Vik Hotel Arena Blanca Reviews

We just returned from a week at The Vik Arena Blanca. It was a very relaxing, nice vacation. I’ll start with the positives. We went, knowing it was old so expectations were lower. The resort is beautiful. Small and simple. The beach is gorgeous. The pools are great. One is newly renovated and the other is due for renovations this spring. We stayed in the newer pool because it was deeper. It was great - we loved it! Our room was in building 5. It was Ocean View and the view was spectacular. We had 3 beds- all were very hard. My husband and I had both suffered with back pain due to the beds. The pillows are AWFUL. Lumpy and hard. The room was clean, the water was fine and warm (it did seem to turn off around 4pm for about an hour). Wifi in the room was spotty but we didn’t spend a lot of time there. Room was cleaned daily and water re-stocked. Buffet was okay. The bacon was always good and plentiful. My husband and son loved the dinner stir-fry’s. Everything else was meh. Drinks are awful. No fruit juice- just sugar drinks. No diet sodas- only regular available. Staff were distant and rude. The bartender at the beach bar never smiled. Never interacted. Came across grouchy and rude. As did most of the staff. The bartenders in the lobby were the most personable. Entertainment is awful. Don’t bother. We sat in the lobby and played cards each night. The coffee machine is excellent. The ‘sports bar’ was dirty and seemed sketchy. Didn’t like that area at all. Very run down. If you’re looking to enjoy the pool and beach and totally relax - this is lovely. But don’t expect any luxury’s or attention from staff. I enjoyed my time because of the weather, pool and beach (and company) but wouldn’t return. P.S. if you go, bring cat treats. There are so many cats roaming the resort!

************STAY AWAY******** This is by far the worst all inclusive I’ve been to and I’ve been to many. What surprises me even more is how some of the reviews are actually good. I’m assuming most who wrote positive reviews don’t have much to compare it to. All my Cuba trips put this place to shame. -Rooms- 1.very dated. 2.no more hot water after 3 min shower. 3. One day there was no water period. 4. Constantly have to ask to for toilet paper, towels, soap, and shampoo. You shouldn’t have to ask. 5. Tv must be 15 years old. The #1 language in the world is English . Have more than 1 or 2 English channels ffs. Service: there is zero service at this hotel. I’ve never been to a resort that doesn’t have drink service. Never once was there a server on site that asked me if I wanted a drink . The “cocktails” 1 on 10. Everything served in cheap plastic cups. Front desk: every day there was a problem. Yes they addressed it but it’s almost like they expect the complaint. They just didn’t care. Shows: meh, very sub par. Food: was just ok. There’s only 1 a la carte resto with 4 different themes. Italian, international, Mexican and seafood. Buffet was ok. Breakfast , why do I have to chase someone everyday for a fork and spoon. And how do you run out of coffee every morning and someone needs to tell you it’s empty. The beach was probably the only good thing about this place. Water is a little rough as you’re on the Atlantic and not the Caribbean. And last but not least, my daughter’s chain was stolen from our room. That’s on me for thinking it couldn’t happen. Just a horrible experience. This is also on me for not doing my research. I learned my lesson. The worst part is, normally I would say you get what you pay for….IT WASN’T EVEN CHEAP!! All this to say, there are so many better places, don’t waste your money here.

I've coming to Dominican republic for over 20 years and this the worse hotel no customer service terrible food made us sick the room are old no hot water in shower and the restaurant staff not friendly at all and more negative things about this place I will never come to this hotel

