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This year for Valentine’s Day, we spent a long weekend at The St. Regis Cap Cana Resort in the Dominican Republic. I’m not a fan of all-inclusive resort factories (even nice ones) and this property was definitely not that. It’s expensive, but gorgeous with excellent service, amenities, and beautiful grounds.
Anthony’s Take: I redeemed more Marriott Bonvoy® points for this stay than I ever had for any other. The cash rates were astronomical and I felt I still got a decent deal. The property is beautiful, elite members are treated well, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
Booking
I booked a Deluxe, Guest Room, 1 King, Partial Ocean View, Balcony on an award rate. I used points for this stay. It cost 360,000 total for two nights. Marriott did away with award charts a few years ago, but redemptions can be had for between 100,000 and 180,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points per night. Had I paid cash for the stay, the room would have cost around $1,900 per night.
Transportation to/from the Hotel
We flew into Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) and took Uber from the airport to the hotel. The ride was 21 minutes for the 9.3-mile ride and cost around $35. Returning we used Uber again and it took around the same amount of time. It was equal in cost.
Location
The resort is located within the enclave of Cap Cana along the pristine shores of Carey Bay. The resort has pretty expansive grounds with a golf course nearby. Nothing is walking distance from the resort, but everything you need is on site.
The resort is located within a gated area and you must pass through security to get to it.
Upon arrival, you will be taken into an open and lovely lobby.
There is lots of seating here in a bunch of configurations and this extends through several floors.
I loved the wood-paneled walkways, stairwells, and water feature here.
Check-In
Reception is to the left when entering from the valet. We arrived around 5:00 PM and our room was ready. The agent told us that we had been upgraded to a Grand Luxe, Guest room, 1 King, Ocean View, Balcony. This was a nice upgrade and two categories higher than what we booked. She explained the welcome amenities and I chose breakfast. It was served each in the restaurant called Cassava. She then printed our room keys and had someone escort us to the room (which I hate since I never need them to show me how to operate the room and see this as a cash grab for a tip).
Beverages were offered at check-in.
Our room was on the fifth floor. We had to take an elevator and then walk a good distance.
Grand Luxe, Guest Room, 1 King, Ocean View, Balcony (5002)
There are 200 guest rooms and suites at The St. Regis Cap Cana Resort.
The room opened with a small foyer.
A tote bag near the door could be used during the stay. It was $80 if we wanted to take it home.
The large bathroom was immediately to the left.It held a vanity with two sinks, a bathtub, a glassed-in shower, and a toilet.
The tub was large, but wasted on us.
A bar of Sodashi bar soap was near the bathtub.
We loved the amount of counter space and two sinks are always appreciated.
Sodashi and REN brand toiletries and a bar of soap were on the counter.
A drawer held some additional items.
The toilet was space away from everything.
The shower was a good size with decent water pressure and temperature.
More Sodashi and SACHAJUAN brand toiletries were on a shelf in the shower.
A closet was near the bathroom. One half held an umbrella and the other side offered a safe, iron, and ironing board.
A full-length mirror was on a nearby wall.
The bedroom was just past this area. It offered a king-sized bed, two nightstands, a small sofa, a chair, a TV, a minibar, and a coffee table.
The chair was in the corner near the balcony.
The TV was across from the bed along with the minibar.
The minibar offered lots of snacks for sale.
A cart held liquor for sale.
A shelf inside held a Nespresso machine, coffee pods, condiments, cups, water, and more.
The refrigerator was also found here. It was filled with drinks for sale.
A welcome amenity was on the table when we arrived. The chocolates were delicious.
In-Room Dining
We were tired the first night and ordered room service. The balcony was the perfect place to dine.
We shared chips and guacamole along with some ginger ale and two burgers. Everything was tasty. It was around $100 with the tip and fees.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served in Cassava. It offers an expansive buffet along with a la carte selections. There was a ton to pick from and everything was fresh and tasty.
French Toast
Bacon
Hash Browns, Fried Cheese, and Fried Salami
Waffles
Pancakes
Mangu with Onions
Breakfast Potatoes
Scrambled Eggs
Pork Sausage
Sautéed Vegetables
Omelettes were made to order.
There were two stations.
Another area held fruit, salad, meats, cheeses, and smoked fish beneath a beautiful tree.
Fresh fruit
More fruit
Meat, cheese, and smoked fish
Salad
A cart held pastries.
Cereal, yogurt, and milk
Bread and a toaster for guest use
Fresh juices
Pineapple water
A Bloody Mary bar
Honeycomb and condiments
As mentioned, you can also order a la carte options.
My husband tried the Dominican Los Tres Golpes. He enjoyed it, but was quite full.
Lunch
We had lunch on the beach from the Carey Bay Beach Bar. I had Chicken Bao and my husband had a Margherita Pizza.
Dinner
On the second night, we had dinner at Marola Mediterranean Grill.
We started with a lemonade and an espresso martini.
We had the Burrata and the Iberian Ham Croquettes to start. We enjoyed both dishes.
For mains, we selected the Seafood Paella and the Local Snapper. These were also quite tasty.
Evening Ritual (Champagne Sabering)
The St. Regis Champagne Sabering takes place daily at 6:00 PM in the lobby to mark the transition from day to evening. This tradition, which originates from the brand’s founding in 1904, includes a complimentary glass of champagne for guests. We have been to these at many St. Regis hotels and I even got to do it in Chicago.
A saber is used to open the bottle.
Glasses were then passed out.
Public Areas & Amenities
The resort is pretty massive and we rarely saw too many people even though it was fully occupied. There are seven bars and restaurants, multiple pools, a boutique, a coffee and pastry shop, the beach, a spa, a fitness center, a nearby golf course, an ATM, and conference space.
I loved how lush the grounds were throughout the property.
Cielo Mio Rooftop Bar
Rooftop seating
The upper pool
Towels and sunscreen were on offer.
The main pool near the beach
The St. Regis Bar (and its terrace)
The ATM was near the boutique.
This long hallway led to the restaurants, main pool, and beach.
There was seating throughout.
Kawa offers coffee and pastries. It’s near the lobby.
The pastries looked incredible. We had two iced lattes (this was around $30).
These were pretty cool (Coffee Tiramisu).
The beach was pretty and never too crowded.
The conference area was especially quiet if you wanted a place to relax.
The fitness center was huge and spanned two levels.
It also had a seating area.
There was plenty of equipment.
Towels, water, and fruit were offered.
The locker rooms were nicely appointed.
A spin room was upstairs (along with a yoga studio).
More water, fruit, and towels were found here.
Overall Impression:
We loved our stay and will be back again some day. The property is luxe and expensive, but with that comes solitude and privacy. The resort was never crowded, it was quiet, and it felt miles away from the all-inclusive resort factories that fill most of Punta Cana.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
1 comment
I admit to being caught aback when I read that you call a place expensive. The place really does look lovely but $1900 a night is truly an eye watering price. I guess that’s why I tend to find better luxury value in Asia but I suspect you don’t have the time to do that effectively given the transit time.