Name: Caribbean Sun Residential
Address: 19 Calle El Penon, Costambar, Puerto Plata 57000, Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata, Puerto Plata, Puerto Plata, 57000, Dominican Republic
Rating: 9

Air conditioning

Smoking areas

Smoke-free property

General

Non-smoking rooms

Family room

Rooms

Ironing

Laundry

Services and amenities

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Airport transportation

Car rental

Transfer services

Transfer

Spanish

English

French

Languages Spoken

Barbecue grill(s)

Recreation

Parking

Swimming pool

Outdoor pool

Pool and beach

Family/Kid Friendly

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the hotel

Fort San Felipe

Los Mangos Golf Course

Amber Museum

Playa Cofresi

Ocean World Adventure Park

Long Beach

Playa Dorada Golf Club

Playa Dorada

Gregorio Luperon International Airport

Cabarete Beach

Cibao International Airport

Caribbean Sun Residential

Puerto Plata

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

12-beds

13-beds

14-beds

15-beds

16-beds

17-beds

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3-beds

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32-beds

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38-beds

39-beds

4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

6-beds

7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

I continue to return to Sun Caribbean Residential every year for 3 mths, BEST PLACE EVER. Luisa the owner is the best to deal with and an awesome lady.The place is well maintained and well stocked. If something is needed she does not hesitate to get it for you. Very clean and welcoming, bathrooms have been updated and beautiful. I will always return to this spot as it is very comfortable. It is in Costambar with a little grocery store that has almost everything you need along with being able to get money exchanged at a good rate.The beach is about a 7 min walk depends on how fast you walk. It is a way from the beach which is good as closer to the beach the noise of the night life gets to be loud and continuous throughout the weekends. Here you have some quiet, only draw back is sometimes roosters, but does her best to get them out of the area. I will be returning again in Dec 2019. Book directly with her and save on bookings you will not be disappointed. I will always return LOVE IT. Note if you looking for a 5* accommodations this is not for you but if you are looking for comfortable, clean and welcoming and enjoy getting along with everyone it is a 4* in my judgement, for a rental it is perfect !!!! This is my 5th yr going and just gets better every year. Need info on excursions or which ones the best just ask been going to the DR for 20yrs +. But love it in Costambar.

BEST EVER, EVER, EVER!!!! RENTAL

Second year here at this location for approx 3 mnths at a time and still loving it. Yes there are good and bad in all but this place is 98% very good. Especially Luisa she will do her best to accommodate you. Luisa also does her best to keep you happy, such a wonderful lady and then there is Ramona the house keeper who is very friendly and honest no worries about her cleaning your place while your not there, very professional. 
Remember people this is not like Canada and things happen, to get things done in a hurry here does not happen, this is the way it is in the DR. but Luisa does her best to get things corrected in a timely manner. 
We had an issue at the beginning and was rectified quickly, leak in kitchen fixed was on it right away.
Gated community which is safe I walk every morn without any issues. 
I love the pool great size and kept clean, right outside my door. Everything you need is right at hand. close to little grocery store, "jenny's", 7min walk to the beach. What more you can ask for. 
Very very clean and screens on windows and doors, a plus in this country.

This year one draw back only was an issue with cats fighting outside, sounds like babies screeching through the night. Again Luisa is addressing the issues at hand. If you have any issues Luisa is very open to listening and working hard to make your stay very pleasant.
New bakery 2 mins away fresh buns and warm donuts with many other items that are very good. Ole Solamio restaurant best food ever 3 min walk. Everything so convenient.

I love it here and will be returning next year for sure have booked already!!! I use it as a home away from home. Thank you Luisa for making my vacation a great stay away from my home.

Home Away From Home

We stayed at Caribbean Sun Residential in Costambar from January 21, 2016 for 1 week. 

We booked this vacation property directly through VBRO and booked our flights separately with Air Transat.

I was disappointed with Air Transat, as they would not allow any humanitarian bags on this flight. I usually travel with WestJet and they gladly accept these bags that we take for a local orphanage (Hogar Immanuel) in Puerto Plata. 

This was my second “non-all inclusive” vacation in the Costambar gated community, so I knew what to expect.

There is an online Costambar monthly magazine which carries information about this gated community (google "Costambar Monthly Magazine"). Another website (google "Costambar restaurant menus") also has so much useful information about Costambar, including the restaurants/bars in the area. This site also denotes each restaurants hours of operation, specialty dishes etc. A few restaurant menus have been uploaded – both, very informative websites. 

I was in contact (via email and telephone/text) with Luisa (Property Manager) during the initial booking period and prior to our arrival . She kindly emailed me pictures of our exact unit prior to making the deposit. Luisa graciously answered the many questions I had regarding the apartment / unit - all in a very efficient and timely manner.

Luisa is truly an awesome individual. She was very helpful and kind to us during our stay. She even made us a delicious fish stew with rice on our last night. 

Forewarning: This review is VERY long!!!! I am trying to pay it forward, since I use TripAdvisor a lot when planning vacations. I hope that my review will assist any potential travellers who are thinking about staying at the Caribbean Sun Residential Apartments.

AIRPORT/TRANSFER: Airport security and luggage claim was simple and fast. We flew into Puerto Plata on a weekday morning (Thursday) and we were the only flight that arrived around this time. 

We organized a private return airport transfer in advance with Rene Nobles/Puerto PlataTaxi Service. A friend used Rene in the past, this was my first time using Rene.
Rene was very dependable regarding scheduled pick up times and responding to any transport inquiries. He also speaks very good English and can arrange tours etc. if needed.

