Description: The hotel was gorgeous and was located on the most beautiful stretch of palm tree lined beach overlooking the bluest waters imaginable. The rooms were nice and the hotel was comfortable and airy. There were so many options available from snorkeling, to parasailing and helicopter rides and that was before you left the property. There were endless other opportunities throughout the country including sailing, jungle tours, speedboat excursions and sightseeing in historical Santo Dominigo.
The resort was an all-inclusive package that offered everything. There were several dining options including the beachfront/poolside cafe, a buffet style restaurant that had a different theme each night, romantic Italian and French eateries, and even a Japanese grill. The attendants and staff were gracious, helpful and caring. And they truly tried to break through the language barrier(the native language is Spanish). This resort really is family friendly. We took our 4 year old daughter along and she absolutely loved it and has not stopped talking about it since then. They offer special amenities for children including treasure hunts, talent shows, circus training area, playground and children's center with program. After dinner the amphitheater comes alive with the vibrant local talent showcased in various shows each night. Sometimes at the end they even invite their guests on stage to take part in a special dance(another activity that my outgoing daughter loved.)
Our main reason for going on this vacation was our wedding ceremony which exceeded even our own expectations. The on-site wedding coordinator really made it beautiful, romantic, memorable and perhaps most importantly stress-free. She handled everything from the legal documents that we needed in order to have a Dominican ceremony, the setup of the wedding site and even dying the flowers the perfect shade of turquoise to match the sea (and my husbands tie). We walked down a petal lined aisle on the beach and had a beautiful yet simple ceremony with a local trio playing in the background. Afterwards we had cake and a champagne toast on the beach and then a romantic candlelit dinner atop the French restaurant that included a special wedding day menu.
Our memories are sure to last us forever because the on-site photographer snapped pictures during the ceremony and posed shots around the grounds afterwards. It was a little hot so I would recommend going sometime earlier in the year. However the pictures are beautiful and through the magic of digital photography he was able to deliver them to us the next afternoon. However, our marriage certificate took a little longer (we received ours after 2 months) but we knew in advance. Also, it is in Spanish, which I think just adds character (our ceremony was is Spanish too) They did send us a voucher for a stay during our first anniversary, which we may have to put to good use. We loved it and would go back. It is a wonderful place for a vacation, honeymoon or destination wedding and best of all it didn't break the bank!
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