My wife and I just returned from our first trip to the VIK Hotel Arena Blanca and our third trip to the Dominican Republic. We booked the VIK resort because it had decent recent reviews and the price was very good. The resort was very "basic" in what it offered and the overall facilities. I will break it down for the good and the not so good. The good: - The buffet - The food was tasty. While the buffet did not have a large variety of food, the food that was there was very good. The gentleman that did the omelet station was awesome and would always give a smile and a fist bump every morning. - The specialty restaurant - They had three different theme nights and had a variety of options for each theme. Our favorite was the Mexican night and the ribs were delicious. - The spa - My wife got sunburned and instead of getting a massage at the spa, she got the sunburn treatment and it helped with the pain and reduced the redness. I got the regular massage and it was a very basic massage and was relaxing. The could be better: - The bars - While it is unlimited drinks, they only have the basic "hotel brand" alcohol, no named brands of alcohol were available. In all of our trips to the Mexico and the Dominican Republic, this was the first that we have traveled to to be like this. That being said, they were able to make a wide variety of drinks. The sports bar by the theatre is open until 5am, but this was not disruptive to the rest of the resort. - The pools - The pool that is closest to the either a pool bar or any type of bar was green our entire stay. With not having a swim up bar, this made it a bit of a hassle to get a drink if you were in or around the pool that was not green. The pools were salt water, so it was nice to not smell of chlorine and as the resort was not busy, there were always plenty of seats. The pools do close kind of early, around 7pm every night. Additionally, the cement areas around the pool desperately need to be resurfaced. It is stamped concrete and the surfaces have eroded away and is many areas it is painful to walk on. Also, be VERY careful when getting your towels. The stairs to the stand are very uneven, and extremely unsafe. - The beach - The first two days of our trip, we were amazed at how the beaches looked. I had made the comment to my wife about how this was one of the best beaches we had encountered on any of our trips to Mexico and the DR. However, by the third night, it was covered with the seaweed that is all to common in the DR. When I asked when it would be cleaned up, I was told "maybe tomorrow", and in fact it was not until three days later that they made any attempts to clean it up, so for three days, the beach was unusable. In addition, the first night I went to the beach to just relax and enjoy the view. I ended up covered with bites all over my legs and arms from some "sand fleas" and ended up with welts that itched like crazy for the rest of the trip. There were many

My wife and I recently vacationed at the Vik Arena Blanca 10/15/24 to 10/22/24. This was our second visit to this resort. We celebrated our 46th Wedding Anniversary last visit and returned this year for our 47th. We enjoyed the peace and tranquility and have already booked our 48th anniversary celebration. This year we have asked friends to join us also. We have vacationed in the Dominican Republic for over 20 years, multiple visits each year. We usually stay in the Punta Cana or Puerto Plata areas and have booked both premium and mediocre resorts, each having many similarities and differences. We now value R&R, taking in the sunshine, beautiful beaches, sound of the ocean, relaxing pool and great food selections. The Vik, with its small resort charm and friendly staff exceeded our expectations. Relaxation is the only entertainment we desire. The domestic liquor and Presidente Beer are fine. Like many other resorts top shelf liquors are not offered. When premium beverages are offered at a resort expect a significant price increase. The buffet offered great food selections and one a la cart restaurant offered three alternating cuisines that were great also and no reservations were necessary. I am a picky eater and always found something I liked. The snack bar offers burgers, hot dogs, fries and the best pizza varieties. Rooms are clean and adequate, but can use some updating. Maintenance teams were busy painting and working on repairs. Accommodations are very similar to other DR resorts. The property is very easy to get around and is located directly on the beach. For us, the evenings are peaceful and relaxing. Some entertainment is offered in the evenings, but we do not attend. Free wifi is great and don't forget a "bubba cup" for larger beverages. In summary, I would rate Vik Arena Blana a solid 3-star. If you are looking for wild parties, loud music, top shelf liquor, room service, first class accommodations, activity crew and superior entertainment, this place will not match your expectations. I would say it is a peaceful gem with small resort charm, friendly staff, good selection of food and beverages. Some areas need attention and improvements can be seen daily.

Terrible. Run down, washrooms stalls on the beach are missing latch locks so can’t be locked when used, room doesn't have iron, no bedside lamp, bathroom features are old and damaged. The hotel staff was amazing, very friendly, and helpful. Definitely not going back.

We were here from November 27th to December 1st 2024. The resort has a lot to offer! Very friendly staff and beautiful grounds. The beach doesn’t have a lot of space, but is still beautiful. Food was really great and lots of it. Rooms were average, air conditioning didn’t work that well. Bathroom is very outdated but does what you need it to do.

