Melia Caribe Tropical Hotel Punta Cana

Before I begin to detail our experience at the Melia Caribe Tropical in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic let me first explain that this was the honeymoon my husband and I never had the opportunity to go on. This trip was ten years in the making and something we had worked, saved and planned for. To say the trip was a disappointment would be a gross understatement.
Our initial welcoming into the hotel was non existent, we got off the hotel shuttle as we watched our bags thrown on the sidewalk. After waiting several minutes for some kind of greeting, direction, explanation, and several attempts to speak to the bellhops we were pointed in the direction of the front desk and told to leave our belongings out front.
We approached the front desk which had no line just masses of people bunched around the counter. When we finally were able to get someone to respond to us we were told that our room was not ready and we would have to wait another 30 minutes. Check in time was 3:00, we were told this at approximately 3:15. We waited the 30 minutes and returned to a similar scene at the front desk. The woman working the desk completely ignored us for about 10 minutes before finally telling us she would check our room. We stood there for another 30-40 minutes while she repeatedly took other customers without ever checking on our room. At one point she took the information booklet she had given us earlier containing our towel passes and with our room number written on it and crossed out the room number and gave it to another customer in line. We finally were given a room after approximately an hour and a half, and more than a full hour after check in time. Although I understand things happen and rooms are not always ready on time, it was the complete lack of concern, apology, or even common courtesy that was very upsetting. The front desk acted as if we should be grateful we got a room at all.
Our next incident occurred when we went to retrieve our bags from out front, which were still sprawled on the sidewalk where they had been thrown. Obviously eager to finally get to the room, we asked the bellhop to please take them to our room. We were told they would be there in 2 hours! Not willing to wait that long, my husband had to carry them the considerable distance to our room since, we were told by several passing workers in golf carts that they could not give us a ride.
We had hoped that this would be an end to the problems on our much-anticipated trip. It was not. The same unsatisfactory and many times down right rude customer service that greeted us on our arrival continued through out the trip. Dinner reservations were messed up, we were told we had none, until we physically had to point to our name on the list and show the “host” where it was. Countless times we were out right ignored while trying to take advantage of the “all inclusive” services. Simple requests like “May I have two beers?” were answered with stares if at all.
Our room, which we had been so desperate to get into, was located directly above a room being renovated. Drills and saws are not part of what I consider a relaxing vacation. When we asked to be moved because of the disruption, we were told no. As a matter of fact the only thing the staff did seem ready to respond to any request was NO!
The one thing we did enjoy about this trip, a snorkeling tour, not affiliated with the Meliá Caribe Tropical, was even ruined by the hotel. We ordered a DVD of the experience to share with our family. The DVD was delivered to the hotel, which lost it. Again, we were met with the same poor attitude that was the norm on this trip, “Oh well, it is not here, there is nothing we can do”.
Never in my life did I think I would be counting the days until my dream vacation was over. This trip was a nightmare from start to finish. I have never written a letter like this before, but I can not in good conscience let anyone else spend their hard earned money and wasted their all too precious time with loved ones experiencing the things my husband and I dealt with while at the Meliá Caribe Tropical.