My recent stay at Finest Punta Cana, the newest resort under The Excellence Collection brand in the Dominican Republic, changed all my assumptions about all-inclusive resorts. In my experience, staying at an all-inclusive resort usually requires some sacrifices. Family-oriented all-inclusive resorts often have large crowds, noisy restaurants, and splashes at the pool. Adults-only all-inclusive resorts solve these issues, but you can’t bring kids. And more affordable all-inclusive resorts often have lower quality food, worse service, and fewer amenities.
But Finest Punta Cana sacrifices nothing. Opening in October 2021, this stunning luxury resort welcomes families but also has an adults-only section. Every meal I had was memorable and delicious. All the staff were friendly and polite. The kids club was the biggest and best I’ve seen. Despite being at nearly 80% capacity, the resort never felt crowded. And the best part? Finest Punta Cana offers better value than many luxury resorts, not to mention that food, drinks, and most activities are included in the room rate.
Read my full review of my new favorite resort, Finest Punta Cana For more family vacation ideas in the Caribbean, check out my Caribbean Family Travel Guide and my list of the best all-inclusive resorts for families.
Upon entering the lobby, I was immediately struck by how sophisticated, modern and luxurious the resort was, despite being a family-friendly resort. In that sense, Finest Punta Cana is a luxury resort that seamlessly blends the best of both worlds while also offering plenty of fun and kid-friendly amenities.
The resort grounds were also clean and beautiful, with lush palm trees, the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen, a lake, and even flamingos. I was constantly amazed at how laid back the resort atmosphere was and how never crowded it felt, even though it was nearly 80% full. Finest Punta Cana was spacious and never felt cramped. There was no rushing to the pool at dawn to fight for a chair, no fighting for a spot on the beach, no waiting for activities or a table at a restaurant. It was a wonderful experience.
I also loved how high-tech the rooms at Finest Punta Cana were. I’m notorious for forgetting to put the “Do Not Disturb” sign on my hotel door handles, but I loved that there was a sensor outside the door that allowed the staff to see if we were in the room. We could also turn on the “Do Not Disturb” sign with the push of a button. The rooms had high-tech lighting and air conditioning, which made it comfortable. After room service, we just put our dishes in the little cupboard in front of the room and the staff came to collect them.
Speaking of the staff, they were all amazing. From the waiters in the restaurant to the bartenders to the beach attendants, everyone did their best to make our stay memorable. One of the beach attendants, Ramon, even prepared a romantic spot for us, with chilled champagne and messages made out of colored sand.
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Some family suites come with their own private pool.
The best accommodation in Punta Cana
I have three kids, and it’s nearly impossible to squeeze a family of five into a standard hotel room. But Finest Punta Cana is an all-suite resort, so there’s plenty of space for the family to stretch out. I was amazed when I saw the gorgeous, modern family suites. They’re 950 square feet and include a king-size bed, a queen-size sofa bed, a separate bedroom with two twin beds, a large bathroom with a rain shower, a Jacuzzi, and a huge walk-in closet. Some family suites even have their own private pool.
Families can enjoy even more luxury by booking the Finest Club Family Suite, which comes with special touches such as Bvlgari bath products and an upgraded minibar, as well as access to all the Finest Club amenities, including private check-in and check-out and an exclusive lounge and restaurant for Finest Club guests.
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Enjoy the tranquility and turquoise waters of Finest Punta Cana’s beaches.
Child-Friendly Amenities at Finest Punta Cana
1. Pool and beach
Finest Punta Cana has plenty of pools. The huge main pool has a giant structure (think inflatable jumping pillow) that’s constantly spraying water. There’s also a shallow pool with a smaller water-jet structure for little ones, and a pool exclusively for Finest Club and Excellence Club guests. There are plenty of poolside activities like bingo, and poolside food and drink service.
The resort’s beach has beautiful, crystal-clear turquoise waters, plenty of plush lounge chairs under thatched umbrellas, and friendly staff happy to assist with your every need, from towels to pillows to food and drinks. Water sports like kayaking and snorkeling are included in the rate.
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Imagine Kids Club features its own mini water park. Photo courtesy of the resort.
2. Imagine Kids Club
As I mentioned, the Imagine Kids Club at Finest Punta Cana is the biggest and most amazing kids club I’ve ever seen, with separate areas for infants, kids ages 3-6, and kids ages 7-11. While infants and toddlers must be accompanied by an adult, older kids can be left to have fun all day with supervised activities like arts and crafts, costume parties, treasure hunts, and team sports.
