Excellence Punta Cana Rating: 4.0 Pearls

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The hotel grounds

Catering mostly to couples, the 446-room, adults-only resort is a pretty solid choice for honeymoons and anniversaries. On arrival guests are greeted with a glass of bubbly and a chilled towel, setting the tone for the rest of the trip. This is a place for adults who value luxe amenities but without the extensive or doting service one would find at more exclusive establishments. Though the staff will stretch a ribbon over your door to announce your visit's occasion, so that's something.

During the day, the giant pool is quiet and filled with more guests reading than pounding beers (the latter is the case at most all-inclusives). At night, most guests gather around the martini bar, or hang out on the overstuffed chairs watching the evening entertainment, which ranges from dance lessons to bingo. After the bar closes, most guests head to the resort's nightclub.

View on a Larger Map

Excellence Punta Cana is about an hour from the airport, but depending on your driver it could take upwards of 90 minutes to get to the hotel. Once there, there's not a whole lot to do off-property, so get comfortable.

Rough seas before a storm

This beach has great potential. It's wide and the sand is soft, but occassional high winds (especially during the winter months) are not great for lounging or swimming because the swell kicks up. Excellence Punta Cana is on the eastern-most edge of the D.R.,where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean, so resorts farther south tend to have warmer and clearer water, while the resorts to the north tend to have more waves and less clear water, depending on conditions.

The Excellence Suite

All rooms are clean and fairly large. Most rooms are meant for two people, though the hotel does have 228 suites that can accommodate three people. Large, red clay pots separate the Jacuzzi and the bedroom. But the lamps don't provide anything but mood-lighting by night, so reading in the room after dark may be difficult. The four-poster bed is comfortable, especially by all-inclusive standards. There are four pillows and a heavy blanket, plus a pillow-top mattress. It is just shy of the famous Westin beds (found elsewhere in the U.S. and the Caribbean, but not the D.R.). The balcony-patio includes a small lawn with a hammock. There's not much of a view, but the hammock and small grassy area makes up for it.

Refurbishments in 2011 brought upgraded decor to the Excellence Club rooms, which is an exclusive area in which guests enjoy premium minibars and in-room amenities, as well as a private lounge and preferred locations throughout the resort. While not entirely worth the splurge, the upgraded rooms do have pleasant, more modern decor for those interested. The four-posters and more traditional design of regular suites are just as appealing. Also in 2011, the hotel added four new honeymoon suites, which feature large terraces, outdoor whirlpools, kind beds and ocean views.

• More toiletries than found at most all-inclusives (such as Q-tips and shaving cream)
• Jacuzzi tub and standing shower
• Well-stocked minibar, better than at a lot of all-inclusives in the D.R., but no hard booze

The casino

As the beach here is less thrilling than most beaches in Punta Cana, it's no surprise that most guests prefer the long, meandering pool that snakes around the restaurants, the first-floor rooms, and the swim-up bar. There are also plenty of daybeds and lounge chairs. And even though it was windy on the beach, around the pool it was calm, sunny and warm.

Excellence is also home to the Miile spa. Featuring a beauty center as well as wellness treatment, hydrotherapy facilities, saunas and plunge pools to name a few, the spa is one of the best in the D.R. There's also yoga classes and a fitness center with cardio machines. Check out the hotel's spa website for more information.

There is also a small casino on site.

This is an adults-only resort, and guests must be 18 or older. For a more kid-friendly hotel in Punta Cana, check out the Majestic Elegance or the Riu Palace Macao.

The rooms at Excellence are immaculate. There are no signs of wear and tear and the rooms are perfectly clean. Outside, workers can constantly be seen at work and the ground looks well-kept. Staff inside is also always fluffing pillows on the couches in the lobby or arranging furniture.

The buffet

The dinner buffet is better than at most resorts in the Dominican Republic, but that doesn't mean the food is actually good. Expect decent fare but nothing special or exciting.

There are a lot of a la carte dining options as well, including Asian fusion (Spice), Mediterranean (Barcelona), Mexican (Agave), French Chez Isabelle, steakhouse The Grill, seafood The Lobster House, Italian Toscana, and pizza and such at Oregano, as well as the beachside Las Olas. None of the restaurants require reservations, though some (like Chez Isabelle and The Grill) have dress codes.

Finding a well-mixed martini in the Dominican Republic is usually a fruitless exercise, but not at Excellence. There's actually a martini bar. Name-brand booze is included in the all-inclusive package.