This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Are you kidding me!? . No amount of milk or sugar was going to save that, so we just waddled over to Aroma later on for a caffeine drink. Insider tip: Dont miss the hidden gem by building 10! After youre finished eating, you can place your dishes in the X-Box located right at your door. If you fancy getting a treatment at the spa, we recommend that you check on the day as the Spa does daily specials on various treatments. However, big waves and strong undertow make it unsuitable for swimming. This would be great for later in the evening, or even an early snack prior to a later dinner (if youre wanting to try it all!). Excellence El Carmen, Uvero Alto: "Between the excellence punta Cana and the." | Check out answers, plus 8,668 reviews and 12,158 candid photos Ranked #3 of 9 hotels in Uvero Alto and rated 4.5 of 5 at Tripadvisor. This post contains affiliate linkswhich means I earn compensation when you click on the links at absolutely no extra cost to you! Everyone greeted us with an Hola and a smile and you felt welcomed. You alternate between hot and cold pools, steam rooms and saunas, jet-oriented water experiences and more! It was a toss up between a room with a private pool or a two-storey rooftop with plunge pool, but by the time I finally booked the private pool room was the only one left. A. You will be treated the same, eat the same, and have largely the same drinks. Alternatively, you may use, Sanctuary Cap Cana, a Luxury Collection All-Inclusive Resort. Read a full Excellence Punta Cana vs Excellence El Carmen face-off, here. Magna has the best coffee at the resort French press and we loved that our server wheeled out a bread card and cut it for us. All of these rooms come with the option of having an ocean view. I loved having this option for an afternoon pick-me-up (since you know, doing nothing all day is so exhausting ). Today we are sharing a best food and worst food review of Excellence Club El Carmen, Punta Cana Dominican Republic. Members who are knowledgeable about this destination and volunteer their time to answer travelers' questions. Before dinner every night we perched ourselves at the Martini bar for a few pre-dinner drinks. The seafood, in particular, was spectacular. Whether youre an early riser or someone who likes to lounge in the morning and head for a later breakfast, there are loads of choices for you. The resort does a wonderful job of keeping the EC things hidden. Throughout the resort there is a huge volume of staff, so no matter where you are there is always some close by that can offer you assistance. The menu has your typical bar food favorites such as nachos, burgers, and Pizzas. There is a drinks service on the beach which makes spending a day sunning yourself so much more enjoyable. You can also get this type of room without Excellence Club. All are part of the hotel's all-inclusive rates, as is 24-hour room service. Keep in mind there may be a separate wine list at the restaurants where you can opt to purchase bottles of winebut we drank the house all week and we loved it! Each restaurant has numerous options for lighter fare. You are greeted with a glass of bubbly and a cold towel. We had some insightful conversations with some of the employees there and they really love their jobs and are grateful for them. Keep in mind that you are in the Dominican Republic but the food here is far better than other resorts Ive been to while travelling here. My husband doesn't drink and I may have one drink a day at most so the liquor is not of value to us, however, we are interested in the spa treatments included in the excellence club as well as the room location being closer to the beach/better view. It was one of my favourite dinner places and had multiple dishes I wanted to try and had excellent service. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. You have a set of headphones with a few choices of music to dance to, and then youre off in your own little world. It's definitely not a party resort with guests pounding shots -- the vibe is more towards sipping martinis. Hmm. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. - See 9,457 traveller reviews, 11,732 candid photos, and great deals for Excellence El Carmen at Tripadvisor. My wife and I had a very similar experience at Excellence El Carman in November 2019. You can bring this right back to your palapa by the pool or beach to enjoy or eat on the terrace. Youre greeted at the front desk, then taken by elevator upstairs, where youre shown your locker room and given a pair of flip flops. We love the whole adults only thing and the dining options that the Excellence offer hence why we feel that nothing else compares and why we have booked to stay at EEC. Excellence El Carmen, Uvero Alto: "How much is the excellence club upgrade" | Check out 5 answers, plus 8 660 reviews and 12 158 candid photos Ranked #3 of 7 hotels in Uvero Alto and rated 4.5 of 5 at Tripadvisor. I ordered a rib-eye steak and to be honest there was way too much fat compared to the ribeyes I usually eat. It looked like they had drinks and a canopy thing going on there. Excellence El Carmen Dominican Republic has shops selling sundries and beach attire, a medical clinic (fee to use), and an ATM. I know they have tennis and their activities list pickle ballbut do they actually use pickle ball nets? My advice is, if it's not a financial hardship, the club area is the "cherry on top" of a great vacation. As you walk down the hallways, it's common to see the doors of these couples' rooms decorated with banners celebrating their occasion. