Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda – a comprehensive review for this Punta Cana all-inclusive resort | Punta Cana Travel Blog

 Usually, prices for Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda start at a bit more than 280-320 USD per double room per night in the low season (May – before Christmas), which is a bargain compared to other Punta Cana resorts, particularly compared to the premium services you receive at this hotel. In the high season (Christmas to the end of April), prices start at 370-400 USD per room per night and up. Obviously, with the new rooms at Esmeralda Punta Cana, the resort has raised their prices since 2024 a bit as the biggest drawback – the old and outdated rooms – is now gone.

As you can see in the following price comparison table, the prices for Bahía Esmeralda Punta Cana can vary widely. To give you a better overview, we have checked the prices for each month in 2023 and 2024.

All prices stated are per room in double occupancy and are subject to change at any time.

• Prices at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda Resort Punta Cana in October 2023: resort closed
• Prices at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda Resort Punta Cana in November 2023: resort closed
• Prices at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda Resort Punta Cana in December 2023: starting from 270 USD*
• Prices at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda Resort Punta Cana in January 2024: starting from 330 USD*
• Prices at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda Resort Punta Cana in February 2024: starting from 350 USD*
• Prices at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda Resort Punta Cana in March 2024: starting from 350 USD*
• Prices at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda Resort Punta Cana in April 2024: starting from 290 USD*
• Prices at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda Resort Punta Cana in May 2024: starting from 250 USD*
• Prices at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda Resort Punta Cana in June 2024: starting from 250 USD*
• Prices at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda Resort Punta Cana in July 2024: starting from 280 USD*
• Prices at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda Resort Punta Cana in August 2024: starting from 280 USD*
• Prices at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda Resort Punta Cana in September 2024: starting from 230 USD*

 Please note that those prices are all indicative and can vary depending on many factors such as your browser, your country, your time of research, the number of persons traveling and the time you are traveling.

When looking for the best prices, definitely check the website of Bahía Principe Resorts*. As a member (you can register for free) you usually can get a 5-10% discount on the best available rates.

 If traveling as a couple, Agoda* surprisingly had some great rates available as well. Agoda is a well-renowned booking platform, but most popular for the best hotel rates in Asia and the Pacific. It is rare to find great resort deals for Punta Cana at Agoda, but their prices for Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda definitely mark an exception.

 Metasearch engines Tripadvisor* and Hotelscombined* could also score these low prices for some rates, linking to Agoda’s special deals.

 However, when traveling to Punta Cana as a family, neither Agoda nor Tripadvisor or Hotelscombined could find a competitive price. Agoda didn’t show availability at all, Tripadvisor and Hotelscombined linked to an expensive offer from Expedia, which is much more expensive than booking at Expedia directly.

 JetBlue Vacations* earns a closer look as well. Even though the US package holiday tour operator couldn’t score the best price on any occasion, they offered competitive rates throughout the price comparison. Especially when traveling as a family to Punta Canas’ Bahía Esmeralda, they had the second-best price on offer. When booking JetBlue Vacations, you also have to consider that the airport transfer from Punta Cana Airport is already included in the price.

 In the end, you can book with any of these providers as long as you are ok with the price and their services. It might be worth checking at least 2 or 3 offers to make sure you score the best package – and to also have a look at Bahia Principes Homepage.

 Mentioning the word package, it might also be an option to book your stay at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda as a holiday package, which combines flight and hotel. Depending on the availability, this might be a cheaper option, but it not always is. If you haven’t booked your flight to Punta Cana yet, simply check with the button below if a package deal is better for you.

 Very important: Prices can vary from one day to another, they might also be different depending on the country where you are located. Make sure to check booking, payment and cancellation conditions, as they might vary widely. It pays off to compare different platforms, but it is also worth to skip some of the cheapest offers if you don’t know and/or trust the company. If booking directly with the hotel or with renowned platforms like Booking.com or Expedia or leading tour operators like Apple Vacations, Sunwing Vacations or Virgin Holidays, you are usually making a good decision.

Restaurants and bars at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda 

 When talking about food and drinks at this Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda review, you can count on especially one thing: lots of choices!

 When staying at Esmeralda Punta Cana, you can select between many restaurants and at least 7 bars, including a newly-built sports bar and the bars at the Bahía Principe Village (theatre and disco). Concerning the restaurants, you can choose among the following buffets and beach buffets:

• Buffet restaurant “Caney”
• Beach restaurant “Caicu”
• Beach restaurant at Las Olas Beach House

Furthermore, there are basically tons of à-la-carte restaurants you can choose from. Don’t be confused as you can find multiple Italian or Japanese places among the list of Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeraldas’ restaurants. This is because you have access to some restaurants of other neighboring Bahía hotels as well, such as Bahía Principe Luxury Ambar or the Bahía Principe Bavaro Resort.

