More than just an all-inclusive package destination
If, like me, the moment someone mentions Dominican Republic you instantly think of all-inclusive package holidays and Brits abroad - think again! Dominican Republic has so much more to offer than I had ever imagined.
Our trip started off with a night at Casa De Campo, this property is huge! 7000 acres of resort, villas, restaurants, shops, marina and even a cinema. A member of the Leading Hotels of the World group, this hotel did not disappoint. Every room in the hotel is provided a resort map and its very own motorized golf buggy parked outside the room to get around.
Within the property the activities are endless and include horseback riding, tennis, shooting, kayaking and wold class golfing (just to name a few). Dining on the beach at their newly built beach club restaurant was sensational. With the sound of the waves in the background the feeling you get in the restaurant is perfect, with a brilliant menu to match.
The next morning, we travelled out to Puerto Plata in the north. Although a reasonably long journey by road (easily accessible by plane also), it was well worth the trip. Puerto Plata is very laid back, relaxed and provides hotels and resorts for all budgets. We were extremely lucky and were able to stay at Casa Colonial Beach & Spa and again, we were not disappointed.
Casa Colonial is the perfect representation of what it means to be a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. From the beautiful scents the moment you walk in the front door to the spacious and well-appointed rooms and suites -this place has it all for that perfect, romantic trip away.
This boutique hotel resort is located along a beautiful stretch of sandy beach and with so few rooms in the hotel it truly felt like we had the beach all to ourselves. If a pool is more appealing, the rooftop infinity pool and jacuzzi tubs all serviced by a fantastic pool cocktail bar overlooking the ocean is a must.
From Puerto Plata to Samana we went, this time checking into the Sublime Samana Hotel & Residences. Another of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Sublime is truly something different. It’s the perfect location to truly escape and be alone while not being all that far away from the nearest town, restaurants and nightlife.
This all suite property has 1 and 2-bedroom suites as well as 2 and 3-bedroom casitas. All beautifully decorated and well equipped with everything you could possibly need. All the rooms surround the large resort pools as well as being located only a few steps from the beach.
A short drive from the Sublime Hotel is the town of Las Terrenas. With restaurants and bars galore, you can definitely have a fantastic meal and a great night (and continue on until early hours the next morning).
The capital city, Santo Domingo, was our next stop on our whirlwind tour our Dominican Republic and into a couple of amazing hotels. Located in the centre of the colonial zone is Hotel Billini, I loved this hotel for its mix of modern décor and old-world charm with internal courtyards and lovely rooftop bar and pool.
Every destination I travel to I am always on the lookout for that standout property, the one I cannot fault, with impeccable service and striving to be perfect in every way. In Dominican Republic, it was the Casas Del XVI. This property is so much more than a hotel. Made up of a collection of 16th Century houses within the colonial District, Casas Del XVI has a truly authentic look and feel about it.
Either booked as a single room within the ‘houses’ or as an entire house, Casas Del XVI has everything you would look for in a luxury getaway including on call butlers, maids, private chefs etc. The list goes on. From professional cooking classes and private pools to downtime in the house reading rooms and lounges there is always something to do or the perfect little nook to hideaway from everyone and everything. This place is perfectly suited to the most discerning traveller as well as those looking for that something extra special.
For the final part of our trip we made our way to Punta Cana, visiting several different resorts in the area including the Hard Rock Hotel, Now Larimar and Secrets Royal Beach.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana is an all-inclusive resort and the largest in the area with nine different specialty restaurants and 23 bars you are never too far away from a bite to eat or a cocktail.
Every room in the resort is huge and almost all feature a hydro spa tub. Although the largest resort in the area, Hard Rock is very well spread out and includes a lot of activities, pools, beach club, Las Vegas style casino and nightly entertainment. So even at almost full occupancy, it doesn’t feel like you are in with the masses.
In contrast to the huge Hard Rock Resort, we also spent time at AM Resorts’ three properties, the Now Larimar, Now Garden and Secrets Royal Beach.
All the AM Resorts are all inclusive resorts and are built next to each other. However, they are all very different. Both Now resorts share their restaurant and entertainment areas and are perfectly suited to families, couples, groups etc whereas Secrets Royal Beach is an Adults Only property and features more intimate dining options.
I am a huge fan of the AM Resorts’ all-inclusive offerings as they are so different to many other similar options. There are no limitations to the number of times you can dine in any of their a-la-carte restaurants, no restrictions to the drinks and cocktails you can order at the bar and best of all… no wristbands!
With ample sun loungers, beautiful beaches and endless food and drink options there is no reason not to love these resorts and with three different resorts in Punta Cana there is one for all ages and budgets.
Although I did find myself in some all-inclusive resorts in Dominican Republic, it was amazing to see that there are all kinds of other options as well and there is far more to do in this country than initially expected as being just a ‘fly and flop’ destination. Plus, the resorts we visited that were all inclusive, they were not the rowdy all you can drink resorts we see on tv, these had class, sophistication and amazing service to match.
When I have been on these kinds of trips I always get asked If I would go back. In short, yes, I definitely would!