Review of Barcelo Capella Beach - All Inclusive 4*

I went there for President's day weekend about 3 years ago with my girlfriend. Now, this was my first resort EVER, so needless to say I was stoked. I am Dominican and my mother in the Capital (Santo Domingo) already, so I was ready to host her for Dominican Mother's Day as well. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the front desk staff. They weren't really too friendly. Maybe it was because it was in the evening or something. So, we got settled in and planned our time out. We decided to catch the show the resort does daily. The show was pretty cool. What was odd was that even though this was an all-inclusive resort and we could order whatever we wanted to drink, the service was slower. After checking out the scene, I saw that the folks that tipped the best got their drinks quicker. I tip, but don't feel the need to pay $3-5 dollars for drinks that are SUPPOSED to be included in my deal! I noticed this trend throughout the stay there. The waitstaff were the same, even just to fill up a glass of water. I felt as if everyone who worked there expected money in exchange to any info they imparted. The worst thing that happened was at the end when we checked out. I let my girlfriend do all the paperwork as I handled the cab that was coming to pick us up. On our way to the airport, I found out that my they charged us $100 for phone calls from our room! I know we didn't even use the phone, but she paid it anyway. Needless to say, I was incensed. That was ridiculous and unfair. It was a shame, too. I thought the resort was decent other than that. The food was not bad and the music played at the "night club" was good. The sad thing is that I stayed at a resort in Cancun the next year and had a totally different experience. No one on the staff made me feel like I needed to tip them for asking directions or asking for the time.