Melia Caribe Tropical Punta Cana The beach is stunning. It's about the only thing that'll pull you away from the all-suites resort, which offers Royal Service suite upgrades if you want butler service. Visit the Melia Caribe Tropical Punta Cana website. | Melia Caribe Tropical Punta Cana
ByIslands StaffMay 9, 2014
Punta Cana is a top Caribbean vacation destination in the Dominican Republic for families, spring breakers and honeymooners, with an amazing choice of all-inclusives, beach resorts and hotels. Here are our favorite places to stay on any budget — with spectacular photos to inspire your next Punta Cana vacation.
Melia Caribe Tropical Punta Cana On Playa Bavaro, this all-inclusive resort has the beach, of course. What you can't see in this photo is one of the most family-friendly amenities: the Flintstones. Your kids could have a Yabba Dabba Doo surprise. Visit the Melia Caribe Tropical Punta Cana website. | Melia Caribe Tropical Punta CanaParadisus Palma Real Everything about this all-inclusive is special. Go beyond the usual all-inclusive offerings with salsa and merengue lessons, wine tastings, painting classes and more at this luxury getaway. Visit the Paradisus Palma Real website. | Paradisus Palma RealIberostar Punta Cana This is one of the best pools we've seen, an "I want to be there right now" place. The fact that this is an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic is just a bonus. Visit the Iberostar Punta Cana website. | Iberostar Punta CanaParadisus Palma Real This is one of the most sophisticated all-inclusives you'll see in Punta Cana or anywhere, with the ultimate in elegance. And yet, there's still a Kids Zone. Visit the Paradisus Palma Real website. | Paradisus Palma RealIberostar Punta Cana The Iberostar can be as active or as quiet as you want it to be, whether you want to have activities for the kids, sports for you, dancing for all night — or just retreat to a quiet corner of your own. Visit the Iberostar Punta Cana website. | Zach StovallParadisus Palma Real The main pool is complemented with seven whirlpools. And tucked throughout are Bali daybeds — as if you weren't relaxed enough already. Visit the Paradisus Palma Real website. | Paradisus Palma RealIberostar Punta Cana On a great stretch of Dominican Republic beach, Playa Bavaro, the 427-room all-inclusive luxury family resort has all you could want in a vacation. Visit the Iberostar Punta Cana website. | Iberostar Punta CanaSecrets Royal Beach We love Punta Cana because of all the resort choices. If you want an adults-only romantic getaway set on the perfect Playa Bavaro, then this is the place. Visit the Secrets Royal Beach website. | Secrets Royal BeachHard Rock Hotel and Resort Punta Cana The Rock Spa is just one of the high-end amenities here, besides the nine restaurants and seven bars. Visit the Hard Rock Hotel and Resort Punta Cana website. | Hard Rock HotelSecrets Royal Beach The restaurants and bar are just steps away from your beach getaway at Secrets. Visit the Secrets Royal Beach website. | Secrets Royal BeachHard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana Escape the buzz of the Hard Rock for the tranquility of Macao Beach just outside, a classically perfect Dominican Republic beach. Visit the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana website. | Hard Rock Hotel Punta CanaSivory Punta Cana Balancing the big all-inclusive resorts on this popular stretch of the Dominican Republic is this boutique getaway, with only 55 suites and an attentive staff. Visit the Sivory Punta Cana website. | Sivory Punta CanaHard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana For Hard Rock's first all-inclusive resort, this is a truly remarkable place. Stocked with music memorabilia, styled like nowhere else, a stay here is a must. Visit the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana website. | Hard Rock Hotel Punta CanaSivory Punta Cana The beach is right there for guests, and the Sivory has the amenities of larger all-inclusives, including three restaurants and a wine cellar boasting more than 8,000 bottles. Visit the Sivory Punta Cana website. | Sivory Punta CanaExcellence Punta Cana Two swimming pools, outdoor Jacuzzis, poolside and beachside bars, 24-hour room service — this really is the life. Visit the Excellence Punta Cana website. | Excellence Punta CanaSivory Punta Cana Room service 24 hours a day, valets meeting your needs on the beach — the Sivory has thought of everything. Visit the Sivory Punta Cana website. | Sivory Punta CanaExcellence Punta Cana Wherever you look at the adults-only Excellence, you see the beauty of the Caribbean worked into the very design of the resort for an open feel. Visit the Excellence Punta Cana website. | Excellence Punta CanaTortuga Bay This isn't an "all" inclusive — only breakfast is included. But within the beautifully sprawling Puntacana Resort & Club, Tortuga Bay is as relaxing as any full all-inclusive. A private