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Excellence El Carmen review: the Property. Thank you for supporting my blog! Now, that is what their website states, but we saw many people in flip flops and tank tops, so Im not sure how much the dress code is enforced. This one of the Excellence chains has three offerings in the Dominican Republic. This man was hilarious and was really entertaining. Excellence El Carmen is very competitively priced. Book Excellence El Carmen, Uvero Alto on Tripadvisor: See 9,464 traveler reviews, 12,158 candid photos, and great deals for Excellence El Carmen, ranked #3 of 9 hotels in Uvero Alto and rated 4.5 of 5 at Tripadvisor. Sanctuary Cap Cana, a Luxury Collection All-Inclusive Resort. Excellence El Carmen is a large, and fairly new (2016) all-inclusive resort with a modern and tropical vibe. The food was beyond excellent, the staff were the most pleasant human beings i have ever came across on a vacation and the resort itself was absolutely amazing!!! It is unbelievably private we were in 9001 and because we were on the end of the building block, we only had neighbours on one side. Our rooms were cleaned twice a day and the housekeeping staff was great at staying consistent in regards to the timings they would clean our room. If youre not already a member of Welcome to Excellence El Carmen on Facebook I highly recommend you join there are a ton of Q&As in there! Its a lovely experience. If you want a lighter bite, head over to the La Placita food truck at the X-Lounge terrace! To tribute acts and musical entertainment. Services cost extra, but guests can book a free session in the gorgeous hydrotherapy circuit, which features a sauna, steam room, plunge pool, and jetted beds. Rooms have one king bed or two queen beds that are framed by boxy nightstands and telescoping chrome reading lights. If you are booking a room with a swim-up suite make sure to request a room that is directly in the sun during the day or in the morning. Does the Excellence El Carmen offer a shuttle service from the Airport. Over the 7 days that we visited the Excellence, there were two weddings that we saw going on. In Search of Sarah is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We spent our mornings by the pool, where you have access to their swim up bar, Blue. As for swimming pools, Excellence Punta Canas main pool is bigger, but Excellence El Carmen has more rooms with swim-up access or private pools. We also saw one of the wedding parties using the X-lounge for after the reception. Note: They do not serve their drinks with straws, so bring your own if you wish! This is why I love the Excellence app so much you can go on there and check out the menus ahead of time to decide on which places to eat at each night (you know, if youre into that sort of thing). Im glad there were other couples there laughing, because some of you cant help but laugh! By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. This category reimagines Dominican Republic resorts in an adults only oasis that delights the senses. We were handed a Coco Loco when we walked in and had a great view of the live music. There is no need to be rude to the vendors, but learn to say no, and then to avoid eye contact if they keep not taking no for an answer. The biggest question when youre considering an all-inclusive resort is the quality of the food. The Excellence Punta Cana is located a short 6-minute drive from the El Carmin offering, as well as the Finest Punta Cana which is their latest offering and is located a 5-minute drive from the El Carmen. Rounds here range from $100 $150 depending on the time of day you play and the season. The wide and varied selection continues in your room with a packed mini-bar and a number of premium liquor bottles available. Wood-Fired pizzas, rich and creamy pasta dishes, and some really nice seafood options too. Related: 20 Best Cheap Travel Items Under $20 (that are actually useful!). I have seen others tip generously to get their preferred alcohol, or have had them all swapped out at onceIm not sure what the real case is here, but nonetheless youll have alcohol in your room. Horseback riding, biking, tennis, and quality excursions (some fees) Free Wi-Fi throughout. The cleaning in the morning was the main clean of the day and lasted about 15 minutes. As soon as you enter the resort you really are put at ease. If youre like me, I love knowing what dinner options are available before I go to a resort. This adults-only resort is the perfect place to have a relaxing break in the beautiful surroundings of the Dominican Republic. