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VIK Hotel Arena Blanca Vacations

4 - 3113 Reviews
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

This very charming superior hotel is directly on the beautiful, white sand Bavaro beach, surrounded by a palm grove and the Caribbean sea.

Location: Directly on beautiful Bavaro Beach, 5 min to Plaza Bavaro shopping center, 30 min from the airport.

Our Opnion

This resort is more suited for travelers looking for a quieter and relaxing vacation. The VIK Hotel Arena Blanca is located near some of the most beautiful beaches in Punta Cana. It's also a few minutes walk from stores and shopping centers. There are only three options with restaurants here (buffet, Italian and Mexican). They are all pretty good in quality and freshness. The rooms are a little outdated. However, they are regularly maintained and cleaned. So this should not take away from your experience.

Important Info

Holy Week, leading up to Easter is a major holiday in the Dominican Republic. Beach and Watersports activities and Alcohol may not be available during this period and can be cancelled at any time.

  • Buffet breakfast lunch and dinner daily
  • Day & night snacks
  • A la carte dinner at specialty restaurants 
  • Unlimited Domestic drinks 
  • Lounge chair & towels (pool/beach)
  • Non-motorized water sports
  • Sports activities
  • Kids Club
  • Free entrance to Disco (drinks included)
  • Daily activities
  • Nightly entertainment

  • 456 rooms in several 3-storey buildings
  • 4 restaurants
  • Snack bar
  • 5 bars 
  • Disco
  • 1 pool
  • Children's pool
  • Fitness facilities
  • 2 tennis courts
  • Gift shop
  • Spa services ($)
  • Car rental
  • ATM
  • WiFi ($)
  • Medical services 24 hrs ($)
  • Golf course & casino nearby ($)

All rooms include:

  • Ceiling fan
  • Mini fridge
  • Air conditioning
  • Hair dryer
  • Phone
  • Safe ($)
  • Cable TV

Garden View Room

  • 1 king bed, or 2 twin beds
  • Garden view
  • Balcony or terrace
  • Full bathroom
  • 323 square feet
  • Maximum 3 adults
  • Maximum 2 children
  • No more than 4 guests in the room

Ocean View Room

  • 1 king bed, or 2 twin beds
  • Ocean view
  • Balcony or terrace
  • Full bathroom
  • 323 square feet
  • Maximum 3 adults
  • Maximum 2 children
  • No more than 4 guests in the room

Superior Garden View

  • 1 king bed, or 2 twin beds
  • Garden view
  • Balcony or terrace
  • Full bathroom
  • 393 square feet
  • Maximum 3 adults
  • Maximum 2 children
  • No more than 4 guests in the room

Superior Ocean View 

  • 1 king bed, or 2 twin beds
  • Ocean view
  • Balcony or terrace
  • Full bathroom
  • 393 square feet
  • Maximum 3 adults
  • Maximum 2 children
  • No more than 4 guests in the room

Superior Family Suite

  • Master bedroom with 1 king bed
  • Second bedroom with 2 twin beds
  • Sofa bed
  • Balcony or terrace
  • Full bathroom
  • 393 square feet
  • Maximum 3 adults
  • Maximum 3 children
  • No more than 5 guests in the room

Front Ocean Suite

  • Bedroom with 1 king bed or 2 twin beds
  • Sofa bed
  • Oceanfront
  • Balcony or terrace
  • Full bathroom
  • 393 square feet
  • Maximum 3 adults
  • Maximum 2 children
  • No more than 4 guests in the room

Restaurants

El Bucanero 

  • Buffet for lunch;  A la carte for dinner
  • Mexican
  • Dress code is Smart Casual

El Mirador 

  • Buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • International
  • Dress code is Smart Casual

La Trattoria

  • A la carte for dinner 
  • Italian 
  • Dress code is Smart Casual

Estrella de Mar

  • A la carte for dinner 
  • International
  • Dress code is Smart Casual

El Calypso Bar

  • Tea, coffee, soups and sandwiches

La Proa ($)

  • A la carte for dinner 
  • Caribbean dishes and seafood
  • Located at VIK Hotel Cayena Beach
  • Dress code is Formal

El Cano ($)

  • A la carte for dinner 
  • Seafood barbecue
  • Located at VIK Hotel Cayena Beach
  • Open once per week
  • Dress code is Smart Casual

*The restaurants La Proa and El Cano and the barbecue do not fall within the All-Inclusive service and are offered at additional charge.