We came here for our anniversary but Don’t waste your money coming here we booked a week and we are switching hotel within 2 hours. Rooms are so out dated. There’s nothing to do here there are 7 buildings 4 them rooms 1 the main check in and 2 restaurants. Everything is open there’s no closed buildings even to eat. The ac didn’t work basically heat storm in our room the shower doesn’t get hot. Everyone is nice but this is not worth the price to pay. The pools aren’t nice. The bar had limited options and not that good of drinks at all when made it and super small cups. If you looking for a small place with nothing and no one come here but I wouldn’t spend my money on it I’ve been coming to punta cana since i was little every year this the worst resort I’ve come to out of all of them. Food wasn’t bad though only plus but not worth staying I wanted to enjoy a real resort and everything they have to other.

hotel is super old. needs a much needed face lift. rooms were super old hard bed hot AC didn't work well. first night we arrived didn't have towels. there was no shows at night.. when you say all inclusive I would expect room service option . food was not the great had no flavor no taste. pool water was warm no swim up bar. all inclusive in the past I been to have concierges who brink drinks to you. just not good experience .. I will NEVER return there.

We are currently in this hotel, the impressions are great. We got a room in building number 5, the room is spacious, the bathroom is big and the view of the ocean is breathtaking. Just imagine waking up to the sound of waves in the morning. The rooms are cleaned every day and the maid leaves enough water. The beach is beautiful, there is not much shade, so you have to be early in the morning to get a spot. There is always room in the pool, both in the sun and in the shade. Both pools are great, not shallow and you can swim quite nicely if you like. The hotel staff is very friendly, we had a small problem with the electricity in the room, they fixed everything in a few minutes. The service can rival even more luxurious hotels. All in all, a great hotel. Big greetings to the representatives of both agencies, they organized great excursions

This is the reality. In may 2024 The pool in inaceptable condition. The personal is awesome. I will not visit the facilities until I see some complete restructuring of the physical facilities. Very lack of maintenance. The regular staff does its best (as humanly possible) to please and provide good service to guests.

Wonderful Service!! Awesome food, calm environment with fun stuff to do right at the hotel. The beach with clear water right there!! Clean pool, beautiful architecture, very well maintained property. Hotel room had some outdated furnishings, however it was functional, and staff took care of you wherever you went. The only small complaint we had was more of a personal preference - the beds were too hard to our taste. Otherwise perfect getaway!

Love this place. It is in need of upgrades and improvements but still has a small resort charm. It is a quiet and comfortable place, well located and on a piece of lovely beach, which has had some recent erosion, due to storms. The rooms are clean and generally in good condition. The staff are friendly and genuinely seemed to be pleased to see you when you return. The food is good and there is enough variety to please most palates. One main buffet with a variety of weekly menus and one a la carte with a rotating menu: Mexican, Italian, international. No reservations required for the a la carte. Lots of spots on the beach or up by the pools. Nice little pizza and burger bar if you don't want to go to the buffet. The beach sellers are usually affable fellows and take no thanks as an answer. We like to dicker with them, so people don't and that can be a bit irritating. There are no elevators in any of the building so if you have accessibility issues there is only the ground floor as an option in all five building. Building 4 and 5 are closest to the beach and offer Ocean view and Ocean front (5) rooms. There are games and show areas available to you as well as a health clinic, gym and other outdoor sports. The Pelicano Dive Shop provides some equipment for use on the beach and water. If you want a higher level of luxury there are other resorts on the beach which for a higher price will offer more amenities. If you enjoy easy access to the ocean, walks along the beach and a friendly small resort environment then this is your place. Or, try the Cayene on the same property.

This resort is not luxurious and could use some sprucing up but for the price, I would recommend to others. The resort is on the smaller side, which I liked. There are no elevators so if stairs are an issue for you, you need to make this clear when checking in. My room was clean and comfortable. The air wasn’t exactly cool but they did offer to move me to another room so no complaints. The food was phenomenal. There is a buffet and one restaurant- no reservations required, also a plus. Service was great! If you can’t find something to eat it’s a you problem. We ate dinner at the restaurant every night and loved it. The pools were clean and lovely. I’ve read a lot of complaints about the beach…not sure why because the beach is beautiful and they made all efforts to keep it clean of seaweed. Entertainment staff work so hard and did a good job of keeping us busy and happy. The shows at night were fun as well. I travel a lot and have been to many resorts. This is not the nicest but also I had no complaints. Staff were all kind and accommodating. Giant thank you to Enmaniel in the buffet. He greeted me each day w a smile and was attentive to assisting me. Also Ricardo at the beach bar. Honestly we had good service everywhere. I traveled alone and made friends while I was there and always felt safe and content. Would definitely love to go back!! Sunscreen and bug spray are an absolute must!!!!