On the other side, don’t take all of these à-la-carte restaurants at Bahía Esmeralda Punta Cana for granted as access rules might change over time. What you have guaranteed are at least 5-6 à-la-carte restaurants as well as usually a few more in the other resorts. Currently, at the time of writing and editing (October 2023) this Bahía Principe Esmeralda review, you have access to the à-la-carte restaurants of the other resorts as well except for Bahía Principe Fantasia and Aquamarine.

• Dominican à-la-carte restaurant “Taíno” (open for dinner)
• Indian à-la-carte restaurant “Naan” (open for dinner)
• Mongolian à-la-carte restaurant “Yurta” (open for dinner)
• Italian à-la-carte restaurant “Casa Bella” (open for dinner)
• Mexican à-la-carte restaurant “Tequila” (open for dinner)
• Indian à-la-carte restaurant “Indian” (open for dinner)
• Greek à-la-carte restaurant “The Greek” (open for dinner)
• Brazilian Rodizio restaurant “Las Olas” (open for dinner)
• Seafood à-la-carte restaurant “Fish Market” (adults only) (open for dinner)
• Japanese/Peruvian fusion à-la-carte restaurant “Mashua Nikkei” (adults only) (open for dinner)
• Italian à-la-carte restaurant “Portofino” (adults only) (open for dinner)
• Gourmet à-la-carte restaurant “Limbo” (adults only) (open for dinner)
• Steakhouse à-la-carte restaurant “Garden Grill” (open for dinner)
• Japanese à-la-carte restaurant “Mikado” (open for dinner)
• Japanese à-la-carte restaurant “Maiko” (open for dinner)
• Italien à-la-carte restaurant “Capriccio” (open for dinner)

 As you can see, there are plenty of choices when staying at Bahía Principe Esmeralda and a remarkable quality when it comes to food and drinks.

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Every recommendation I share is based on personal experience, local knowledge and through reasearch to help you plan the best possible vacation in Punta Cana.
Furthermore
– I live in Punta Cana and explore the Dominican Republic throughout the year.
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 The buffet restaurant (Los Geranios, Jasmin was closed when we have been at Esmeralda Punta Cana) is what you can expect from an all-inclusive resort in this price range. A good selection of international food, local Dominican favorites and a good amount of vegetarian and healthy options is what you find here. The outdoor seating at Jasmin restaurant right next to the pool and garden area adds a particular Caribbean vibe to the meals.

 Besides the main buffet restaurant at Bahía Principe Esmeralda, you also have the choice between two further beach restaurants for lunch, both with stunning locations and amazing views. There is one beach restaurant exclusively for Bahía Esmeralda which offers everything you need for a filling lunch.

 Another alternative, not less appealing, is the beach snack restaurant at Las Olas Beach House. Even though it is only a snack and serves guests of all the other Bahía resorts, the quality is absolutely satisfying and the selection much higher than in a typical beach snack of other all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. You can enjoy a wholesome meal and even some of the best pizzas in the entire resort, baked in the woodfire oven with a super-thin crust. 

 For dinner, the entire Bahía Resort in Punta Cana requires a reservation for every restaurant, except the buffet restaurants. When staying at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda, you have 1 à-la-carte dinner reservation included per night, compared to only 3 à-la-carte reservations per week when staying at Grand Bahía Principe Bavaro, Turquesa or Punta Cana. The reservations can be done with the concierge or through an electronic reservation system in the lobby.

 The interesting fact about Bahía Principe Esmeraldas’ restaurants is that they offer some options which are quite uncommon in other Punta Cana all-inclusive resorts, among them an Indian restaurant and a Greek restaurant. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to try these themed dinners, but also the other à-la-carte options convinced us. Especially the restaurants at the newly built Las Olas Beach House had a contemporary design and added an elegant touch to the evening. We loved the atmosphere that much that we continued the night with drinks in the same place after finishing our food (which was great as well – it was the first all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana where I got a vegetarian lentil and bean burger). Just some more seasoning might be necessary for the one or other dish, but the creations were unique.

