Secrets Royal Beach, Punta Cana
Gran Bahia Principe Cayacoa
the public areas, accommodation blocks and pool terrace. Prices start from £910 for a week. On the other side of the Samana Peninsula is the low-key seaside town of Las Terrenas. It has a fisherman’s village of restaurants in clapboard cottages and beach cafes lit by lanterns at night. Thomson sells the 462-room Grand Bahia Principe El Portillo here from £899 all-inclusive. The beachfront property is functional, and well-maintained with two pools, a water park, and kids’ club among its facilities.
l SPEND: BAG A BARGAIN The Dominican Republic is also likely to put a smile of the faces of the squeezed middle, as luxury can
be found for less. Secrets Royal Beach, Punta
Cana, is a stylish, adult-only property that has a boutique-hotel feel despite its 465 rooms. The reception area is like a lobby of a modern-art gallery, the resort’s pool has a lazy river and there’s a swish spa. A week with Western & Oriental leads in at £995. Another great choice is the
464-room Excellence Punta Cana. Again adult-only, it’s sold by Funway Holidays from £1,399 all-inclusive including flights departing February 6. Its public areas are laid out to give a village feel, with the chance to enjoy coffee and conversation on the piazza, or mingle at the bars. There are also enticing
shops, an intimate spa, first- rate gym and good selection of themed restaurants within the lush, landscaped grounds. Both properties edge up to white sand and turquoise waters.
The seriously sizeable, 1,791-
room Hard Rock Casino & Hotel is also to be recommended. The rooms and facilities very much live up to its five-star rating. Funway Holidays offers a week all-inclusive in February from £1,499. The mid-range option on the Samana Peninsula is the Luxury Bahia Principe Cayo Levantado. Reached by shuttle boat from the mainland, this island resort is thick with tropical foliage, and boasts a collection of exceptional beaches, one with great snorkelling. There
are just 256 rooms and a relaxed, get-away-from-it-all feel pervades. Thomson leads in at £1,105 on an all-inclusive basis with flights departing Gatwick on May 3.
l SPLURGE: HIP HIDEAWAYS For privacy and exclusivity in the Dominican Republic, one has to head a little off the beaten track. In the northern reaches of Punta Cana, two high-end properties sit side-by-side on Uvero Alto beach. The first, Zoetry Agua Punta Cana, has just 96 rooms. Some have direct pool access, and the two-bedroom villas are ideal for families. The resort has a Zen meets beach-chic feel, and added extras include free
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travelweekly.co.uk — 4 December 2014
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