The Dominican Republic is an interesting, but so far only growing destination among tourists from Russia. Unfortunately, due to an expensive flight, she loses to the more budgetary resort countries - Turkey and Thailand. But in vain, because the Dominican Republic boasts whitewashed sandy beaches, a warm sea and luxurious hotels. And history buffs will be interested to look at Santo Domingo - the former colonial capital and the oldest city in the Caribbean.
We will tell in this article about one of the most popular options for accommodation in the Dominican Republic - VIK Arena Blanca 4 * hotel.
Hotel location
This beach resort is located in the heart of one of the most popular destinations in the Dominican Republic - the resort of Punta Cana. First of all, it is famous for its snow-white sandy coast and excellent ecology. There are 3 national parks around this small town, so the air here is good for health. Punta Cana will appeal to tourists who love a relaxing holiday. The resort has almost no nightclubs, but diving centers and restaurants specializing in seafood are located everywhere. It is not surprising that most often families come here with young children and newlyweds.
The VIK Hotel Arena Blanca 4 * complex is located directly on the sandy coast on the first line of the sea. Shopping lovers will also enjoy its location. A large shopping center is open just a 5-minute walk, where you can buy not only food and souvenirs, but also clothes, shoes and jewelry. A diving shop and several restaurants are also located next to the hotel. Punta Cana Airport, which receives flights from Russia, is 18 km from the hotel. Therefore, tourists can get to it after arrival in just half an hour.
Basic hotel information
The resort of Punta Cana is hardly a budget vacation spot. The entire coast here is built up with luxurious five-star complexes. Among them, this hotel stands out, which is popular with tourists because it offers more budget accommodation.
It should be noted that in fact two complexes are located on the same territory at once. Close to the four-star hotel is bordered by his five-star counterpart - VIK Hotel Cayena Beach. This is a small exclusive beach complex on the territory of which other guests cannot.
Hotel VIK Arena Blanca 4 * itself (Dominican Republic, Punta Cana) was built in 2000. The total area of its entire territory is about 120 thousand m 2 . It built five three-story residential buildings, decorated in a tropical style. There are no elevators in them, but from the last floors an amazing world at sea. The hotel has 456 rooms. You can live in them with young children. But pets are not allowed in the hotel. Local staff speak English and Spanish. There are no Russian-speaking personnel in the complex.
Description of rooms Vik Arena Blanca 4 *
All hotel rooms are located in three-story residential buildings. The choice of guests is offered several categories of apartments. The most common among them are one-room rooms with an area of 30 m 2 . They can accommodate up to 3 tourists. They consist of a bathroom, bedroom and open balcony, which overlooks either the tropical garden or the ocean.
Another popular category is also one-room rooms, but having a slightly larger area. They consist of a bedroom, in which there is a double bed and a sofa. Also has a bathroom and a balcony. Their area is 36.5 m 2 .
For family accommodation, family suites are recommended. They consist of two separate rooms, interconnected by doors. 4 guests can stay in them at once. They also have a bathroom and a balcony. You can choose between suites of 36 and 43 m2.
Additional room facilities
Since the VIK Arena Blanca 4 * hotel (Dominican Republic, Punta Cana) is focused on inexpensive holidays, they cannot boast of a large area and rich equipment. But there is still a standard set of amenities.
Checking in the room, tourists will find in it a plasma TV, wired telephone, hairdryer and minibar. On the wall is a ceiling fan. All of these amenities are free of charge. Every day, the maids bring drinking water to the guests during cleaning. Bed linens and towels are changed according to the rules at least 3 times a week.
The air conditioning at the hotel is central. The guests themselves cannot change the cooling temperature - it is regulated by the employees of the complex. For a fee, an electronic safe is provided where you can leave your documents and money. You can make free phone calls only at the reception. The rest is subject to an additional charge. There is no wireless internet in the rooms.
Infrastructure and service
As a rule, tourists spend almost their entire vacation in the complex. Therefore, the infrastructure of the VIK Arena Blanca 4 * hotel is well developed. Guests are invited to:
- 24-hour reception, where you can arrange car rental or exchange currency;
- jewelry store, flower boutique and convenience store;
- ATM in the hotel lobby;
- car parking;
- conference hall;
- laundry;
- barbershop;
- gym.
Most of these infrastructure facilities provide their services for a fee. The administrator at your request can call a doctor in the room. A wedding service is also available on site. Wireless internet is only available in the lobby.
