arrived at hotel after dropping other passengers off at their hotels 1st and seeing the lovely greeting they all recieved,we were told reception is over there, and most definatly they say that 1st impressions last, behind the desk there was an old chipped desk with doors that looked like they had been made out of packing cases, very rude receptionest who ignored us until he was ready even though no one else was there, he told us we were in an upgraded room, as we walked to our room all the buildings around it were gutted no windows or doors and yellow tape around them it looked like a crime scene and there were at least 6 blocks like this.the 1st room we were given had mold on the ceiling and mildew on the curtains.complained and were given another room a bit cleaner but noisey air conditioning and patio doors that didn't close properly although they sent someone to repair them they made them worse, went to ask for thompson reps number was refused said they didn't have it found out latter she lived in the same hotel, saw her the next day and requested a move, told we couldn't move untill the next day so go and enjoy the pool etc,
went for breakfast having missed dinner the night before to upset to leave the room, we are not fussy and have traveled a lot to many different countries but the food was disgusting everything tasted sweet and spicey even the savouries, milk etc i tried a slice of mango it was like having slime in my mouth, we tried again at dinnertime that wasn't much better they cater for the spanish dominicans,not international guests, very little if any english was spoken. went for a swim then went to get 2 beach towels with cards provided was told by jesture 10mins went back 4 times to be told the same finally got someone who spoke english told me that a washing machine had broken i said that it was low season and they wern't busy would we get a towel he said no it was 11 am, had to sit on loungers untill dry. booked out next day went to hotel up the road cost us another thousand pounds but thats another story all in all would not recommend this hotel to any one and thompson say its a lovely hotel its in the weddings brochure, please dont book it unless you want your day to be ruined.

We had Christmas there and loved it, the nieces people you wish to meet.
Room are being update some people where moaning about the old room others where saying theirs were lovely
Beach out of this world and the grounds of lovely too
Food is about the same as most all inclusive hotels in the Caribbean.

My familly which included 3 adults and 2 children booked all inclusive at this hotel.The hotel was a disgrace.The rooms were old and not very clean to say the least.The fridge rattled all night so we couldnt sleep.The food was always covered in flies so we couldnt eat any of it. There was no entertainment at all were there should have been.The staff couldnt speak a word of English so when we complained they couldnt understand us and the rep didnt seem to care.
Its the worst hotel we have even been in and we advise that you do not go.

As all inclusives go this was very good. The rooms were kept clean and tidied to a great standard .There appears to be an upgrade of rooms block by block, this can only improve what is already there. The furniture is a bit dated but in good repair. The fridge is stocked daily with 2 beers and 2 bottles of soft drink. Bottled water is put on top of fridge and beside coffee machine. My only complaint would be the lack of a kettle for tea , but managed to adapt coffee machine. Take tea bags with you unless you like herbal. Also keep a bottle to fill with milk from main restaurant as none is in room.

The food in the main buffet restaurant is very good with a good varied selection as well as 2 grill chefs cooking fresh meat and fish.They also cook you eggs at breakfast. No problems with ice or soft drinks as water is purified this is also used for food prep. The Mexican restaurant is adequate with simple Mexican food as well as a salad bar with hot and cold sections, You could get by with this alone ! The Dominican restaurant is probably the best of the a la cartes and the food is very good and very well cooked. The only bad restaurant was the Italian ,everything was very salty and not very Italian , tried it twice just to make sure first time wasn't just an off night.It wasn't! A lot of coconut oil is used for cooking and this has a natural laxative effect so take some imodium and limit the amount of sauces you take with the buffet meals.

The staff are very friendly and will put themselves out for you. Make sure you budget for tips , the cleaner, the a la carte restaurants and the bell boys all rely on tips. I also left a few dollars for the bar staff as they were excellent.

Some of the evening entertainment is good and some is just ok. The chocolate friends like to get you involved in daytime activities , everything from volleyball football to aqua aerobics, all good fun.

Take some basic first aid stuff as well as Immodium Dioralyte etc. Also take all sun cream as it is very expensive. The hotel shop is a lot dearer than the one 300meters out of the hotel and turn left.

All in all a great holiday with exceptional beaches.

On arrival at the hotel,it looked fabulous,with beautiful gardens and a stunning beach.

