While there aren’t many places Americans can travel to right now out of the country, the beautiful Dominican Republic is open to travelers! And luckily, it is only about a two hour flight for me from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We chose to fly Jet Blue and, rest assured, they do an incredible job with making you feel as safe as possible. The flight attendants are friendly and helpful, masks are enforced as well as social distancing, and they leave the middle seats empty.
Resort Overview:
If you’re looking for pristine beaches with clear water, fun outdoor activities, and all-inclusive luxury resorts, Punta Cana is the place for you! The Royalton Punta Cana Resort & Casino was our home away from home for a few days, and it is one of the top-rated all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic. In fact, it was Conde Nast Traveler’s 2020 Readers’ Choice Award Winner!
When you stay at the Royalton Punta Cana Resort, you can expect “all-in luxury” but what does that exactly entail? Like most all-inclusive resorts, all food and drinks are included in your room rate. To be more specific, at Royalton Punta Cana you can enjoy unlimited reservation-free dining 24/7 (room service too!), along with all drinks which include domestic beer, cocktails, and select international brands. You can also enjoy their fitness center free of charge, along with any non-motorized sports. I was especially happy to discover their “all-in connectivity” which means resort-wide WiFi at Royalton Luxury Resorts for all your devices.
Our experience was upgraded to their Diamond Club level which is a premium benefit at Royalton Luxury Resorts that elevates your experience even more. Some of the perks include exclusive á la carte restaurants, private pool and beach areas, preferred room locations, early check-in and late check-outs, discounts on spa treatments and more! I especially liked their innovative bracelet key cards which gave me easy access to my room and resort purchases. There is also a separate check-in area for Diamond Club guests where your butler escorts you to your room! And if you want to make your experience even more special at Royalton Punta Cana, I’d recommend staying at the Hideaway.
A Resort-Within-a-Resort:
The Hideaway at Royalton Punta Cana is a unique concept: a luxurious all-inclusive adults only resort-within-a-resort. This oasis is perfect for a romantic getaway or for anyone looking for more peace and quiet. You can still enjoy fully access to all amenities at neighboring Royalton Punta Cana Resort and Casino plus the Royalton Splash waterpark, but you also get the perks of a more intimate hotel.
Diamond Club Luxury Room:
Our room at the Hideaway at Royalton Punta Cana was a Diamond Club Luxury Room. Here we enjoyed a view of both the pool and ocean which immediately puts you in vacation mode. The rooms at Hideaway are a more tranquil escape, as opposed to their more family-friendly section. Overall, there are over 300 luxurious rooms and suites offered at Royalton Punta Cana and each of them boast an amazing Royalton Signature DreamBed with high thread count sheets.
For a unique experience, some of the rooms have a swim out option. However, I absolutely loved the view of both the pool and ocean from our balcony!
You can truly get a perfect night’s sleep thanks to their DreamBed which was exclusively designed for Royalton Luxury Resorts. This bed offers exceptional comfort and support with 30{fd1018b708dc11e6d771fa6d5ce8eacdee7a6add7c2315f27e48bc4e47591114} more double tempered pocketed coils than conventional mattresses, along with a patented ‘Solo Split’ system to prevent motion transfer, a 3? high-density foam Euro-top and hypoallergenic mattress cover. They also give you a Pillow Menu option, which is a luxurious amenity that allows you to select your own type of pillow that suits your sleep style.
The bathroom was spacious, like our room, and offered a fabulous overhead rain shower. Some rooms also feature a two-person whirlpool tub filled with a number of jets designed to target areas of the body prone to muscle ache.
Dining Options:
As far as dining options at the Royalton Punta Cana, you are absolutely spoiled with several choices serving a number of different international cuisines. Although there are around a dozen food options, we stuck to only a few during our short visit. Normally, reservations are not required at any of their restaurants so you can be as spontaneous as you wish! But since COVID, reservations are temporarily required at most restaurants.
Several of our daytime meals were actually enjoyed at Dorado Seafood Grill, exclusive to Hideaway guests. As for dinner, we chose Italian and Asian cuisines. Grazie Italian Tratoria offers a wide range of Italian dishes in an open-air design and their food was authentic and comforting. I recommend the delicious chicken parmesan at Grazie!
Zen is another great dinner choice which offers food masterfully prepared hibachi-style, meaning they cook in-front of you; so you can enjoy dinner and a show at Zen!
Resort Amenities:
Relaxation is easy to find at the Royalton Punta Cana. We had the pleasure of enjoying a day bed on the famous shores of Bavaro Beach. This private Hideaway section of the beach was adults only! I could’ve easily spent my whole trip lounging on the beach and enjoying cocktails. The service is impeccable with fresh cold towels, afternoon hors d’oeuvres served poolside, and even massages on the beach if you’re interested.
Speaking of being poolside, there are four pools you can choose from if you’re a Diamond Club and Hideaway guest!
If you need a little break from the sun, take your relaxation indoors at the Royal Spa. Here you can enjoy a beautiful health facility that focuses on internal wellness, offering a hydrotherapy circuit along with a full-range of massage, body, and facial treatments featuring time honored healing practices. From head to toe, treatments at the Royal Spa are designed to take care of the entire body.
For 50 minutes I enjoyed a thermal energy massage which helped me properly recharge after traveling on an airplane for the first time since March! This massage uses radiant heat from warm stones to relieve tension, ease muscle stiffness and increase circulation. The heat promotes deeper muscle relaxation and allows your therapist to reach deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue.
Post-COVID, we look forward to returning to the Dominican Republic and exploring more of Punta Cana. This trip was more focused on enjoying all that the resort offers and simply relaxing. But in terms of activities, the Caribbean Sea is a wonderful place to snorkel and swim alongside exotic marine species. You can even head out on a catamaran excursion for the afternoon and see more of Punta Cana’s natural beauty like the exotic desert Island of Saona. If you’re interested in even more adventure, there’s always zip lining, off-roading, Coco Bongo for famous Caribbean cabaret, a Jurassic World dinosaur park for kids and more!
Conclusion:
Royalton Punta Cana Resort provides a seamless and relaxing escape, where all you have to worry about is which beach or pool you want to enjoy for the afternoon. With multiple restaurants, activities, spacious and comfortable rooms, there is absolutely no need to leave the property. With the combination of the Royalton Punta Cana and Hideaway Resort, this all-inclusive experience is perfect for both families, couples, or any type of traveler!