Catering
The price of accommodation at the VIK Arena Blanca 4 * hotel in the Dominican Republic includes an all-inclusive food system. This means that all tourists during the holidays can count on a full three meals a day, as well as snacks and drinks in between. Also available alcohol and desserts. Vegetarian and diet menus are provided separately.
The hotel has several catering establishments:
- Mexican, Italian and international restaurants;
- lounge bar;
- Lobby bar;
- two bars on the beach;
- night club.
All restaurants have a dress code. Visitors in beachwear are not allowed in them. Tourists can dine in restaurants for free, the number of visits is not limited.
Beach holidays at the hotel
The VIK Arena Blanca 4 * hotel in the Dominican Republic has its own coastal stretch of about 400 meters. It is completely sandy. All towels, sun loungers and sun umbrellas are provided free of charge. The beach has its own water entertainment center. Guests can go diving, diving with a mask or ride on motorless boats and catamarans.
Near the residential buildings is an outdoor pool with an area of 1900 m 2 . It is filled with fresh water, there are no water slides here. The pool has a sun terrace with free sunbeds.
Other entertainment options
A large selection of leisure options is offered to its guests by the VIK Arena Blanca 4 * hotel. Entertainment here is aimed at both active and calm tourists. In the afternoon, a team of animators works, which organizes sports events. In the evening, they also conduct an entertainment show in the amphitheater. Animators do not speak Russian.
Also for tourists are offered the following options for pastime:
- spa and wellness center;
- outdoor tennis courts;
- Beach volleyball;
- horseback riding;
- chessboard and figures of gigantic sizes;
- playgrounds for playing table football and tennis;
- equipment for darts and bocce;
- daily aerobics, gymnastics and dance classes;
- active pool games.
Conditions for placing with small children
According to tourists, the VIK Arena Blanca 4 * complex in the Dominican Republic is an excellent option for families with children. Children up to one and a half years old are provided with a separate cradle for free. Upon request, the administrator will call a nanny for your child directly in the room. However, her services will not be included in the price. Babysitters also speak English only.
The hotel has a mini club, which accepts children from 4 to 12 years. Kids can also swim in a separate shallow pool or play in the open area with swings and a sandbox.
Positive feedback about VIK Hotel Arena Blanca 4 * in the Dominican Republic
If you are in doubt about choosing a hotel, be sure to read the reviews of tourists. As a rule, guests in this resort complex were satisfied. They are ready to recommend this place to their friends and relatives. Accordingly, such tourists leave mostly positive reviews.
What did the guests of VIK Arena Blanca 4 * in the Dominican Republic like most? In their opinion, this hotel has the following advantages:
- a large and well-groomed area, planted with tropical plants and flowers, which are carefully monitored by gardeners;
- clean rooms with a new renovation, in the living rooms there is no smell of moisture and insects;
- regular and thorough cleaning of apartments, maids also every day supplement bath accessories and do not ask for tips;
- a wide variety of dishes and drinks in the restaurant, there is always a lot of food on the tables, so staying hungry is quite difficult;
- well-groomed sandy beach, on which there is no garbage, but all the tourists have enough sunbeds and mattresses;
- the water in the sea is clean and warm, there are no jellyfish and sea urchins, and the sunset is even, so even children can swim safely here.
Negative feedback
Unfortunately, tourists vacationing at this hotel do not always leave only positive opinions. Sometimes in reviews you can see criticism. As a rule, most tourists immediately indicate that the shortcomings seemed insignificant to them. And only a few of them note that due to the wrong choice of hotel their vacation was spoiled.
What do tourists advise to pay attention to before buying a ticket? In their opinion, the following disadvantages can spoil the impressions of the rest:
- reception administrators work slowly and do not immediately accommodate tourists in their rooms;
- in some living rooms there are not enough light bulbs, while staff, even after the guests have contacted, are in no hurry to screw them in;
- not enough fruit in the restaurant, in addition, they are quickly picked up by other tourists;
- the hotel can turn off the electricity for several hours without warning;
- the animation team does not competently fulfill their duties, and tourists also complained that they were dismissive of the Russian guests.
Thus, the service in VIK Arena Blanca 4 * is offered decent. Tourists do not regret that they chose this hotel for relaxation and would love to come back here again. In their reviews, guests note that the quality of service in the complex is not much inferior to first-class hotels located nearby. They would recommend it to tourists with young children, elderly couples and newlyweds.