouldn't say the food was gourmet, but I never went hungry. The coffee shop is great and so is the overtime sports bar and the lobby bar. We had a standard room which was clean and spacious. Only recommedation would be to ask for a pool side room. Our balcony backed on to a service road and there wasn't much to look at other than the security guard on duty 24 hrs.

I was looking for a quiet and relaxing holiday lying in the sun by a beautiful pool and I wasn't disappointed. If you are looking for a party atmosphere or constant activitey, I am not so sure this is the place for you yet. But once the bowling alley, shops and disco are completed, this place should be great for just about everyone. I would return again, but I imagine it will be out of my price range once the facility is 100% completed.

Just got back last night.Place is definately not ready.Staff speaks little

or no english at all.The pool is beautiful but you cant go in it because it

is very very cold.The outdoor jacuzzi is also cold.ABSOLUTELY nothing

for kids to do at night.There is no game room.Buffet is ok,restaurants

are descent,but their all not open every nite.I would not recommend this resort.Also room service is horrible.

Just returned from Ocean Blue. Had a great time. Rooms are nice, clean. Resort is beautiful. Staff very friendly. Food was excelent. The pools were big and clean. Also had small pool for the kids. Not much night life yet as the disco was not complete. Beach was great, lots of chairs. They had grass covered huts to sit under if you wanted to be out of the sun. We had a great time and would go back to this place. It will be even better when all is completed.

We just returned from the Ocean Blue/Sand (Feb. 8-15, 2005) and enjoyed our vacation. The resort was operating at about a 3-star level overall. The service was 5+ star.

Arrival: Everything at the airport was fine and we were directed to our bus quickly. The bus ride was about 45 minutes. Our friends arrived the next day and their ride was about 25 minutes. I guess it depends on your driver and the traffic. We were greeted at the lobby with drinks. Our room keys were ready and we were quickly driven to our villa (Villa 4). There are two separate reception areas on either side of the lobby. The one for Ocean Sand was not completed yet. The lobby is huge with a bar in the middle. There is a lot of space to sit and relax. The lobby was receiving finishing touches every day that we were there. It was neat to watch it take shape.

Rooms: The rooms are a good size (especially the rooms with king beds). The day bed can be made up into a bed for a child (ask your concierge). There are Jacuzzi tubs in every room with detachable showerheads. The bathroom is all marble and very nice. Unfortunately, there was no hot water the entire time we were there and sometimes no warm water. We were without water for part of a day. Apparently the system was not purged at all or not done properly and this was causing the water problems. We were also without power for part of one day. Three of our five rooms had problems with water leaking from the room above.

There is a mini fridge in each room that is stocked with 7-up, Pepsi, and water bottles. They refilled the fridge every day. Room service is available 24 hours a day but took a long time to get. We ordered hamburgers one day and it took 1˝ hours to arrive. There was also a coffee pot, toothbrush, shaving kit, bath gel, shampoo, sewing kit, lotion, hairdryer, and magnifying mirror in the bathroom. The first two days we received fresh fruit in our room. If you do not want to walk up stairs, make sure that you request a ground floor room. We had a stroller and did not want to walk up stairs every day.

Food: The first two days we ate at the beachside restaurant (it was serving as the buffet due to the low number of guests). On our third day the large buffet restaurant opened. The selection was good with pasta, salad, pizza, seafood, buns and bread, chicken, steak, stir-fry and more. They changed the main items every day. Breakfast also offered a variety and included unpeeled fruits (pears, apples, bananas) which we took for snacks during the day. The a-la-carte restaurants were very good. All the restaurants served special drinks specific to the restaurant. We did not eat at the Mexican. We enjoyed lobster at la Brasa (Caribbean) and in the buffet. There were 12 of us plus kids and we could always find something to eat for everyone. Service was very slow however (60 to 90 minutes), especially considering that the restaurants were empty. We were a large group but noticed that many of the tables occupied by two people also waited. We did not need to make reservations due to the low number of guests. We enjoyed dessert at Mike's café (the heated brownie with extra chocolate sauce was very good). There was also a cocktail party on Thursday that had appetizers.

