DESTINATIONS — CARIBBEAN
Republic might not be the first island that springs to mind when it comes to high-end trips, but this is definitely a destination that can offer great value for money at all levels of luxury. Here, quality is about quantity.
W
Hotels with high room counts keep costs down thanks to economies of scale. However, don’t let the idea of sharing paradise with a crowd put your clients off. Most properties have large enough grounds that they never feel busy. Another plus with the Dominican Republic is that facilities at the hotels are usually top-notch, even when you go for the budget options. Outside the hotels the beaches, infrastructure and attractions are also impressive – as more UK travellers are about to discover. British Airways launched its first non-stop service to Punta Cana on October 26, flying twice- weekly from Gatwick. And Punta Cana airport isn’t just a gateway to the major seaside resort of the same name, but also the less touristy Samana Peninsula. In addition to hidden beaches and stunning waterfalls, including El Limon, whale-watching
ith its history of budget breaks, the Dominican
DOM REP THREE WAYS
save, spend, splurge
No matter how much cash they have to splash, customers can get their money’s worth when visiting this Caribbean nation, writes Jo Cooke
opportunities between January and March are said to be some of the best in the world.
l SAVE: NO POOR RELATIONS
With lead-in prices of less than £1,000 for a week’s all-inclusive commonplace, you can make clients’ Caribbean aspirations come true in the Dominican Republic. They’ll start to think you’re a real magician when you also tell them that they needn’t psyche themselves up for something cheap and cheerful either. The 852-room Occidental
Grand Punta Cana, for example, is a shining star in the budget sector. Sold through Hayes & Jarvis from £755 for September and October departures next year, rooms are spacious, neatly furnished and nod at the Iberian style of the attractive white-washed low-rise room blocks they are housed in. Everyone also gets a balcony or terrace bedecked with a flourishing window box. The mature floral gardens are a delight too, and just like the rest of the hotel’s grounds, these are meticulously kept. Add a palm-fringed beach, and a ream of facilities, including
three pools, tennis courts, nightly entertainment and a pizzeria that serves until 6am, and you’re bound to satisfy all but the impossible-to-please. If they can shell out just a little
more, you can add a touch of chic to their seaside base. The 500-room Dreams Palm Beach Punta Cana is sold by Kuoni from £912 for a week on an all-inclusive basis. It has contemporary furnishings with splashes of bold colours, funky light fittings and an eye-catching free-form pool at its centre. All this, plus a breath- taking, palm-dotted swathe of sand butting the ocean. Heading north to the Samana
Peninsula, Thomson offers the all-inclusive, 295-room, Grand Bahia Principe Cayacoa. The key selling point here is location, location, location. Set on a clifftop bluff just beyond the bustling and inviting town of Santa Bárbara de Samaná, the views are mesmerising no matter which way you turn; to the open ocean, the thickly forested headland or the town harbour. The resort has two idyllic, sheltered coves met by shallow waters, reached by steps or a lift. Golf buggies are also on offer to ferry guests between
4 December 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 51
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