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W Hotels is officially entering the all-inclusive space. But the brand isn’t just joining the category, it’s rewriting the rules, literally. With the grand opening of W Punta Cana, the 26-year-old lifestyle hotel giant is reinventing a category long synonymous with wristbands and buffet lines into something more design-driven and wellness-focused.
For George Fleck, senior vice president and brand leader at W Hotels, the move is a natural evolution of the brand and an overdue answer to what young travelers are actually looking for in this model.
“All-inclusives have always been known for ‘all you can eat, all you can drink,'” Fleck told Variety. “But today, people value the freedom to focus on the experience itself. They don’t have to worry about signing a check or feeling forced into entertainment they didn’t choose. It’s almost cheeky to grab a drink or a snack without thinking. It’s the ultimate freedom to design your own trip.”
Located between the lush jungles and deep blue coastline of Punta Cana, this new-build resort serves as W’s global entry point into this segment. Developed in partnership with Grupo Puntacana and MAC Hotels, this adults-only property features 340 rooms and suites starting at 700 square feet, all with king-sized beds and bathtubs. 46 suites have swim-ups, and several have full private pools, a rarity on the island.
For Fleck, choosing Punta Cana was strategic. “The destination is already known for being great and all-inclusive,” he says. “We wanted to place our first proof point in a market where travelers understand the category and where we can show them a completely different side of it.”
Rather than the typical wristband and mega-buffet experience, W Punta Cana unfolds more like a modern open-air village. Spain’s Zanobia Arquitectura infused the site with Dominican textures, including Larimar blue, tobacco-toned wood, and a nod to colonial architecture and native fauna, while keeping the density intentionally low. Winding jungle paths, native plants, and hidden pockets of privacy divide the 340-room property into a boutique enclave.
“The biggest learning for us is that people don’t want to feel overstimulated,” Fleck says. “You don’t have to DJ by the pool all day. You don’t have to all eat in the same big dining room. Luxury doesn’t mean constant entertainment, it means choice.”
To celebrate its launch this past weekend, W Punta Cana hosted dozens of talent across media, fashion and lifestyle as guests to experience the resort (pictured below).
Matt Borkowski/BFA.com
Matt Borkowski/BFA.com
Matt Borkowski/BFA.com
That philosophy has shaped the resort’s 12 restaurants, bars and lounges. On any given night, guests can sit with 30 other people at the Pan-Asian Noodle Bar. Then, you can book a candlelit à la carte dinner featuring freshly caught fish at a beachfront club. Trade Market, the island’s new food hall concept, offers a globally inspired street food counter, while Scheana elevates Caribbean-influenced flavors.
Meanwhile, the AWAY Spa features a steam room, sauna, Himalayan salt room and impressive indoor pool, while sunrise yoga and restorative rituals take advantage of Punta Cana’s natural surroundings. The 1,500-square-foot FIT gym is open seven days a week, and Fleck says millennial and Gen Z travelers (especially) are increasingly prioritizing daily life, even on vacation.
“Traveling can be incredibly liberating when you know you have variety and options. You can go big, you can take it slow, you can drift between different experiences. What’s important is that you have the freedom to live in the moment,” says Fleck.
