Our Flightie Krista Clark spent a weekend in the sand and sun of the Dominican Republic at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Punta Cana. She shares her experiences enjoying the many features of the resort and how she survived the jam-packed weekend!
I was excited to get started on our trip to the Dominican Republic; I couldn’t wait to bask in the sunshine and experience all this resort had to offer, even if it was just for a weekend. After a nice and easy flight with Westjet, we arrived at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
The resort is practically a huge playground for adults, children (and adults who act like children). Music permeated the place, with tons of on-theme paraphernalia in the main building and around the lobby. The resort is beautifully set up; everywhere you look there seems to be some other cool thing to check out. I could have spent days just looking at the artwork throughout the resort, but there was so much more to see and do! It was impossible to do everything in just one weekend, but I did my best!
The food took up a lot of my time; this place has everything you could possibly be craving. There’s a deli with great sandwiches, an ice cream parlour, and a steakhouse with amazing service and food. The Teppanyaki Japanese cooking show is first rate, and has to be the best one I’ve seen. One of the benefits of a big resort is that there are no reservations required for any of the restaurants; they’re all large enough to serve everyone who wants to eat there at once, and the service was friendly and efficient.
I didn’t even have to worry about eating too much; there was so much to do during the day to work off all that food! For the golfers, there is a Jack Nicklaus designed golf course on site. I’m not a golfer, but even I was enticed by the layout and driving around in the golf carts was super fun.
There were also five different pools to choose from including an adults-only ‘tops optional’ pool. The not-so-sporty among us were able to sprint around trying to get in all the shopping we could! There was some pretty nice stuff to pick and choose from; Swarovski, Michael Kors, Pandora, I even added a little musical bling to my Pandora bracelet to commemorate my 36th birthday. Plus, to relax after all that running around; the largest spa in Caribbean with 48 treatment rooms… beautifully serene.
Even after all of that during the day, there was still more to do at night! The Vegas style casino was always buzzing with energy. They have gambling for every taste, and drinks are free of charge when you are playing the tables, just like in Vegas! There was so much nightlife to take in; the Sun lounge and the Moon lounge, where they have live bands and host karaoke, music and light show for dancing on the patio, and then we have Oro. This night club is not included in the cost of the all-inclusive, because the club is run and owned by Miami club owners. It’s got a great vibe, fun music and the staff work very hard to ensure all the patrons are having a great time!
With so much to do, I wish I could have spent more time in my room. The rooms were so cool! Even the lead in category rooms are pretty spectacular; all with double jacuzzis with a rock n’ roll vibe. There is a picture of Gwen Stefani in the washroom, and over my bed was a quote from the song “Dream on” by Aerosmith, which I thought was very fitting! Plus, room service is included in all room categories along with robes and slippers. Not all hotels offer this even in the basic room category, so that was a great bonus.
All in all, this place has everything you could want or need in an all inclusive holiday, and I would definitely go back! I would recommend it to anyone, as long as they realize what they are getting; a huge playground, which may take a while to get around, but loaded with tons of fun for everyone, gorgeous accommodations, great food and drink and a satisfied feeling of knowing their money has been well spent.
Interested in learning more about resorts in the Dominican Republic? Krista Clark is manager at our Vellore Village location in Vaughan, Ontario and can be reached by E-mail or at 1-866-611-1952.