kimevans,

I can't comment on the Excellence as I've never stayed their, but I've stayed at the GBP. It's 5 hotels in 1 so although I didn't stay in the Esmarelda side, it was in the same complex. The GBP is huge! If you've ever stayed at a GBP before and particularly a Don Pablo Collection one, then you'll know what you're getting really as they are all much of a muchness regardless of which one you stay at. The GBP is nice, the pools are great and the beach lovely white sand although there's little in the way of snorkelling. With it being on the north facing coast on the east of the island, ie Atlantic, there's a bit of a swell depending on the weather. It's still nice to go in for a swim, but its not the calmness of the Caribbean side. I much prefer the south of the island in that respect. The diving around Bavaro isn't too bad, plenty to see but again, the reefs and marine life on the south are better in my experience. The beach is narrow in places due to one of the hurricanes and associated storm surge a couple of years ago washing a lot of the sand away so it's a little crowed on the beach depending on occupancy for my taste. If you just want a great room in a good hotel, and don't mind a slightly crowded beach, then it's a good place to spend a week or two. There's not a lot to see or do outside of the hotel though. The hotel is quite isolated and just in a line of hotels and resorts. There's the GBP market area with a few shops and market stalls, but nothing else within walking distance. If you don't mind the 2 hour transfer from Punta Cana to La Romana, you might prefer the calmer beaches down there. Even though I've been to Juan Dolio (just along the coast from La Romana), I'm currently considering La Romana for my next holiday in March.


Beach infront of the GBP, from the Esmarelda side / dive centre looking down


Beach in Bavaro from 300ft, the GBP is just around the corner and you can see how the beach narrows

Darren