06/08/2008

06/02/2008

05/30/2008

05/26/2008

02/01/2008

02/01/2008

01/15/2008

12/20/2007

Once again we had a wonderful trip to the Dominican Republic. This was our 8th visit and like all the others there was no problem. I coordinated the trip for four couples and was given expert help from Maritza. She worked with me to make sure everything was taken care of. She also helped my daughter and her husband vacation on another part of the island. I have researched and found that your prices are as good if not better than other companies. Thank you.

Royal Doughty

12/17/2007

12/15/2007

Jim and Debra Vascik

12/05/2007

I am the "other half" of Michael Foley and I wanted to send you a personal thank you for everything you have done for us. For several years now, you have always made great vacations possible. On our latest trip, I can't tell you how amazing it was to come back to our room and have a message from you asking how things were. Thank you so much! I also wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your personal attention year after year and for putting up with us. As someone who works everyday with customers, I know the value of what you do and your work is truly excellent. Thanks again, Cyndie P.S. I really like your blog!

11/30/2007

Just wanted to let you know that the trip to Aruba was very nice.. The RIU I though was the best hotel on the Island and had the best beach front. It was very clean and the food was great. The weather was beautiful the whole time we were there...

The water was a little cooler than the Punta Cana or Mexico but not a big issue.

The hotel staff was very friendly and we would recommend the RIU to any of your clients.

The only negative was most of the rooms have double beds that are put together and kept moving. We were able to get a King size bed which was nice. It was a little hard but if you wanted you could request a pillow top...

Alex

11/14/2007

Donald

11/14/2007

10/25/2007

09/22/2007

Patsy and Dan Russell

09/22/2007

09/17/2007

I have to say that this is the second time you guys have made our vacation fabulous! Service was excellent while trying to book the trip and the staff very helpful and informative. Ground transfer arrangements were great as well as hotel reservations and flight booking. I cant say i can really complain about anything. The only thing i can suggest is that maybe you can have a map of the destinations so that we as the consumer can get a slight idea of where our hotel options are and where areas of interest maybe within the destination. i feel like sometimes it is difficult to choose where to stay due to the fact that the area may be a completely new territory.i hope this helps!

Thanks again and i hope to work with vacmart again in the near future! Avani

09/12/2007

T Corbett

09/11/2007

I just want to take a minute to thank you for arranging our family's trip to the Majestic Colonial in Punta Cana. We returned on Sunday with many worried family members because of Hurricane Dean but we were fine at the Majestic. We had quite a bit of wind and rain in the morning but then it just drizzled on and off during the rest of the day. Of course, the beach was banned, but we hung out in the pool and even watched a wedding taking place in the gazebo in the late afternoon.

We would highly recommend the Majestic and Vacation Travel Mart. Our transfers with Turinter were fine and the hotel is "to die for". It is gorgeous and the people are wonderful there. We were accommidated with connecting suites, which worked out perfectly, overlooking the pool. The rooms were always cleaned in a timely fashion, although we did not really spend much time in them. We hung out on the beautiful beach every day and the water was gorgeous. There is some coral offshore which acts as a buffer so the water in front of the hotel is relatively calm. There were plenty of restaurants to choose from and the food was okay to great. The suites are huge and there is ample storage space so you can unpack if you choose to. This was our first experience with an All Inclusive and I loved it!! We did bring money to tip, but I just loved that you could eat and drink and never worry about what it cost. We will definatelyl be returning to the Majestic and will be contacting you in the future to arrange it. Your prices and service can't be beat!!

Best regards,

Susan LaVecchia

08/22/2007

08/21/2007

I would like to take the opportunity to express to you how much I have enjoyed doing business with your company. Cliff Correia was absolutely “MAGNIFICENT” and has to be the “Best Travel Agent” I have ever encountered.

