Tortuga Bay Rating: 5.0 Pearls

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Bamboo restaurant

What's it like to sleep in fashion icon Oscar de la Renta's bedroom? Take a cocktail in his living room? Or sun on his patio? Staying at Tortuga Bay is the closest most people will get to knowing what it's really like since De la Renta designed the entire property. If the resort is any indication, the answer is that it's posh, yet profoundly relaxing.

Of course, since Tortuga Bay is a hotel, unlike De La Renta's house just down the road, all this luxury comes at a price -- a high price. Those willing to fork over upwards of $1,300 per night for the chance to stay at this luxe 15-room resort will be treated to amazing views, beautiful rooms, and perhaps the best service found anywhere on the island of Hispaniola.

Tortuga Bay is the crown jewel in the larger Punta Cana Resort and Club development, which also includes the Punta Cana Hotel. The swank development is a far cry from Puerto Plata or other hotels in nearby Punta Cana. It's common to see new Mercedes and Hummers rolling down the lush lanes or parked in front of the golf club. Guests can walk the small property in a matter of minutes, but each room also comes with its own golf carts, so you can drive to the pool in just a few seconds or take advantage of the eco-park, the golf course, or miles of secluded beach.

Desk staff

Service has to be good at a hotel this expensive, right? Well, not always, but at Tortuga the service really does deliver. Staff members quickly get to know guests by name: "Can I get you a drink, Mr. P--?"; "How are you, Mr. P--?" The evening turndown service includes a bath drawn with floating rose petals and tea candles lit around the Jacuzzi and two tasty truffles on the bed. And guests never have to wait for service -- both the beach and the pool have an attentive wait staff and every guest room comes with a pre-programmed cell phone so that you can call your "villa manager" or order room service at any hour. And, of course, the presentation is impressive.

View on a Larger Map

Unlike other Dominican resorts, Tortuga offers VIP transfer services from the airport -- much more than just a shuttle drop-off. Prior to departure, guests get VIP access through the Punta Cana airport, which includes priority access during ticketing, private (read: much faster) security clearance, and priority placement in customs. The whole process wraps up in a VIP lounge, where guests wait until their plane boards. A Tortuga agent then accompanies guests to the front of the line to board the plane. Total time from resort to VIP waiting room is about 30 minutes -- about half what it would normally take.

The beach

Located in Punta Cana, an area widely held as having the best beaches in the Dominican Republic, Tortuga's beach has calm, crystal-clear water and soft white sand.

There are plenty of lounge chairs and the attentive wait staff regularly check in with guests on the beach. For more seclusion, simply walk (or take a golf cart) a few hundred meters north, where palm trees offer shade and other guests are rare.

I have to respectfully disagree with the New York Times report that says, "Just beyond the shoreline, the precious sand gave way to a bottom so rocky and slippery as to make taking a dip genuinely unpleasant." True, the walk out on the beach is not all sand, but I had no problem finding some sandy bottom and going for a very nice dip. Compared to the Sivory or Agua on the southern tip of Punta Cana, the beach at Tortuga is far more inviting.

Balcony in the Junior Suite

The standard room at Tortuga is a one-bedroom, second-floor villa. Upgrades get you a Jacuzzi, then an additional bedroom all the way up to a four-bedroom villa. All of the rooms have the same tasteful and luxurious design. The major difference is between the first floor and the second: first-floor villas have terraces while second-floor villas have balconies (and a less likely chance of bugs in the room).

The rooms have very comfortable couches and chairs, and the beds are amazing -- four-poster frames with high-count Frette linens, soft pillows, and down comforters. For what it's worth, I felt that the mattresses even topped those on the much-praised Westin Heavenly beds. Put simply: a bed can not get any better.

Swinging doors in the living room open onto a large patio, and the doors can be locked to an open position. Each suite has a balcony or terrace, all of which have ocean views. The broad doors and windows allow the tropical air to pour in. There's also a powerful air-conditioning system that can cool down the room very quickly.