Pool and Beach: Both were large and had tons of chairs to choose from. There was shade at both locations (umbrellas by the pool, and woven cloth shade on some of the beach huts). The beach area still needed to be cleaned although they worked on it at least two nights we were there. They did not try to clean up the area near the activity centre, rock wall, and volleyball court. This is where most of the broken glass was found. Too bad, considering that children were playing around the trampoline and rock wall. I just kept picking up pieces as I saw them. Work was ongoing around the beach. They were putting in a path and made more of a mess than they cleaned up. Having said that, I would not worry about the beach area it was very nice.

Staff: The staff members were wonderful. The concierge in our villa got us everything we needed including a birthday cake for a celebration in one of the theme restaurants. Sandra, the Guest Service Manager, was very accommodating and welcoming. The guys that drive the carts were wonderful and always smiling.

Construction: Construction was ongoing throughout the resort. You could always hear a saw going (day and night) at the Ocean Sand part - they were likely cutting tile and marble. They were up to villas 8 and 9 (looked like they were getting villa 7 - beach side - completed first). Contrary to our tour operator's reports, Ocean Blue was not finished. They were still painting, cleaning and fixing problems. There were workers everywhere (but not too distracting). They also had to close public bathrooms several times for construction, water problems, etc. It did not appear that much work was being done on the casino, disco, bowling alley. But, the theatre looked close to being finished. The spa, exercise room, and shops were also not ready. The only beach-side restaurant ready was the Caribbean.

Lay-out of resort: The resort was very well designed. Everything was at the front of the resort by the lobby which will create a great meeting area and party place once the resort is more occupied. The lobby, disco, theatre, spa, shops, bowling alley, buffet and theme restaurants (except the carribean) are all located at the front. The villas run along the sides (ocean blue, villas 1 to 6, on one side and ocean sand, villas 7 to 10?, on the other). Villa 1 is closest to the lobby. Villa 4 is midway between the beach and lobby (close to the pool) and villa 6 is on the beach. The numbers go around to the other side with villa 7 being on the beach for the Ocean Sand side. Villas 6 and 7 house the deluxe rooms.

Kids club: Very few kids were there when we were. All of the toys, bikes, games, and videos were new (most still in packaging). They had a Sony Playstation2. They had a lot of beach toys. Although my kids are younger than 4, we were allowed and encouraged to use the facility and toys. We took bikes out and the kids rode around the pool area. The disco at night included about seven songs with actions that were repeated every night. The staff were very energetic but spoke little English. I did not see any planned activities but there were only a few kids there. This could get better with more kids.

Overall: This resort has much potential. For now it is a great place to relax. There was no need to rush for dinner or beach chairs. Everything moved at your own pace. To put this in perspective, only 100 guests were there on our first two days. After that, approximately 100 guests arrived per day. The resort was a ghost town when we arrived but picked up during the week. It will be interesting to see how they cope with increased numbers. I would strongly recommend this resort.

Hi im from the Cold up north of the us of a and i really needed to get away so i brought my wife and two kids, to this resort. Of course the food was wicked awesome and the swimming was excellent. My kids had there very own room so me and my wife were not disturbed. It is a friendly place for teenagers mine are 15 and 17, and we hardly saw them. My son found it quite necessary to order shrimp cocktails at the swim up bar throughout the day, and the water was quite warm. Me and my wife love coffee and she works at a coffee place in our hometown. And to my surprise our favorite channel was on the tv for late night veiwing FOOD NETWORK. Overall i loved the place and my two kids, especially my boy michael loved it too.

Ocean Blue. Remember to give this resort some very serious consideration for your next trip to the DR, especially Punta Cana. You won't be dissappointed!



