Punta Cana Dominican Republic

I spent three days at the Club Med Punta Cana this week. My wife and I are travel agents, and I visited this resort for the sole purpose of giving this resort a second chance. We take groups of Pickleball players (indoor clubs, social groups, etc) to numerous resorts throughout Mexico and the Caribbean, and just like with most people, they want clean and comfortable accommodations, updated amenities and service offerings, GREAT food, and a chance to not only play pickleball, but to relax, refresh, and recharge in a beautiful beachfront environment. My wife and I had visited this resort last year, and quite honestly, had written it off when it comes to a potential site for our Pickleball Group Vacations. The rooms were mostly older, and while clean, were in serious need of updating. The food was so-so, which is a big red flag for us and our clients, and the food venues themselves seemed tired and . . .well . . . below average. Granted, our bar may have been a little higher than some, as we like taking our clients to places like Secrets and Sandals and JOIA (Iberostar). But after our visit here last year, there wasn't enough to make us want to come back, much less take a group there.

Well, all that has changed. They say that every cloud has a silver lining. This resort's particular cloud was HUGE - a devastating fire on September 12th of last year that nearly gutted this resort for all intents and purposes. But what has risen out the ashes (pardon the cliche) is nothing short of spectacular. Club Med Punta Cana has taken the opportunity to not only rebuild what was lost, but to renovate and recreate this resort into something that is truly remarkable. Take a look at the photos I took, along with the renderings of the areas still under construction. You can't help but be amazed - and EXCITED to visit this resort. The new lobby and food court area will be the centerpiece of the resort. 2nd story seating surrounding the multiple ethnic food stations will create a real "around the world" dining opportunity for its guests. And with all of the changes taking place in the rooms and suites, it has climbed WAY up the ladder on my "preferred" offerings to our Pickleball Groups, not to mention couples and families. I can't wait to see the smiles on the faces of the folks on our next group trip (Jan 2026)!

I would be amiss if I didn't give a special shout-out to one of Club Med's employees, Ms. Meaghan Wilson. Meaghan, the resort's current Group Manager (I believe), met me at the front lobby upon my arrival - even though I was 2 hours late getting to the resort - and had dinner reservations arranged for me, and a private escort to take me to my ZEN Oasis room and a short tour. Throughout the next two days while on site, Meaghan went out of her way to make sure that I had a chance to see EVERYTHING I wanted to see, ask all of the questions I wanted to ask - including asking what SHE could do for our upcoming and future groups to make it a more enjoyable and satisfying experience for our clients. What Meaghan doesn't know, however, is that I was watching her when we weren't together - how she interacted with guests and employees alike - quite honestly to see if this was all just a show because Club Med wanted our business, or if she was legitimately interested in me and our groups. Well, without seeming like I'm a charter member of her fan club, let me honestly say that Meaghan is a special person, and Club Med is fortunate to have her in their fold. In EVERY interaction, EVERY circumstance, with EVERY person, she intently listened, maintained eye contact, and showed in her body language that she was genuinely interested in taking care of their needs/issues. Even when I left, she showed me (on my Uber app) how to take advantage of a current special, and waited with me until my driver picked me up. She is a wonderful human being - kind, considerate, smart (and witty) - and meeting her solidified everything I was seeing and sensing about the direction this resort is taking.

So if you are amongst those who have pushed Club Med in general, and their Punta Cana resort in particular, to the bottom of your wish list, I highly enourage you to give this place another chance. The resort's supposed to be fully completed with all of their build/rebuild by mid-December of this year, and we can't wait to be among the first to experience all the changes. Congratulations, team Club Med. Well done!

We had an exceptional family time. The staff is so caring and welcoming. Food is delicious and with a wide variety. It’s a yes yes to stay. Worth it!!!

waly, flo and samarun are the best go ever. so fun and amazing. love lunar cana. can’t wait to go back. greta activities pretty views.

Best hotel!! Great food, great staff, great location, peaceful, family friendly, best beach area, great rooms, waiting next year to go back

Waly and Flo are the best GOs ever!!!! They made teen club so fun and engaging for my kids. Waly sat with them at lunch and talked to them and Flo partied with them as well! They always make them laugh and are so so kind. They deserve the best and my kids keep telling me to come back. This our 4th year back and it’s all because of these two GOs. They are like family and they make the whole trip so much better. They came on the water park with us and always gave us a smile. My kids even have a secret handshake with them. Flo and Waly are genuinely amazing people and made our trip amazing. If you are looking for a way to escape your kids and drop them off in good hands, Waly and Flo inside passworld are the way to go!