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-110442921', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Excellence El Carmen? After dinner, there was always something going on. Book Excellence El Carmen, Uvero Alto on Tripadvisor: See 9,455 traveller reviews, 12,158 candid photos, and great deals for Excellence El Carmen, ranked #3 of 7 hotels in Uvero Alto and rated 4.5 of 5 at Tripadvisor. Excellence Playa Mujeres: Mexicos Best Adults-Only Resort! Other activities include ping-pong, pool tables, and a life-size chess board. We passed so many doors with celebratory banners on them, and its not hard to understand why: Excellence El Carmen offers a great price point and value for money, and is known to provide a top-tier stay in a tropical paradise. They will want to take a photo of you with them (or you phone, too! Although theres no money involved it was a great way to mingle with the other guests. My husband and I are looking into going to EEC and we are wondering if the Excellence Club is worth it. The Excellence El Carmen adults-only all-inclusive resort opened in late 2016 and has one of Punta Canas most modern and hip vibes. Ive talked to quite a few people during our time here about that experience. Youll have a great view of the pool and ocean and a nice breeze to enjoy your dinner with. They do have a dress code for the Grill but we saw many people in cover ups and flip flops. However, the dress code is one of the reasons why we love Excellence. Its open at 8:00 am and the view of the azul-blue pools and swaying palm trees along the beach cant be beat. It was packed when we arrived and we actually walked away the first time because we thought we wouldnt get in. Excellence El Carmen is very similar in terms of amenities to its sister property Excellence Punta Cana, which is just a five-minute drive away. ), classes by the beach, live music at lunch, live music behind the theatre in the evening, live music at the Martini Bar, plus the evening shows and more! ), burgers, fish and chips, quesadillas, fries and more! Excellence El Carmen: Excellence Club WORTH IT - See 9,018 traveler reviews, 11,291 candid photos, and great deals for Excellence El Carmen at Tripadvisor. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Arriving guests step through the front doors into a hip lobby that features swish elements like funky, high-backed armchairs, sleek couches, and floor-to-ceiling shelves full of oversized art books. Theres always some type of entertainment going on. All-inclusive rates cover meals at 11 restaurants (including several a la carte eateries) and top-shelf drinks, plus 24-hour room service and activities like snorkeling, Spanish lessons, and beach volleyball. Check-in is a breeze and you are whisked to your room where your holiday can really begin. We did this one night and got food from Chez Isabella. We heard from a few of our fellow guests that if you ask very nicely that you can potentially order some of the dishes from the restaurants to be delivered to your room. Guests are mostly honeymooners and couples celebrating wedding anniversaries from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Dont get us wrong, there is more than enough space at the pools to get a sun lounger and to chill out in peace and quiet. The Excellence chain of resorts is known to put out a very decent standard of food and the Excellence El Carmen is no different. You can grab a coconut at the swim up bar most days where you can have any drink you want inside of it. If youre celebrating your anniversary or honeymoon, be sure to take advantage of that at Excellence El Carmen! Like other Excellence properties, guests can splurge on upgraded Excellence Club packages. There is also room service! This resort was beautiful!!!! The setup outside is really beautiful and should be experienced if youre there even if you dont have a full meal just so you can see some of the entertainment! The marquee element of the park is the Hoyo Azul. The rooms are choicely designed with a great aesthetic. Excellence now has their own app you can download to research everything either ahead of time, or to keep up with it during your stay! Glass-walled stand-up showers feature massive rainfall showerheads and all bathrooms include generous toiletries. In addition to receiving a welcome letter, fruit, and a bottle of sparkling wine upon arrival, you will also receive a special turndown service, champagne breakfast in bed and a romantic dinner at one of the restaurants. When we eventually secured a table this place didnt disappoint. The location of the resort is also pretty secluded, so its not the best if you want to get out and about to explore local towns and things to do. The food, the staff, and the feel you get as you walk through the resort are 5-star. A. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. It opened its doors in 2016 and has been a firm favorite for all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. Its a really nice option if you dont feel like getting into your evening clothes and instead just chilling out in the room. At the other Excellence guest-only eatery, we were pretty disappointed with the restaurant. When we stayed in mid-2019 we paid $2,800 USD for 7 days. My favourite spots included Aroma, the Revive Bar, Magna (for Excellence Club), and the Lobster House. On both occasions, the food came within 20 minutes and arrived hot, which is always the worry with room service. We love to tip, and I feel like everyone should tip, even a little bit! To be honest I found the whole club thing a bit snooty and always felt a bit uncomfortable when dealing with club concierge, we paid a lot of money to stay club as we were there for 2 weeks and didn't really feel like we were treated any different than non club, which I suppose is a good thing, but I would have hoped that being a returning guest on honeymoon, the club concierge should have spoilt us and put more of an effort in than they did. Hi David! A terrace lay just outside the sliding doors with your own entrance to a pool that runs alongside the back of the building. If youre sharing with a friend or a family member (like my mom and I did), we just called out to each other that we were indecent and to avert your eyes. Just as an FYI if youre walking around indecently with the blinds open. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Sunny yellows, lush flora greens, and ocean blues set the scene for a transfixing mix of island charm and elegance. and loved it. . The Dominican Republic has a really beautiful landscape and the Hoyo Azul at Scape Park is a spectacular sight. The food here was very good. Related: What to Pack in a DIY Travel Medical Kit. It was never rowdy, and is quite peaceful here and we enjoyed the central location to everything we wanted. You can also pop into the Sports Bar for some infamous cheese sticks and a place to grab a tasty bite during the day or late in the evening. While interiors are sharp, it's the hotel's lush grounds that give this property its away-from-it-all atmosphere. We even had a decent signal on the beach. It is the perfect spot for a refreshing dip in a really cool location. The service is amazing as it always is at Excellence Resorts. Just a note on classes: if you have your heart set on doing one, get there early! Others have said all I have is $5 and they take it. You also have an ice bucket, and the ice machines are located on every floor of every room block for easy filling. Excellence Club WORTH IT: Excellence El Carmen - See 7,750 traveller reviews, 10,047 photos, and cheap deals for Excellence El Carmen at Tripadvisor. Some of the jets really move your swimsuit around and I remember one year I had to hang on to my top and bottoms during some of the water treatments! Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. It doesnt have to be much, and the tips are also very appreciated. This spot does Tapas really well. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Anytime we had finished a drink or a meal the staff were on hand to refill or clean away our empty glasses or plates. Its always a favourite spot to gather before and after dinner to enjoy a cocktail. You do not need to bring an adapter with you if you are travelling from North America. Our food was delivered hot, and was set up right in our room. We actually skipped lunch this day just so we could fill up. It was the best thing we ate all week! The menus denote which dishes are grain free. We had the grilled lobster and the lobster ravioli and the lobster for both dishes was a little bit chewy. Excellence Club guests get private access to a top-notch restaurant that opens for breakfast and dinner. This is obviously down to the staff who were so proactive in making sure the place looked tidy. Drink service is on offer at the pools and beach. This is also the place you can get fresh coconuts. When booking if you want to be close to the action we would advise requesting a room in buildings 4 and 6. Other than that, you will surely have a beautiful stay at a great resort. There is a massive king-sized bed which is super comfortable. While both resorts offer access to beautiful beaches, the stretch of sand at Excellence Punta Cana is perhaps just a little bit nicer. Access to a private beach area. I LOVE Excellence properties, and Excellence El Carmen is nothing short of an amazing resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Junior Swim-Up Suites, located on the ground floor, offer access to long pools with private nooks outfitted with a swan-neck jet. Our favorite thing was definitely the casino night. It makes a great all-inclusive resort option for those wanting luxury and comfort. There are many options: silicone straws, metal straws (which keep your drinks cold) or paper straws. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The only restaurant that requires a reservation is Spice, which has limited seating at its teppanyaki counters. These bottles do come at an additional cost, but youre on holiday, treat yourself. Since you mentioned your anniversary, look at the anniversary packages that you would get for free if you travel over your anniversary and stay for 7 nights. Now the bathroom is one of which many people question. I first thought it was broken since I couldnt turn the dial under it, but then I realized there was a button right at the staircase into the pool which doesnt quite look like a button that turns it on for about 5 minutes at a time. Access to the business center is available for a fee, and there is also 4,800 square feet of event space. The resort has tennis courts and free lessons. They have it all from the top-shelf liquor options to local beers and spirits. So I am just checking to see if there was any extra fees that arent included! They are so much fun to do. Once the info sheet is delivered try and book the treatment for the next day to grab a bargain. It felt like a newer resort. We ate in our bathrobes and drank mimosas and it was glorious. Getting to beautiful Saona Island takes an hour and 15 minutes and requires a drive followed by a boat ride. In my opinion, Excellence Club is not worth it at Excellence El Carmen. Free daily classes like yoga and stretching are available, and personal training sessions are included in nightly rates as well. The food was top quality and the atmosphere was great. From the moment you get out of bed and slip into the private pool outside your Junior Suite your day is going to be electric and jam-packed with fun, romance, action and entertainment. Excellence calls it casual elegance.. Excellence El Carmen, Uvero Alto: "What's is the difference between the regular." | Check out 8 answers, plus 8,660 reviews and 12,158 candid photos Ranked #3 of 7 hotels in Uvero Alto and rated 4.5 of 5 at Tripadvisor. This resort is a wonderful place for adults to relax and de-stress, and the Excellence Club in my opinion is absolutely worth it. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Guests staying at Excellence El Carmen can book excursions to nearby attractions through the concierge. I did notice, though, while we were walking the beach, there were quite a few pieces of coral along the shore and in the water. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Its easily 20 x 15 feet (my mom and I tried measuring with our bodies), warm, and gets the late morning and afternoon sun. In reality, there are really three main pool areas. At our other Excellence Resorts trips, Ive emailed ahead of time to request a certain bottle in our rooms, which you can certainly do, but I left it until we got here this time. The property's secluded beach is one of Punta Canas best. The staff was also super friendly which made us feel very welcome. I tried the braised beef wrap and it was delicious. Its fun to watch the cook prepare your food right in front of you! The main pool is close to Las Olas for a bite to eat or you could head over to Oregano or Lobster House for lunch! As these pools are not heated, they were very cold during the day. Its architecture is in the Contemporary Caribbean style, and twenty pools wind through our . We spent our mornings at the main pool with their (only) swim up bar, Blue. Chez Isabelle is a quiet restaurant to visit for a romantic meal and the decor is beautiful. We found this place the most difficult to get a booking for at peak times. Right behind the main pool is a smaller lap pool which they use for the water activities and games which is always fun to participate in (or watch!). Aroma is open until 10:00 and also offers sandwiches, fruit cups, pastries, macarons, cookies, and gelato. There are bars dotted all throughout the resort. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The club rooms do have a better coffee maker, little cakes delivered every night which were a nice touch, also fruit delivery every day, which we didn't eat and a daily US newspaper - not much use for us as we're British. There are many options: We never had an issue with the water, from bottled, ice, restaurant water, or brushing our teeth. Casual wear (no wet swimsuits) is acceptable elsewhere for breakfast and lunch. The service here gets a 5-star rating from us, it was literally impeccable. We had a fabulous time the first time we went to ERC, which was non club, so much so we went back for our honeymoon. Maybe Im just getting older, but I dont like the rough feeling of wet, sandy feet against flip flops or sand in my bits after a day on the beach. It almost feels like you have been whisked to the streets of Barcelona with the standard of food here. The expansive property seems large but its very walkable and manageable (as well as accessible). This is probably the most important part about the vendors: there are some men who walk around with parrots, monkeys, and iguanas. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Excellence Club upgrades come with private lounge and restaurant access, an exclusive area on the beach, and daily in-room treats. We did ours at 9:00 am and we had to nap after because it made us tired haha! A nice L-shaped couch that made the perfect midday lounging area. Youll find all kinds of entertainment throughout the day, from water activities and games (you may even be roped into it, but dont feel like you have to attend!