Bars

  • Lobby Bar
  • Calypso Bar
  • Bucanero Bar
  • Bar Playa
  • Patio Bar
  • Disco Bar

Honeymooners - To be eligible for the honeymoon package, newlyweds must advise at the time of booking and present their proof of wedding, dated within the last month, upon arrival at the hotel.

Wedding Packages available - Please inquire for details.

Early Booking Bonus - This hotel may offer early booking bonuses at certain times of the year. If early booking bonuses apply to your vacation, prices shown online have already been adjusted accordingly. Please inquire for complete details.

Some restaurants may be open for certain meals only and limited visits may apply. Reservations required and dress code in effect for a la carte restaurants. Time restrictions may apply for water sports.

Child pricing may only be available with select tour operators and valid for select dates and durations. Child pricing rules are subject to change without notice. Please contact one of our vacation specialists if you require assistance with child pricing.

Photo identification and/or credit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges.

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy. Rollaway beds and cribs (infant beds) may be available and should be requested at the time of booking; fees may apply.

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in. Special requests cannot be guaranteed and may incur additional charges upon check-in to fulfil.

Hotels do not condone unruly behavior, parties in rooms, excessive noise or any other actions that violate the hotels terms of use. Guests may be removed from the property at their own expense in the event of any disturbance or complaint from other guests or hotel staff. Escapes.ca cannot be held responsible for any guests who may be removed from the hotel due to a violation of rules.

What's Included

Vacation package bookings include the following:

  • Round-trip flights
  • Hotel accommodations
  • Airport transfers (see exceptions below)
  • Departure taxes (see exceptions below)
  • Tourist cards (see exceptions below)
  • Hotel taxes

All-inclusive resorts typically include the following options. Please see each specific hotels all-inclusive details for what is included, as it may vary from the list below.

  • All meals
  • Drinks (typically soft drinks and domestic beer, wine and spirits)
  • Daily activities
  • Nightly entertainment
  • Non-motorized water sports
Items not included:
  • Baggage fees (if applicable, see Supplier's terms on reservation page for details)
  • Resort and Environmental fees (if applicable) must be paid directly to the hotel
  • Travel insurance (mandatory if traveling to Cuba)
  • Airport transfers for packages to USA
  • Airport transfers for packages to Europe
  • Items of a personal nature
NOTE:
  • If traveling to the Dominican Republic with Sunwing or Signature Vacations, tourist cards ($10USD) and departure taxes ($20USD) are not included.
  • As of November 9, 2019 Los Cabos has implemented a non-mandatory tourist tax of $18:50 per person payable upon entry into Los Cabos.


Punta Cana has a warm semi-tropical climate but is tempered by eastern winds. It rarely rains during daylight hours.

Avg. °CJFMAMJJASOND
High262827282829292929282826
Low181819192022222322222018
Rain (mm)8020 9011019018017017020017012070
4 Google Rating
Based on 3113 Reviews

We are still here at VIK Hotel Arena Blanca, we leave tomorrow. We are loving our stay here. It’s older, I find this part of the charm. Every morning I sit on the balcony of our room and listen to the birdsong and inhale the fragrance of the gardens. There is a delicious variety of food for mealtimes. You are so close to the beach here. The beach is fantastic, you can walk for miles. The gardens are beautiful. It’s cosy, and intimate because this resort is smaller. The men and women who work here are friendly and kind. I have to mention this, around dinner time at the entrance to the buffet restaurant there is a Hong Kong Orchid tree with hundreds birds (I believe they are Antillean Siskins) it’s incredible. I’ll include a video.

I booked not expecting luxury or much comfort, but because reviews rating the food as good and even excellent.. l don’t agree with such, for my experience the food in general was awful, and it’s not even Dominican cuisine, not worth going there.
And among others things not worth wasting your time and money coming here is: when are the Dominican resorts going to put an end to the never ending boring Michael Jackson imitation? It’s so annoying, if going to DR l want to learn Dominican culture, not American, and besides, the majority of guests are not even Americans but Europeans. Go figure!!

As a 4 star hotel it leaves a lot to think about.

