Sanctuary Cap Cana

I can only compare Sanctuary Cap Cana to similar hotels that I have stayed at in Cancun, and unfortunately it fell very short for many reasons: I do not speak Spanish and found it very difficult to communicate with staff that could hardly speak English. We stayed for 8 days (All inclusive) from 06/07 to 06/14. I chose to tip the staff at the end rather than for every single drink or meal served, which caused an obvious and immediate drop off in service almost to the point of blackmail - most uncomfortable. When we never received an early continental breakfast that we had ordered in our room, and the toilet light bulb was not replaced after notifying reception, I politely asked why this was rather than rant and rave. My grievances were noted in writing, but I never received any feed back, and when we left four days later the toilet was still in darkness!! It seems to me they do not understand English especially when it doesn't suit them. Totally unacceptable! The house wine per glass was unpalatable and the price for the six bottles of reasonable wine that I ordered left a bitter taste in my mouth. Besides the goat stew one night, which was delicious, the rest of the food was very mediocre and the steaks were tough and tasteless. There is absolutely no reason why I would ever want to return to Punta Cana for a vacation, when virtually any hotel in Cancun offers better beaches, food, accommodation, entertainment and any other service that a holiday maker cares to enjoy.

Great time had by the 2 of us at Sanctuary. Been to Punta Cana 6 times previously at different resorts and this place was probably the nicest. Resort grounds are beautiful and well tended. Beach area relatively small but water is clean and calm protected by coral reef . Very close to pool so easy to jump back and forth. Food and drinks were excellent. Very fresh and brand name top shelf everything. It's a smaller type resort on a big footprint so seemed as though we had the place to ourselves quite often. Enjoyed hanging at the pool in the afternoons and the staff there were very attentive and a lot of fun. ( Carlos is the man ) Activity staff were cool people and did good job of giving us options to stay active. ( got lazy as week went on ) Volleyball games and some beachside stuff ( bonfires on 2 nights ) were a good diverson but mainly this was a vacation where relaxation is the big thing. Sanctuary appears to be in the middle of an ownership / management change so the Casino and some of the buildings /restaurants/bars on the upper end of the property were not open . NO issues with the staff, they were all outstanding and the quality in the restaurants was excellent. Quiets down dramatically after dark which was exactly the type of scene we were looking for. Bars were open but most people seemed to lay low at night. If you are looking for a resort with a high end feel and a low key, relaxing vibe then Sanctuary is a great choice.

Overall the hotel was well kept and the staff was nice. However, there were several issues. Every day we found black hairs in our room from the cleaning staff. One evening there was a wedding and we had to listen to music pounding through our room wall because the reception was in the bar by our room. It was our honeymoon and we were promised things that we never received until we ask twice. The clock alarm didn't work most of the time we were there. Also, there really needs to be a no tip policy because it so annoying when every staff member expects a tip. Finally, the little vendors by the pool are above and beyond intrusive to the guests and we talked to many.

The Hotel was rated as a 5 star at the time of our booking. The food quality was subpar at best. Room service took at least 1 hour every order. The furnishings in my hotel room were very old, and off track. We were also greeted daily by baby crabs in our bathroom.

We really enjoyed our time at Sanctuary Cap Cana. I cannot recommend enough spending a bit more on a nice room. We had a swim out room in the castle - it was quiet and when we had enough of the loud pool it was great to get room service and spend the day there. Worth every penny!! Really yummy cocktails and food. Lovely setting and one of the few resorts I have been which is probably as nice or even nicer in person compared to the posted pictures. The service was fantastic and we would definitely recommend!

Hospitality was superb. EVERYONE made us feel like royalty. So many options to choose to participate ... or just chill in room/balcony or on the beach. Food was excellent & room service was great.

We had a great time here - if you are looking for a low-key hang out by the pool / beach kind of vacation to decompress - this was PERFECT. We had plans to take a couple of excursions with our 3 year old but opted to stay on the resort the entire time and loved and cherished every minute of it. Not many kiddos here - fairly quiet and low-key - which hit the spot for us! We all had a great time. Would come again for sure

Ratings: Location 2, Scenery 4, Rooms 3, Pool 2, Beach 3, Restaurants 3, Amenities 2, Service, 4, Overall 3 NOTES: This is NOT a Secrets Resort and NOT adults only No hot water Rooms in disrepair, duct tape on window, doors warped 20 minute rain storm resulted in soak floors over half the bedroom. Elevators inaccessible, locked down No AC in common areas other than rooms No marina or watersports of any kind Only two restaurants are open at any time. One restaurant (the lowest quality, The Blue Marlin) is open everyday, so you only have one additional restaurant to choose from Room service does not include any liquor deliveries other than beer and wine is only available by the bottle for a charge Details The effort made by the staff was exceptional. Everyone was very friendly and accommodating. However, they are NOT prepared to deliver the level of service advertised. It falls far short of the 5 star as indicated on most travel sites. They did not have our room, Expedia and the front desk resolved the problem the next day. However, the room was aged and in disrepair. Ceiling fans, TV’s and light fixtures did not work, windows leaked during the afternoon rain showers. The morning of the last day key cards had been deactivated. The property is in Cap Cana, NOT Bavaro Beach . This area is economically depressed, huge houses next to half finished and abandoned ones. A real shame. A great place but a not so great (average) experience. This is a Hotel, NOT A RESORT!

I surprised my husband for his fortieth birthday and stayed with two other couples at Sanctuary. Our experience was excellent!! The staff was very friendly and managed to remember your name after the first meeting. The hotel grounds and rooms are beautiful!! Five stars all the way!!

The resort is far from luxury. A Holiday Inn Express is far far better in hygiene, customer service, and food quality. Even the top management (General Manager) does not have the time to take your call (or call back as promised). Quite a horrible experience for non-Spanish speakers. You are sure to get exotic, weird tasting food that you did not order (as the waiter did not even understand what you ordered) - happened to us 3 times. And forget housekeeping, you will need to cancel most days because they will never heed your requested time and always disturb you after you return back to your room in the afternoon, expecting a clean room. No wonder the cleanliness is as per my attached pictures (and these are on Day 1 - at check-in)!