What do you expect from your resort? Clean rooms, great food, great service, beautiful beach and activities for you and/or the kids. Usually we end up at a resort that delivers in some areas and then really dissappoints you in others. Well, not at Ocean Blue.



The rooms are really nice, especially the bathrooms. Nice large whirlpool bathtub and great water pressure from the shower. Nice touch that your mini-fridge is re-stocked with bottled water and pop every day. They have two beautiful, massive, swimming pools, each one complete with its' own swim-up bar. The beach front is gorgeous and probably the largest beachfront area of most of the resorts on the Bavaro stretch. Several times during the week, other vacationers would approach us on the beach and ask about the resort. It looks great from the beach. The dining area that looks out over the beachfront has excellent food, especially for lunch. Domingo, the resident sax player, along with his keyboard player Carlos play everyday for a couple of hours. His music is soothing! The "village" located at the front of the resort really sets this place apart from others (In my humble opinion). They have 4 great restaurants (Dominican, Italian, Mexican, American) a 24hr sports-bar that is great for a late night burger if you've had a couple! They also have a Wine Bar opening soon that will stock wines from around the world (this is the only venue not included in your all inclusive package). Through in a casino, disco, bowling alley and an entertainment hall (yet to open) this place will have it all. You can also enjoy a cocktail in the front lobby. The have a big bar with lots of cosy furniture to kick back on.



Attention golfers. The White Sands GC is only a 10 minute walk down the street from the front doors of Ocean Blue. The golf course is only 9 holes at this time. I believe that they are currently working on the back nine. The surroundings of the course need a little work, but don't let that fool you. The golf holes themselves are solid. As a low handicap golfer, I can tell you that you need your A game from the golds. If the wind is up, as it was when I played, it is a good challenge. The course is in good shape and the greens are good, probably running around 10 in the morning. The 7,8 and 9th holes are very challenging if the wind is up. The Bogey lounge in the clubhouse is a great place to have a couple of drinks at night if you feel like going for a walk down the street!



Do yourself a favour and meet some of the key staff members at Ocean Blue. The head of guest services, Sandra, is a wonderful person and very accomodating. I think she works 24-7!! The Signature Vacations rep Omar is also worth getting to know.



I'm heading back to Ocean Blue for next year's winter get-away!

My friend and I just returned from Ocean Blue after a four day weekend. We are both females in our mid to late 30's, with families at home. The hotel is beautiful! It is set up as Carribean Village. The two hotels(Sands and Blue) run parallel to each other down the back part of the resort toward the beach. Each villa is 3 stories high and painted different colors to give them the look of houses. Inbetween the hotels are two gorgeous pools with swimup bars. The front of the resort is where all the restaurants, casino, bowling alley, spa, gift shops, theatre and disco are located. It's like going into town - but not leaving the resort. Most of these places are not open yet except the restaurants. The food is excellent! Because no one is there, you can eat at the place of your choice w/o a reservation. They have moved the buffet down to the beach grill while it is slow to take advantage of the view. The buffet breakfast was great. The lunch was OK. We didn't have a buffet dinner. The rooms are nice and clean. Everything you need is pretty much stocked. The bathtub/jucuzzi is big but hot water is a problem. Security is everwhere! No guns or scary uniforms. I stayed with a very safe and secure feeling. Each villa has its own connoisseur and the hotel as a whole wants very much to please you. The beach is wider than other hotels in the area. I did get cut on the foot by something so wear sand shoes. There is a group of shopping tents just a short walk down the beach. The golf course is open. The club house there is beautiful but not exclusive to the Ocean Hotels. Unless you don't know how to relax I would highly recommend this resort now - while its(asleep). The service is outstanding. You get treated like royalty. Most of the staff is under 30 and gorgeous - they go out of their way to make you feel special but not uncomfortable. The activity directors are one on one and this point. I have been to 5 star resorts before. This one will most definitely be a hot spot with a waiting list when it is fully operating.!

I've just returned from a fantastic week at this resort, and if not for work committments...I was "that close" to booking an additional week!



