Resort Review: Be Live Collection Marien

It is about time I do another one of these hotel/resort reviews. I recently came back from my vacation in the Dominican Republic and stayed at the Be Live Collection Marien, which is a 5-star resort in the Costa Dorada area of Puerto Plata. Here is the review:

Check-In

Because there were a lot of us (around 40 people) coming in at once, the check-in process was a bit slow with a lot of waiting. While we were waiting, staff would bring us welcome drinks, which was nice and made the check-in experience a bit more bearable. After we were done, the bellhops handled our luggage and we took a golf cart to our rooms.

Rating: 6.5/10

Rooms

The room was quite big and spacious, which was a surprise for me. The beds were okay to sleep on, as well. The room came with standard amenities such as a TV, phone, iron, bottle opener, and a coffee machine. In addition, regularly stocked water, soft drinks, and beer were inside our mini fridge. There was also a safe in the closet, but you had to pay to use it, which was disappointing. All rooms had an air conditioner, which was great, but there was always a lot of moisture in the air, which created condensation and made everything a bit wet, including the bed sheets. Some guests had to change the bed sheets because of it.

Rating: 6.5/10

Random Note: There was no bible in the nightstand drawer, which I thought was weird.

Bathroom

Bathroom was also quite spacious along with the standard sink, shower, and toilet. Turning on the shower was a pain, and I needed help from the staff for trying to get the water to come from the showerhead. When it did, there was hardly any water pressure, and the water would randomly fluctuate between hot and cold constantly. Room service would constantly forget to exchange used towels for new towels in the bathroom.

Rating: 5.5/10

Food

Note: I am a vegetarian. My review of the food may not reflect those who are not vegetarians.

There are three places to get food at this resort. The main place to get food was the large dining room, which was a buffet-style restaurant that served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is a wide range of food for people of all dietary needs to enjoy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food was not terrible, but it was not outstanding either. It was simply edible, nothing more.

In addition, there is a snack bar that serves fast-food grub on the times when the main buffet restaurant is closed. It is also the late-night spot to get food as well. The food tastes the same as the buffet restaurant. The good thing is that there is also a drinks bar as well, where you can get drinks well into the night. There is also a TV so you can watch soccer and baseball games there as well.

The other place to get food is to book a reservation to one of the three "a la carte" restaurants (Mexican, Brazilian, and Mediterranean). I went to the Mediterranean restaurant and it was marginally better than the food in the buffet/snack bar. It was the best food I had in the resort, but that is not saying much. To get the best food in the Dominican Republic, you need to travel outside the resort.

One more thing to mention. In the buffet and the snack bar, there are birds that fly around the tables where people are eating. I cannot confirm that they would pick at the food, but be careful.

Ratings:

Main Buffet, Snack Bar: 5/10

A la carte: 6/10

Shops/Vendors

There are some duty free shops on the resort, as well as some other shops, which sell souvenirs and other things for your stay. You will always get better deals outside the resort for souvenirs, as the things on the resort are a bit expensive.

Beach

The beach was nice and big. Staff would clean the beach every morning of trash and seaweed from the water. There are volleyball and soccer nets on the beach premises where people can play volleyball and soccer. There are many cabanas and beach chairs where guests can soak up the sun or get some shade. The water itself was a bit rough, as the undercurrent kept pulling me away from the shore. It would have been nice if there was a bar on the beach premises, but since all beaches are considered public in the Dominican Republic, that would not have been possible.

Rating: 7/10

Pool

There is one big pool at the center of the resort where a lot of the entertainment would take place. There are basketball nets, water polo nets, and a volleyball net in the pool, so you can play a number of sports in the water. There is no swim-up bar, but there is a pool bar on the premises where you can get your drinks and enter the pool with them. The pool was undoubtedly the best thing about the resort.

Rating: 7.5/10

Entertainment

There are theater shows that occur a few times a week after dinner at the theater next to the buffet restaurant. I did not watch a whole lot of the shows, but they seemed okay. The African show was entertaining; everything else ranged from okay to mediocre.

There are also some competitions that happen at the pool. Such events include mini golf, darts, and ping-pong. The staff try their best to energize the guests for the events, but I still thought it was a bit boring. I was bored of all the entertainment by the fourth day staying in the resort.

Rating: 3.5/10

Nightlife

There is a small disco in the lobby that mostly plays Spanish music. It starts playing around 9 pm and continues until 1 am. The good thing about the disco room is that the room is air conditioned, so that you do not sweat a lot while you dance. There is a bar in the room for drinks, as well as an outdoor patio if you need some fresh air. I wish there was more variety in the music, as all they really played was Spanish music. They played a little bit of hip-hop and reggae, but those tracks were rare.

