{"id":26885,"date":"2026-03-16T19:35:33","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T19:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.verylvke.com\/en\/?p=26885"},"modified":"2026-03-16T19:35:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T19:35:34","slug":"my-review-of-westin-punta-cana-paradisus-palma-real","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.verylvke.com\/en\/2026\/03\/16\/my-review-of-westin-punta-cana-paradisus-palma-real\/","title":{"rendered":"My review of Westin Punta Cana & Paradisus Palma Real"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We landed safely in Punta Cana on British Airways World Traveller Plus<\/a>! It was my first time in the Dominican Republic, and the choice of hotels was overwhelming. In the end I went with one night at the Westin and two nights at Paradisus Palma Real. The latter was also my first real experience at a true all-inclusive resort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me briefly cover the Westin Punta Cana Resort<\/a> first. One reason for choosing it was its proximity to the airport – it\u2019s less than a ten-minute drive, and the hotel provides a free shuttle to and from the airport and nearby locations. Compared with other high-end hotels in Punta Cana, the Westin is actually quite small. The main building is a U-shaped structure surrounding a pool, with the east side facing the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n

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My suite upgrade request didn\u2019t clear, yet somehow I still got upgraded to the best ocean front view one-bedroom suite, which I greatly appreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The suite itself wasn\u2019t particularly special, but the direct ocean view was fantastic.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The (white) sand beach is of excellent quality. The sea is relatively calm, and the seaweed is well managed, so swimming is possible. That said, the water is still somewhat murky, not quite as clear as the Mediterranean or Cancun.<\/p>\n\n\n

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However, as mentioned earlier, the hotel is quite small. Apart from the pool and the beach, there aren\u2019t many facilities, so it can get a bit boring. The hotel offers a complimentary bike rental service, which lets you explore nearby areas. We cycled to the wealthy neighbourhood of Tortuga Bay; there wasn\u2019t much to see, and the beach there was clearly worse than the one at the Westin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s also the Ojos Ind\u00edgenas nature reserve, but visits are only possible with guided tours. Even with the 50% discount for Westin guests, it still costs $40 per person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t an all-inclusive property, so all dining is charged separately, though as a Titanium member I still received complimentary breakfast. The selection wasn\u2019t huge, but the quality was quite high.<\/p>\n\n\n

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So it was time to try a real all-inclusive resort! I\u2019ve stayed in plenty of hotels in my life and have booked half-board or full-board packages before, but this was my first time actually staying at a true all-inclusive hotel (though I\u2019ve been on an all-inclusive cruise<\/a>). Considering value for money, I eventually chose Paradisus Palma Real from the Meli\u00e1 group, and also took the opportunity to earn some Iberia Tier Points to work toward Sapphire status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paradisus Palma Real is located in the Bavaro area of Punta Cana, where resort hotels are most densely concentrated. In fact, this is essentially a Meli\u00e1 resort complex containing five hotels within the same grounds. Paths connect the properties, making it easy to wander between them, but facilities are not shared. Each hotel has its own restaurants, and even the beach areas are separated. Let me briefly mention the other properties first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paradisus Grand Cana All Suites is also part of the Paradisus luxury brand under Meli\u00e1. The entry-level rooms are already 80-square-metre suites with living room and kitchen, and right outside runs a long wrap-around pool. The downside is that the property itself is quite small and the farthest from the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Zel is a very new hotel, marketed with promotional collaboration from Rafael Nadal and focused on health and wellness. It is also an all-suite property.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Meli\u00e1 Caribe Beach and Meli\u00e1 Punta Cana Beach sit next to each other. The difference is that the former is more family-oriented while the latter focuses more on adults. In terms of environment, they are actually the nicest: lush tropical landscaping with a rainforest vibe. They are also significantly cheaper because of the brand positioning. The downsides are older rooms and the need to rely heavily on golf carts to get around.<\/p>\n\n\n

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There\u2019s also a Rafa Nadal tennis centre in the complex.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Back to Palma Real. Its main advantage is being the closest to the beach. In terms of positioning it caters to both families and adults, but large areas of the hotel are adults-only, so it\u2019s actually not the most suitable option if you\u2019re travelling with children.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Since Meli\u00e1 Gold benefits are fairly limited, I decided to pay extra and book a The Reserve room category. You can think of it as including executive- or club-style privileges such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n