My husband and I travel all over the world and we usually do all of our own planning and booking flights and hotels. This year we wanted to try something different and go with an all-inclusive resort. We spent many months researching and planning until we decided on where we wanted to go. Punta Cana became our choice, and fortunately for us I called Vacation Travel Mart and found what I would consider to be the “PERFECT TRAVEL AGENT”. If all of your agent’s are like Cliff, other companies will not hold a candle to the customer satisfaction that you provide.

In my company customer satisfaction is our #1 priority. Unfortunately, when we deal with the public it’s not often that people will take the time to share a good experience or to compliment outstanding performance. On the other hand, we always seem to know when people are not satisfied. Therefore, I am a firm believer anytime I encounter outstanding service by a company or it’s employees, I take the opportunity to express my satisfaction, and insist that person is recognized for a job well done.

Cliff has been so wonderful throughout this entire process. Even when the trip was booked and we were flying home, we ended up held over in Miami for 24 hours due to storms. I called Cliff from the airport and asked him about where to look for hotels and if there were any areas to avoid. (Per his suggestion when we booked our trip, we purchased the travel insurance).

Cliff provided me with some phone numbers and possible areas to look in. He told me to keep him posted on the status of our flight and to call him if we had any problems or needed any further assistance. We ended up staying in South Beach, spent the day on the beach and flew out that evening. Cliff actually took the time to call and check on us to make sure we made it home.

Once home, we called the insurance company and we have our claim submitted. We received a letter from them this week stating that they would need a letter of verification. American Airlines told us they do not provide such things. I called Cliff and have been keeping him cc’d on my emails to the insurance company. He told me that if there is anything your company can do to assist that he would be happy to get his supervisor involved. It has not come to that yet, but he stills checks on me to make sure that things are going along just fine.

I have to say that Cliff has a lifetime customer for as long as wants one. Todd and I have decided that this trip is going to be the first of many, as long as your company can take us there, Vacation Travel Mart will be our first choice. Since the return of our trip the daily work life has taken over. I am in the process of writing some reviews of this trip and the entire experience. I plan to post on several sites. I will be sure to include you on the email once everything is written. So that you can all enjoy reading about one of the best trips ever taken.

Please give Cliff a big pat on the back for us. Where I’m from we say “hug his neck and give him a kiss on the cheek”. Of course I don’t know how all of you would feel about that so pat his back for me and tell him that he’s done a “FANTASTIC” job, and this customer could not be more satisfied!

May your company be blessed with more employees like Mr. Cliff Correia. To have staff that is conscientious and thoughtful is a credit to your company.

Have a wonderful day! Jeanie and Todd Andrews

08/10/2007

I realize that it has been a few months since my vacation, but I wanted to respond to this message after I was cleaning my email's in-box.

The Vacation Travel Mart was an absolute joy to deal with: your staff was friendly, courteous, polite, accurate, and responsive. I did a good deal of research to try to find the best value for my vacation dollar, and your prices could not be beat. Making the reservation was a simple process and the electronic documents I received were accurate and accepted with no problems.

My hotel--the Punta Cana Grand--was a delightful place to spend a week on R&R after finishing out a challenging fiscal year. While I have seen more luxurious properties, I have no doubt that I made the right choice and chose a hotel that offered excellent food, an inviting beach, enjoyable entertainment, and beautiful surroundings--all for a surprisingly affordable price.

My compliments to all, and I look forward to doing business with you again.

Yours,

Michael Zarkin Burke, Virginia

02/12/2007

Mike Foley

02/07/2007

I would like to thank you and especially Maritza for arranging our trip to Cancun. We stayed at the Riu Cancun and the price was unbeatable. Everything was wonderful and above our expectations. The weather wasn't that great but the hotel and fun time spent made up for it. This is our 2nd and definitely not the last booking with vacmart. As a matter of fact I've just contacted Maritza for another booking. She always takes the time to answer all my questions and makes sure to provide us with a vacation tailored to what we are looking for. Please keep up the fabulous work and again thank you for continuing to provide a service that is very hard to come by.

