I would look at Hilton La Romana, it was completely renovated in 2019 and they built a new water park in 2021. Since you going in July, there is a very good chance of seaweed invading the beaches in the Punta Cana area.

https://www.travelinglifestyle.net/dominican-republic-sargassum-seaweed-in-2024-what-to-know/

Since the Hilton is on the south Caribbean sea side of the island, the water will be calmer, clearer, warmer and there is almost zero chance of seaweed invading the beaches at anytime of the year. The south Caribbean side has the best snorkeling on the island.

Since snorkeling is on your list. Wreckdiversteve is the man to listen too for underwater adventures.

I’ve been to both Dreams Onyx and Hilton La Romana. For me, it’s an easy decision between the two….Hilton La Romana. Nicer resort overall with a better water park and lazy river. There’s a kids club where you can walk by and see how things are going. Seaweed free and calm Caribbean Sea. Private beach…only guests have access. Great staff and coffee shops (adults staying on family side can access adult side) and good pizza around the family pool for quick bite. . Only place that you needed reservations was hibachi. Never needed reservations in the a la cartes and didn’t wait long….but usually dined around 7pm

Lots of people snorkelling and paddle boarding.

It’s also an easy walk on the beach into Bayahibe if you want to venture off the resort.

Hilton La Romana was actually first on my list but I’m worried it’s a really long drive from Punta Cana airport? We would love a resort that we can walk to things outside the resort but Bayahibe looked kinda run down and maybe not the safest with kids?

You could also look at Dreams Royal Beach on Bavaro Beach. Has a new waterpark for kids (and kids club) and it is within walking distance to all the area local establishments (bars, shops, restaurants). Very nice area if looking to go off resort and DRB is very popular with families also. Very nice beach and very close to departure for many half day snorkeling tours at the nearby reef.

Bayahibe is not a bad town, but really not much more than a drop spot for tourists headed out to Saona Island. There are a couple restaurants that are decent and a mix of Dominicans and expats. It is very laid back.

Hilton is a good alternative. The actually driving time is only about 12 minutes more than heading out to Onyx and far less traffic to deal with. Pretty much 4 lanes all the way, with the exception of the last 4 miles miles.

Even in Bayahibe, sargassum can be an issue, if there is a south wind, which is common mid June through October, but seldom a major issue.

Cheers,

PCMike

Hilton La Romana is only about 50 minutes from the Punta Cana airport and is closer than some of the Punta Cana resorts. It is only about a 10 minute walk into the village of Bayahibe, either along the beach or the foot path. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3d/81/8c/3d818c0706060fe38ba07115a2abe065.jpg It is showing as Dreams on the map.

The fishing village of Bayahibe not run down and it is quite safe. We walked into Bayahibe several times and my wife walked into town a couple of times by herself during the daytime.

Bayahibe is more than a drop spot for Saona island, there are some nice restaurants and stores.

https://www.bayahibevillage.com/

senoritav on here stays there for a month twice a year.

We have been to the area 5 times at all different times of the year and have never encountered any seaweed.

Hi, as noted by Wreckdiversteve, the Hilton is about a 50 minute ride from PUJ along the highway (Dreams Onyx was about 40 minutes if memory serves me).

Bayahibe,as noted, is a fishing village with about 6000 people (local residents and those who chose to make it their home away from home). It is nowhere near as big or as touristy as PC and that’s one of the reasons I like it there and the other main reason, is the sea. I spent a little over a month there and had zero seaweed (other than on my visits to PC.). On all my visits to PC, seaweed was an issue but never had an issue in Bayahibe (nor family and friends who visited). By no means am I saying it doesn’t happen, but relatively speaking, it doesn’t come close to the seaweed in PC.

As for it being “rundown’, it’s like a lot of smaller places I’ve seen in the Caribbean. To me, it was a great experience in a place that is nothing like life in North America. I loved the happily coloured homes, music on the streets at all times of day and the generosity of the people who offered me lunch one Sunday on Bayahibe public beach. It’s not perfect but perfect for me.

I would never try to convince someone a place is safe. I spent a day in Madrid and had my wallet stolen in a coffee shop in broad daylight but spent several weeks in Bayahibe, used common sense and was fine. You do need to watch for cars/mopeds/bikes like anywhere. At the end of the day, if you are hesitating, it’s likely best not to leave the resort.