Rating: 6/10

Note: There is a casino and another club just outside the resort that plays both Spanish and English music that caters to both locals and guests. Just remember to be careful when venturing outside the resort. Going with a big group helps with safety.

Internet

You are allowed 1 hour of free WiFi a day, and the WiFi is very slow. If you can handle going days without connecting to the internet, then it is best that you do so. If you really need to connect, then be prepared for major slowdowns.

Rating: 4/10

Activities Center

There are a couple of pool, ping-pong, and foosball tables just outside the pool. The pool table was missing pool balls and the cues were cracked. The ping-pong and foosball tables were okay though.

Rating: 5/10

Other Notes

- There is a gym on the resort. It looked clean and nice when I looked inside.

- There is a tennis court on the resort as well. It looked poorly maintained.

- There is a spa on the premises. You have to pay to use it, but from what I have heard, the services and experience is very relaxing. If you have some money left over before you leave, I would look into getting a massage. Apparently, you can also request a receipt and submit a claim to your insurance provider.

- Locals stay at the resort on the weekend, which can be a bit overwhelming and can make the resort a bit packed. I would recommend booking an excursion on the Friday or Saturday if you do not like the busyness of the resort on the weekend.

- Vendors would sometimes set up booths and desks full of souvenirs just outside the main buffet restaurant. They are very aggressive, so if you are not looking for souvenirs, it is best to just avoid the area altogether. There are also people walking around selling time-shares as well (unless you like talking to them).

Final Verdict

The Be Live Collection Marien has a nice beach and pool, and the rooms are not too bad, but you get bored of things to do inside the resort very quickly. The entertainment is lackluster. The locals that come here on the weekend, as well as the vendors make the experience a bit uncomfortable. I would not recommend this resort, as I believe there are better resort options in the Puerto Plata area. The only scenario where you may consider going here is if you are booking many excursions, so you can limit your time inside the resort.

Final Rating: 5/10

Toronto FC 0-1 Montreal Impact: Welcome to the Circus

Note: I am breaking my hiatus from this blog to talk about the Toronto FC vs Montreal Impact match that happened yesterday. I need to address some important things.

Even though I was taking a break from supporting Toronto FC this year, I felt like I should be at the match against the Montreal Impact, simply because it was a high-profile match. Therefore, that was my plan last Saturday night. I experienced the match inside the stadium and I am ready to give my thoughts on the overall experience.

First, the pre-match tifo was fantastic. Big credit to all the supporters groups for creating the most visually appealing tifo I have ever seen at BMO Field. It was also ironically funny that TFC supporters embraced the "circus" label that Montreal fans always give them. 

Now, the match. It may have been TFC's fun house, but it was the Impact that escaped the fun house with a 1-0 victory, giving them their first ever victory against TFC at BMO Field. The Impact were disciplined and hard to break down, even when they were down a man before halftime. They only really attacked when they were on the counter, and it proved to be successful when Piatti scored. TFC's offensive play was predictable. All they did was switch the ball to the wing and then crossed the ball into the 18-yard box, which the Impact back-line dealt with ease. TFC also did not test the Impact keeper with many shots. They passed when they should have shot the ball and tested the keeper. I cannot think of any TFC player that played a good game, while the Impact put in a great team performance. This match also highlights that Greg Vanney and TFC struggle to break down teams that play a defensive style of football, no matter what advantage they have. There will be fans and journalists that will say that there is nothing to worry about and that TFC are still first in the Eastern Conference. However, this is an issue that Greg Vanney and the TFC coaching staff will need to fix if they want any shot at winning any playoff matches this season.

I have noticed a lot of Twitter chatter surrounding a certain two-stick banner in the south end of BMO Field. Here it is:

.@torontofc A big banner of a woman on her knees implying fellatio and the phrase "Montreal you suck" is a disgrace. pic.twitter.com/KuXDbEbhi9

— blackbetty07 (@blackbetty07) August 28, 2016

If the image did not look clear to you, it is a woman wearing blue, representing Montreal, "going down" on a man wearing red, representing a TFC supporter, while the banner reads "Montreal Vous Sucez". There are some people, particularly women, who were offended of the portrayal of a woman in that way. That is perfectly valid and it is something I agree with. I understand the hatred that TFC fans have for Montreal and vice-versa, but the person or people who made that banner could have easily expressed that hatred in a better way than a woman going down on a man. In a way, that banner was tasteless, unnecessary, and (dare I say) threatening to women who regularly go to TFC matches. However, if two sets of fans hate each other, and want to express that hate to each other, you simply can't expect them to be politically correct at the same time. In Chris Rock's comedy special "Kill the Messenger", If Chris Rock's car was hit by another car driven by a one-legged man, he'll talk about the leg (better hope he has some two-legged insurance).