A 37-inch plasma flat-screen TV is positioned in the living room and in each bedroom. The TVs work well and get clear reception, and each TV gets about 80 channels, most of which are in English. There's no stereo to plug in an iPod, but there is a DVD player attached to the TV. There are no on-demand movies, but the front-desk staff can rent movies upon request.

Bathrooms are decked out with a coral floor, a deep Jacuzzi tub, a glass shower, a toilet, and a bidet. L'Occitane bath products -- moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, and soap -- are favorites among luxe hotels. Even a loofah is provided, for those in need of exfoliation, and soaking salts are set aside for the Jacuzzi.

Two small bottles of Fiji water come free with the room and are replaced twice daily -- once when the room is cleaned, and again during turn-down service. More bottles are available at the bar, but in a country where tap water is not potable, a little extra water in the room would be nice.

Rooms also come with a bicycle for guests to use, which is parked outside.

The pool

The pool is small compared to those at surrounding mega-resorts such as the Paradisus Palma Real or the Punta Cana Hotel. But that's precisely the point -- it's never crowded. The pool is quiet, and the waiters are super-attentive. The adjacent Jacuzzi hot tub, hidden in a lush corner beneath a trestle of flowers, is big enough for about six people.

The fitness center at Tortuga is also small, but it's fine for the size of the hotel. There are two treadmills, an elliptical machine, an exercise bike, free weights, and weight-training machines. A single flat-screen TV hangs above the window over the pool. The giant windows overlook the pool and allow in plenty of light.

Guests at Tortuga also have their own personal golf carts to use during their stay. This makes for easy access to the golf course, nature preserve, scuba diving center, pools, tennis courts, and the Six Senses Spa at the nearby Punta Cana Hotel property.

The full-service Six Senses Spa is located in the clubhouse. This spa and development company has several luxury resorts and spas throughout the world, and this is one of the D.R.'s best luxury spas. It focuses on natural products, administering treatments using its own signature line as well as Sodashi Skin Care from Australia. The spa features several large, clean, and modern facilities, including a sauna, a steam room, baths, and showers. There is also a separate outdoor section of the spa, complete with Jacuzzis, showers, and massage/treatment cabanas that overlook the ocean.

The 18-hole La Cana golf course at the Punta Cana Estates property, which surrounds Tortuga, was designed by Pete Dye. Fourteen of the 18 holes run along the ocean, and the course was written up in Golf Digest. Greens fees are $64 for nine holes and $105 for 18. There are also reduced afternoon rates for players who tee up after 2:30 p.m.

Two additional courses are currently under construction. Check the hotel's website for more information.

The eco-park

I spoke to one family who said that the hotel was incredibly accommodating for their children, even providing them with beach toys. Nearby, at the Punta Cana Resort and Club property (which Tortuga guests can easily access), there's an endless list of activities for kids, including a petting zoo, exploring the eco-park, sailing, tennis, and bike riding.

There is no kids club, but hotel staff say they are happy to prepare kid-friendly meals at varying times for couples with children -- i.e., earlier for the kids, later for the adults. As for the room, families can opt for two-, three-, or four-bedroom villas.

Rooms at Tortuga Bay are tended to quite intensely. Maids make up the room during the day, then tidy up again during turn-down. My room was spotless, minus one thing: Ants crawled around the table in the living room of my suite. But ants are common at any resort in the Caribbean.

Outside, the grounds are all well-maintained. Towels are left on lounge chairs early in the day, then retrieved at night.

A chocolate fountain

Tortuga Bay itself has just one restaurant on-site, Bamboo, though there are eight restaurants on the Punta Cana Resort and Club property, just a short golf cart ride away.

The food at Bamboo is very good, some of the best I've had in the D.R. and easily comparable to good restaurants in New York or Miami. For lunch, I had a prosciutto sandwich. The ingredients are fresh, and the food is amazing even by New York standards. Cuisine at Tortuga compares with that at Caso De Campo.

