I have been to the Dominican Republic three times and this was my second visit to Paraiso del sol. I will be returning next year without a doubt! The hotel is lovely, the food is good and you wont meet more friendly people anywhere in the world. The hotels beach is beautiful, the vendors are very friendly and just want to talk to people.

All hotel staff are incredibly hard working and friendly people who work night and day to ensure that we all have a wonderful holiday.

Please take the time to talk to the local people, they are the most genuine, kind hearted and friendly people that you could meet.

So, o.k. ,I`ve read the mixed revues and would now like to share my thoughts.
I`ve actually been several times to this hotel and it is one of the few I would feel safe travelling to on my own.
First of all the hotel is on the Atlantic coast so don`t expect the Caribbean seas- it can be rough but also fun.Read the brochures, it does tell you this.There is a lifeguard on the beach so heed the flags and warnings,
The staff are wonderful and will help with any problems both as part of the hotel and the animation team.Rooms are fairly basic (that`s what you are paying for) but beds are comfortable, clean and linen and rooms are changed and cleaned regularly.
The food is excellent, a portion cooked by the chef as you wait, cold food is kept on ice, temperatures are checked regularly and I have seen the kitchens - they are spotless.
The main pool is cleaned and well maintained eachday and activities are organised mornings, afternoons and evenings.
You can get what you want out of a stay at this hotel, either energetic or relaxing and it is great for young and old, singles or families,
I would highly recomend it- if it is so bad why do so many of us return more than once a year?-and these are people from many countries
They say that you get what you pay for - here I believe you get more than you should expect.

Just got back from this hotel today 31.10.07 after 2 weeks stay, unfortunately the weather was dominated by tropical storm Noel which we had to endure for the whole of the second week. Basically this is what this place is Basic. The food was good for the rating and plenty of it though it's not 24hrs. There was a variety of items for breakfast ect and the salads were always fresh. There was one main restaurant open for meals and another a few yards away Michael Angelo's which was open on Wednesday's and Saturday's for which you had to book a table on the day. In this restaurant I was served with one of the best beef meals I have ever tasted so all the food reviews obviously depends on personal taste. There is also a snack bar open bet 1430 to approx 1600 next to the beach side pool bar.
Whilst we were there, there were only approx 200 guests staying at the complex. The complex itself is in need of a major overhaul, (which I was told is going to take place within the next 2 yrs as it has been acquired by an American company). The rooms are very basic our air con packed in after 8 days or so and was not repaired despite 2 requests, however when we had problems with obtaining hot water and the T.V, signal it was seen to but did take a little coercing. However they were kept very clean and fumigated every week or more. During the storm it rained very heavily, even though we were on the second floor the rain was able to blow into the corridor forming large puddles which found its way under the room door soaking anything on the floor, we had to resort to placing towels against the door to keep the water at bay.. As said every thing needs a major overhaul the pool table seems to be about 20 yrs old and the table tennis tables and bats have seen better days, but are quite usable. The main pool area was kept clean and tidy but the sun loungers had also seen better days but again were usable. The entertainment staff do a good job and are very friendly but don't hassle you to get involved. The hotel is about a ten minute journey by car/bus to Cabarete but in the actual vicinity of the hotel there are about 4 bars and not much else Charley's bar being the closest, owned by a nice German guy, also does a nice steak and other food, he also shows most of the live Premier league games at the weekends depending on what channel he can get a good signal from, we were able to watch the Everton Liverpool derby game which kicked off at 0745hrs local time as he opens up at 0700hrs to serve breakfasts etc.. Although the complex backs onto the beach it is not owned by them, the sea in this part is mainly rough and not really suitable if you want a little paddle, however this stretch of coast is an apparent paradise to kite surfers.
In summing up we enjoyed our stay at the complex and have no major, major issues with it, we did in fact meet an older couple who were on their fourth trip to this hotel this year and have visited it in total 14 times, so it must have something going for it. If you are after a quiet relaxing no frills family holiday the this place would be suitable but only on a special/late deal rate, if I'd have paid full brochure price then I would not have been too happy with what I'd have got. If you are after something more lively and plush then I'd advise you to look elsewhere.

John Liverpool UK

I thought I'd look this hotel up to see if there was any change and I cannot believe that paying customers are still being sent to this hotel.
We stayed almost 3 yrs ago and although 69 of us were moved after 3 days the damage was done we all had food poisoning. There is a court case against My Travel and settlements are now being made for quite a substantial sum. So that speaks for itself.
So if you have booked this hotel do yourself a favour and contact your trave;l agent and rebook, please dont waste your hard earned money and holiday time on this.