punta cana

Dominican Republic – First Impressions & a Stay at Melia Caribe Beach Resort

This was our first time in the Dominican Republic—and certainly not a typical trip. This visit was just Andrew and I… along with 700 of his closest friends. A collection of schools had descended to celebrate high school graduation.  I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the Dominican. I have many friends who return year after year and rave about it, and I’ve long admired the beautiful resorts online—but somehow, we’d never made the trip ourselves.

Arrival in Punta Cana

The Punta Cana airport exceeded my expectations. Having watched a few YouTube videos beforehand, I’ll admit my expectations were modest. I tend to avoid checking luggage at all costs after a couple of recent disasters—but the graduate (not my son) that I was tasked to chaperone had to check his bag, so I reluctantly followed suit.

Ironically, it all went quite smoothly. We cleared the plane quickly, made a brief duty-free stop, and headed to baggage claim. After waiting about 10 minutes at the wrong carousel, we found the correct one (thanks to my chaperone keeping a close eye on things) — where my bag was already waiting, nearly the last one on the belt.

There’s no air conditioning in the airport, and based on said You Tube videos, believed it may be unpleasant. In reality, the arrivals hall was warm but very manageable. Departures, while busy, were equipped with large industrial fans that did a decent job. We did experience a decent amount of chaos in the Departures Hall, but this was less about the airport itself and more about weather delays back home in Toronto—several flights leaving at once made for a crowded scene.

Back in the Arrivals hall, we felt that the walk to ground transportation is long, and I’m not convinced we would have found our transfer without guidance from the graduation tour representative. I had pre-booked a private transfer through Amstar (www.amstardmc.com)  which in hindsight felt unnecessary (and overpriced at $110 USD return), especially since they added another couple to our “private” ride. That said, many parents simply grabbed taxis or Ubers on arrival with no issues and very reasonable pricing.

One of the biggest surprises? The infrastructure. I’m not entirely sure what I expected, but the reality was impressive—multi-lane highways, paved roads, and a remarkable amount of new construction. On our drive to the resort, everything pointed to a country very much on the rise.

Melia Caribe Beach Resort – Punta Cana

The resort is marketed as a 5-star property. Our travel agency suggested 4-star. In my view, it’s closer to a 3-star experience at best.

Check-In & First Impressions

I booked my Deluxe Room Room at a very good all-inclusive rate on Expedia (www.expedia.ca) Check-in was, quite frankly, a mess. This is a resort that has 768 rooms accommodating up to 6 guests per room — it stands to reason that they may be familiar with a constant flow of guests coming and going. The “guaranteed” 3:00 p.m. check-in was more fiction than fact. I arrived at 2:00 p.m. and was told my room would be ready in 25 minutes. It wasn’t available until 4:00 p.m. Others arriving later in the evening - as late as 9pm - reported similar waits.

Once your room is ready, you’re notified via WhatsApp—but that simply means returning to line up again to activate your wristband (which conveniently doubles as your room key). Curiously, you’re also encouraged—quite persistently—to complete your Expedia review immediately upon arrival. I declined, and was asked multiple times. It did feel like an attempt to secure positive feedback before the experience fully unfolded.

Getting to the room involves yet another wait—for a shuttle. While the resort is sprawling, after an early morning flight and a delayed check-in, this extra step felt unnecessary. A large group of us boarded a shuttle that made multiple stops, waiting as luggage was delivered to each room along the way. Not ideal when all you want is a shower and a moment to regroup.

Check-out, unfortunately, was just as inefficient. You can’t simply leave your key and go. Instead, you must check out at the desk—and then return later for a final confirmation receipt before departing. Another line, another wait.

The Grounds & Beach

The grounds are, without question, the highlight. Expansive, lush, and beautifully maintained, with an array of birds, including peacocks milling about.

There is a central “main street” running from the lobby to the beach, but it’s surprisingly hectic—golf carts, scooters, shuttle vehicles, and service trucks all moving at once. At times, it felt less like a resort path and more like a busy roadway.

The beach itself is quite small relative to the size of the resort, which makes it feel crowded quickly. Securing a lounger becomes a daily exercise in strategy—if you’re not out by 7:30 a.m. placing towels, your chances are slim when the resort is full.

The towel hut, meant to open at 7:00 a.m., rarely did so on time. Lines would form early, and on one morning, after waiting 25 minutes, I gave up and grabbed used towels just to claim chairs before breakfast.

Eventually, I opted for a cabana ($58 USD/day), and it was absolutely worth it—comfortable, quieter, and with attentive service for drinks, a bottle of prosecco, food, and fresh towels.

There does not appear to be any water sports that the Beach Resort has readily on hand for guests. 

The Room

We stayed in a Deluxe Room for five nights. Andrew had one with roommates and I had my own.  It was spacious, with a king bed, sitting area, and balcony—but the condition left much to be desired.

The floor was visibly dirty upon arrival, and the bathroom fixtures were problematic. The shower was difficult to operate (a common complaint among guests in our tour), and the hot water in the sink was little more than a trickle. The toilet struggled to flush consistently.  Maintenance was required—and while they responded quickly, the initial “fix” didn’t actually resolve the issue, requiring a second visit. Eventually it worked, but not without frustration.

The minibar included water, beer, soda, and chips, though restocking was inconsistent. Some rooms received welcome treats or wine, while others received nothing—there was little consistency.

A small but notable detail: corkscrews are scarce. If you bring wine, someone will come to open it—but won’t leave the opener behind.

Dining & Reservations

There are several à la carte restaurants, but securing reservations is a challenge. Guests are told to line up at Guest Services each morning—yet only one staff member is typically available, resulting in long waits.  I managed to book just two dinners for our stay. Others who arrived earlier in the week had already secured reservations for multiple nights, leaving limited availability for the rest of us. It felt particularly unfair for families not part of our group.

The food overall was underwhelming. Buffets were passable, with breakfast being the standout. The steakhouse served an excellent ribeye, and the Mexican restaurant had a good chicken enchilada—but consistency was lacking.  Even cocktails were unpredictable—ordering the same drink often resulted in entirely different creations each time.

Service & Overall Experience

Service was inconsistent at best. While I fully appreciate that the Dominican is a Spanish-speaking country, I was surprised by how few staff members spoke English given the clientele. More concerning, however, was the overall tone—interactions often felt curt, and often, unwelcoming.

Final Thoughts

All in all, I would not be quick to recommend this resort.  If travelling in mid-March, I would strongly suggest confirming whether large graduation groups are present—it significantly impacts the experience. That said, few properties could accommodate a group of this size, so credit where it’s due.

For families with younger children, there are positives—the pools, sandy beach, water park, and games areas are all well-suited for kids.  But for us, this wasn’t the right fit.