Caliente Caribe January 2008

 

Short Trip to Caliente Caribe in Dominican Republic

Patti and I spent four days in January 2008 at Caliente Caribe. We drove to Charlotte to board a JetBlue flight to Kennedy airport to connect to our JetBlue flight to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. JetBlue was the least expensive by a long shot. The equipment JetBlue uses is wonderful from a traveler’s point of view. The knee room is fantastic. Each traveler has his own television screen and channel selector. The whole experience with JetBlue was satisfying.

When we arrived in Puerto Plata, we cleared immigration, claimed our luggage and passed through customs. As we exited the custom’s area, a driver was holding a placard with our name on it, as promised. We had been to the resort before, but we did not remember just how long the drive was from the airport. The resort was thoughtful enough to send a cooler with beer, soda and bottled water to tide us over on the van ride. There needs to be a potty stop half way. The road seemed to get bumpier the fuller my bladder became. There really, really needs to be a potty stop.

Upon our arrival, we were met by the smiling face of Van Le. We were soon registered and escorted to our room. Our bags had preceded us. Our escort opened the room, explained the amenities and welcomed us to the DR and the resort. The room was enormous even though it was the smallest class of accommodation in the resort. We were staying in one of the two condo buildings near the main restaurant. The view from our balcony was of the cliffs, beach cottages, beach area and ocean. Reading on the balcony with the million dollar view was restful. The bathroom was large and bright. There were two mirror areas for a couple to get ready at the same time. Two could shower at the same time in the spacious shower area. Once we were ready for dinner, we began the short walk to the main dinning area.

100 could dine at once in the main dinning area. On the first morning, I ordered two items at once. The breakfast wrap was much larger than the waiter said. I finished the oatmeal as well because I didn’t want to waste, but I had a gracious plenty! Thereafter, I only ordered one item at breakfast because they also bring a basket of breads and rolls to each table with your drinks. We tried four of the several breakfast items and all were very tasty. Breakfast menu was the same each day.

Dinner was a relaxing and entertaining experience. Menus are used for the guest to select what they would like to eat. The menu changed each day. Didn’t get enough with the first plate or wanted to try something else—order again! House wines were available with dinner or you could select from an extra cost wine list. We only tried the house wines, but the red was tasty and paired with the food well. Each day’s dinner menu offered a variety of items to satisfy the tastes of a world-wide guest population. Desserts were presented from an attractive tray to each table. The pace of service was relaxed to maximize guest enjoyment. Each night, entertainment at the main pool stage finished off the official program at the resort. The entertainers were professional and interesting. All the guests attended the performances.
Pools and hot tubs abound. There are three pools for guest use. On the ocean-side level there is a volley ball pool and a swimming pool. The main pool near the clubhouse also has a swim up bar. Two hot tubs are available for guest enjoyment—one near the main pool and another on the lower ocean-side level.

The ocean-side (where the cottages are) pavilion, grill and bar provided lunch each day. Lunch menu was extensive—from salads, burgers, sandwiches, soups and local Dominican dishes. Chef also had daily specials. I tried several of the local dishes and loved them.

Bar service was fast and accurate. Several premium liquors were stocked at the bars on both levels. Bars were located at the main pool, ocean level pavilion and in the disco. Ocean-side bar had a special drink each day. The beer was cold and served in chilled mugs.

The cottages on the ocean-side level are private, airy and bright. Each had a kitchen area, living room, bedroom and bathroom. Most of the cottages were of the one bedroom variety, but there were some with two bedrooms. In two of the two bedroom units, the shower area was located outside in a covered breezeway.

The resort has some amenities that we did not use—the gym, separately operated spa, ocean-side massage tables, media room, two tennis courts, aquatic center and two helipads (our helicopter was in for an annual inspection!!).

My opinion is that Caliente Caribe is worth the trip to get there. Sinclair, general manager, and Van Le, Group Sales Director, have assembled a staff that cares about your experience at the resort. The whole resort has a professional appearance—from the grounds keepers, to the clean tablecloths, to the dinner theme decorations, to the plating of the dinner entrees and selection of the evening entertainment. A short story of how the staff takes care of the guests. Patti and I ordered a club sandwich to take with us on the trip to the airport. The staff at the ocean-side grill took our order even before the grill was open. I told them that I would come back to pick up the order before we left. When we went to the front desk to check out, our sandwiches had already been delivered. Their thoughtfulness saved me a trip back down to the ocean-side area. I was really impressed.

If you want are looking for a new place to try, book a week or more at Caliente Caribe. Take a group with you and get some special rates for the group.  Send an email to the resort to explore your group options.

Cliff & Patti Hess
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