Toronto vs. Montreal is a high-profile rivalry, and I expected people to be rowdier than usual, but I noticed a large amount of people who were ridiculously drunk and wanting to start fights with others who simply wanted to watch the match. Where I was in the north patio, there was an altercation behind us between a young, drunk man, and an older man. The larger man, evidently annoyed at his conduct, punched him. Other fans separated the two men. BMO Field security showed up quite late in the first half and took away the two men, and Toronto police arrested the one who threw the punch. From what I have heard, there were a number of incidents similar to what I have experienced in and around BMO Field, with lackluster responses from BMO Field security. Add in the fact that security shepherded thousands of fans through one gate in the north end (creating a safety hazard), and it was evident that security really dropped the ball in creating a safe atmosphere for the fans.

Hey @BMOField why are you funneling about 8000 people through a 15 ft wide gate? pic.twitter.com/pTilRYa3vq

— Steve Billinton (@SchteveTown) August 28, 2016

For the TFC matches I went to these past two years, there has been a large increase in casual spectators, and with that, a large amount of "bros" who go to TFC matches who simply want to drink alcohol, start trouble with others, and have no interest in the team itself. I have been noticing more trouble at the TFC matches I have been to, and this is not something TFC should be okay with (obviously, this is only my opinion, and it will differ from others). Sadly, I do not think TFC and MLSE will do anything about it because they buy the stadium beer and contribute to TFC’s profits. TFC are developing a reputation similar to going to Jays games when they used to have the $2 Tuesday tickets in the 500-level, where you would see a lot of fighting there as well. In a perfect world, actual supporters are the ones who fill the stands, but TFC and MLSE need to fill seats by marketing heavily to casual/fair-weather fans and people who simply want to drink alcohol, because that is where the money is. They are the ones who will buy the merchandise, buy concessions, and buy alcohol. 

I found it ironic that TFC supporters groups created a tifo labeling BMO Field as a circus, because that is exactly what BMO Field is now! It has become more of a sponsorship showcase than a stadium where a match takes place. The main attractions of this circus are Giovinco, Bradley, and Altidore, and now you have an influx of people who go to matches to experience the TFC atmosphere, but refuse to contribute to it. I have been having a growing disconnect with Toronto FC, and this is only one of the reasons why this is happening with me.

Overall, I had an okay time, but by going to the match, I realized why I keep telling myself I should not be going to the match anymore. However, I still do it, so what does that say about me?

The UpNextAjax Program

I had the honour of being a participant of a wonderful youth initiative that took place over a three-week period over the summer. The Town of Ajax created the "UpNextAjax" program as a way to help improve participants chances of landing a job or starting their own business by training them in digital marketing and offering real-world experience to use these skills with small business owners. This program came as perfect timing for me, as I was resigning from my current job and beginning a new one after the program ended, so this program kept me busy during my transition.

Youth unemployment is a serious and chronic issue in Ontario, and it is particularly bad in the Durham Region. For example, the youth unemployment rate in the Oshawa CMA is around 20%, which is higher than the national rate. I can imagine the youth unemployment rate for Pickering and Ajax to be a similar number to Oshawa. In my opinion, the federal and provincial governments do not do enough to reduce youth unemployment in the province, but to see a municipal government like The Town of Ajax attempt to take this problem head-on is refreshing to see. Not only do The Town of Ajax want to reduce youth unemployment, but also by collaborating these young professionals with small business owners, they have a desire to make Ajax an attractive place to work and to keep jobs in the area. Personally, I would rather work here in Ajax than drive or take public transit to Toronto, as The Town of Ajax is a great community to live and work in. The UpNextAjax program has reaffirmed that in me.

Every day in the three-week program consists of a presentation in the morning by an industry professional/small business owner or a group, and the afternoon consists of a technical session where we would learn how to use social media for businesses. We would then have time to work with our businesses to create and post content on their social media platforms to maximize reach and engagements. The morning presentations consisted of everything it takes to market yourself to potential employers, from writing a good resume and how to network to something like how to dress properly for an interview. All of the morning presentations were informative, and I always found myself learning something different every day that I can use in my future career. All of the presenters were memorable in their own way, and the stories and insights that they have provided were interesting.

