Excellence Punta Cana Brides Thread

[Diva]

What is in walking distance from the hotel? I am interested to know if there are shops in the area or is it even safe to venture out of the hotel grounds!?

 

In particular I am looking for an open air market where we could find souvenirs, fresh fruit, flowers, and such

[Hitched]

Hello Ladies,

 

I am starting to work with Ana and I am pretty certain we will be having our wedding at the EPC. Have any of you entered a group contract with the hotel to secure rooms for your guests. We asked them to provide us with a group contract but the conditions seem rather outrageous. Just want to know what your experience has been booking rooms for guests. Did you go through the group contract or just let everyone book travel on their own? Did you use a travel agent? Thoughts....

 

Also, do any of you have set up a wedding website that you have set up with infomation about your wedding for your guests? i would be interested in using it as reference if you do not mind sharing.

 

Thanks,

Rosaura

[MissyR]

Hi Ladies! I am an old bride on this forum (married at the Paradisus in Mayan on 200 but my hubby and I are heading to the Excellence next Friday for a week so I will be sure to report back on the hotel, facilities and any weddings that are taking place while we are there!

[Dolcenotte12]

Diva, to be honest you are not going to see much if you are walking out the front gates of Excellence except a bar/whorehouse to the right and Excellence's living quarters lol. There are no shops or activities anywhere near there on the roads outside Excellence. However, to the left and right of the resort on the beach (literally there is like some imaginary line where Excellence's property ends) there are a cluster of shops. Personally, if I were you I would go straight to Nancy. Her hut's sign is visible even before you leave the property on the sand. She is the first hard left when facing the water. She does not haggle with you, gives you fair prices, can get you anything you need like drug store supplies that they sell for a billion dollars on the resort.I've known her for years and she even came to the wedding ceremony and reception. She really partied it up! LOL she even gave me 25 large natural DR photo albums for free as a wedding gift(that sell for 15-20 bucks a piece in the gift shops) because I was shopping there for welcome bag goodies. So if you go to her, tell her Michelle sends her love!!

 

This would be best for souvenirs but she can get you anything you want if you ask her. And hunnie, fresh fruit is all over that resort! LOL I actually went to Higuey..they have a huge fruit market there and alot of headless chickens and slabs of hanging beef if you are interested! LOL

 

I would love to recommend an awesome club and bar we went to during our last trip. We went to the bar Photobar (not fotobar as you would think it would be) The bar is pretty much on the beach, instead of bar stools, there are swings. There are bean bags and tables in the sand. They have live music at night. Loved it!

 

We also went to Club Imagine. This club is a cave and from the outside looks like a huge castle. Inside there are REAL bats flying overhead. They are not in the main club area where the music is though. I doubt they like all the booming. The ambiance is so cool. I definitely recommend this place. You can ask the tour booth or look for Edwin (cool dude)at the front desk and ask him about these places.

 

I would recommend taking a trip (its long, about an hour and a half away) to Boca de Yuma. It was so beautiful there. we went there for a few hours with the executive chef. it is one of his favorite places nearby. it is a small fishing village that has a backdrop of cliffs overlooking water and it is just breathtaking. Good food too!

 

Hitched,

 

We secured about 14 rooms to start with through our travel agent. i don't think the resort will do that for you, not sure. he was so good, he contacted us when the rates dropped and my guests saved a ton of money. he also made sure to help us get the cheapest rate and he matched it so even if people booked later than expected, they did not pay a ridiculous amt. I definitely recommend using a travel agent. Mine was amazing, just try to go with a good agent.

 

Here are some pics:

 

Nancy and her hubby (now you will recognize her lol) :

 

Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration

 

Look out for Edwin, he's good people:

 

Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration

 

The famous Ana Luisa and I swinging at Photobar lol :

 

Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration

 

View from the bar:

 

Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration

 

Entrance to Club Imagine:

 

Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration

 

Caves in the club:

 

Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration

 

Boca de Yuma:

 

Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration

 

Oh can't wait to go back!!

[Boston Bride 2009]

Michelle,

 

Where are those clubs? In Higuey? How did you get there? I want to go next time we are there!!

[Diva]

Hitch: I recommend a TA, mine is fabulous as well and got us a great group rate, I just sent you a PM too

 

Dolce: I WANNA GO TO THE CLUBS!!! What a fun nite for me and the BMs, or the fellas I assume too Are they easy to get to? Thanks for the info on the shopping, and I will let her know you said hi! Hope she is still there in a year.

[Dolcenotte12]

Debbie and Diva, the club and bar are in Bavaro about 45 minutes from the resort. I don't know where exactly since we went with Ana and Roberto (club manager) and now Ana's hubby! I would definitely go to these places again. I wish I would have known about them before all our guests left because the single guys would have loved it since Excellence is more coupley most of the time lol!

 

I know that the tour desks actually have Imagine as a spot to see..I think they have a bus that drops people off at a certain time and then picks up them at 4 am. Long night partying lol. I heard you can also cab it (ask the front desk) and the guy will wait for you for a very cheap price, around 70-90 for the whole night.

[Diva]

O wow, they wait for you too!! That may be worth it for a nite on the town, because I don't know if I will be able to hang until 4am! I definitely want to have a "ladies nite" though

[Diva]

Another question for you ladies: are there badges given to guests? I ask because I was going to include those plastic badge holders in my OOT bags, but don't want to give them if there aren't any. I have never done an all inclusive resort, just cruises, and I know we had them on the ships

[Dolcenotte12]

what do you mean by badges? There is no bracelet or badge worn by any guests on the property. Most resorts do make the guests wear wear a plastic bracelet to show they are from that resort. Excellence does not because it does not have a resort right next to it or near it for that matter! The closest resort is Sirenis which (to me) was a hell of a walk and Zoetry Agua (which is about the same distance) but walking in that direction is so uncomfortable because that area is like walking in quicksand.