Bathed by the Atlantic Ocean to the North and the Caribbean Sea to the South, the lush tropical island of The Dominican Republic boasts 1,600 km of coastline with the 5-star Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Punta Cana being an ideal base to enjoy some of the Caribbean’s best beaches. The resort is perfect for families and those seeking glamour together with non-stop fun.
This is the original Hard Rock all-inclusive hotel and at first, I found it a little overwhelming with a massive, atrium style lobby, the beach and sea far away in the distance, multiple restaurants and bars, swimming pools, water features, a casino and golf course together with 1,882 rooms and suites in beautifully landscaped gardens. However, it wasn’t long before I was master of the map, had found my favourite pools and was able to find my way easily around. I was happy to walk but staff also whizzed guests around in golf carts, operating like a bus service with covered “bus shelters”.
Staying at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Rooms are spacious, indulgent and decadent with plenty of rock star touches like private balconies, a Hydra Spa tub, plush bathrobes and slippers. I slept like a rock with bedding featuring Egyptian cotton with a 300-thread count. There’s a 55″ flat screen LCD IPTV, custom-designed furniture and specially selected artwork from around the world, dynamic lighting fixtures suitable for entertainment and working and Rock Spa™ bath products. The balcony bathtubs add a touch of the rock star lifestyle to enjoy some bubbles in the bubbles or even a bathtub breakfast. Other touches include a Personal Assistant available in Rock Royalty Level categories, and Rock Om® In-room on-demand yoga videos.
Swim, Spa, Gamble Or Golf
However, I prefer to spend my time outdoors and there are a lot of choices, albeit very enjoyable ones, to make when you’re staying at the Hard Rock Hotel and first and foremost for an avid swimmer like myself, is which pool to choose. Thankfully my two favourites were minutes from my room, Eden, adults only and in the early mornings I had the pool to myself and Sax, a gorgeous, curved insta-worthy, infinity pool. Eden also offers a full bar, and Bali beds for those looking for something a little more exclusive.
Bongo (a lot of the pools unsurprisingly are named after musical instruments) has a Caribbean vibe playing the best of Latin music, whilst Drums and Guitar are high energy pools playing timeless rock music. Families naturally will gravitate to the Eclipse, Central (with a FlowRide Surf Simulator) and family pools (the latter with a slide) or Rockaway Bay, the 26-slide waterpark featuring nine high-speed options. With so many pools, none of them ever get that crowded and some even have sun loungers within the pool itself.
Tempting as it is to spend all day by a pool, there’s no shortage of activities to keep you amused. There’s the on-site 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature design golf course, an escape room and thrilling gaming action. The Hard Rock Casino has 45,000 sq. ft of gaming space including blackjack, craps, baccarat, roulette, Salon Privet VIP and more.
The Royal Spa with 52 treatment rooms is also home to the most comprehensive hydrotherapy centre in the Caribbean. The spa has a wide range of luxury treatments to rejuvenate and energise using innovative and restorative treatments by Germaine de Capuccini, such as massages, facials, wraps, exfoliation, body slimming and detoxifying, body wellbeing, skin analysis as well as the serene experience of the Dead Sea Climatological room. I’m more of a lark than an owl but was told by fellow guests nursing hangovers and plates piled high with carbs at breakfast that the legendary rock and roll vibe continued well into the early hours with ORO nightclub hosting the best parties in Punta Cana.
Dining At The Hard Rock Hotel
The hotel’s nine different restaurants offer culinary adventures ranging from chic Asian-fusion to comforting home-cooked breakfasts. There are plenty of places if you just want to grab a quick bite or dig in to a full meal. The Market Food Hall offers guests a culinary journey through the world’s most appealing street food cuisines, made-to-order with seasonal locally sourced ingredients and was one of my favourites. It has a much larger selection (the freshly grilled prawns and scallops are a particular winner) than Isla Gastro Market (although the latter was more conveniently located near the beach).
Inspired by the lush greenery in Punta Cana, the Market Food Hall’s design represents a contemporary chic greenhouse featuring a hanging tropical garden, details crafted from Dominican artists and a hint of modernism in the furniture and environment. For breakfast I chose the Italian restaurant Ciao, again with a larger offering, fewer people and light and airy with large windows welcoming in the morning sun (the hotel faces East).
