Winter sun in the Dominican Republic
We flew direct from London Gatwick with British Airways into Punta Cana which had a flying time of approx 8 1/2 hrs, we enjoyed having a short transfer on arrival of around 25 mins. A warm welcome, cool drink and we were taken to our "Romantic Suite" situated in a separate building, courtyard style, a short distance to the reception and facilities. If allocated in a building a little further away then there is regular, on demand, golf buggies transporting guests around the resort. Our suite had a pool view, and the gardens surrounded all the rooms were immaculate and well-tended. Our suite was huge and had a four-poster bed (with TV), massive jacuzzi bath (in the room), bathroom with large walk-in shower, and double washbasins. A lounge area with another TV and ample storage. A safe, mini bar, coffee maker, steamer (for clothes). Each building has their own butler service who can make restaurant reservations and is on hand to assist with anything you may need. They also have pools with beds and bar, and we found this area to be quieter than the main pool (nice background music) and plenty of space. The "main" pool had more of the activities and did appear busier and there was also another pool option to choose from.
The TRS Turquesa is part of the Grand Palladium group which has four hotels on the resort, The adult only TRS and then the Grand Palladium Palace, Punta Cana and Bavaro Suites. The TRS facilities are only available to guests of that hotel, plus you can use any of the options at the other hotels. We tended to have breakfast at Caprichos (TRS) and lunch at Helios (TRS) which was a mixture of buffet or a la carte. Our butler made the dinner reservations for us at a different restaurant for each night of out stay (7 nights) which included Italian, Indian and Mexican situated throughout the resort, either hopping on a buggy or enjoying a walk. There is also a theatre and pub on the resort, with plenty of bars and entertainment areas. We particularly enjoyed the lobby bar of the TRS for a G & T (premium) to watch the world go by or enjoy some music. I also "dragged" my husband to the silent disco one night, which was fun. There is also a host of daytime events to join in or pass on, it is up to you + an extensive sports centre. We managed to drag ourselves to the mini golf! A water sports centre on the beach had a host of options (at extra charge).
The beach has lovely white sand, but unfortunately, they do have an issue with seaweed. The resort is trying to manage this by taking the seaweed away from the beach regularly. It did not bother us at all, but just so you are aware.
If you are looking for a good value "Latin feel" Caribbean resort then I would recommend the TRS Turquesa if adult only, with lots of facilities on hand and choice of entertainment and eating, shopping and things to do, if you want them. If travelling with children or on a slightly lower budget, then any of the other hotel options on the resort would also work.
Our direct flight back from Punta Cana was around 7 1/2 hours, back to the chill of the UK in November!