There is a DUFRY Duty Free store in the arrivals of POP airport – convenient for anyone who wants to buy cigarettes, alcohol etc. upon arrival. Although, based on my price comparison (Arrivals Duty Free versus La Serena store in Puerto Plata and at Yenny's in Costambar ), it is cheaper to buy these items locally.

The airport provides free luggage trolleys which are located on the left of the luggage claim entrance (just past the customs counters). Before exiting the terminal, you will encounter many uniformed porters who will ask you about your resort location and will attempt to assist you with your luggage etc. Just like all airport porters, it is your choice to use them ... and if you do, they expect to be tipped for their services.

Once you pass the second set of double doors, on the left-hand side, you will find the various tour operator desks (i.e. WestJet Vacations, Air Canada Vacations, Sunwing, Sunquest etc.). This is where your Tour Operator Airport Representative can be found - he/she will provide you with your bus number/location, resort details etc. 

You can also purchase beer just outside the terminal (again, once you pass the second set of double doors) at the small stores located towards the hand left side of the terminal.

Travel time from POP to Costambar is approximately 30 minutes. 

ARRIVAL: Upon arrival to the Caribbean Sun Residential Apartments, I located Louisa who was in the process of cleaning my apartment. There was a mix up with reservations and in error, my apartment was given to other guests. Mistakes happen, so we left our luggage with Louisa and went for a drink at a local bar down the street. 

Upon our return to the apartment, Louisa provided us with the apartment door keys and a separate key to the main door. Luisa resided in the unit below us which was very convenient as she was always accessible.

APARTMENT: The apartment was a huge 2 level unit. It was a little dated, but suited our needs and requirements. 

Our apartment had 3 balconies - one with 2 chairs and a table. 

The sitting room area had a TV with couches. 

The kitchen was equipped with a toaster oven, microwave, 4-burner gas stove (no oven), full size refrigerator with top freezer (one ice tray), cutlery, drinking glasses, bowls, plates, tea cups/saucers, serving/cooking utensils and a plastic cutting board. The unit had a kitchen table with 4 chairs. 

We purchased paper towels, Kleenex boxes and dinner napkins for our unit. We also packed saran wrap, foil and freezer bags which came in handy during our stay. 
There was 2 full bathrooms - one on the main floor (shower only, not tub) and on the upper lever (shower and tub).

Caribbean Sun Residential does NOT provide hand soap, shampoo, conditioner or shower gel in the unit – there were no hair dryers in the bathrooms. They provided 3 sets of face/hand/bath towels and bath mats in both bathrooms. 

Air-conditioning units in the bedrooms only. Ceiling fans in the kitchen/sitting room areas. It was also equipped with an iron and a full size board.

POWER OUTAGES: We did not experience any power outages throughout our entire stay.  Although other guests we met in Costambar mentioned a few outages.

RESTAURANTS IN THE AREA: I wrote separate reviews for a few of the restaurants that I dined in during my last stay in Costambar. Lots of restaurants in the area like The Anchor (very close to Club Villa Jazmin), El Catamaran (on the beach) Estrella del Mar (on the beach), El Carey (on the beach), Pasquales (on the beach), Pedro's (across the street from Yenny's supermarket) and Sol Mio (on Calle Anacaona) – all approximately a 10 - 15 minute walk from the apartment.

GROUNDS: The grounds are clean and well-maintained.We encountered some mosquitos during the day, but mostly in the evenings - so don’t forget mosquito repellant! We spent a lot of time on our balcony, so it was worth it for us to travel with the OFF (mosquito repellant) lanterns and clip on fans. 

POOL: The pool is on the smaller size and was cleaned and maintained daily. Lots of seating area around the pool.

BEACH: The beach is approximately a 10 minute walk from Caribbean Sun Residential. It’s a beautiful beach, but was not busy due to the daily/nightly rain fall. It’s a public beach, so on the weekends its usually packed with a lot of local families spending the day in the area! 

Beach loungers are available for rent. The cost is approx. $100.00 RD per lounger which can be used for the entire day. There are a few beach vendors selling various items on the beach, but did not encounter as many venders as I have experienced in the Playa Dorada (Bluebay Villas/Barceló), Costa Dorada (Iberostar) and Caberate (Viva Wyndham) beach areas. 

TAXI'S: So, a nice Costambar taxi driver informed me that if I needed a taxi to a local casino (Kviar Casino or Ocean World Casino), the casino would pay the taxi fare. This was in fact true, as we took nightly taxis to Kaviar Casino/Nightclub.

GROCERY STORES/PHARMACIES: Yenny`s Supermarket is less than a 10 minute walk from the apartment (located close to the gate). They deliver your groceries for 30-40 pesos. Their USD exchange rate was in par with what the local bank was offering. They are open from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm (Monday to Saturday) and from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm on Sunday’s. Yenny’s carry many day to day food items and was very clean.
Farmacia De Lo Tropicos (Pharmacy) is less than a 10 minute walk from the apartment(located close to the gate). Open from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm (Monday to Saturday – closed on Sunday’s).

Overall, you will have a great time in Costambar if you take the time in advance to research the area including the property that you are planning to stay at. Because of this, we knew what to expect and was not disappointed! We met a lot of great people while on vacation.

Keep in mind that Costambar is a very quiet gated community. If you are looking to go out nightly (lively bars/night clubs), I personally would not recommend this area. You will end up spending a lot of money travelling (taxi etc.) to the more lively areas like Puerto Plata, Sosua and Cabarete.

Caribbean Sun Residential

Main amenities of the hotel

Location

Available rooms

Location

Description of the hotel

What other amenities are there?

General

Rooms

Services and amenities

Internet

Transfer

Languages Spoken

Recreation

Parking

Pool and beach

Kids

Pets

Policies

Check-in terms and conditions

Payment