Review: Hilton La Romana All Inclusive Resort

The adage “service with a smile” is an expected and well-known pillar of the hospitality industry. But at Hilton La Romana, an all-inclusive resort on the south coast of the Dominican Republic, the property team strives to provide “service from the heart.”

It may sound a little cheesy, but from personal experience, this motto really hits home. Staff use gestures to bring metaphors to life. When you pass a manager, someone on the concierge team, a landscaper or a restaurant worker, they make eye contact with you, smile, and gently touch your heart with the palm of their hand. their hands. A friendly “ola” or “buenas dias” may accompany the motion.

Additionally, due to the sheer number of staff members at Hilton La Romana, guests may experience such encounters more than a dozen times a day. By the end of my first day on set, I was copying the gesture myself. Simple? yes. Is there an easy way to make strangers feel welcome? Absolutely.

Mapping Hilton La Romana

Just a 50-minute drive from Punta Cana International Airport, Hilton La Romana’s best feature, after its lovely staff, is its private palm-lined beach and adjacent turquoise waters. Part of the island’s beloved Playa Bayahibe, lounge chairs in the shade of palapa trees abound here as well as swimmers and athletes. Many sea adventures depart from this beach, so visitors staying in bustling Punta Cana also come here for snorkeling tours, fishing charters, and more.

Just behind the sandy beach, the Hilton La Romana is lushly landscaped and carefully maintained. On my early morning walk, I saw staff trimming palm tree branches, mowing lawns, and trimming flowering shrubs. I was simply trying to beat the humidity and heat (which in August was a futile task, regardless of the time of day), but they managed to maintain a near-perfect grounds.

The resort has both an adults-only side (356 rooms and suites) and a family side (418 rooms and suites), connected by winding paths and covered hallways. Even though my own children were home, I still checked out the family area. There, a vast water park with rotating slides and lazy rivers provides great entertainment. There’s also the family-friendly Drift Away Spa, which offers indoor and beach massages, as well as hydrotherapy and other treatments. With six bars (including a poolside pizza palapa) and seven lounges, there are plenty of places for families to gather.

On the adults-only side, silence reigns. On a recent afternoon, aside from pop music playing in the Soleil Swim-Up Bar, most of the resort was peaceful, with couples lounging on the pool’s infinity edge (facing the ocean) and small groups relaxing. were relaxing and drinking in the reserved cabanas. Presidente beer. One night the resort held a quiet disco next to the lobby bar. Thanks to the headset, I didn’t disturb other guests at the dance party.

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As for dining, there are five restaurants and five bars and lounges on the adults-only side. Buffet restaurant Caova serves international cuisine, while Sakura serves pan-Asian cuisine (for a fresh meal, book a teppanyaki table at Sakura). Seafood dishes can be enjoyed at the beachside Mare Grill & Restaurant, while Mediterranean cuisine can be enjoyed at Noor. But my favorite venue was Chinola, where artfully grilled fish, delicate ceviches, and refreshing cocktails in hollowed out shinola (passion fruit) flowed freely. This outdoor Latin American grill feels the most authentic in the destination and is the first restaurant I return to when revisiting La Romana.

Enclave Categories

Following a resort-wide renovation in 2019, accommodations on both sides of the property are contemporary and comfortable, but the swim-out rooms and resort’s expansive 828-square-foot Enclave Suites are particularly impressive. Be sure to choose the Enclave category for your clients, regardless of the size of the room. An “elevated experience” within the resort, the Enclave includes services such as private check-in and check-out. Access to Enclave’s private pool and Enclave Beach area. You’ll also gain access to the blissful, air-conditioned Enclave Lounge, which offers a full-service bar and snack buffet throughout the day.

On-site event

With over 17,000 square feet of meeting space, Hilton La Romana welcomes meetings and business events of all sizes. Attendees will notice that the resort’s ‘service from the heart’ continues on these occasions. For example, during our event, inspired by scattered rain showers, staff were on hand with umbrellas and ready to escort us from one covered area to the next.

This facility is also excellent for weddings. Amazingly, an average of 270 weddings are held here each year, according to Angie Jimenez, sales manager for Playa Resorts (owner and operator of Hilton La Romana). Whether a client wants an intimate garden party or an ethereal themed soiree for 200 guests, La Romana has the creative team to make it happen.

But for some people, the bells and whistles aren’t that important. One afternoon on the beach at the Enclave, I struck up a conversation with Anna and Pete, a couple from the East Coast, and learned that this was their fifth time staying at La Romana in recent years. They love snorkeling just off the coast and dining around the resort, but what really warms their hearts is the service. While we were having a short conversation, an attendant arrived and called Anna’s name.

“See? They’re so nice and attentive,” Anna said. “That’s why we keep coming back.”