WAs a health-obsessed, tennis-obsessed millennial, when I heard that Grand Slam tennis champion Rafael Nadal was opening a “wellness hotel” on the eastern edge of the bustling Caribbean island of the Dominican Republic, I had to find out what was on offer there.
All-inclusive wellness vacations are on the rise in response to the modern desire to relax and recharge on vacation without letting go of your fitness habits. According to Accor’s 2025 Trend Forecast Report, searches for “workout vacation” have increased by 50% over the past year. But today’s new breed is quite different from the Mark Warner activities and watersports all-inclusives of family vacations a decade ago. Back then, it was all about planned fun, tennis lessons, and all-you-can-eat ice. cream.
Now, state-of-the-art spa treatments, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, padel courts, and other trendy activities are offered alongside frozen margaritas in a stylish setting. A small gym or spa is no longer enough.
Zel Punta Cana is a wellness hotel with a relaxing atmosphere
While some spa hotels offer a full program along with specialized longevity and medical treatments, the new Zel Punta Cana offers a more relaxing version of the wellness break. There is no strict juicing plan or bootcamp schedule. When I want to do pull-ups, when I don’t want to do pull-ups, I do pina coladas.
The hotel is the third opening by Nadal and Gabriel Esscaler, CEO of international hotel group Melia, and follows the opening of Zelle, a younger, cooler collection of hotels under the Melia brand. The first two hotels of this partnership, in Mallorca and Costa Brava, have already been successful.
This new resort offers everything you need for a typical Caribbean package vacation: reliable weather, beaches, pools, and complete relaxation, but also includes fitness activities. “It’s the best of both worlds: the sophisticated energy of Mediterranean hospitality, while embracing Punta Cana’s rich culture and tradition,” Nadal said.
It doesn’t take long to get used to Zell’s way of life. After a surprisingly easy journey (10 hours direct flight from London, 20 minutes with a layover), my partner Jonny and I are greeted by Alejandra, the trip’s personal concierge (one for each guest), in a grand terracotta-hued reception. She handed us a cold Presidente beer and asked us to exchange WhatsApp. Everything here is done via the app, including checking in and reserving meals and activities. Here’s the intention for a much-needed phone break.
Just wait for the fitness side of the Wellbeing Holiday. Within minutes, we’re enjoying the first of several mojitos at Zell’s Beach Club, sitting in front of the shimmering turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea and the 32 kilometers of pristine golden coast the region is known for.
Sidney Wilson in a hotel yoga studio
Johnny tries to distract me from the Monopoly Deals game by bombarding me with facts about the Dominican Republic. Did you know that the highest peak in the Caribbean, Pico Duarte (3,101 meters) is here? What about the largest lake, Enriquillo, and the oldest cathedral in the Americas, located in the capital Santo Domingo? It also has the largest gold mines and largest economy of the Caribbean islands.
We return to our room for a quick refreshment before dinner. The minibar is stocked daily with beer and salty snacks.
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All hotel rooms are suites with a chic design.
Like all of the hotel’s 190 rooms, our rooms are suites with a Mediterranean living room, walk-in wardrobe/bathroom, separate shower room and balcony with two-person whirlpool tub. Some rooms have swim-up rooms or connecting rooms. Our master suite overlooks nothing but palm trees. The decor is so chic that it feels like you’ve stepped directly into a Zara home. It’s all dusty pink walls, wood-beamed ceilings, striped soft furniture, and lots of ceramic and rattan.
When it comes to food, there are lots of options. Two of the more formal restaurants require reservations, including Nokyo, a Japanese-style restaurant. We offer delicious sushi and a “teppanyaki experience” where you sit around the chef’s table, throw knives, and sip sake. The other three restaurants are more casual, with separate wine, cocktail and coffee bars. Our first dinner was at the moody, dimly lit Asador Grill, the smarter Volcan, where we stuffed ourselves with delicious cocktails, smoky scallops, and charred hispi cabbage. Before dessert, the jet lag wore off and I had the best sleep I’ve had in a while.
Zell offers a jam-packed schedule with at least five activities per day from early morning until late evening, many of which can be enjoyed without a reservation. We have everything from in-studio beach runs and HIIT to pool classes. Due to a sports-related back injury, I’m hoping to incorporate a bit of mindfulness into this trip.
