Living up to the name: Excellence Resort Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
- by Chrissy Hamlin
- Jun 1, 2015
- 11 min read
When you arrive at Punta Cana airport and go through Passport Control it really is like arriving in Paradise. You wait under a huge shady conical shapped hut, with a roof made from dried Cana Palm leaves before collecting your luggage, which the Airport Porters then take to your taxi or pre-booked hotel transfer vehicle. The Dominican Republic shares the historic Island of Hispaniola with it's neighbour, Haiti on the Western side. Punta Cana is on the Eastern tip of the Island and Its name literally means "The Easterly part of the Island where the Cana Trees end". The Excellence Resort is approx 45 mins drive, the roads are practically empty apart from a few commercial vehicles, some holiday makers in tour buses and the odd local on a moped. On arrival at The Excellence Resort, you'll be greeted at the marble steps and tropical fountains, by a host of smiling hotel porters wearing Pith Helmets and you'll be invited to sit in the luxurious recepton area, and be given a refreshing glass of cold champagne whilst the staff take your luggage to your room and tell you about all the facilities on offer before checking you in.
"This is your home for the next 7 days now - Enjoy" says the Porter. So far I am very happy with my first impressions of the place - it certainly lives up to it's 5 Star Luxury reputation! Our cool, spacious Junior Suits is on the 2nd floor right near the beach on the quieter side of the resort. We have a huge bed, a much needed overhead fan and air-con, and a central jacuzzi bath, as well as an en-suite shower room. There is also a table, comfortable armchair and extra chaise lounge for relaxing on indoors. There is a large balcony with a fantastic seaview and I quicklly decide that I shall begin and end each day out here, just enjoying the the sea air with either a coffee or a nightcap, listening to the typically tropical sounds of the native birds, crickets and Ciacada's chirping away. We have tea and coffee making facilities in the room and a good selection of beers, wine, mineral water, and soft drinks in the mini bar plus full size bottles of top quality branded spirits such as Rum, Vodka and Bourbon at no extra charge. Other ground floor rooms have a private terrace or garden - some which look out directly onto the pool, and have their own hammocks or day beds. There are even some luxury and honeymoon suites which are part of the VIP Excellence Club, on the 3rd floor with private rooftop sunterraces and jacuzzi's. The Excellence Club offers guests the opportunity to be upgraded to a really personal VIP service, if you prefer even more luxury, but we are quite happy with everything we have booked up on our "My-Time" Package through our Flight Centre Holiday Consultant.
We quickly settle in, shower and get changed ready for dinner. Before Dinner I help myself to some rather generous measures of the Dominican Republic Rum....and a cold coke or 2. It goes down very well - as we are doing an all inclusive, I want to enjoy the wonderful benefits of just pouring a drink whenever I want one and not having to worry about paying for it! Happy Days I think, watching the sun go down on the balcony whilst enjoying my drink a little too much. We go for dinner in the Italian Pizza Restaurant tonight. There are about 10 different restaurants here, all serving a selction of different cusines from around the world. There are no reservations to make - you just go to which ever one you fancy eating at!
Our first night is not without funny incidents. I am told by my friend that I am talking very loudly during dinner & that I appear to be a little drunk - a claim I totally deny saying "Rubbish -Ive only had a few Rum & Cokes". Back in our hotel room, my friend forgets that the Mosquito Guard door is pulled over, whilst our Patio doors are open, and walks straight into it, bending it completley out of shape and pulling half of it away from it's runners. Shamefacedly we have to report the damage to reception the next day, but judging by the bemused look on the staff faces, this is not the first time this has happened - and it certainly wont be the last! I also wake up the following morning feeling very hungover and groggy. I only understand why when I realize that the Rum I had been drinking the previous night is 75% proof! Better go easy on the stuff from now on - it's very lethal!
So what are we going to do on our first day here? We decide to have breakfast and then go and have a walk around the resort in order to explore further. Breakfast is served between 6.30am and 11.30am and there is a choice of having the full buffet breakfast or just a continental - you can also get a range of breakfasts delivered to you in your room & served to you out on your balcony, if you so wish. We do this on our last day and it makes a really nice change.
We head for the Toscana Restaurant where the buffet Breakfast is served. There are so many choices here: eggs cooked to order, crispy bacon, hash browns, sausages, pancakes, waffles, bread, croisants, pastries, cold meats, cheeses, salmon, salad, cereal, yoghurt, granoloa, fruit....you name it & they have it! There is also endless Tea or Coffee if you want it...you can even help yourself to a Bucks Fizz or a Peach Bellini and Caviar should you wish to start your day in real 5 star style.
