Punta Cana Dominican Republic

This was our 6th year with Club Med Punta Cana, and what keeps us coming back is how seamlessly the resort continues to provide entertainment (and challenges!) for our kids as they grow. When our boys were younger, the Kids Club was the centerpiece of their day. Now at 11 and 14, they’ve transitioned fully into the activities - and nothing compares to the trapeze.

The trapeze is the highlight of every day for our family and the other 3 families that travel with us. It’s not just an activity, it’s a full family+friend event. We all gather to watch practices, and the goal is always to make the 5 o’clock “catch”—earned after two strong runs during the practice hour. It becomes this incredible, supportive environment where all the kids cheer each other on. The team is exceptional: Arkadii has been the leader for years and truly sets the tone. Catchers extraordinaire Frankeles and Jose, along with Roberto, Michael, Franchesca, and Gabriela, make up a group that is deeply invested in every child’s success. They encourage, teach, and console in equal measure. What stands out most is the continuity—Arkadii remembers families year after year, welcomes everyone back, and somehow picks up right where you left off. That kind of connection is rare.

Equally impressive this year was our experience with diving with Santiago. With recent PADI changes allowing kids 10+ to pursue Open Water certification, our 11-year-old was eager to join the ranks of his dad and older brother. We were a bit nervous, given his attention challenges. To ease in, both my son and I (53 yo) started with the “Discovery Experience” as a test, which went great, and we were able to dovetail that into the first day of the three days required for PADI Open Water certification. Santiago’s disposition is what made this seemingly insurmountable task not only doable, but genuinely fun. Santi had an intuitive sense for when my son’s attention was drifting and redirected him with the perfect balance of kindness and firmness - a skill on par with a seasoned elementary school teacher. The online PADI coursework is a bit of a lift (it took us about four hours total), but doing it poolside with a drink in hand makes it far more manageable. I was amazed that my 11-year-old was able to learn from the review sections and pass the test largely on his own -occasionally asking for help with the trickier math, but otherwise really owning the experience. We ended the week with a family dive for four, which was incredibly rewarding. For reference, the PADI Open Water certification is about $700 per person (lifetime certification), and guided dives are about $150 per person—we coordinated with family friends for a group of six.

Fantastic vacation week - couldn't recommend more highly

We have been going to Club Med Punta Cana for many years — when our adult children were young and we have gone more recently with them and their children (our four grandchildren). The Club has expanded and has been upgraded continuously over the years. The newest restaurant, El Mundo, has food stations from popular world cuisines. It’s a fabulous addition to the Hispaniola Restaurant that was recently expanded with a large area for waterfront seating. The added water park is fun for all ages, with areas for adults, teens, children and separate water slides for the toddlers. The yoga program under Luca is excellent with three different yoga sessions a day. He is a superior teacher who encourages all levels of experience and adapts to make each person’s practice more beneficial tailored to their abilities. The archery coach is also terrific. The beach is always great with white sand and clear blue Caribbean waters. We are planning next year’s trip already.

Perfect formula for a family with teenagers:
great variety of sports options and events,
friendly evening animation
Time passes too quickly!

My daughter and I came back to this club med for the ninth or tenth times in 17 years for a reason: we have always enjoyed the the beauty of the location and the many options you have in terms of sports, childcare and food. We still had a wonderful time, especially because of the great tennis program: daily clinic, fun tournaments, great instructors (shout out to Javier, Germain, Alvaro and of course Ramon, who has been THE tennis staple since we started coming).

The one downside is that the food options/quality continue to go downhill year after year (more or less correlates with the change of ownership), the club really appears to go after cost savings. For example, there used to be proper fresh baked French bread, croissants that…tasted like they just came out of an authentic French bakery. Now the bread is meh at best and the croissant and paint au chocolat are soft, spongy and tasteless. Also use to have proper sushi options…

Other food options have really gone downhill too, used to serve awesome banana milk shakes, have chocolate fondue night, etc…. All gone.

That’s a shame because they made some nice upgrades to the restaurant in terms of design, but unfortunately not the food….

The service is also touch and go. Some very kind and attentive staff members, but also a handful who don’t look like they want to be there and that you are clearly bothering them when asking for help.

I have continued to come back time and time again because of the excellent childcare program and many sports options, but now that my children are older, I might reconsider due to the slow but real decline in quality of food and sometime service.

The best part of the club was Sharif and the Team at the Watersports. The team and their leader Sharif are calm patient and deal with every level of experience in a professional and polite way. The club itself and all the GM Teams were great, accommodations and activities super. The one excursion we went on was super. My only suggestion would be go get a bank machine on the premise or to have somewhere where money can be exchanged. I have been to over 12 club meds, I need to say one of my favorite was here.