Having only been open for about 3 weeks, the word hasn't yet reached the masses, so the resort was very quiet...which led to service fit for a king (or queen). If a group were contemplating travel, this would be the perfect time to book here. You would have nearly exclusive "run of the house". Heck, you could have your very own (HUGE) free-form swimming pool (there are 2) and swim-up bar.



All of the food offered was of high quality and taste. That said, there were some exceptional restaurants to experience. You have to visit "La Casa", which highlights Dominican cuisine, and the Italian restaurant (can't remember the name). For your afternoon "chill time" go to Mike's Coffee & Tea for fine coffee and wicked deserts (the pastry chef on staff is something special indeed).



This entire complex is extremely well planned, and has the feel of a village with ALL the amenities. I believe the resort is scheduled to be completely operational around the second week of March, as the casino, disco and bowling alley are not yet open. If you are aware of that before you arrive...there should be NOTHING else that provides disappointment to your vacation. Once the vegetation matures and grows in...it will be even more esthetic.



It would be negligent of me to not include special mention of some of the staff members. Due to the "newness"...there were some wrinkles to be sure, but they were promptly, professionally and satisfactorily dealt with as they arose. Say hello to Sandra (Guest Services Mgr)...she and her staff will ensure your complete vacation enjoyment. Don't be shy or hesitate...they ARE there for you and are happy to help and answer questions. Also, Jacobo (Food & Beverages Mgr.) will be sure to bring a smile to your face, as his staff "fill your belly" with delectable (and quality) nourishment. If you're booking with Signature Vacations, your on-site representative Omar is a pleasure as well. He's very helpful...and rumour has it that he will help you (when he can), even if not your official rep.



To put a wrap on this rather lengthy review...I shall give the ultimate "thumbs up". I WILL be returning (and bringing friends and family)...as this resort is someplace to be shared with people that you actually LOVE!

P.S. The only reason I didn't rate Ocean Blue as "Excellent"...it was not fully operational (as mentioned above)...but have no doubt it will be excellent within a couple of months.

I just came back from this place with Sonia (person who wrote the first review) and even if the hotel wasn't finished, the place looks great. The VIP treatment is awesome. When everything will be finished it will be an exceptionnal place. I recommend it to anyone. The food is excellent and the people working there are very polite and they really want you to enjoy your vacation. I

Just came back from the Ocean Sand Beach and Gold Resort. Even though brochures said that the resort opened on Dec 19 2004, it actually opened the day before we arrived, Jan 21 2005. Actually, the resort is split between two chains : Ocean Blue and the Ocean Sand. The Ocean Sand hotel rooms were not ready so all guests were given rooms at the Ocean Blue.

Check-in was very quick. Upon arrival, i asked for an ocean view room and they gave us a VIP suite with no extra charges. That was amazing.

The room was a dream and the service was out of this world.

THe only bad things related to the rooms was that we ran out of water twice and the patio door would not lock.

People we met that were in the regular rooms had a lot of problems and really had a lot of complaints regarding water pressure, towels and room cleanliness.

The hotel itself is not finished. The main features are there (all restaurants are open, pool/bar available, pools are beautiful, bars open for business). The stuff that was not available: discotheque, casino, theater, bowling alley. So it get pretty boring at night time .

In my opinion the best restaurant was the "Brasa" near the beach (from a service and food point of view).

The American and Italian restaurants were ok (nothing special besides the setting) .

The beach was beautiful even though there were some pieces of glass in the sand (it used to be open to the public before Ocean bought it).

There were alot of clouds when i went and therefore, alot of waves.

In response to the Malaria scare, i took pills the whole time of my trip. But i understand that alot of people got sick (gastro) in Punta Cana (not only in the Ocean Hotel).

They offer bottle water that i drank the whole time and never got sick from.

People are very friendly and i have no doubt that in a few months from now, this place is going to be amazing.

However, for now, there is still alot of work to be done.

If you need more info, please let me know.

Thanks