Fam trip verdict: is the revamped Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana still a hit?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I’m here accompanying 10 UK agents attending parent company RCD Hotels’ first European fam trip, showcasing the refurbished Punta Cana property’s new look, among other news. This while dispelling misconceptions, like it’s purely a party property. 

True enough, Vibe Managers keep things upbeat, aided by activities such as DJ-backed poolside foam parties. Yet, it’s more fun-focused than “in-yer-face”, as Aaron Hyde of Kenwood Travel observes. “There’s a good vibe – very lively and friendly, which I like,” he says, while also spotlighting the “fantastic choice of restaurants”. 

Most eateries sit in the main central complex, on the Boulevard, the property’s chief retail and dining strip. Everything from the main and group receptions to the casino, spa and gym area can be accessed off the Boulevard, thatch-covered walkways fanning off towards the low-level room blocks.

Fronted by a glorious expanse of beachfront in one of the Dom Rep’s prime, sun-soaked resorts, the Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana enjoys a substantial footprint, spanning nearly 1,800 guest rooms and everything from a water park and casino to 13 pools, two reserved for Legendary status guests. This makes it easy to escape any hubbub. The transitory walking required though, coupled with the lively, youthful ethos, naturally marks against its suitability for older and infirm clients. 

Indeed, Aaron suggests he’d pitch it to the 25- to 35-year-old age bracket while Ushma Valerio from Not Just Travel notes its liveliness and lack of intimacy strikes against its honeymoon compatibility. That said, “You’d sell it to everyone really,” she concludes, noting its suitability for everyone from young couples and groups of friends to families. “It’s a great resort with a great location and one of the best beaches in the Caribbean, no doubt about it.” 

ACTION PACKED 

The family-friendly attractions certainly chime, not least its new waterpark, Rockaway Bay (open 10am-6pm), with its 26 slides and adults-only pool area. “As agents we get lots of requests from families looking for properties with waterparks,” notes Glen Wright, regional sales manager at Millington Travel, adding: “The property’s new look works for me too, and I love the memorabilia.”

The Roxity kids club (4yrs+) is another strength. For teens there’s the Cavern Club, along with attractions such as Music Lab (12yrs+) and recent additions such as watersports attraction FlowRider; an escape room activity; and a bowling bar and alley where our group enjoys a fun tournament. 

With so much to do on-site, our group’s off-resort ventures are limited to effervescent local nightspot Coco Bongos and a rum-fuelled catamaran excursion.

Staying on the island for longer, I take two tours with Runners Adventures (runnersadventures.com), including a slow-paced, retail-heavy excursion to the capital, Santo Domingo. A cultural tour proves more fun, slurping rum and bouncing around the lush interior in an open-sided truck, sampling local produce before boogie boarding at Macao Beach. 

All told, the property’s all-inclusive package is comprehensive and generous. Understandably, some activities are excluded though, such as Rock Spa treatments and the casino area, including Oro nightclub, while serious golfers can pay to play the Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole, par-72 course. 

“It’s a really good standard for a resort course,” comments Travel Counsellor Mark Caples, who plays off a 10 handicap. “It’s a well-maintained, rewarding course with plenty of challenging holes, and the playability is good for every level of golfer.”

ALL CHANGE

The enhanced food and beverage venues include new vegan offering Casa Verde and Awaken Your Senses, the property’s immersive dining experience, which proves great fun. Of the established offerings, worthy mentions include the casino’s two upscale offerings, Montserrat Manor and Youyu, which like Awaken are not included. Speaking of the included options just two require booking now – Zen, the high-energy teppanyaki restaurant, and Toro steakhouse. 

Elsewhere, Boulevard dining staples such as Ciao and Mexican eatery Los Gallos sport lighter, fresher looks, their pale, muted palettes echoing our new-look guest rooms. Modern, crisp and classy, they’re certainly not what most would expect from a Hard Rock guest room, whispering “grown up” rather than screaming “paaaarrrrr-teeeee”, causing more than one agent to observe “you could be anywhere”. For now, the hotel’s darker, bolder former look lives on at RCD’s other Hard Rocks, as in Cancun, although all will be thus refreshed in time.

In guest rooms, hot tub baths have been moved onto balconies, adding frisson to soaks and freeing up room space, allowing for the addition of queen-size sofa beds in the generously sized lead-in Caribbean Suites. 

LOVE NOTES

With the Hard Rock Punta Cana servicing around 650 weddings a year (hrhweddings.com), our group takes in two beachfront wedding package set ups, including Free Spirit, one of its tasteful, payable themed packages and the complimentary package, its classic, white wood staging beautifully framing the beachfront. 

South Asian wedding packages are another speciality while same-sex ceremonies are sadly only symbolic in the Dom Rep, making RCD’s Mexican properties a better bet. Whether you’re booking weddings and couples or families or friend groups though, chances are the refurbished, new-look Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana will strike the right chord. 

Book it: Gold Medal offers seven nights all-inclusive at the property from £2,139pp, departing 2 September 2023, based on two adults sharing a Caribbean Suite King. Package includes British Airways flights from Gatwick (goldmedal.co.uk).