$15 All-Inclusive Deal at Lifestyle Tropical in DR for 15 Hours On Cyber Monday

$15 per person per night at an all-inclusive resort! Worth it or not worth it? Not only it’s worth it, but it’s worth setting a reminder to be the first to get this deal.

What a coincidence! I just came back from this resort a few days ago and wrote about its pro and cons in my post on Nov 26. Please read it to understand the general facts about the resort. My cousin Timmy and I paid a little more, $19 a night. We had so much fun that I don’t know if I shouldn’t do the booking for the next year already.

This deal–and that is what’s even more incredible about this offer–does not seem to exclude Christmas and the New Year Eve. You can travel “from May 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014.” However, if you are tempted to spend the New Year’s Eve in tropical settings for $15 a night, there are two caveats:

1. This is the land package only. The airfare is not included, and for the Christmas week, well, it is going to be brutal.

2. The resort is going to be so packed up that you can forget even the slightest chance to be upgraded to a much nicer Junior Suite, like this.

Here is something else about this resort that you must know. Those who already know about it can skip this part. Those of you, guys, who’ve never been there should keep reading.

The resort has a very unusual business model. They sell timeshare. OK, I know, it would be unusual if the didn’t sell timeshare in Mexico and the Caribbean, but this resort is pretty aggressive about it. They’ll call you, bug you when you go to breakfast, and so on, so forth. However–and this is one more thing that makes this deal so unique–you are not required to attend the presentation. So, if you have no interest in timeshare whatsoever, I suggest you just say no, and go on your merry way. Yes, you might have to say no more than once. If they weren’t selling timeshare, you wouldn’t be able to snatch a deal like this for $15 a day.

Note, that internet comes at the cost at this resort. Wi-Fi is either $25 for 24 hours or $60 per week, and nothing in between. They do have free Wi-Fi at the VIP beach (and nowhere else), but it’s slow, and there are outages. If you are staying there for a week, pay $60. It’s worth it.

They warn you at the check in not to lose the cards for the room and the towels, as well as the all-inclusive bracelet. They will charge you $20-$50-$100 if you lose them, don’t remember which what. We did believe them, so we made sure not to lose anything:).

Another part of their business model is their cast system. There are places at the resort: beaches, pools, and restaurants, that you will not be allowed to enter with your blue Cheap Caribbean bracelets, and you might feel bitter about it. Stop! People who are being able to go there, have paid thousands of dollars for the privilege, and besides, what you still have an access to is pretty amazing. This resort is huge. In this post, I’ll try to sum up the access points (pun intended:)).

The resort encompasses seven areas:

• The Tropical
• Cofresi Palm
• The Crown Villa
• The Residential Suites
• The Crown Suites
• The Royal Suites
• Presidential Suites

BEACHES (full access):

• Lifestyle
• Cofresy
• VIP Beach

VIP beach is truly beautiful, and unlike last year we didn’t have to fight for the bed. There is an upside of coming in low season. Less competition.

Please note, VIP Beach is supposed to have top shelf liqueur, but during the last four days at the resort, most of their liqueurs were local, although there was still some good stuff there. I’m not sure, whether it’s a permanent change of policy or just an occurrence. However, my cousin, who is a wine drinker found they served good Spanish wine at the VIP beach. So, if you’re a wine drinker, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

POOLS (full access):

Tropical–4 or 5 pools 

Cofresi Palm: 6 or 7 pools

Many folks don’t realize that, but in addition to the pools in the Tropical and Cofresi, all guests also have access to pools and bars in other areas, as well.

The Residence Suites–2 pools 

The Crown Suites–1 pool

The Royal Suites–One, but huge and beautiful

I have to admit, for some mysterious reasons, not all pools have made it into my camera, and in the meantime, there are a couple I can’t identify. The point is, you have more access than you can possibly need for a week of fun.

Restaurants:

• Two buffets, Pearl in Cofresi and Casablanka in the Tropical. I liked Cofresi better. Late night snacks are served between 11PM and 5AM @ Cofresi.
• Bellini @ The Residence Suites). I had a dinner there, and it was OK. You can have breakfast there and light lunch from 12 to 6PM. Beatiful settings by the pool. 
• Blue Lagoon @ The Tropical. Light lunch is served from noon to 5 and late night snacks from 11PM to 5AM.  
• Rodizio, Brazilian Churrascaria @ Cofresi. Closed on Monday. We found out the hard way.
• Mumtaz, Indian @ Cofresi.
• Indochina @ The Tropical
• El Pilon, Dominican @ The Cofresi. Open for light lunch between noon-5PM. 
• Trapiche Paradize, Mexican @ The Royal Suites. Look, Mexican or not, but I had an excellent filet-mignon there. 

There were other two restaurants listed in the brochure Jonny’s and Moonlight, but they are seasonal, and I don’t think they were open during our stay.

All guests also have access to 14 bars that are located throughout the resort, at the lobbies, and by the beaches and pools. You won’t miss them, so I really don’t see the point of listing them all here.

Footnote: How to Survive on House Brand Drinks

While you can have top shelf drinks on the VIP beach (although they removed most of them on the weekend, which “coincided” with a lot of locals visiting), the rest of the resort bars will quench your thirst with local brands. While you may not notice the difference initially, your body will not thank you after a while. Here is what’s still good.

• Local beer Presidente is a premium beer. It’s every bit as good as Corona (better actually if you ask me).
• Any cocktails with Rum are fine. They use local rum Brugal–cheap, but good.

So, what is it that I wanted to say about timeshare?

I received an angry letter from a reader in response to my older POST. He started by saying how I had no idea what I was talking about and proceeded with arguing why timeshare is the best thing after the sliced bread. While some of his points were, let’s say, questionable, others did make sense. So here is my stance on it.

Timeshares are not a fib. It’s a multy-billion dollar industry, and if it had been completely useless, it would’ve died a long time ago. My problem with timeshare people is not that they sell timeshare, but that they sell it to a wrong crowd. Most people who buy timeshare do it on the spur of the moment (sometimes under the influence of alcohol), during a high-pressure presentation, and without having done their due diligence. This is my only gripe. If you are interested in timeshare, by all means go ahead and take a trip of the resort, listen to their presentation, but not before you read, research, and come down there with an understanding what you really want, and how much you’re prepared to pay for it.

OK. End of rant.

Questions? All you need is just ask. Here is the text from the horse’s mouth. Remember, it will start on December 2! Don’t click just yet.

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CheapCaribbean.com Announces $15 Deal For 15 Hours On Cyber Monday — PLANO, Texas, Nov. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/

Cyber Monday Deal – Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort & Spa/Puerto Plata
For only $15 per person, per night, customers can book a trip to the all-inclusive Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort & Spa in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic for 15 hours only. This 3½ star, budget-friendly resort rests upon the sands of beautiful Cofresi Beach in Puerta Plata, amidst Caribbean-style, thatched roofs and cobblestone walkways. The resort comfortably blends in with the towering mountain ranges and the sparkling hues of the ocean. Find the deal starting Monday, December 2at 9a.m. EST to midnight EST on CheapCaribbean.com. Airfare is NOT included. Travel May 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014.