The room was basic with the most deadfull beds we have ever attempted to sleep on,the matresses were like blocks of concrete,the pillows lumps in a pillowcase and the bedding old and worn.

There was a small fridge packed with water,coke,beer,juice,crisps nuts and mars bars,but there was confusion over what was free and what had to be paid for.There was a coffee maker but it was difficult to get more than 1 small packet of coffee a day and difficult to get milk,but there was a billiant hair drier,and the towels and bedding were changed as often as you requested,but all in all the room was in need of redecoration and repair.

Oh and take plenty of coat hangers,as they only leave a few in the wardrobe.The food was dreadful,in the main buffet the food was virtually the same every meal and every day,food was left out for long periods in hot surroundings,with no air conditioning,hot food was tepid and so was cold food,as there were no doors or wndows on main buildings,including the restaurants-birds and flies were often all over the food,a disaster waiting to happen!

I do not eat any meat but enjoy fish,were ever you dined the main fish was salmon and it was not very nice.On the 4th day of the holiday I took ill with a tummy bug and was confined to the bathroom for two days.

Over the weekend the swimming pool started to leak and we were told it would have to close down for repair,it was made to sound as though it would only be out of action for a short time but it soon became obvious when a fence was erected around it and all the plaster was being removed, that it was a major repair job.

A week after arriving, a beach party was organised on the Monday evening,but the water supply stopped during the day time,and was off for several hours ,so no one was able to wash or shower prior to the party. Everyone at the party was miserable and the atmosphere was dreadful,the food wasn't much better,same quality and standard as we had all week .

Without water we wondered how food had been washed and prepared and how dishes had been washed,all we ate at the party was bottled water and a little bread,as soon as it was announced water was back on ,most people left the party.Several members of our party,ouselves included ,had been to complain to the rep.On the 9th day of the holiday we were offered a move to another hotel which we all accepted,the next 5 days were wonderful.

Do hope anyone who has the misfortune to go to the Coral Canoa by Hilton has a much better time than we did.Although we did not participate in the entertainment it was obvious that the Chocolate Friends,as they chose to be called,were extreemly dedicated,hard working and enthusiastic,we had so much fun just watching them.

The majority of the staff were polite and hard working,the gardeners were fantastic.

We stayed at this hotel in October last year for our honeymoon. We have no complaints about the hotel whatsoever.

When we first arrived we were told that it wasn't running to it's full capacity and even got the option to move hotels. I'm so glad we stuck with our original choice.

The rooms were lovely, cleaned every day. The cleaners were very good - leaving flowers and love heart shaped towels on your bed etc. If you needed extra water/cola for your fridge then you only had to ask. We tipped the maid $1 a day. Each room has 2 Queen sized beds or 1 King size bed, balcony, satellite TV, coffee maker, hairdryer etc.

The buffet restaurant was good. A bit too hot to eat in there though - no air conditioning, only the fans on the ceiling. The food was quite varied though. Plenty of choice. Because the hotel wasn't too busy we had the choice of eating in the Italian and Mexican Restaurants as much as we liked (we weren't limited to one visit per week). The Italian was my personal favourite. My husbands was the Mexican!

The waiting staff were really good. You will find it's the same staff working the breakfast shifts, lunch shifts, evening shifts and even night shifts on the 24 hour bar. I don't know when they ever sleep! They are very friendly though. If we were happy with the service we tipped a few dollars - they work hard for little money!

The pool was quite big and cleaned every morning. There is a jacuzzi as well. We never really took part in any of the daytime activities but everyone who did seemed to be enjoying themselves. You can also go snorkeling, kayaking, windsurfing etc.

The hotel itself was a bit remote. Quite near La Romana which is the main town. Unfortunately, we arrived just after the big Hurricane hit Dom Rep so the bridge connecting to La Romana was down. It didn't bother us as obviously we were on honeymoon so we weren't really there to go shopping etc!

One thing I would recommend is the trip to Saono Island. It's absolutely brilliant. The trip should have been on a Catamaran going there and speedboat coming back but again, with the hurricane the catamaran's were out of action. Speedboat was much better though - and much quicker. You stop off at this natural swimming pool and can actually pick up starfish. It's really out of this world.

All in all, one of the best holidays we've ever had. We are thinking of going back to Dom Rep next year but perhaps the North of the Island.