Eden Roc at Cap Cana

The first rule of life in Eden, or at Eden Roc, at least: everyone gets a golf cart and a swimming pool. Eden Roc at Cap Cana is a land of plenty, no doubt about that, its thirty-four stand-alone suites all private, all enormous and all within range of the sorts of facilities that sound like they belong to a much larger resort. Set at the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, within a well-manicured 30,000-acre beachfront enclave, the resort feels like a world apart, one made entirely of leisure — and in impeccable good taste.

The interiors of those enormous suites, inspired by the style of the Italian and French rivieras, come courtesy of the Milanese designers Carlo Belgir and Marina Nova. Each tucked discreetly amidst gardens of flowering tropical plants, they’re like havens within a haven, with goose-down this and marble that, plus all the docks and ports and speakers and screens that you could ever possibly want.

Outside, the beaches look like spilled plane-loads of confectioner’s sugar, piles of soft white sand between the Caribbean on one side and a landscape of swaying palms and placid lagoons on the other. A round of golf makes for a good excuse to take in the scenery — the nearest Jack Nicklaus course wending along the water past beaches and cliffs and waterfalls. We could count all the restaurants and bars, extoll the extensiveness of the spa menu, and list the many, many activities on offer, but suffice to say you’ll be spoiled for choice. And as for the kids, they’ll be just plain spoiled; the kids’ club, with a play area, a video gaming center and even a mini spa of its own, is like a little resort unto itself.


How to get there: The hotel is about a 10-minute drive from the Punta Cana airport. Roundtrip transfers are included in the room-rate.