Sushi, sake and teppanyaki table
After a quick pedal around the grounds on the hotel’s bike, I decided to skip the aerial yoga for vinyasa in the luxurious indoor-outdoor studio. I’m immediately drawn to the swaying palm trees and cool marble floors. Other than the odd bite from a passing mosquito, it’s so calming that I sometimes return to the studio later in the week for hatha yoga and reflexology classes.
Breakfast at Parda is equally relaxing. Parda is an open-plan buffet restaurant in a large thatched rotunda with whitewashed walls, wooden furniture and marble floors, next to a teal-tiled pool bar with hanging textiles and swinging wicker shades.
One side is completely open, overlooking the pool and palm trees. On the other side is the kitchen, which serves a little bit of everything, from freshly made omelets to juicy tropical fruit.
Although the hotel is large, it is very spacious and has a relaxed atmosphere, never feeling busy. Multiple connected pools snake around the main area, making it easy to find a quiet spot to relax in a cabana away from other guests. You’re also not far from friendly pool bar staff looking to refill your Bloody Mary.
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There is a tennis court, gym, padel and pickleball opening soon.
The hotel has five tennis courts and a new tennis center with gym, plus padel and pickleball courts opening in September. At first I was disappointed that Nadal didn’t come onto the court to hit a few forehands, but I’m secretly relieved that, due to his injury, I had to sit to the side while Johnny enjoyed an hour-long lesson with his bemused instructor, Manuel. Normally I’d be the one to cross the net and break the winner, but I settle into the role of ball girl and promise Manuel that I’ll be back for the knock-up when my back feels better.
We have a long lunch in the shade of Tacorini, a restaurant by the pool. This restaurant’s quirky Mexican-Greek fusion cuisine, paired with fish tacos and gyros, is the perfect post-tennis meal.
Sidonie walking 10km along Bavaro Beach
For most of the afternoon, head to the pristine white sands of Bavaro Beach. From here, it’s a 10-minute stroll along a mangrove forest teeming with southern hycotea (freshwater turtles) and a shoreline (there’s also a shuttle bus) teeming with sunbathing iguanas.
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Beyond beaches and parties, the island also offers adventurous activities and culture.
Many visitors to the island visit Punta Cana just to party and sunbathe on the beautiful coastline, but the architecture of Santo Domingo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is well worth the visit. The island’s varied tropical landscape is perfect for adventures, whether it’s river canoeing or rafting, bird watching or caving, or hiking to the rugged national parks and waterfalls of the Central Range. If you love golf, there’s a top-notch 27-hole course nearby, and Melia guests receive 50 percent off green fees.
But Zel is the kind of hotel you’ll be happy to stay in, following a routine of your own design. We enjoy early morning activities, good food, and reading by the pool or beach. One afternoon we decided to take a smooth glide across the bay aboard the small catamaran Hobie Cat. As well as the usual water sports, there are also huge party boat day trips available. Zell also hosts a festival, with local artisans setting up their stalls and a night of live music and dancing. So I got a tarot reading.
On the morning of our return, we set off before sunrise and walk 10 kilometers east along the beach, passing the many resorts that line the coast. Eventually, the resorts disappear, leaving only wild palm trees and turquoise waters.
It costs money to use the spa, but it’s worth it
Arrive just before the sun scorches and soak in the Aua spa. This is one of those things that costs extra for guests (£37 entry fee), but is free if you pay for your treatment. Well worth our couples massage (£140) followed by a hot water therapy bath and cold plunge.
Hotel hydrotherapy pool
The friendly staff, who hail from both sides of the island – the French-speaking Haitian side and the Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic side – go above and beyond. They know when to throw a party and when to bring a chill vibe, like dancing to live music while sipping bottomless cocktails at Voltagé’s lobby bar.
These days, it’s hard to know exactly what constitutes a “wellness hotel.” Zell is more about relaxation than fitness and is by no means a medispa type of place. If they took my blood, they would find that I am 98 percent pina colada. But will I feel better once I leave? absolutely.
Sydney Wilson was a guest at Zel Punta Cana, which offers all-inclusive doubles from £217 (melia.com). Fly to Punta Cana
