A City Made for You

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Cap Cana Takes Tourism to a New Scale

An entire city devoted to tourism? That would be Cap Cana, which has made a name for itself as a “ciudad destino,” or destination city, in the Dominican Republic. Our visit was marked by all the staples of a Caribbean vacation: dreamy white sand beaches, cerulean waves, and swaying palm trees. But even more impressive is the city itself, which features 11 resorts, a marina, two Jack Nicklaus- designed golf courses, water and adventure parks, and myriad dining options. It even hosts an international school for families who want to make Cap Cana their permanent home.

Though there are plenty of family-friendly activities to enjoy (the El Dorado Water Park, for one), our stay was more geared toward adult relaxation: a chance to get away from work and drink fruity cocktails by the pool. To that end, we stayed at the Sanctuary Cap Cana, an all-inclusive adults-only Marriott hotel that resembles a colonial Spanish castle with arched windows, domed roofs, and orange stucco walls. Our suite featured an outdoor bathtub on the ocean-front balcony and came with 24-hour room service and a loaded mini fridge.

As all good tropical vacations go, we spent most of our time by the pool or on the beach. Our most strenuous activity was a visit to the nearby Punta Espada Golf Club, where we got in a few swings and watched some of the pros play for the Cap Cana Golf Cup. After all that hard work, of course, we had to treat ourselves to an afternoon at the spa.

Sanctuary’s spa menu runs the gamut from traditional massages to more innovative treatments, including an hour of hydrotherapy with each appointment. Our therapist walked us through four steps, beginning with a few minutes in the steam room (very pleasant), then a cold plunge (not very pleasant), followed by a sauna session and hot tub (very, very pleasant after the icy plunge). With a few minutes to spare before the body scrub and massage treatment we had picked, we spent the remainder of our time in the outdoor Zen garden on a heated chair, watching butterflies skirt around the bamboo leaves.

Having achieved the kind of relaxation you can only get when your phone is locked away and silenced, we were perfectly happy to then be scrubbed down with a gritty green tea mixture and massaged with bamboo sticks – a strange but soothing experience.

Though many of our meals revolved around the surprisingly good buffet-style offerings at Casa Bella, the property’s main restaurant, we did venture out for a few dinners. Our favorite on-property was Wok, an Asian-Caribbean fusion with an omakase experience available upon request (and for a $165 upcharge). Happily, Sanctuary also has its own “town” that includes offerings outside of the all-inclusive resort, including bars, dining options, and shops. We made a pit stop at the international beer bar and grabbed a burger in town when we weren’t feeling up to dressing for one of the nicer restaurants on property.

Left: Outside the hotel spa treatment room
Right: The all inclusive resort occupies a long stretch of one of the dr’s best beaches

The convenience of having everything within walking distance or a short drive is another element that sets Cap Cana apart from other destinations. Everything here is not only catered to tourists, but made specifically with them in mind, with a range of prices that can work for most everyone. (Next time, we’ll try the St. Regis’ wine-paired dinner experience).

Sanctuary Cap Cana
Boulevard zona hotelera
Playa juanillo, punta cana, dr
888.784.0547 (guest reservations)