For me, the year 2009 ended with a week at an all-inclusive in the Dominican Republic. I travelled as part of a multi-generational group of 12 family and friends, with ages ranging from seven to 63. The criteria for our Yule-time adventure were basic; we wanted a family-friendly, good value resort that offered rest and relaxation for the adults and fun in the sun for the kids. We ended up selecting a resort on Bavarro beach in the Punta Cana area. Here are some lessons learned:

  • Always check Trip Advisor (or a similar review site) before you go. After weeding through the different reviews, it became apparent that the resort consisted of newer and older buildings, which offered a significantly different quality of accommodation. We put a request through our travel agent to be in "new" rooms and based on some comments by other guests at the resort, I am glad we did.
  • Know the dynamics of your group. Because we were a large group we wanted a convenient place to gather, so we requested that one of our group rooms be on a low floor. The upper rooms had balconies, but they were too small for more than two people. The ground floor rooms came with access to a veranda and a poolside position that allowed us to gather as a group for pre-dinner drinks.
  • While we did well figuring out the accommodation needs of our group, we missed the boat on the dining experience. As per the on-line marketing and reviews, the resort did offer a good variety of restaurants and the food was decent. However, the staff would not allow us to move tables together so we could sit as a group. For groups wishing to come together to break bread, this was a major bug bear. I never would have thought to query this in advance to a resort that promotes itself as family-friendly. We should have.
  • We also should have done more prep work in regards to our specific food requirements. My 14-year old nephew, who is allergic to seafood and nuts, had a reaction to some rice one day that must have been cross-contaminated. But hard to know as there were no labels on the buffet food and the staff did not know enough English to address our specific concerns. I would recommend bringing a piece of paper with relevant questions ("does this food contain nuts?") translated into the local language, which could be passed to the food service personnel in advance.
  • According to the brochure, the resort came with many extras including a full health club and complimentary water sports. When we arrived we discovered a gym that had old and broken equipment. The water craft available included one catamaran, which could only be signed out in 20 minute installments and a handful of kayaks, one of which was cracked and waterlogged. We were more focused on the beach and the pool, so we weren't bothered by not being able to work-out or sail. However, if these things were important to you, it is certainly a good reminder to get the details on what is actually available from your travel agent or tour operator.
  • There were many "entrepreneurs" on the beach offering deals on local tours, but when it came to booking our swimming with dolphins adventure we opted to book through the tour operator at the resort. The day we were to go, two of our group had food poisoning and couldn't make it. Happily, it was easy to re-schedule. I am not so sure that would have been the case if we had to scour the beach looking for someone to refund the tickets. Always book your tours with an accredited source who can advocate on your behalf should you run into problems.