Your friends, Rabab Abdalla, and Alex Lopez

01/22/2007

This time we went to the Catalonia Bavaro and we very pleased with the resort. The beach is absolutely beautiful and the pool area is very nice. Because of its shape, you can find a cozy, secluded spot no matter how many people were there. The food in the buffet was consistently good and the specialty restaurants we visited were also good. The people were very friendly and helpful and the whole atmosphere was laid back and relaxing. We would definitely recommend this resort to others.

We had previously gone to Jack Tar Village at Puerto Plata which was also very nice and which we would also recommend. The other trip was not quite as pleasant. We went to the Santana Beach Resort and we very disappointed with the quality of the water in the bay. It was so polluted when we were there that no one was able to go into the water at all. The pool was fine though, so we spent most of our time there. Unfortunately, the food was rather disappointing. It was very bland and there wasn't much of a variety and the specialty restaurants weren't much better than the buffet. In addition, they apparently don't do any mosquito control on the grounds and everyone was covered with bites. I can see why the current price was is so low. Even at the cut rate prices that are shown now, I wouldn't go back there again. It's really too bad, because the facility itself is lovely and if the bay wasn't so polluted, it would be a great place to swim.

12/20/2006

Royal and Carole Doughty

12/14/2006

12/10/2006

Thank you,

Marshah Lepianka

11/29/2006

10/25/2006

Debbie Scherrer

10/25/2006

I think the package was exactly what I purchased. I was not misled in any of the terms and conditions and also what was included. (that was one of my concerns when I purchased the package) I purchased an all inclusive and got everything I paid for. The hotel was beautiful, exactly what the pictures portrayed. Rooms were spacious and the staff was very friendly.

I was not pleased with the food part of our stay. Although the menu had many options, not all options were available and they often ran out of items. The hotel had two restaurants also included but only one of them was open and you could only go if you had made a reservation. Reservations could only be made at 8am for dinner the same day. I also wasn't pleased with the cleanliness of the utensils. I had soap on my cup and had to ask for a clean fork more than once. I would stay there again but not include food. The pool area was very nice and the activities available were great.

Thanks, Mrs. Castro

10/25/2006

Aris Reynoso

10/05/2006

This was the first time I have done an all inclusive vacation and I must say it was a joy from start to finish. Although it seemed everything was in order, I was concerned that it might be chaotic once we actually began our vacation. This was not the case at all. Everything fell into place beautifully and seamlessly. Thank you so much to your staff for helping to make my trip to the Dominican Republic one to remember!

Best,

Lindsey Craft

10/04/2006

The accommodations were excellent. The room was very clean and spacious. Housekeeping could not have been better. We had fresh flowers in our room every day. Also, the maid made sure the mini-bar was stocked with our choices every day. Linen was changed each day and the room thoroughly cleaned. It was well air-conditioned too. We were impressed with the ecologic technology in each room as well. Each room has a safe in the closet that is very easy to use. Each room has a nice balcony with chairs and one table. We stayed in building 3000 which overlooked the pool and the La Uva restaurant. We loved the location since it was only steps away from the beach too. La Uva serves a great breakfast everyday, so I felt like I was in heaven. We slept until we woke naturally and then had a leisurely walk for breakfast and then off to the beach. The landscaping at the 3 resorts is incredible. Every day you would see them cleaning beds, trimming trees etc. It was immaculate. It looks like a movie set. the beach is incredible. Soft white sand that is like powdered sugar and beautiful Palm Trees line the beach. Great for sunning without getting fried. the water was clean and warm, but still refreshing. We spent almost the whole trip on the beach and in the water. We did go snorkeling on the glass bottom boat. Went on the $30.00 per person tour. Next time we will spend the extra to have the large luxury boat. We did spend some time at the pool, mostly just to chill after being on the beach all day. We meet a lot of guests around the pool. Mostly from France, England and Germany. Americans were in the minority at the resort. But everyone was friendly.

