Holiday Village Golden Beach

Good points: weather excellent; beaches superb; super kids club (but only runs twice a day for 2.5 or 3.5 hours); baby-sitting available and evening kids club from 8-10.30 . As it's All inclusive your meals at the other a la carte restaurants are free (but see below bad points).

Average points: evening entertainment - variable quality, very amateur, dont expect fireworks; accommodation - supposedly 4 star, more like 2 star... bare wires, cracked baths, stained toilets; fridge only stocked with water twice a week, so you therefore have to buy drinks at the shop.

Bad points: Free ice cream and drinks for kids are only available from the self-serve restaurant (the only drink available for them at the bar is fruit punch). The self-serve restaurant shuts during the day. There is a very limited selection of snacks available elsewhere, and they are left out all day, so food hygiene is an issue. The a la carte restaurants only allow you to book three sittings a week. Sounds ok, but if you don't book them as soon as you get there (you can only book a week in advance too) you may find you don't get an opportunity to eat at any of them! They only hold TWO sittings per evening - and you can only book two reservations at a time. I managed to get one meal out. Reports from the other holiday makers was that the a la carte has limited options but, as everything is freshly cooked, it is excellent. Pizzas were fab! Food at the self serve restaurant was "tolerable" but hygiene was appalling. VERY limited kids food - the usual chips, hugely deep fried everything - other than basic ham sandwiches.

There are swarms of mosquitos and the maids (who do not speak English) leave patio and front doors open even when asked not to - hence everyone gets horribly bitten during the night. Regular "local" markets on site are horribly overpriced (actually - if you are happy to pay £1.75 for a packet of crisps-head right to the ONLY on site shop.) The only local plaza has ridiculous prices also, and I mean ridiculous. You get very little for under £5. (250 pesos)

WARNING - it apparently isn't safe to take day trips into Santo Domingo on your own. I was told to stay on complex and only go into town with a taxi, that will stay with you and bring you back again.

Airport security was a joke by the way in the Dom Rep end.

I'm pretty laid back to different experiences, but this was not a resort I would recommend to any family, singles maybe.
Parents with small children under 5 - DO NOT GO!