beach and vacation villas designed by Oscar de la Renta? In Punta Cana? That's all we have to say for most people to start booking a vacation here. Visit the Tortuga Bay website. | Tortuga BayExcellence Punta Cana This luxury all-inclusive is an adults-only property just 35 miles from Punta Cana International Airport, so it's perfect for a quick romantic getaway. | Excellence Punta CanaTortuga Bay This Punta Cana favorite launched the Dominican Republic's first-ever Oscar de la Renta boutique, featuring exclusive offerings in his esteemed resort collection and a new clothing line for kids. Visit the Tortuga Bay website. | Tortuga BayExcellence Punta Cana This Dominican Republic all-inclusive has a classic colonial feel alongside the best that the Caribbean offers: perfect beach, cool pool. Visit the Excellence Punta Cana website. | Excellence Punta CanaTortuga Bay Yes, this beach is reserved for Tortuga Bay guests. Enjoy. Visit the Tortuga Bay website. | Tortuga BayClub Med Punta Cana Ah, to lay out by the Club Med pool all day as the Dominican Republic breezes tickle your toes. That relaxation is included in the all-inclusive Club Med price. Visit the Club Med Punta Cana website. | Zach StovallTortuga Bay It can be very difficult to pull yourself away from these spectacular villas. Yet you do have access to a Six Senses spa, golf course, high-end restaurant and much more. Visit the Tortuga Bay website. | Tortuga BayClub Med Punta Cana As a pioneer in all-inclusive vacations, Club Med has thought of everything in the amenities at its Punta Cana resort, including the Cielo bar. As Islands travel expert Cynthia Psarakis wrote of her recent stay there: "If you're going all-inclusive, either go big or go home. The Club Med Punta Cana is the quintessential all-inclusive in the heart of the quintessential all-inclusive destination." Visit the Club Med Punta Cana website. | Zach StovallClub Med Punta Cana For a classic all-inclusive resort vacation with a European vibe — you might stumble across guests from Italy playing boccie — visit the Club Med Punta Cana. See the Club Med Punta Cana website. | Zach StovallAlsol Luxury Village Built on docks around Cap Cana's marina, the new Alsol Luxury Village (sister to Ocean Club) boasts 299 spacious villas. Check out the grass-surrounded pool south of Main Street; it's quieter than the larger pool. Visit the Alsol Luxury Village website. | Fishing LodgeEden Roc at Cap Cana While Punta Cana is known for its huge all-inclusives, the Eden Roc gives a more intimate feel to guests, with only 34 beautiful suites. Visit the Eden Roc at Cap Cana website. | Eden Roc at Cap CanaEden Roc at Cap Cana Newly opened Eden Roc at Cap Cana is perfect for families. Kids will love the play area in the open-air water lagoon, and parents won't be able to get enough of chef Gianluca Re Fraschini's fresh Euro-influenced creations. Visit the Eden Roc at Cap Cana website. | Eden Roc at Cap CanaZoetry Agua Punta Cana These aren't rooms or bungalows. They're sanctuaries, a fitting name for the peaceful escape offered here. Visit the Zoetry Agua Punta Cana website. | Zoetry AguaZoetry Agua Punta Cana Everything about the Zoetry Agua is peaceful. The pools have "serpentine water trails and quiet lagoons." Relax poolside all day, if you like. Or go for a complimentary horseback ride, one of the many, many luxury offerings and amenities included here. Visit the Zoetry Agua Punta Cana website. | Zoetry AguaZoetry Agua Punta Cana Local fruits and flowers of the Caribbean are part of the treatment at the spa, a must-do activity for the full Zoetry experience. Visit the Zoetry Agua Punta Cana website. | Zoetry AguaZoëtry Agua Seclusion is easy at Zoëtry Agua's remote perch, set on a three-mile sandy stretch. A palapa-roofed lobby leads to rustic-posh buildings and a tapestry of tropical gardens. The romantic retreat boasts a natural palette of wood, stone and cane, and many of its 51 rooms have tubs with garden views. | Debbie SnowZoëtry Agua Dining alfresco beside Zoëtry Agua's serpentine beachfront pool is a luxurious experience at this Punta Cana all-inclusive. | Debbie SnowCasa de Campo OK, Casa de Campo, one of the most beautiful resorts in the Caribbean, isn't technically in Punta Cana, but it's closer than ever. A brand-new expressway — the Autopista del Coral — lets you get to blissful Casa de Campo in just 45 minutes from the Punta Cana airport, shaving nearly an hour off the original time. Visit the Casa de Campo website. | Casa de CampoBest Luxury All-Inclusives:
Zoëtry Agua Instead of scaling towering high-rise room blocks, Zoëtry Agua's guests repair each night to suites clustered in two-story casitas with views of a serpentine pool and tropical gardens. And buh-bye, buffet lines. Zoëtry Agua's chefs cook seafood and local specialties to order. Three restaurants offer beachside and poolside dining, and there's a wine cellar for romantic private dinners. —Debbie Snow | Debbie Snow
