Inside St. Regis Cap Cana Resort’s Household-Pleasant Seaside Getaway

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A protracted-awaited five-star getaway has lastly arrived within the Caribbean.

Almost 5 years after breaking floor, St. Regis Cap Cana Resort & Residences soft-opened in Might within the Dominican Republic. And it was effectively well worth the wait: Full of installations and works by native artists, the decadent getaway’s glossy structure and interiors — by Acebel Canney Arquitectos & Asociados and Chapi Chapo Design — supply beautiful luxurious round each nook. The huge upscale resort options darkish teak and driftwood accents, luxe marble, sculptural seating, textured tiling and ocean-inspired motifs, all with the St. Regis’ signature butler service, beloved champagne saber ritual at nightfall and curated Household Traditions program, to call just some facilities.

A few 20-minute drive from Punta Cana Worldwide Airport (PUJ) and a two-hour drive from the capital of Santo Domingo, the 200-room, 36-suite property (from $587 per evening) brings a brand new fashion of sophistication to the nation’s white sand-lined “Coconut Coast.” We visited St. Regis Cap Cana shortly a couple of months after it debuted, and have been instantly greeted by refreshing towels and citrus drinks and dramatic grand darkish wooden staircase punctuated by lush greenery and a three-story indoor waterfall.

Our dwelling in Cap Cana for an early June weekend have been two linked rooms (one king mattress, one other with two queens) that included entry to the Children Membership and different family-friendly perks. Service nonetheless had some minor buttoning-up to do (workers was nonetheless entering into the swing of issues only one month after opening) however there was a real effort to supply five-star service, making all of the distinction for us.

Rooted within the luxurious hospitality firm’s signature service, the family-friendly resort caters to all ages with its unique Childrens and Teenagers Membership, the place younger friends can participate in yoga, chocolate-making lessons, artwork actions and different hands-on experiences all through the resort. There are additionally particular menu choices created with Vilebrequin, the St. Tropez-based swim model that repeatedly collaborates with St. Regis on resort-inspired swimwear and seaside equipment. Down on the children pool, you’ll be able to order up small and enormous bites akin to chips and guacamole, wagyu beef epanadas, lobster brioche, mango or strawberry paletas and different finger-licking bites.

As a part of St. Regis’ expanded Household Traditions program, there are additionally in-room surprises that add surprise and enjoyable to your children’ keep, akin to handmade coquitos (a standard coconut dessert), charming stuffed animals and plastic-free silicone seaside toys, to call a couple of. Along with the devoted children pool, supervised little ones can seize a lounge chair or float in certainly one of 5 household swimming pools, or enterprise to the sand to dip their toes within the ocean. (It’s price noting that after we visited in early June, the seasonal — and really pure — sargassum algae and a few in-progress cleanup prevented us from doing so.) Grown-ups in search of quiet time can soak within the adults-only pool or publish up for the afternoon in a shaded cabana.

The resort additionally affords entry to native Cap Cana excursions; our favourite was a guided tour of Fundación Grupo Punta Cana that highlighted rhinoceros iguanas and Hispaniola hawks of their conservation program and a brief nature hike that ended with a refreshing swim in a shocking cenote. Different off-site adventures (for each children and adults) close by embody the 7.396-yard Jack Nicklaus Punta Espada golf course, ziplining and buggy drives at Scape Park, swimming with dolphins at Dolphin Island Park or paintball and cord climbing at Bavaro Journey Park.

Artwork lovers will take pleasure in experiencing the Dominican Republic’s wealthy tradition — a fusion of African, Spanish and indigenous Taíno influences — showcased all through the property, as seen in Lorraine Franco’s “Totem to Bear in mind,” a group of calming stacked spheres (Or a gaggle of BB-8 droids, in line with the Star Wars superfans in our clan); and the St. Regis Bar’s large mural by Santo Domingo-bred artist Citlally Miranda.

With our household in tow, we admittedly didn’t carve out sufficient time to seize the St. Regis’ Quisqueya Mary, a Dominican twist on the long-lasting Bloody Mary (locally-made gentle rum and home spice combine and infused with fried plaintain).

St. Regis Cap Cana’s culinary choices embody award-winning Peruvian chef Diego Muñoz’s Nina restaurant — full with panoramic views — with its fire-driven dinner menu that takes tastebuds on a journey by the Americas; menu highlights embody the pan-fried lobster and grilled miso black Atlantic sea bass with broccolini. For an all-day menu, Cassava restaurant affords Latin American dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, together with an elevated buffet providing scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, pastries, contemporary fruit, juices and extra.

The seaside Marola Mediterranean Grill served favorites such because the the squid ink paella with garlic aioli, garlic prawns and skirt steak with tarragon and oregano chimiccuri. For extra seats by the ocean, there’s additionally Carey Bay for Caribbean-inspired cocktails and lightweight bites and the Cielo Mio rooftop bar with Latin and Mexican fare.

As for the remainder and leisure menu, the 14-room spa contains a serene house for {couples} to unwind. Remedies embody rejuvenating massages, brightening facials, restorative physique scrubs, {couples} massages and extra. (We additionally just like the retail remedy on supply, akin to stylish rattan and leather-based seaside baggage by Dominican model Fiori.)

Talking of purchasing, the St. Regis Cap Cana boutiques inventory luxe resortwear, footwear, equipment, jewellery, furnishings, decor and extra from designers each native and from afar, together with from D.R.-based Jenny Polanco, Ana + Maria and Castañer; Italian milliner Borsalino; Vilebrequi;, famed Guayaberas maker Hippólito; India-based clothes label Verandah; golf model FootJoy; and others.

Charges begin at $587 per evening for a balcony room with a king or two queen beds and visitor room; different choices embody a deluxe poolside rooftop room from $595, the John Jacob Astor one-bedroom suite with personal pool and rooftop terrace from $1,675 nightly and the two-bedroom Presidential Suite beginning at $3,174 per evening. See extra images of St. Regis Cap Cana under, and take a look at further reserving choices on-line right here.