Excellence Punta Cana – All Inclusive Review

Hello! My wife and I are waiting at the airport now to fly back from our honeymoon stay at Excellence Punta Cana. I figured writing a review of everything could be beneficial for anyone considering staying here.

Overall, we really enjoyed our stay here and would recommend it to anyone, with a few things to keep in mind before choosing to visit the Dominican Republic.

Location: The location of the resort was perfect. It sits right on the beach with easy access to the ocean.

Room: Our room was gorgeous. We did the Honeymoon Club Level Suite with Ocean View. It overlooked the ocean as well as the private pool that was for Excellence Club visitors only. The king size bed was comfortable, it had 2 bathrooms, was very spacious, and had a jacuzzi tub (we didn't use this). My only gripe with the room was how humid it was. Our A/C capped at 68 degrees, which definitely didn't feel like the 68 degrees we were used to back in Chicago. Our room came with a mini fridge and bar that was all included and refilled daily. Both living area and bedroom had massive TVs, with okay quality display. No fans in the room, so be prepared.

Food: The food overall was good. We ate at every restaurant except the French one and overall didn't have any complaints. Food is generally undercooked so ask for it cooked a level higher than you actually want. It is all inclusive so feel free to order literally whatever you want. The breakfast brunch was just okay – generally what I'd expect from an all inclusive brunch. Lunch foods were also okay – generally they would walk around the pool/Beach area offering mini pizzas, burgers and fries. Las Olas is an outdoor buffet lunch spot that was slightly sus, we only ate there once and it just didn't feel super sanitary given the heat. Room service foods are typical for what you'd expect, nothing crazy but not terrible. At The Grill, I had Flank Steak with Mashed potatoes and corn, which was phenomenal imo. At Agave, I had beef and chicken fajitas, which was also delicious. At Oregano, I had the baked lasagna, which was good. Lastly, at Lobster House, I had the surf and turf, which was great.

Drinks: My wife and I surpringly drank way less than we anticipated. This was mostly due to how hot it was – we felt the need to stay hydrated more than anything and be smart about it. The frozen drinks were delicious, the mixed drinks were hit or miss. Overall there's a wide variety of different drinks you can order throughout the different bars at the resort.

Entertainment: It was cheesy but we didn't necessarily expect anything more. The shows included a Domican Energy Show (fun), a magic show (fun but dead crowd), circus show (basically gymnasts), Beatles tribute (awful), international show (kinda boring), rock band (super cheesy but fun), country band (same as rock band), and occasional karaoke. There was supposed to be a Gypsy King show one night but it was cancelled. Overall there was always something going on at night which was all that mattered.

Daily Activities: There were tons of daily activites, such as Texas Hold em, bingo, mini golf, etc. We didn't participate in much so can't speak to the quality, but there was always stuff to do.

Pool: The pool was slightly underwhelming, simply because the water was not very cold. At times it could almost be described as warm. With that said, the main pool was massive, and the two private pools for Excellence Club members were very spacious and quiet.

Beach: The beach was wonderful. There were plenty of shaded areas with places to lay down, put your drinks, etc. The breeze coming off the ocean was fantastic and key to us keeping cool. The ocean was only open about 4/7 days due to choppy waves, but when it was open, it was super refreshing and fun. The water was cold, the waves were fun to ride, and overall we had a blast here.

Service: Service was absolutely excellent. From the bellhops to the servers, entertainment staff and bartenders, everyone was fun and super friendly. Cleaning service for the rooms was good as well.

Spa: We paid for a couples massage (was 30% off) and it was absolutely incredible. It was my first massage and was the highlight of the trip. Very relaxing, very professional, very worth it!

Overall, we recommend it for sure. Just be prepared to be hot 24/7 (unless in a restaurant with AC)!

I know this is poorly formatted, I will update the formatting when I get access to my computer.

Let me know if you have any questions!