Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana

The first bit of advice we can offer is to not take the Punta Cana label too literally. It’s really just a matter of Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana sounding a bit more poetic than Zoëtry Agua Northeastern Dominican Republic. Punta Cana at least puts you in mind of a familiar place, but it’s very much to Zoëtry’s credit that it’s located not in the heart of the busy resort town, but a half hour or so up the coast — close enough for convenience’s sake but distant enough to get a genuine sense of seclusion.

You can see from the aerial shot that the freestanding villas are set back from the beach in two rows — the beach, in a sense, belongs to the resort’s common spaces, and the accommodations form something of a little village, flanking the pools, surrounded by palms and lush gardens. As for the living quarters, they’re something along the lines of contemporary-rustic, with all the comforts a honeymooning couple might require, say, but without overdoing it — sometimes the romantic atmosphere can be downright alienating to business guests forced to travel alone. Here the aesthetics take a neutral stance, so as to allow for a variety of uses.

Zoëtry’s service model is something akin to the all-inclusive model, but re-imagined for an upscale audience. Covered are room, board, drinks, a starter spa treatment and a “wellness consultation,” and a fair number of outings, including biking, snorkeling and kayaking. Of course any extensive use of the spa is handled on an à la carte basis, as are more involved activities like scuba, fishing or golf — but it’s a very welcome change from the “upcharge for everything” model that’s predominant at the high end of the market.

How to get there:
Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana is located 60 minutes from the Punta Cana Airport. Transfers can be arranged for US$80 for up to 2 guests.