Out of all my heart, I do not recommend this place, it is definitely not a facility for people over 30 😆 There are no attractions where you could spend a nice time... There is a "SPORT BAR" with 2 tennis tables put together, 2 billiards for children and a theater with music without any organized events, no competitions, ... At 9.30 p.m. After dinner, most people go to their rooms because they are simply bored... The only thing that saves this place is the swimming pool, which is also very small for a larger number of people 😊 Drinks and beer are served in plastic cups... As for the rooms, it's also a tragedy, the air conditioning did not work throughout our stay despite reported problems, the balcony door was broken, the room stinks of damp, old bathrooms, unwashed toilets, the glass in the shower is also not washed.. In one word, a failure... The service is so-so, they work as if I was here as a punishment.. The access to the ocean is fine, but the beaches are small to lie next to.. There is no Internet in the room, people go to the reception to get their teeth checked. use the internet. In one word, I do not recommend this place.. There is nothing happening here, this facility is not teeming with life..

We booked via Tui without looking at the reviews. But after looking at the reviews got a bit scared of what we will find.

Let me split it into the important details:

The Hotel:
Its a big beautiful resort with a beautiful garden. The location is a bit hidden and far from anything else expect other resorts. Which means you need a taxi to go anywhere else ( the taxis are expensive ).

The Room:
The room has outdated furniture but it works fine. The bed was comfortable and the fridge works. The AC is a bit on the weaker side but if you use it with the ceiling fan you will be fine. It does make a lot of noise. Bugs will enter your room at some point especially on the ground floor. Since there are gaps under the doors (1-2 cm)

Food:
For as far as buffet food can go this one is meh. the dishes change by day. I love pancakes but the ones they make here are almost as hard as cookies. I did have stomach problems multiple times so i would be careful with eating. But most importantly it was clean.

Staff:
Some were friendly, others ignored you if you couldn't speak Spanish. Especially the bar people were the rudest.

Pool:
They have 2 big pools. The deeper one is still closed but now they are actually working on it. The other one need maintenance and better cleaning.

Beach:
The beach was the best and the worst part. You could watch the sunrise in the morning and drift with the waves. The sand was clean.
The worst part is the salesmen. I understand you have to make a living but it doesn't mean you have to force it on the people that are trying to relax. Every 15 mins a salesman would come with a parrot or a lizard or cheap necklace and you would have to say no 4-5 times before they leave. They especially force themselves on women that are alone. I saw one guy stick his tongue out and point at a girl that was just trying to relax on the beach. Very disrespectful.

Facilities:
There are 3 mini stores ( souvenirs , bags , jewellery , beach accessories ) but very expensive.
Theater/ cinema
Tour guide desk
4 bars scattered around the resort
3 "food halls"
Gym (rusty)
Spa (good but expensive)
And 2 tents for massages.

Conclusion:
It's a beautiful but cheap resort that need MAINTENANCE. they are trying to keep it nice but its needs a full makeover.I personally wouldn't come here again.
If you booked it and it's too late to change you will be fine don't worry.
If you are looking for a cheap resort to relax and you don't have high standards then this is the place for you.
If you have high standard and get disgusted quickly go look somewhere else.

BUT I DO NOT recommend it.
They need to shut down a restore the place.

Hotel built in 1999 which has never been well maintained so it is old and very shabby, very ugly furniture in the room and just water in the mini fridge in addition to the air conditioning which makes a crazy noise. Small safe with key to carry around instead of numbers to make our own code and don't lose it because they don't have a duplicate or master key otherwise it's $75 U.S. Beach greatly affected by Hurricane Fiona and left as is so very damaged in addition to requiring almost acrobatics on our part to get to the sea. One of the two swimming pools in renovation therefore a lot of noise and the other will have to undergo the same treatment. We stayed as a couple there from March 1 to March 11, 2024.

Although it is a renovated hotel that has been renovated for years, the service was excellent. To improve some minor issues, but what was particularly requested was answered satisfactorily. The level and variety of the food was incredible.

This resort had a lot of pro's and cons! We came here for our honeymoon.... on the first day, we found a cockroach in our room!!! We demanded a new room; at first, they tried to tell us that EVERY room in the entire resort was booked! But they finally got us a new one.... we didn't find any bugs in that room, although we were nervous for a while, lol.

Next, the AC in the room can not keep up. Period. It was 26c when we got in there and we set it to 21. it took ALL night go get down to 23, then during the day, although it ran non stop, it got back to 24-25. 23 at night was ok though, and we didn't hang out in the room during the day ofc. FTR, it was around 30 outside during the day. The bed was very comfortable!