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The climbing structure is one of many indoor activities at Imagine Kids Club.
There are a lot of facilities such as splash pools, mini water parks, video game areas, climbing facilities, fun labs where kids can experiment, mini buffets, etc. I feel like I want to be a kid again and play there!
Finest Punta Cana also has three Imagine Lounges near its restaurants, where parents can leave their potty-trained children (ages 3 and up) in the supervised play area while they enjoy a peaceful meal.
3. One Spa
Finest Punta Cana’s on-site spa, ONE Spa, is truly amazing, transporting guests to a world of relaxation and tranquility. My husband and I had a fantastic couples massage that started with breathing exercises and ended with tea time on a rocking bed. The massage itself was amazing. ONE Spa also offers many other treatments, including hydrotherapy, facials, and nail services.
There’s no need to leave the kids behind while you get pampered at the Imagine Kids Club. One Spa offers a range of treatments just for kids and families. There’s a cute beauty salon with little chairs and a family treatment room that can accommodate up to four people. Kids can enjoy facials, massages, manicures, pedicures, hair styling and more. There’s also a small toy room where kids can play while waiting for the adult treatments to finish.
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Enjoy nightly live entertainment, including Michael Jackson shows.
4. Increase activities the whole family can enjoy
Finest Punta Cana offers a ton of activities for kids and families. We recommend downloading the Excellence Collection app to help you keep track of your activities. Throughout the day, there are a variety of activities, including beachside painting and dance classes, workout classes both outdoors and in the large fitness center, archery, tennis clinics, beach games, crafts and more. Every evening there is live entertainment for the whole family. During our stay, we saw an amazing Michael Jackson and circus-style circus show, a Beatles tribute band, a light show, a pirate party and more. You’ll never get bored at Finest Punta Cana.
5. Baby care amenities
When my kids were babies, the last thing I liked about traveling was packing them up. When you travel with your baby to Finest Punta Cana, you won’t have to do that. The resort offers cribs, baby baths, high chairs, baby monitors, bottle warmers, sterilizers, and they even make homemade purees upon request.
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Dommo’s tomahawk steak is excellent.
Dining at Finest Punta Cana
Finest Punta Cana features 10 amazing restaurants, a massive buffet, 3 food trucks, a beach snack grill, and 3 take-out stations. Needless to say, you won’t go hungry. You won’t have a bad meal. The Market Kitchen buffet features one of the largest food presentations I’ve ever seen, and even a kid-only station. My husband and I can’t rave enough about the teppanyaki dinner at Shoji, the adult-only Japanese restaurant; the mouthwatering Tomahawk steak at Dommo, the adult-only restaurant (for Excellence Club guests); the amazing breakfast at Gusto, the adult-only French restaurant (for Finest Club guests); and the unforgettable salmon dinner at Le Petit Plaisir, the adult-only French restaurant. My husband also loved his Cuban sandwich from La Cocinita food truck.
Finest Punta Cana also offers other great restaurants that are not just for adults and Finest/Excellence Club guests, including Mexican restaurant Lizo, Pan-Asian Melting Pot (where you can enjoy live cooking shows and dine at an interactive barbecue table), Brass Steakhouse, Duke’s Lobster & Seafood, Italian restaurant Insieme Trattoria, and Las Dunas Beach House for casual dining on the sand. Most restaurants don’t take reservations, but guests didn’t seem to have a problem getting a table during our stay.
My husband and I also had a blast at Legends, a 50s-style kids’ sports bar with casual fare and a pool table. We went to karaoke night, where kids and adults alike had a great time taking turns singing on the microphone.
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Kids will love Finest Punta Cana’s unique tropical-themed play area.
Would I recommend Finest Punta Cana for families?
The answer is yes. 1,000% yes. In fact, my husband and I are already planning a return visit to Finest Punta Cana with our kids. We love the combination of all-inclusive convenience (no need to carry a credit card) with the luxury of a high-end resort. Finest Punta Cana has everything a family could want in a Caribbean vacation: beautiful beaches, fun pools, a fantastic kids’ club, a top-notch spa, great food and drinks, and kid-friendly activities and entertainment. It’s the perfect mix of relaxation and fun, and we’re sure to create memories your family will cherish forever.
In fact, I would recommend any of the Excellence Collection all-inclusive resorts (I also toured two others while in Punta Cana), which include Finest Playa Mujeres for families, Excellence Playa Mujeres, Riviera Cancun, El Carmen, and Oyster Bay for adults, and Beloved Playa Mujeres for couples.
Photos by the author unless otherwise noted.