 Talking about the drinks, there was also nothing to complain about. Bahía Principe Esmeralda offers a full selection of international premium spirits, among them Baileys, Tanqueray, Kahlua, El Jimador, Barcelo Imperial, Frangelico, Liquor 43 and Bacardi. We got good mojitos and Gin Tonics, but as in most other all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, you have to tell the barkeeper how you like your drink. Bars at Esmeralda Punta Cana are open until after 11 pm. Afterwards, you can hop over to the Bahía Principe Village and continue enjoying drinks until 2 am. 

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 The only thing I have to criticize about food and drinks at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda is the room service. Even though you have 24-hour room service included (which is great), the food was simply not eatable (ordered a vegetarian sandwich). Therefore, you are better off filling your tummy at one of the delicious restaurants and buffets mentioned above or at the various snacks bars (also during the night). There is never an hour where you won’t get any food at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda.

Entertainment and service at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda 

 When it comes to entertainment and activities, Bahía in Punta Cana is probably one of the best all-inclusive resorts you can find in the east of the Dominican Republic. That’s not because Bahía is particularly focusing on 24 hours of action and fun, but more because there is something offered for everyone due to the sheer size of the entire resort complex. While Bahía Principe Esmeralda is one of the quieter resorts within Bahía (if you’d like more action you are better off with Ambar or Aquamarine) and caters more towards families, you can use most of the other amenities of the entire resort when it comes to activities and entertainment. Services such as the tennis courts, the minigolf course, the night club or the theatre are located in a centric area and are available for all the hotels within the Bahía Resort in Punta Cana.

 Therefore, there is hardly anything you can’t find when it comes to entertainment at Bahía Resort, even though some of the amenities mentioned are a 10-minute walk or a quick trolley ride away from Esmeralda Punta Cana.

 When talking about the activities right at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda, there is the daily activity program, with yoga, Stand-Up paddle lessons in the pool, beach games or bingo. There is also a water sports center, where you can rent kayaks or Hobie cats for one hour per person per day. The interesting thing about those is that there is a shipwreck (the Astron shipwreck, a former Russian cargo ship) right in front of the Bahía Principe Resort in Punta Cana, which is an interesting destination to kayak to. 

 For the kids between the ages of 3 and 11, there is a separate water park exclusive for Bahía Esmeralda guests, right next to the main buffet restaurant. 

 For the nightly entertainment, you also have plenty of choices. You can either attend the more personal performances at Esmeralda Punta Cana or head over to the large theatre at Bahía Principe Village. There are nightly shows and you can continue the night at the disco as well. You can also head over from Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda to Bahía Principe Luxury Ambar and use the recently opened sports bar, which also counts with pool tables and a convenient outdoor terrace.

Privilege Club (VIP Level) at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda

 Bahía also has its VIP Level called Privilege Club. This kind of Preferred Club at Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda comes with additional perks such as a separate Privilege Club lounge and a cool infinity pool at the Las Olas Beach House with a fantastic ocean view.

My personal travel hack: don’t forget your health insurance*! It only costs a few bucks, but it can save you a fortune as doctors and hospitals in Punta Cana usually charge hundreds or thousands, even for simple treatments. Compare prices here* (Trustpilot review score 4.8/5.0)

 However, there isn’t a Privilege Club room category you can simply book. You have to be a member of the Privilege Club which can only be done with a long-lasting (and pretty expensive) membership that is valid for many years and can only be applied to Bahía Principe Hotels (and another affiliation called RCI Hotels).

 Therefore, the Privilege Club won’t be further discussed in this Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda review.

Interchanging facilities between Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda and the other Bahía Resorts in Punta Cana

 As mentioned, Bahía Principe Esmeralda is one of 6 hotels within the Bahía complex in Punta Cana. Therefore, it sometimes might be a bit difficult to keep track of which hotels you can use and which not.

 In general, Bahía Esmeralda Punta Cana is – along with Bahía Principe Luxury Ambar – the top tier of all the Bahía hotels in Punta Cana. Therefore, you have most of the amenities right at Esmeralda and don’t need to head out to other resorts too often.

 The Beach House Las Olas is a shared amenity among all the Bahía Resorts, incl. Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda. You can enjoy the beach restaurant here during the day and dine at night in a pleasant atmosphere. 

 If you want to eat at the buffet restaurants, you can only use the three buffet options at Bahía Principe Esmeralda. The night snack at Bahía Principe Village and/or Las Olas Beach House can be used by every guest of the entire Bahía complex. The sports bar at Bahía Principe Luxury Ambar including their snack menu can be accessed from Bahía Principe Esmeralda (adult) guests as well. 

Most á-la-carte restaurants in the other Bahía hotels can be used as long as you have a reservation.