After Breakfast we explore the resort a little further. There are at least 2 main seperate swimming pool areas, and whilst one seems to be for those who enjoy a friendly game of water polo or other sporty activities like aerobics, the other pool, near our suite, which is called The Cascade Pool is a two tier one, where it is much quieter, and chilling out is the order of the day. All the pool areas have plenty of sun beds, and day beds for everyone, some in the shade and some in direct sunlight to cater for a range of sunbathers. There are plenty of pool bars nearby for getting your fill of cold drinks, beers, cocktails and snacks. There are also plenty of concierge huts, where you can collect your freshly laundered towels. There is nothing more relaxing than just lying on one of the floats in the the pool, with a cool drink in your hand, doing absolutley nothing!
If you want to do some activities or get out of the resort for a day there are plenty of tours and excursions on offer. We go and talk to Jeanette on our first morning. She is our personal holiday Rep and as we enjoy discovering the history of places we visit, she recommends doing a day trip to the capital city - and her home town - Santo Domingo (See my separate blog post for more info). We also book up a session swimming with the Dolphins for our last afternoon. These excursions and tours cost extra but are very reasonable for the price and well worth it considering what we get. There is no "hard sell" and we are very happy with what we have booked up.
Many of the excursions are sporting or activity ones, such as Zip-Lining. Sea-fishing, whalewatching, off road dune buggy racing, or Kayaking - so there is plenty to occupy the more active hoilday maker too. There is a PADI diving instructor on site, canoe & boat hire available, full size basketball and tennis courts, and a dedicated Sports Bar on the resort. There are also many fun team activities and sporting challenges going on during the day that you can join in with - but only if you want to. Staff do come round ocassionally and let us know what's going on elsewhere in the resort , but they never pressurize us to join in with anything, and they are always friendly, polite and great fun to chat to - even when we decline to participate in things!
A little later, we decide to explore the beach. The Carribean is famed for having white sand and crystal clear water and ours does not disappoint. There are sun loungers and conical palm umbrella's spaced out far nough to give users privacy from their neighbours. There is certainly room to relax here. There is a beach bar with waiter service available and palm trees frame the view of the coast in both directions. The Atlantic Ocean waves are quite strong and come crashing in spectacularly on the shore frequently - the welcoming sea breeze conquers the humidity and heat of the day, and is very refreshing.
On the second morning I decide to spend a few hours reading my book on the beach whilst sunbathing, and get to see a couple getting married on the beach. It's very romantic and the wedding pictures, which they shoot with a professional photographer from the hotel, look great to me - although the bride does look a bit hot & flustered in her beautiful white dress! As the resort is Adults Only, it attracts many newly weds and those wishing to tie the knot in paradise. The resort is perfect for couples of all ages looking for a luxurious romantic setting for their wedding or honeymoon.
During our week at the resort, we could just sit back and do nothing if we wish, but with so much on offer here, we make sure we try and get a little taste of everything. There are the beautiful grounds to take a walk in for a start - you can see the real flamingo's and some very cheeky colourful parrots if you are lucky. You can buy anything you need or have forgotten to pack from the mini-market area - there are a range of shops selling clothes, gifts, souvenirs, sunglasses, sun-tan cream, swimming costumes, hats, cigars and local art. You can also take cookery classes or do Cigar sampling.
If you really want to relax, then there is the Mille Spa which offers a wide range of treatments at reasonable prices. I book a 50 minute age defying facial for $50 one afternoon, which is fantastic and makes my skin glow all night! For $35 a member of the Spa team will come and set up a special pampering Jacuzzi session in your room, anytime up to 7pm, complete with joss sticks, scented candles, aromatic bath oils and gold leaf! Get room service to deliver a bottle of bubbly on Ice and you have the perfect chiled out time in your room all sorted.
If daytimes are for relaxing around the pool or on the beach, then the evening is meant for eating, drinking and entertainment. We easily settle into the daily habit of having a sundowner beer on our balcony at about 5pm before getting showered and dressed up for the evening. We also enjoy a cocktail or two at one of the outdoor or indoor bars whilst deciding which restaurant to choose for dinner. Chez Isabelle serves French Style cuisine, Spice is Asian Fusion, The Food Market serves Tapas, Barcelona serves mediterean fayre, and The Grill & The Lobster Shack serve steak and Seafood. If you fancy Italian food there is Agave, Oregano or Toscana to choose from. At most of the restaurants, we never have to queue or wait to be seated- but we do at the Grill & The Lobster Shack - these seem to be the 2 most popular restaurants, especially after 8pm at night. Some resturants close around 10.30pm and others are open later. The Newsletter which is delivered to your room each day, gives details you full details of special offers on spa services, activities and which restaurants are open or closed.
