The Jaggard family decided last January during freezing temps that we were going tropical for the holidays. Best decision we have made.
Where we stayed:
Excellence Punta Cana was given rave reviews by Facebook friends when I put the feelers out for where we should do Thanksgiving with the Jaggards. Let me make sure you know that I would never have called myself an all-inclusive resort or tropical kind of gal. Just didn't seem my style. I was wrong, very wrong. Excellence exceed any expectation I had for the all-inclusive stereotype. The grounds are stunning and well kept, the service from the staff is beyond what your wildest dreams make you think you deserve, the #cabanalife will make you feel like a celebrity and the drinks are NOT watered down (I can promise you that). A few notes before you book: the food is good, not great. Don't go here expecting to take food porn pics, not going to happen. The breakfast is great, the lunches are great, the dinners got better as the days went on. Also, the rooms are perfect for the Dominican, they are not however, fancy. They reflect the culture and we loved them BUT do not go into this thinking you are getting the Ritz. Finally, and I hate to mention this because surely you all are not this uncivilized, but many of the reviews complained about the nonenglish speaking staff... I am just going to pause. Moving on.
We upgraded to the Excellence Club Level (thanks to a rec from a travel pal) and this has to be one of the best decisions we made. I believe it is $50 a couple extra per day and it is worth every penny. When you arrive you are whisked away with champs to a private lounge to check in where they serve you drinks and food until you finish checking in. You get a private beach with a #cabanalife not available to others, there is a private lounge that we spent many of happy hours in with premium liquors and good food. Plus, you get a 50 minute spa treatment included. I would HIGHLY recommend that all Excellence goers invest in this upgrade.
What we did:
We drank. The whole time. Quite honestly I don't know what else we would have done. I am kidding, a bit, but seriously, as soon as you are half way done with your coconut with rum (called a Coco Loco) they bring you another one. It was fabulous.
Other than 93% drinking, we did some water aerobics in the pool, went to shows at nighttime and the highlight was going to their spa. This is for SURE a do not miss. The spa is very upscale and very much worth the money. There were so many activities that the resort had daily that we would have had to stay for an extra week to enjoy them all. Each night they leave a newsletter in your room with plans/activities for the next day that was very helpful.
The goal of our trip was to relax. I cannot tell you how much relaxing we did. Get a cabana, get breakfast, go to cabana, take a nap, wake up, order a drink, take a sip, go back to sleep. Repeat.
Where we ate:
The resort has 8 restaurants for your choosing, all with various cuisines. The food was good, at times great, but overall it was perfect for a full day of drinking and laughing:
Chez Isabelle-French restaurant with a menu filled with fresh fish and steaks. Really enjoyed it.
Oregano-Upscale Italian with a fabulous menu, this was my favorite dinner of the trip
Spice-Asian fusion with fresh sushi. Yum
Flavor Market-Alright, here it goes. I know you all always think I am so positive and won't give you the real deal. This was one of the worst meals of my food loving life. I will just keep it at that and move along.
Lobster House-we went almost every morning to have breakfast here and it was perfect. On the water perfection.
The Grill-Ate most of our lunches at this open air spot and loved them all. They have ceviche, which is a small obsession of mine, so I ordered two each time we went. Oops.
Las Olas-if you want a real tropical scene then go here for lunch, they serve brick oven pizzas and local cuisine. I wish I was there at this moment
Looking back:
I am now an all-inclusive kind of gal! It was lovely to get to be with family, not think about spending money and to be in pure tropical paradise.
A few tips:
- Book early. The earlier you book your trip the bigger discount you get
- Bring some cash. Even though it is all-inclusive does not mean you forget your manners
- Bring bug spray, there are some vicious mosquitoes when the sunsets
- Bring your own sunscreen. The resort shop is crazy expensive.
- Sit back and relax. Sometimes we are so busy wanting to do more and see more we forget that Excellence is meant for YOU to sit back and enjoy paradise
- There is Wi-Fi so IF you need to check email you can. The Excellence Club Lounge has the fastest connection.