 There is no official rule or prohibition if you can use the pool or activities at Bahía Principe Luxury Ambar as an Esmeralda guest. As long as you are over 18 (because Ambar Punta Cana is adults-only), that’s absolutely fine.

 The water sports center at the beach and the sports area with tennis or minigolf are for every Bahía guest. Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda guests can’t use the water park or the fairytale castle at Bahía Principe Fantasía, but Esmeralda does have its own Punta Cana water park. 

 In the end, you don’t have to worry too much. There aren’t common checks and if you happen to be in the wrong restaurant or bar, a friendly staff member of Bahía Principe will approach you and direct you to the right place. If in doubt, feel free to ask for clarification.

Excursions from Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda

 Even Bahía Principe is a super large all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana and one might not feel the necessity to leave the resort, you definitely should head on some excursions to explore more of Punta Cana and the Dominican Republic.

 For a first overview, I’d recommend checking our full Punta Cana excursion guide with a hand-selected list of the best tours and activities in Punta Cana. All these excursions are possible from Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda as well. 

 When choosing a particular tour from Esmeralda Punta Cana, some of the most popular excursions in Punta Cana are a trip to Isla Saona, a catamaran or booze cruise tour right from Punta Canas’ beaches or a dune buggy tour through the countryside of the Dominican Republic.

 If you want to learn a little bit more about the nature and culture of the Dominican Republic, a tour to the Los Haitises National Park or a trip to Santo Domingo are particularly recommendable.

 And if you traveling to the Dominican Republic with kids and are looking for family activities in Punta Cana, you should consider a countryside safari, snorkeling excursion or a zipline adventure.

 Excursion recommendations are one thing and I would highly recommend you to read some of the articles linked above to learn about the exciting things to do in Punta Cana, as I am sharing a lot of our experiences.

 However, another way to find the best Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda excursions is through reviews from other travelers. For this reason, I have filtered more than hundred thousand reviews from verified travelers and created the following table, where you will find 10 best-rated activities. Considering that they come highly recommended by other travelers and all have review scores of 4.7 or more, this can be seen as a satisfaction guarantee for your trips and excursions from Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda Resort.

Who should book Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda?

Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda is a very good option if you:

– want a beachfront all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana
– are traveling as a family and want a resort that feels easy and convenient
– prefer a calmer atmosphere over a loud party vibe
– like having access to a larger resort complex with more facilities
– want renovated rooms and a solid overall resort without paying top luxury prices

Who should not book Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda?

Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda might not be the right fit if you:

– want a true high-end luxury resort
– prefer small boutique-style resorts
– want an adults-only atmosphere
– expect amazing gourmet food at every single meal
– specifically want access to Fantasia’s castle and water park

Summary

 Bahía Principe Luxury Esmeralda is worth a stay – and absolutely recommendable, if you know, what to expect. Even though Esmeralda Punta Cana is a very compact hotel, those looking for a small intimate all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana will be disappointed, due to the large property of the entire Bahía complex. Those preferring a contemporary design with state-of-the-art technology also won’t be happy at Bahía Luxury Esmeralda (but at Bahía Principe Luxury Ambar), even though this got much better thanks to the recent renovations at Bahía Principe Esmeralda Punta Cana.

 However, everyone else will have a great holiday at this resort, which offers an amazing price-value ratio considering you get all the top-shelf liquor, endless activities, a fantastic beach and unlimited à-la-carte dinners with some not so common themed restaurants such as Greek or Indian. Obviously, there are also plenty of options to try Dominican food. Vegetarians also get their fair share of menu offers at Esmeralda Punta Cana.  Therefore, Bahía Principe Esmeralda is a perfect option if you are looking for some affordable luxury in Punta Cana without breaking the bank. And in case you prefer less family amenities and more adults-only environment, you also can book a room at the neighboring hotel Bahía Principe Luxury Ambar.

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Ewa

Travel Blogger & Punta Cana Expert

Hey, I am Ewa. Originally from Poland, I lived in the Netherlands for 15 years before deciding to start a new chapter of my life in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Now I explore Punta Cana and the Dominican Republic full-time with my family, sharing honest resort reviews, excursion recommendations, travel tips, and local insights. Having visited numerous resorts and attractions across the region, I focus on providing practical, first-hand information travelers can actually use. Living here allows me to experience destinations from a local perspective and provide information that goes far beyond what you can find in a typical brochure.
My goal is simple: to help you plan an unforgettable Punta Cana vacation with trustworthy, up-to-date, and experience-based advice.
Do you need more information? Read more at my About Me Page or Contact Me here.