Ducassi Suites Beach Club & Spa Rooftop Pool

The worst place we have ever stayed in. Room was awful, used towels as covers as the bed sheets were paper thin, water faucet in bathroom was not secured correctly, no WiFi code, unresponsive via WhatsApp, just general disrepair Will never stay here again.

Subject: Warning: Tourist Scams at Ducassi-Sol Caribe Hotels and Related Issues in Punta Cana Dear Travelers, I am writing to share a detailed account of my family’s unfortunate experience at the Ducassi-Sol Caribe Hotels in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I hope this serves as a warning to help others avoid falling victim to the unethical and fraudulent practices we endured. Our Experience My family and I booked a vacation package through Booking.com to stay at the Ducassi-Sol Caribe Hotels from December 25, 2024, to January 3, 2025. This was meant to be a long-anticipated family vacation and an opportunity to explore retirement home options in Punta Cana. 1. Lack of Communication Before Arrival A week before our trip, I attempted to contact the hotel via email, text, and WhatsApp to arrange the free shuttle service from the airport. Despite numerous attempts, the property did not respond. I reached out to Booking.com, who assured me that our reservation was confirmed and there was no need to worry. 2. Stranded at the Airport Upon arrival in Punta Cana, I contacted the hotel again to arrange shuttle service. A representative from Ducassi responded via WhatsApp, claiming that Booking.com had overbooked our reservation and that we needed to contact them to resolve the issue. When I reached out to Booking.com, they confirmed that my reservation was valid and assured me that there was no overbooking. However, the hotel refused to take responsibility, leaving my family stranded at the airport. 3. Disorganized and Suspicious Hotel Operations Desperate for a solution, we took a taxi to the Ducassi property. Upon arrival, we discovered that the hotel lacked a formal lobby and operated out of a small booth in the parking lot, with aggressive peddlers and panhandlers in the area. I was directed to speak with Ms. Yuraima Mailyn Rivero Espinoza, the property manager. She claimed to have one room available but demanded a significantly higher rate than our original Booking.com reservation. The confirmed price was $1,250.10 USD, but she nearly tripled the amount, refusing to accept credit cards and insisting on cash or PayPal payments. Having no other options during the peak holiday season, I reluctantly paid for the room through PayPal. 4. Uninhabitable Accommodations Despite claiming Ducassi was sold out, we were assigned a room in the same building. The conditions were deplorable: • Filthy room: It was dirty, with a foul smell, and infested with roaches. • Broken amenities: The shower, sliding porch doors, and air conditioning were all broken. • Contaminated water: The tap water was slimy and smelled terrible. We suspect it caused a stomach virus that left my family severely ill for several days. The hotel’s online photos on Booking.com appeared to be from another property, further misleading guests. The meal package offered was at an outdoor restaurant near the beach with no indoor seating and a significant fly/bug infestation. The property also lacked: • Basic amenities like toilet paper and towels. • Proper security—there were no peepholes, smart key systems, or security cameras. • Cleanliness—garbage was piled up in hallways, the elevators were out of order, and the rooftop pool was contaminated with debris, including baby diapers and fecal matter. 5. Unsafe Environment The safety of the property was alarming: • Drug activity and prostitution were openly conducted in the lobby and disco entrance to the hotel. • A neighboring family’s room was burglarized on December 26, 2024. Their passports and belongings were stolen, and the police were called, but hotel management was absent. Many other families at the hotel shared similar complaints. We witnessed parents with young children crying and arguing with Ducassi staff, who told them the same story about overbooking and demanded cash payments. Some families could not afford the inflated rates and were left in distress. 6. Power Outages and Illness Frequent power outages left us without electricity for hours at a time. Additionally, my family suffered from vomiting, headaches, and nausea, likely caused by the contaminated shower water. We had to purchase antibiotics from a nearby pharmacy, and the illness lasted several days. Reports Filed I reported these unethical practices to: • Booking.com • PayPal, for the unauthorized overcharge by Ms. Espinoza. • The Ministry of Tourism and the Department of Public Health in the Dominican Republic. Other tourists have shared similar complaints on TripAdvisor and Google Reviews, further highlighting the consistent fraud at Ducassi-Sol Caribe Hotels. Additional Concerns • Beach hotels and restaurants in Punta Cana appear to dump bathroom waste and sewage into nearby beach waters. • Taxis are operated by unregulated private individuals, adding another layer of insecurity for travelers. Final Warning I strongly urge anyone planning a vacation to Punta Cana to avoid Ducassi-Sol Caribe Hotels at all costs. Based on my experience, these properties operate as part of an organized scam that preys on vulnerable tourists. If you or someone you know has experienced similar issues, I encourage you to: • Report these properties to relevant authorities. • Share your story on social media and travel review platforms. This behavior not only harms tourists but also tarnishes the reputation of legitimate businesses and the Dominican Republic’s tourism industry. Thank you for reading, and I hope this information helps others avoid the distressing experience my family endured. Respectfully, EDG NYC

After reading other reviews, I am glad that I didn’t make it to Ducassi. While in Canada and on my way to the airport, I received an email saying that my junior suite had been cancelled. Having a reservation for over a month, l phoned Ducassi to find out what was going on. The person who answered the phone was very rude and hung up on me in mid sentence. I take this as a blessing in disguise