Where:
With so many hotel options in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: The Hard Rock Punta Cana had the most to offer for all ages!
From the pools, lazy river, water park for kids, volleyball, adults only swim up bars, & the endless white sand & clear water beaches, the Hard Rock definitely offers the most fun in the sun.
If you're needing a break from the sun, they offer an escape room, laser tag, two arcades, mini bowling, casino & shopping all in the main building, making it super convenient in one large hallway.
Down this hall in the mix of the fun & shopping are a ton of other fun adult activities such as a wine and cigar lounge, sports pool bar, and a fun night club “the disco” located in the casino! There are also many smaller restaurants with a grab and go feeling.
Be sure to check the main board by the pool for the events of the day. Every night they had some sort of DJ & dancing or show for the kids on the main balcony off the main hall! A fun place to hit after dinner to start the night off!
They also offered countless fun excursions! The first time we went we did a beach tour & had a blast visiting some amazingly beautiful beaches - as well as a fun snorkeling boat party where we danced, drank, and snorkeled to see some beautiful fish. We also did a fun boat ride where we danced, drank, and got to hang out in hip-high water and just relax! This trip we did a cabana on the beach with the kids! Check out the many other adventures they offer, they will not disappoint!
Room:
We’ve had two suites at the Hard Rock and we were pleased with both! The first was closer to the pools however, the trek to the main building was a bit annoying. They do have running shuttles that circle the property, but I think we prefer to stay closer to the main building. On our most recent visit we had the "Rock Suite one bedroom remodeled" and it was beyond beautiful! Comfortable beds with lots of lighting, amazing tub on the balcony & two queen sized sofa sleepers. This room really impressed us!
When:
We have gone in October & it was a bit humid with light showers but very warm (reminded me of Hawaii weather). Our most recent visit was in January and the weather was perfect - not too humid or too hot! We asked the locals & they said March - May was the best time to visit!
What to bring:
- Resort wear! Dresses & dinner attire. There were no strict attire guidelines at any restaurants though!
- Cover ups & swimsuits.
- Cash for tips (USD currency is ok)
- Sandals & a pair of wedges.
- A beach bag for the beach & pool.
Linked all of my beach essentials here!
The rest you can buy at the Resort! They had at least 2 stores that carried anything and everything you could need! I joked I could have come with no suitcase at all and been fine with the billabong, RVCA stores, & more! Also be sure to download the google translate app for Spanish to English beforehand if you do not speak Spanish (not necessary but comforting to have in a pinch )
Where to eat: The only negative thing I have to say about this place is the pool food. The options were limited to burgers, hot dogs and “nachos". The nachos were a far cry from being "nachos" and not very appealing in presentation. The burgers were decent though, so that held us over! I would recommend to bring snacks for pool and beach days.
The food in the restaurants complete opposite!! Soo yummy! We did Zen the first night which was a hibachi and so much fun!! The second night we tried the Mexican restaurant in the main hall and that was okay, but very good drinks! The Japanese, Italian, brillzilian steak house restaurants located outside the main hall were amazing and highly recommended! They say to make a reservation but we had no problem walking in each night.
To get there: Punta Cana is 4 hours ahead of our time zone (PST) so we flew to Miami and stayed the night to get adjusted to the 3 hour time difference before adding an additional hour. East coasters will adjust no problem! We stayed 5 days 4 nights & I think I would have added on just one more night with there being so much to do and see at the resort alone! The hotel offers a shuttle from the airport but we just flew in and negotiated with the many many taxi & shuttles outside the airport and saved $50 on getting there!
You'll also want to download and fill out the immigration form AHEAD of time, as it is lengthy especially if traveling with 5 people. You will also need to fill this out to come home as well so be sure to fill that out before hand.
When we went, you did NOT need a negative covid test to get to Punta Cana but we did need one coming back into the states. However, I did see people asking for negative test OR vaccine card so this may be changing to just one or the other.
The covid test was a breeze, you’ll make an appointment at the front desk 48 hours before coming home I think it was included in the all inclusive for 2 guest, each test after 2 was $30 each. The testing was very fast & easy. We got our results emailed to us within an hour. The airport was a breeze but if you're traveling at a busy time be sure to get there 3 hours ahead.
Click the images below to shop my vacation looks!
