Punta Cana Paradise
My primary base is in the Midwest so by February I'm usually completely over winter (Suck it old man). As such, I like to plan a warm weather getaway around this time and this year Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic won out.
I've visited Punta Cana in the past, but this was my first trip with my significant other so we decided to live it up a bit and stay at the 5 star Majestic Mirage hotel with a swim up suite.
The trip began great with an early morning flight, no issues and some great new snacks on our Delta voyage. And yep I did drink Prosecco at 11AM, cause #vacation. I mean it's basically a mimosa sans OJ. If you follow me, you know Delta is my airline of choice since they give me perks with my Gold Status.
After a morning in the spacious and well equipped gym, we spent our first day lounging on the beach and enjoying the great cocktails as a part of our all-inclusive. Lots of fun activities at the resort including a Friday foam party. I haven't done a foam party since college so the nostalgia was a blast. Check the footage, I was getting covered in what looked to be Joy dish soap.
The beach was calling, but we did want to get off of the resort so the next day was spent doing Motorsports Dominican style! Riding ATV's and dune buggies through the Dominican rural roads was a lot of fun and very messy since a rainstorm earlier that day had led to puddles. Sooooo I thought my eclecticism extended to trying out new and exciting motor vehicles, but nah. I was downgraded from the ATV to the dune buggy based on my lack of impressing the tour guide with my handling skills. I still think 5-10 more minutes of practice and I would have gotten it, but I digress. So I rolled Mad Max style through a couple of tourists traps stopping at the Cenote Cave and the beautiful Macao Beach. This is a great place to check out if you want to see the locals.
When we arrived at our hotel the Majestic Mirage, I was thinking this is huge, but looks a bit dated. The hotel is a part of a 3 brand complex but is the newest in the franchise. Upon exiting our shuttle (shout out to Dominican Airport Transfers for great service) the Majestic is gorgeous! Check-in was a breeze and included a welcome drink and cool towel. We sprung for the Mirage club and all I can say is it's worth it.
You're treated like royalty from the moment you step on the property and given a butler to take care of your every whim. Our butler, Jacobs was top notch and even included special birthday touches since my husband and I were both celebrating. I booked through Desired Destinations 4 U and received additional benefits through a program called "My Time" as a result. We had a small issue with our room safe, but it was fixed promptly. Our room was huge! I mean seriously, I think it was bigger than my first apartment. Jacuzzi, double shower, 2 bathrooms what more could you ask for?
That evening we tried our first full on property restaurant and while I wasn't super impressed with the Don Juana steakhouse, it was at least decent. However, that night I discovered the martini bar and all I can say is oh...my..gawd! ***in my Janice from Friends voice*** Possibly the best martini's I've ever had in my life! The bartender can mix ANYTHING and you don't taste it. My favorite was the chocolate martini which became my dessert every evening.
Dinner that evening was at an Italian restaurant on the hotel property that was very good, honestly quality gnocchi. After, I tested my luck in the onsite casino (spoiler alert I lost $20) and danced the night away at the onsite disco.
The next morning was met with a monsoon! It cleared up pretty fast as tropical storms do, but was enough to wash us off of the beach. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and exploring the Majestic properties that are all interconnected in a huge complex. The Colonial is the most family friendly of the 3 and seemed to have the most activity while the Elegance offered just what its name implied. That evening we enjoyed a traditional Japanese hibachi style dinner that was both entertaining and delicious.
We ventured off property to Imagine, which is one of Punta Cana's largest nightclubs and definitely geared toward a younger crowd. The place is super unique in that it's built inside of a cave. It looks like it may be a mix of manmade and natural materials, but it gives a club experience like none I've ever had. At first it had a very "From Dusk Til Dawn” (watch the movie if you haven't) type of feel, but after enjoying the premium bar for a bit I got over it. The club is separated into 3 different areas depending on how much you're willing to spend and includes a private party area as well. It goes until 3 with roundtrip transportation provided from most hotels as a part of the tour package.
Sadly, the next morning it was time to head out after absorbing as much sun as the day would allow to hold me over until summer appears (or my next adventure!)