The food. Two of the restaurants were down for renovations, the fancier ones we couldn't go to bc I didn't bring a collared shirt (rookie mistake, never been to an all inclusive before 🤦‍♂️). So we were stuck with either the buffet or snack bar. For some reason, the buffet lunches every day were NASTY. I NEVER eat breaded fried chicken or fish but one lunch I was actually looking for one of those, just so I could eat something edible, and couldn't find either! But, breakfast and dinner were always good! Breakfast - crepes and pancakes ftw!!! Not sure why lunch was gross, if the cook was different or what 🤷‍♂️

The pool was very nice, but there were 2, and one was closed the entire time, for unknown reasons. The beach is RIGHT next door and is awesome. I love love LOVE the beach!!!!!

They have an evening show every night, which was enjoyed watching!!! The Michael Jackson show was great.

The gym (which most people won't care at all about) definitely needs to be renovated, but I was glad to have a gym at all. Some of the equipment I wouldn't touch, but I was able to get some workouts in.

Overall would I stay here again? Idt if the wife would want to, I'm cheap so it depends on what other deals we can find. I def had fun but can tell not everything here is top of the line and can see why it's a bit cheaper!

Great hotel with the coolest beach on the coast!

A good place to enjoy a short vacation.

Spectacular all room service cleaning amenities meals and fun

Will not come back here anymore! One pool ( the deep one) was closed and no A/C in the rooms for the entire trip. No one told us before coming here or we would have cancelled. The food was good and the service was ok. There’s not much of a beach to enjoy. A person is way better off going to a different (and better) resort

Dated hotel, blatant lack of maintenance. The rooms are very clean despite the outdated furniture but we still sleep well on their mattresses. Beach-wise, it's the smallest in the area. The other hotels around all have much larger beaches.

One swimming pool in 2 in operation. Lack of deck chairs and they are really shabby.

For the food.....average buffets but very good a la carte dinner. It was still a beautiful trip but rather ordinary for a 4 star.

Two stars because the food is amazing, our rooms were clean, and our air conditioning worked.
Many things advertised were not available:
1. No sail boating or free catamaran as stated
2. 1 pool has been closed for months & is taped up, the mini jacuzzi pool is open but cold. Other pool also needs repairs, there’s holes in the ground where you play volleyball, I cut my toe on one
3. The disco was closed, other entertainment ended early and was horrible - karaoke & then they stop music and play just for laughs videos

Stuff that was disappointing:
1. Drinks were bad, little alcohol & no flavour, no mojitos
2. We liked the beach but it’s completed eroded away, we had to jump down everyday, a lot of older people really struggled getting up and down
3. Wifi doesn’t work around most of the resort, We had wifi in our room block 5 but we paid extra for a better room so idk if that was the reason.
4. The resort is falling apart all the walkways are worn away and cut your feet.

Reading the comments we were afraid to go there, I can't believe how some exaggerate... for the rooms I admit that some are very hard, we changed three times when we arrived... until We find one that smells less musty. We didn't have any blankets in any room, we asked the maid for one the next day and we got some. the air conditioning works average. Our room is clean and renovated. We have wifi in the room, but we always lack hot water and it's quite ordinary. I've never experienced this in my 6 trips to Cuba. The only swimming pool is quite large, the beach we always have room it's really not that bad.... we eat very very well, it changes every day and it's good even if the buffet is still small . I didn't see any cockroaches, it treats the place we saw them doing, we're in the south it happens. The drinks are too sweet and seem to have no alcohol in them. The staff is nice, nothing to say...and what can I say about the Mr. Eggs in the morning 👌, there is a lack of activity, no kayaking, no pedal boat, the sea is rough, not ideal with a young child. I imagine it's not always like that. I find the place clean, good little place not crowded with people... we didn't have the activities listed on the board like the foam party or paella, I don't know why. Lack of atmosphere in the evening...you don't come here to party all night...but to relax it's good...

Needs some love...this place must have been great 20 years ago

It's a shame how they lie to us...

the rooms with clogged toilets, showers without hot water, there are no bedspreads, they charge you two dollars for each night you use the lock on the safe because of course they are not responsible for valuables that are outside.

There is no wifi in the rooms, only in common spaces (only in the theater). Their excuse is that it just broke and they are fixing it when it has been in that state for a long period of time.

They show the bedroom decoration much more modern when there is only plastic and old wood, in fact I made the comparison and not even the beach is as big as it seems..

Anyway, they should warn that the images are illustrative and that we will never really find what they show

It does not have a beach and there are no stairs to access the sea. You have to walk 600 meters to get to the beach of another hotel

24-03-29-09-24
24-03-29-09-24

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