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Bad Rate :: Luxury Pretention in the D.R. at Paradisus Palma Real

Where: Playa de Bavaro, Higuey, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

[Ed. Note: This is the Bad Rate in our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature. This screenshot was taken was on January 9, 2007 and is subject to change. Enjoy.]

If you want to go upscale, there are several all-inclusives in the Punta Cana area of the Dominican Republic where the food is a notch up, the liquor is not bottom shelf, and the staffers are fluent in English. Then there are those who just charge more and put a nice sheen on things. You can spend $158 per night for a couple at this week's Good Rate--Allegro Punta Cana--or pay $525 a night for a garden view room at Paradisus Palma Real.

The complaints on TripAdvisor are more entertaining than the typical ones your read for this kind of hotel (musty rooms, clueless staffers who can't fix problems, and ho-hum food).

The rooms have a "master switch" that turns all power off...and I mean ALL of it; lights, fans, clocks, etc. So, whatever you do, do not flip the middle light switch next to the bed or you will spend the next two hours trying to figure out what went wrong.

Butlers barely speak english and are basically a waste- -they stand there and jabber away about the property but they don't do anything and you need to keep tipping them.

My 11 year old turned on the bathtub jets and it shot water across my whole room, soaking down my bed. Don't do that.

The other negative comments mostly revolve around indifferent service, ocean-front rooms that get downgraded on a whim, and a major language barrier. If you're going to deal with these problems--common in this region--then go get a place where you're not paying a premium for supposedly better service.

Good Rate / Dominican Republic Hotel Reviews / Hotel Deals / → All Tags

Good Rate :: All-inclusive Allegro Punta Cana for $158

Where: Cabeza de Toro, Higuey, Dominican Republic

[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we look at hotel prices in the same city and decide which is better worth your hard-earned benjamins. The rate here was valid on January 9, 2007 and is subject to change.]

Fresh off a renovation, the Allegro Resort in Punta Cana is offering a fantastic deal (through BookIt.com) at only $79 per person all-inclusive through the end of January.

This is your usual vacation factory experience, complete with 540 rooms and a chirpy activities director shouting in a mic by the pool. But hey, at this rate, it's hard to go wrong if you're looking for a beach getaway.

If you've been to a typical all-inclusive resort anywhere in the world, you know the scene: free-flowing cocktails from five bars, lots of activity diversions, and a choice of four restaurants and a snack stand. A big plus here is that the pool and beach bars stay open late instead of them being shut down at sunset. The liquor will be far from top shelf, but at least the rum should be good.

The new rooms depart from the usual tropical floral theme and actually display a little style. They have the basic resort hotel amenities, including a safe, hair dryer, cable TV, and furnished balcony.

You can't book this rate through the buggy hotel site. Instead you need to follow this link to BookIt.com.