The restaurants had both great service and great food. We actually did not use all of our Ala Cartes, because the buffets had wonderful food and numerous choices. the buffets have at least 15 entrees and scores of side dishes and desserts. Using the buffets, allowed us more leisure time which we certainly enjoyed. The house wines were ok, but we did not expect anything more. Service was always at least 4 star and at most times 5 Star+. there is a 24 hour restaurant too which had burgers, hot dogs, etc. for those night owls that get the munchies.

The resorts have a tram which we used a lot to get from place to place. It runs about every 15 minutes. There are times when it is full and you have to wait, but not really a problem. We did do shopping at all the resort locations. We also walked down the beach to the little market area. Shopped there too. We bought home some art work, natural sugar, cocoa and coffee. Our neighbors are loving us now.

Almost everyone we encountered was friendly and courteous. In the whole week, we only had 2 people who seemed to be bored and did not want to wait on us. Not bad, for the whole week.

Gloria and I had full 1 hour body massages on the beach. What a luxurious experience.

The flight on USA 3000 was uneventful. Food was sufficient and flight smooth. check in Detroit went well, although we were told to get there 3 hours before departure and upon arriving at the terminal, the desk was not even open. No one came in until 1 hour later and then security checkpoint did not open until 30 minutes after that. Having the shuttle to the resort from the airport was great. No need to try to figure out anything. Just go to the site and get in.

We had great fun at the casino too. they only have 3 quarter machines and the rest are nickels. Good way to insure that no one loses too much.

Although everything told us that tips were included, we did tip a lot. Only small amounts $1.00 to $5.00 to show our gratitude. Everyone that we tipped was so gracious and thanked us profusely. I also took a suitcase of school supplies and ladies things( nylons, lipsticks, nail polish etc). Made up small gift bags. I was happy to learn that the school supplies were really needed and that all of the women who we gave things too said that they all could use everything. The service and gratitude that we received far outweighed the few dollars that I spent.

Our next trip, we all plan on taking a suitcase each of school supplies.

The other 2 couples that decided not to go this trip, and already told us that they are going on the next trip. My neighbors are planning on going to the DR on their next vacation as well as my daughter and her husband.

THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR SUGGESTION AND ASSISTANCE. WE CAN NOT THANK YOU ENOUGH.

Ps. I HAVE ATTACHED THE APPLE VACATION INFORMATION THAT WE DISCUSSED. THANKS FOR FULLING OUT THE INFORMATION FOR ME.

Jeanne A. Wyatt

09/18/2006

Karen Gross Chicago, IL

09/18/2006

We really enjoyed our trip. It was a great vacation.

I was really worried that I could not make it to Punta Cana due to Ernesto storm. However, thanks fully to your staff that they were able to move my flight to Puerto Rico, instead of to Miami. Especial thanks to Beth [beth@vacmart.com], who was helping me to book my trip on internet, since this is my first time. She was really informative!

I do however wish, if I can select our seats on the air craft after getting our confirmation number. Our trip back home, we had to seat separately. :(

Thank you, Minh-Tan Tran

09/06/2006

09/05/2006

Thank you for the follow-up email!

Our trip to Dominican Republic was our first experience with DR. It was certainly a memorable one! Turinter's pick up at the airport and from the resort was very prompt and friendly. The resort staff is very welcoming, pleasant, and accommodating. Food in the resort was very good. We didn't want to come back!

Our only complaint was the mosquito bites. It would've been very helpful if Vacation Mart could suggest a list of essentials to pack: bug repellent, plenty of sunscreen (as it costs $25 USD to get a sunscreen that would've been less than $10 in the States), aloe lotion etc. Also, it would be nice if the confirmation PDF file could list the activities the resort provides. We would've been better equipped to fully enjoy our time there.

All in all, it was a very positive experience. Your team did a great job at coordinating the transportation to and from DR, to and from the airport. Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,

Nicole Jiang

08/23/2006