My stay coincided with Dominican Independence Day, so there was a special Dominican buffet set up for dinner. It included juicy suckling pig and an excellent Dominican stew with rice. For dessert, there was a chocolate fountain.

The surrounding Punta Cana Resort and Club has eight restaurants, which are open to all Tortuga guests. Meals at most restaurants can be expensive; lunches are likely to run at least $15, and dinners can easily top out above $100.

La Cana's free breakfast buffet is located next to the pool, and its large, open dining room faces the beach. The food selection is outstanding, and service is top-notch. Breakfast features a number of traditional Dominican dishes -- something that's strangely hard to find among Dominican resorts -- in addition to American and continental choices.

Franco's Pizzeria serves pizza from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Its location next to the pool makes it a popular place for lunch and afternoon snacks.

La Yola, next to the marina at the far west end of the beach, serves a Mediterranean and seafood-based lunch and dinner menu. The dining room is perched over the water and has a glass-floor viewing portal over the water. The nautical decor, complete with rusty anchors and antique diving gear, gives the dining area a lot of character.

La Choza is located on the beach just beyond the water sports and dive center. The location is scenic, but according to the guests I spoke to, the bar and grill food is disappointing.

La Cana Golf & Beach Club houses two restaurants: Cocoloba Restaurant and El Grill. Cocoloba serves nouveau Dominican cuisine for dinner. The intimate dining room is encased by tall French doors and windows and was designed by Oscar de la Renta. The chef prepares menu specials nightly, based on fresh ingredients in the kitchen, and is extremely accommodating to guest preferences, on or off the menu. El Grill serves American lunch fare like burgers, wraps, and salads with a tropical twist.

In the lobby building of the Punta Cana Hotel, Anani serves Dominican fare, and Mama Venezia serves Italian.

The bars and restaurants all serve a good selection of top-shelf liquor, like the notable selection of Glenmorangie single-malt Scotch at La Yola.

La Yola restaurant, a popular reception site

Unlike at the all-inclusive resorts, most wedding details are up to you -- a great advantage, if you want a personal touch and don't mind a little extra legwork. However, it is worth noting that while the Punta Cana Club hosts a number of weddings each year, Tortuga Bay, a 15-room boutique hotel within the greater Punta Cana Club development, does not. Basically, Tortuga Bay is an especially swanky place for a select few guests to stay while the Punta Cana Club hosts the actual wedding. Alternatively, guests can also stay at the more affordable (though still quite nice) Punta Cana Hotel, also a part of the Punta Cana Club development.

• Wedding Size: Up to 500 guests, depending on location

• Extra Fees: $500 ceremony fee (including certificate preparation); Location fees for both the ceremony and the reception range from $1,500 to $3,900.

• Reception Locations: All receptions are held outside the Tortuga Bay hotel, at one of the several restaurants on the greater Punta Cana Club development. Options include: The Club House (up to 500 people) for $3,900; La Yola restaurant (up to 100 people) for $2,000; Playa Blanca Restaurant (up to 100 people) for $2,900; La Cana restaurant (up to 100 people) for $1,500.

• Photographers and Videographers: The hotel can help you find and book an outside vendor at no extra fee; the hotel does not staff its own photographer or videographer.

• Music Options: The hotel will help you book a musician at no extra fee.

• Food and Drinks: Plated, sit-down dinners range from $45 to $48 and buffets range from $39 to $59 -- less than what food costs at some of the all-inclusives. Kids', vegetarian, kosher, or gluten-free menus available upon request. An open bar costs between $14 (for national) to $27 (for premium) per person, per hour.

• Cakes: The hotel does not offer its own cakes, but they can help guests make arrangements with a preferred bakery in the area.

• Spa Treatments: The Six Senses Spa, one of the best spas in the D.R., has a full menu of services and beauty treatments.

• Honeymoon Suite: Newlyweds usually stay in the Oceanfront Junior Suite, which has a Jacuzzi bath and a private deck.

• Airport Transportation: Free, for all hotel guests; for guests not staying at Tortuga Bay, a taxi from Punta Cana Airport costs about $35, round trip.