The resort attracts mainly Americans & Spanish speaking Tourists - we only meet one other couple from England and an Irishman who was on his honeymoon.! That may be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your own personal view of American tourists or how much time you want to spend with other English Tourists! We prefer to keep ourselves to ourselves when in a place like this, and although we chat to some of the other guests each evening at the bar, no one imposes themselves upon us too much, and we like that a lot. There is nothing worse than having other couples "latch on to you in an over-friendly manner" whilst you stay at an all-inclusive holiday resort - especially if they are not the type of people you would normally choose to socialize with at home!
One evening a week there is a full-on Dominican Republic BBQ on the beach with traditional music and food, or you can book a romantic torch-lit dinner on the beach if you prefer. We do this on our last night as the perfect gastronomic end to our week in the Carribean. We wait at the Martini bar to be escorted by a member of Staff to the wonderful setting of our table underneath a gazebo on the sand. Here we are given a glass of champagne each and whilst hearing the waves crash powerfully onto the shore and gazing at the stars in the black night sky, we are served a wonderful 4 course meal by torchlight ( you can choose your own particualr meal in advance from a range of individual set menus).
Every evening there is first class entertainment after dinner in the large open plan theatre and out on the plazza. There are 2 music and dancing sessions each night with resident bands playing everything from rock music to salsa and merengue. The Caberet is the real highlight. There are thrilling circus acts, a burlesque night recreating the Moulin Rouge, Michael Jackson & Madonna tribute nights, and a Karaoke evening. If you dont like caberet, you can have a flutter in the Casino and there is also a nightclub which is open till 2am. All other entertainment ends at 12.30am but you can have a nightcap at the bar or in your room, on your balcony as we do each evening.
We really enjoy our chilled out week here. My friend, who has booked this holiday for my 50th Birthday, is not really a sunbathing on the beach type of person, and has picked this place to suit me rather than them. My friend spends quiet afternoons reading in the shade, whilst I slather on the factor 15 sun cream and sit out in the heat of sun. The nice thing is we can please both of us here. I introduce my friend to some new cocktails, including a Bananna Mamma and a mudslide! We both enjoy the superb food and the great service on a daily basis. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff....although things do run at a slightly slower pace here than at home - after all there is no rush to do anything - we are on holiday!
The highlight of our week is visiting Dolphin Discovery. A small group of us - 8 in total - go on a bus to Punta Cana, and get into lifejackets before entering the large outdoor pool with Dophins Goya, Kepplar and their trainer Gary. We get to kiss them, cuddle them in the water, and do a few tricks with them before we each get to swimming with them individually....they even propel us along on bodyboards, their noses gently nudging our feet at first, then working up to us going quite fast. It is an exhilarating and uplifting experience for everyone but It is just another "playtime" with the humans for these highly intelligent, and adorable mammals. There are no camera's allowed during the session, but a professional photographer from the centre takes pictures for us all to purchase on a disk at the end of the session, and we decide to do it as a group so we can all get a discount on the cost.
Leaving Excellence Punta Cana is the only downside of the holiday! Ive got quite used to getting my Pina Colada's delivered to me on my sun lounger on the beach. I will now have to remember to pay for my drinks and meals at restaurants and bars back home. I could easily get used to waking up to the ocean view every day - but all good things must come to end. The staff here are all wonderfully friendly and helpful, the accomodation and facilities are outstanding and the food is great. The Excellence Resort really does live up to it's name in more ways than one.
Once again we find ourselves back at Punta Cana Airport, and as a great finale to a fantastic luxury holiday, we discover that generous British Airways have given us a complimentary upgrade from World Traveller Plus to Club World. Considering that jet lag is always worse when flying West and we are on the overnight flight back to Gatwick, this is a big plus and a very welcome surprise. We get given a glass of Tattinger champagne upon boarding, and after a suberb meal ( one of the best I've ever had in business class) I recline my chair into a full size flat bed, and settle down to watch an inflight movie and actully get some sleep before landing back in cold, grey, chilly London.
Watch our exclusive video of a typical day at Excellence Punta Cana:
If you want an in-depth and informative review of the resort from an American Honeymooner's point of view watch the video from Issiah below for more info......
