Cabarete Bay Hotel opened or not

traveller · #1 12-10-2003, 03:20 PM

We have been in touch with our travel agent and they contacted Sunquest and Starz Resort and they informed the agent that the Cabarete Bay Hotel is and has been up and running since Dec. 1. They have raised their prices but that doesn't effect anyone who has already purched their trip. Sooooo who do you believe??????

FireGuy · #2 12-10-2003, 04:16 PM

Greetings from Nova Scotia.

In another thread you basically asked the same question.

Cabarete Bay Hotel/Estrella Del Mar

Peter (who FYI lives in Cabarete) on Dec. 6 said "Still lots of banging, sawing, digging, concreting and building going on behind the tin screens!!!" This is SIX DAYS after "Sunquest and Starz Resort and they informed the agent that the Cabarete Bay Hotel is and has been up and running since Dec. 1".

Sooooo, the question now is:

Who do YOU believe?

Good luck.

Gregg

ricktoronto · #3 12-10-2003, 04:39 PM

The dreadful AI experience made even more so by the partially complete state of either new hotels or renovations. And unless it is appalingly bad, nearly totally incomplete or unsafe the tour companies offer not one iota of $$$ for the noise, lack of facilities or inconvenience.

Lora Mc · #4 12-10-2003, 05:37 PM

Traveller, I received email Sat Dec 6 from Maria Estrella Director of Sales, Starz Resorts advising the new name of the Estrella del Mar and Cabarete Beach Hotel will now be called Azzurro Club Cabarete and it is scheduled to open "next week" Renovations include new larger pool, 2 more a la carte restaurants and sports facilities, we are booked Jan l2-26 so I hope all is well!

Dolores · #5 12-10-2003, 05:58 PM

Starz Resorts runs a first class operation at its Sosua Bay and Victorian House properties in Sosua. We understand they want to offer similar services in Cabarete. Renovation inconveniences aside -- we are not aware of their scope -- this is likely to mean an upgrade for those who had booked previously.

Lora Mc · #6 12-10-2003, 06:29 PM

Anyone who has had a terrible experience with their trip, from Ontario Canada should take the time and check out the Travel Industry Council of Ontario's web site: www.tico.on.ca as it is quite lengthy, however, the do's and don'ts of licensed travel agencies are there. They also advise how their compensation fund work. Topics of coverage ie moving you from your destination hotel, construction etc. If all else fails, contact your lawyer, they are (should be) familiar with TICO. Also a lawyer's letter usually gets to the top of the pile first. Most travel agencies and tour companies do the best they can, however, when the rules are not followed, it is not the vacationer's fault. It is a very informative site, anyone who travels should check it out.

Peter & Alex · #7 12-12-2003, 04:37 PM

There is no such place as Cabarete Bay or Cabarete Beach Hotel!!
Estrella del Mar is now closed!!
The complex/resort will now be re-opening as Azzurro Club Cabarete - when? When they finish all the banging, sawing, concreteing, digging, building and paintting!!
Apparrently it will be a resort catering for the 19 to 49 year olds - that is: No kids and no old folks!!
Stop Press Today 12th December 2003:
The wriggly tin fences are still up along the whole beach frontage.
Work behind the fences is still going on. Some new roofing works appear to be complete and paintting has started. Talking of painting - want to stay inside a rainbow??? What a friggin' horrible colour scheme!! Every wall and column is a different bright Dominican surplus sttock paint colour!!!
Yeukkkkkkkkkkkk!!!
We are certainly not liking the look of the place! But I can always face the ocean as I pass by every morning - if they ever take the tin fences down?
Peter

quaqualita · #8 12-12-2003, 05:05 PM

Peter, are you sure that we all talk here about the same hotel?
Right, former Estrela de Mar is still being renovated and painted in even for Dominican way really strange colors, and will be opened in some time as "Azzurro Club Cabarete "

However, somebody else had asked me before about a "Cabarete Bay Hotel" and me, allthough living in Cabarete for almost 10 years had no idea what this guy was talking about. He told me then, that this is a fairly new hotel "right beside" Estrela de Mar. Since I'm not very often on this side of the beach I believed him, specially since in this area was in the last months a lot construction visible from the street - so I thought it might be somewhere there.

So now, we have there the new Viva Hotel (infront of the gas station). Maybe there is another Hotel, Cabarete Bay/Beach or whatever right in between Viva and former Estrela ?
Not too long ago I took the small path coming from the caves to the beach and I remember that I passed by a fairly huge new pool belonging to a new hotel (I'm not sure though, if this was allready Viva, but I think they were still under full construction at this time).

quaqualita

FireGuy · #9 12-12-2003, 06:15 PM

Greetings from Atlantic Canada.

Here is the scoop on the Cabarete Bay Hotel, as I understand it.

When AMHSA still owned Estrella del Mar they built a new section (around 100 rooms). When Starz Resorts took over the property they marketed the older section as Estrella del Mar and the new section as Cabarete Bay Hotel. It never really was a separate property but was marketed that way.

Now it appears that they have folded the two back together and revovated them as "Azzurro Club Cabarete" as the most recent postings indicate.

Gregg

Peter & Alex · #10 12-13-2003, 02:43 PM

If we are talking about the empty and currently under enovation buildings which look more like barrack room blocks on the left of the old Estrells del Mar, now to be Azurro Club, as you look at the place from the street? Then this may well be the secondary hotel complex that's causing all the confusion. There certainly are no signs in Cabarete for a Cabarete Bay or a Cabaret Beach Hotel!!
Whatever is going on is still going on!!!! Neither of these places are yet open!!!!
The old building s on the left are a mess with two of the huge roof coverings all ripped off and open to the elements. There now appears to be a small road to the left of the new Azurro Club with a new block wall separating the two properties - and that's a mess too!! There are still cement bags stored around the old reception area of the old EDM so I would doubt if that is open and certainly no signs of any guests.
We'll just have to wait and see?
Peter