Toro at night becomes the hotel´s steakhouse offering Premium cuts grilled to perfection & an extensive wine list. Zen is another popular choice, this teppanyaki eatery’s main attraction is the chef’s show and authentic sushi experience. If you’d prefer not to tear yourself away from your sun lounger to hit a restaurant at lunch, most of the pools have snack bars or a snack wagon nearby offering tasty burgers, nachos and French fries. It’s all good and it’s all included.
What To Do Outside The Hard Rock Hotel
With an all-inclusive package, there’s a danger of being tied to the resort. However, I’d strongly advise experiencing some of the local culture and attractions beyond the resort area. The city of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, is one of the Caribbean’s most culturally rich and vibrant historical destinations. Two hours from The Hard Rock Hotel but well worth a visit.
The walled, cobblestoned Colonial Zone is the historic centre of Santo Domingo and was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. This is where the history of the new world begins. After Christopher Columbus’s arrival on the island in 1492, Santo Domingo became the site of the first cathedral, hospital, customs house and university in the Americas.
On the cafe-lined Plaza de España, the Alcázar de Colón Palace is one of the city’s many museums, displaying notable medieval and Renaissance art. Reminiscent of Cartagena in Colombia, it was difficult to imagine I was in the Caribbean and the colonial city gives you a real flavour of Dominican Republic life. On the Saturday night I visited I could hear the beat of Merengue music from every corner store, known as colmados, these supermarkets turned bars are a central part of Dominican life, where people can buy everyday groceries and socialise with neighbours. They are more of a community hub than just a store.
To explore the city, I took a two-hour bike tour with Bic Tour, an excellent way to not only learn more about the history of the city but also get some great recommendations for restaurants and bars to visit. Also, fun was The Battle of Santo Domingo, a fully immersive 4D cinema experience at the Colonial Gate 4D cinema where visitors enjoy the physical and virtual world of the 1586 walled city invasion of Santo Domingo led by Sir Francis Drake.
A visit to Saona Island is the most popular excursion taken by holidaymakers visiting the Punta Cana area. Part of the Cotubanama National Park, Saona Island’s unspoiled beaches, lush palms and turquoise water immediately say bounty and it’s no surprise that it’s where the bounty ads were filmed. The island has also been used for filming several movies, including Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and The Blue Lagoon.
It’s a two-hour boat trip from the fishing village of Bayahíbe, including a stop for snorkelling and starfish spotting at the waist-deep blue lagoon and then time to relax on the island itself. The island was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494 on his second voyage to the Americas and the name Saona is said to come from the Italian city Savona, as a tribute to Michele de Cuneo, Christopher Columbus’ friend from Savona.
Alternatively leave the beach crowds behind on a full-day cultural excursion to the Bayaguana Countryside to visit a sugarcane plantation, explore the historic streets of Bayaguana, and take a cool dip in the clear waters of the Salto Alto Waterfalls. This tour includes easy transportation in a safari style truck with open air seating and a Dominican buffet lunch. For Baseball fans, the tour passes the training camps for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. Many Major League players hail from San Pedro de Macorís.
However, for a former smoker, who never quite managed the art of a rollie, the highlight was a visit to a small cigar manufacturer and watching the art of rolling cigars, using dried tobacco leaves. The Dominican Republic is a world leader in cigar production and is home to many well-known cigar brands. Dominican cigars are known for their mild but rich flavour.
If you’re looking for a slice of Las Vegas in the Caribbean and the ultimate rockstar getaway, then The Hard Rock Hotel ticks every box – there’s nowhere remotely comparable. It’s got the wow factor in spades. The hotel is equally appealing to those like me who simply want a lively Caribbean escape, with a first-class all-inclusive offering.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana
Km 28, #74, Boulevard
Turístico del Este
Punta Cana 23000
Dominican Republic
For tours in The Dominican Republic visit www.amstardmc.com and www.colonialtours.com. For more information on The Dominican Republic visit www.godominicanrepublic.com.