I gained valuable experience in digital marketing, through the afternoon technical sessions where we would learn how to use social media for business use, and from actually working with our assigned businesses to apply what we have learned. The businesses that I have worked with were very excited to work with me, and they understood the fact that I was learning the aspects of digital marketing myself. These businesses presented unique challenges, which had me thinking of different ideas for each business in order to market themselves. I did not expect to make miracles, but as long as I could make a positive impact, by getting more likes and engagements and extending the reach of the business, then I am happy.

I was also happy to meet many other young professionals that were just like me. They all came from different backgrounds and I could sense that they all had their own personal motivations as to what they wanted out of this program. From talking to many of these young professionals, it was fascinating to hear their stories about what motivated them to sign up for this program and what they hoped to get out of it, from gaining new skills to find a job, to growing their professional network.

Overall, I am glad I signed up for the UpNextAjax program. I could have remained at home and kept my free time between my jobs, but I wanted to further my personal and professional development, as well as to continue to build my professional network. The wonderful thing about all of this is that I can use the digital marketing skills I learned here in my new job where I can be a more valued employee. I have met so many great, motivated people here, and I hope this program was an asset to them as it was to me. I also hope that they can take what they learned here and apply it to their future careers, instead of putting this knowledge in the basement of their brain. The Town of Ajax should continue this program for years to come, so that other young professionals can absorb things that they can use in their careers. This experience is something I will never forget.

The 2015 Gold Cup Matches in Toronto

I went out to BMO Field to watch a couple of Gold Cup Group B matches, which were Jamaica vs El Salvador and Canada vs Costa Rica. As someone who regularly goes to Toronto FC (and some Canada) matches, this would serve to be a rather unique experience for me, especially watching the Jamaica/El Salvador match, where I was a neutral.

It was a poor start to my evening, as I missed my train to the stadium and showed up in the 20th minute of the Jamaica/El Salvador match. The first thing I noticed was the amount of El Salvador supporters in the stadium. They vastly outnumbered the Jamaica supporters and they made a lot more noise. The stadium attendance itself was a bit sparse, but the El Salvador supporters made sure that they made their voices heard. I got the feeling that making noise came naturally to the El Salvador supporters, and they made more noise than Toronto FC supporters did on some TFC match days.

The match itself was decently entertaining despite the fact that it was low scoring. Both teams had their chances, but El Salvador were the more aggressive side, as they needed to get a result to have a chance of advancing to the next round, and they were also spurred on by the boisterous support. The overwhelming El Salvador support also affected the referee, as he made a number of calls in their team’s favour. It was a heated affair, as both sides looked like they would come to blows on multiple occasions throughout the match. Despite Jamaica being down a man due to the referee sending off Darren Mattocks and El Salvador applying pressure on Jamaica's back line, they managed to get a late winner and win the match 1-0. With El Salvador having all that pressure, they seemed more intent on passing the ball among themselves instead of getting shots on goal and testing the keeper. 

With Jamaica winning the group, the attention turned to Canada and Costa Rica. Canada had to win in order to advance. As the south end Canada supporters sections started to fill up and supporters started to make more noise, the rain came crashing down, which only made the Canadian supporters louder and more fervent. When the rain came down before the teams came out, it felt like I was in a pool of hungry piranhas.

Canada actually did not play too badly against Costa Rica. They were solid at the back, but they lacked the final product on offense, which were two major story lines of Canada's Gold Cup campaign. Costa Rica did not play like the team that made the 2014 World Cup quarterfinals, and it was an opportunity Canada wasted when the match ended scoreless. A Canada goal ruled offside and a shot cleared off the Costa Rica goal line only contributed to the visible anguish of the Canadian supporters. Many people point the blame of Canada failing to advance at Benito Floro, and I think that is fair. He felt more content to play for the draw instead of going for the win, especially for this match, and it reflected his game management and substitutions (putting in Andre Hainault, a defender, for example). On the other hand, Canada was missing a number of regular starters, and I think Floro's priority lies in progressing in the World Cup qualifiers, rather than the Gold Cup. Floro’s tactics raises some concern, but I would hold off on pulling the trigger and firing him.

