Chic by Royalton

Room- We checked in Sept 6 and got “upgraded” to an ocean/pool view room. Room 2203. The view was indeed amazing, however, the room smelled like mildew, the fridge dirty and a lot of cracks on furniture and just old looking. Also the bed and sheets seemed really damp just uncomfortable. We thought if we closed the blinds and patio door , the smell would go away but it didn’t. It got so bad that I got dizzy and nauseous. It can’t be safe to breath in that smell. Our power in our room went out twice! We eventually asked to be switched to a new room which they gave us room 1207 and this room smelled so much better but there were still issues like the phone didn’t work, the fridge didn’t work to keep the drinks cold but at this time we were so over it! Restaurants It was slow season when we came so only one of the al la carte restaurants were open at a time which is weird because when we went to Mexico around the same time we didn’t have that problem. ELEMENT BUFFET- food was cold for lunch and didn’t have things labeled so we barely knew what stuff was. The omelet station at breakfast was the only thing decent. HUNTER STEAKHOUSE- ribeye steak was seasoned very well but super thin, but we enjoyed it. VESPA- Food was amazing! Too smoky inside though The other two restaurants weren’t open during our 5 day stay which was unfortunate Entertainment The entertainment team is what made our vacation so great!! The room were horrible, the food was ok but the Games at the pool and entertainment staff were top notch! OH MY CHICKKKEN! The Michael Jackson show was the real sea... those guys should be touring the world!! The fire show was very good also! The pool by the swim up bar was filthy and I would never step foot in there but the main pool was kept very clean! I read a lot of people saying they were given special treatment once told they were celebrating an event and we got nothing for celebrating our anniversary which was a kick in the face. I will come back to Punta Cana but I wouldn’t come back to this resort ever. They need a major facelift in the rooms

I will start with the good about Chic by Royalton. The Good: Recent design and infrastructure, cozy and comfy room with Bluetooth speaker, coffee shop with AC, clean site, bar near restaurants, bracelet key on wristband, helpful staff at lobby always available to help and lastly the majority of the staff are very helpful and will make your experience better. The Bad: half of the restaurants where closed due to low season, the buffet restaurant had not much to choose for breakfast and sometimes at other meals, desserts were limited or too small coin size, cocktails had no finish (without toppings such a simple lime or pineapple, for a couple of days they were missing mint, room service was limited to certain hours and the low quality of the food made me not to use the service again and lastly no AC at the buffet restaurant and some restaurants with AC were missing AC certain nights... Conclusion, after visiting four hotels in Punta Cana, including sister resort Royalton Punta Cana Resort & Casino, Chic by Royalton is very far away from Royalton branded hotels and other brands such as Riu, Barcelo where you will get more for your money. I therefore do not recommend Chic by Royalton.

THE GOOD: The food was great, the room was nice, staff were friendly, alcohol in drinks was generous, pools were beautiful (the poolside VIBE team was great), AquaFitness was fun and Favio was so enthusiastic, nightly entertainment was awesome (circus, live music, dancing). THE BAD: The longer we stayed, the more that the facade of Chic started to fade. THE ROOM - Our bed lights fell off, we later noticed that the shower had some mold, our in-room fridge couldn't keep cold (even though it was replaced), the patio door was almost impossible to open, the bathroom sink was clogged. In general, the room was not maintained well - chips in the walls and paint, chrome fixtures peeling in the shower etc. THE SERVICE - I was the most disappointed with the service. While the staff attended to us and got us what we needed, their attitude was not nearly as happy and enthusiastic as I was expecting based on other reviews I read before coming. Even when tipping, I felt most staff were indifferent and unappreciative. THE BEACH - The beach is significantly eroded. If you are looking to enjoy the beach, this isn't the resort for you. When walking towards the beach, the sand abruptly drops off a small cliff of about 2 feet and then the tide starts. There is not a lot of area to sit on the beach as a result and during the on-season it would be very hard to get a spot. OVERALL - We enjoyed our vacation, especially at the discounted rate we received for travelling during the off season. We were well fed and relaxed, but we will likely not visit CHIC again.