Speaking of the Canada supporters, I think it was the loudest I have ever heard the Canadian supporters at BMO Field, in which the periodic, pounding rain and the Canadian team's "must win" situation contributed to it. I always thought going to Canadian national team matches produced a much stronger atmosphere than going to Toronto FC matches, and this match reinforced that thought, even though the attendances are much smaller. That night was something special, because everyone in the sections came together to create unified support. One particular moment from the supporters section came before halftime, where someone decided to let off a smoke bomb in our section. Personally, I have nothing against smoke bombs, even though it is against the rules, but it ended up being more of a nuisance than anything else. I was not able to watch the rest of the half because of it!

Overall, it was a unique and interesting night to go watch some football on a Tuesday, from El Salvador supporters fighting among themselves, to the smoke bomb incident in the Canada supporters section. I hope that there are more events like this in the future, because I had a lot of fun.

Around the Stands: Toronto FC 1-2 Houston Dynamo

It was finally that time when I could put my season ticket to use for the first time this year. Toronto FC were back home for their 2015 home opener against the Houston Dynamo. I'm not really going to talk about the result and the match itself, because there are hundreds of people who have already done that and who can do a better job at it than I can. What I am going to talk about is my personal experience on that day, from the pre-game festivities to the new additions at BMO Field. I can definitely tell you that it was an interesting experience.

I was at the pre-game fan event at the Brazen Head, which was a little bit lame, if I'm being honest. Before their "pep rally", I was up in the patio having a large pint, when Cabbie came up to the patio and told everyone of the rally that was going down at 3:00 PM. He was clowning our group on the fact that no one (besides me) was wearing any TFC gear, so I thought that was a pretty cool moment. We go downstairs to the rally, and Cabbie and the new TFC girl (whose name escapes me) were hosting the event. I noticed that the crowd was a little bit relaxed, in the sense that I felt that most of the fans were more casual supporters, rather than hardcore supporters. This observation I had was reinforced when the new TFC girl had to go over how to sing "O When The Reds" with the crowd, and on top of that, the actual chanting at the event was sporadic at best.

Tim Bezbatchenko was there, said some things to the crowd, and then proceeded to chug a beer, to the delight of the crowd. Tim Leiweke also said some things to the crowd, and he boldly claimed that TFC will make "the p-word" (his words, not mine). I'm not sure why he wouldn't actually say the word "playoffs" in the first place. It was all nothing but hot air from the club's top brass, which is what they do best. The marching band starts up, a homeless guy dances in front of us, and we all start marching to the stadium. The lack of chanting continues, and anyone who tries to start one is drowned out by the drumming of the marching band.

We come out of the tunnels at Exhibition Station and in front of us was this gargantuan, imposing structure which was the new BMO Field east stand, It looked much bigger in person, and once the roof gets put on the stands, BMO Field can finally look something like a proper stadium. We get in the stadium, and as usual, we get bombarded with the imagery of all of TFC's sponsors, because corporatism is the message. The stadium looked great, although there was still some construction happening around the stadium. My seat was at the top of the upper deck of the new stand, and even though it offered a great birds-eye view of the pitch, the amount of stairs I had to take to get up there was brutal. Now, I'm not the most athletic guy out there, but I felt like I had run a marathon just to get up to my seat.

I decide to stand behind section 112 for the duration of the match. Toronto FC overloaded on the fireworks before the players came out of the tunnel, which I thought was a bit unnecessary, but they have to sell the experience, of course. The pre-game tifos looked nice, though. The match started, and sections 111/112 and 114 were bringing the chanting and singing, while section 113 looked like a wasteland, as only a few people from that section were actually taking part in the chants. The atmosphere from the supporters section was okay, but it really could have been a lot better. Obviously, the support was harmed by the fact that TFC were losing, but I felt that there could have been better communication between 112 and 114. This wasn't helped with the fact that 113 doesn't really join in the chanting. If TFC's vision was to have a united south end all singing the same song, so far, they are failing. The support is too fractured right now, with all these different supporters groups.

I had a good time, as I always do, but TFC's loss hurt a bit. Houston played very well, Michael Bradley was awful, and TFC couldn't push the tempo. It felt like the same old tune we have been hearing for the past 9 years. It was just disappointing to watch, and TFC have really seemed to go all in on how the club is branded, especially since Defoe came to TFC. The entire organization needs to know when to just shut up and try to string some wins together. Until that happens, TFC's marketing strategy feels like it is just being shoved down our throats.

So, that was my experience at the new BMO Field. I hope to put up some video soon.

UPDATE: I took some video of my experience. Watch it down below.