Excellence Punta Cana

From the moment we landed to the second we (very reluctantly) left, Excellence Punta Cana felt like stepping into a place where everything just… flows. No stress, no confusion, just ease. Seamless Arrival & Transportation Because we met the resort requirements, roundtrip transportation with Seasons was included, and it was honestly effortless. Our flight was delayed several hours and they still accommodated us with no issues. Todd made the ride smooth, vehicles were clean, and the updated Suburban on the way back? Loved that for us. ⸻ Check-In That Sets the Tone We were greeted with champagne immediately (as we should be ), and check-in felt warm and personal. We booked Excellence Club, so we checked in at the lounge and whew… the vibe in there is everything. It smells amazing, the decor is modern boho, and it just feels calm and elevated. Raudi checked us in and was so friendly. He even taught us a little Dominican lingo that we used all week, and I swear it made the experience even better. David helped us later when we came back for change and was just as great. The staff here really makes you feel seen, not just served. ⸻ Service That Feels Personal Pedro handled our bags and was so welcoming and easygoing. Housekeeping was top tier and flexible with our schedule (because vacation time is… different ). We’d come back from being out to a freshly cleaned room and turndown service, and one night they even ran us a bubble bath. Like??? Okay. Lisandro, who restocked our minibar all week, was amazing. He remembered I like to snack and brought extra crackers without me even asking. ⸻ Entertainment & Energy Cherrlyn (aka Honey ) from entertainment made me feel like a celebrity from night one. She had me outside, dancing, living my best life. Every night there was something going on and it was actually GOOD. The Michael Jackson/Freddie Mercury show was my favorite. Gatsby was fun and interactive. The water circus on Thursday was beautiful. Everything wraps up by around 1am, which I ended up loving. Slow mornings, fun evenings, and you still get real rest. ⸻ ️ Beach & Concierge Service Christian, the beach concierge, took great care of us. He made sure we always had a good cabana and kept us straight the whole trip. And I have to say this because it mattered… he also gave us a heads up about the beach situation. The beaches are public, and there are people who will try to lure you past the property line and scam you. Because of him, we already knew what to look out for and avoided all of that completely. Not us The beach itself is BEAUTIFUL, but if you’re coming in March, just know there were red flags all week so not much swimming. Still gorgeous to relax, walk, and sip something cute though. Also shoutout to the drink service out there. Danilio made my drinks perfectly in the evenings every time. ⸻ ️ The Food (because let’s be real…) I don’t know what people were talking about online, but the food here was GOOD. Like actually good. • The Kitchen Table: Fresh, flavorful, and always stocked. Dominican night was everything. • Aroma: My daily stop. The Calypso coffee had me in a chokehold and the fresh fruit was always ready. • The Grille: Ribeye cooked perfectly. Potato leek soup was so good. Baby back ribs had great flavor, just could’ve been a little more tender. • Agave: So good. Raquel arranged a birthday celebration for my husband even though his birthday had already passed, which was so thoughtful. The seafood pozole?? I’m still thinking about it. Flank steak was super tender and that guacamole sauce… yeah. • Oregano: This one was special. I mentioned at check-in that I wanted mofongo (not even on their regular menu), and they actually made it happen for our last day. Felix checked on us while we were there and took great care of us. The whole experience felt… very “why am I being treated like this” in the best way and the mofongo was SO good. • Room Service: Elite. The salmon with that yellow sauce? I need that again. Cheese fingers were amazing, and the pizza… we ordered it multiple times a day. No shame. ⸻ Drinks Excellence Club definitely makes a difference here. We had premium liquor and three bottles in our room based on our preferences. My go-to became a French 75 but with tequila (because tequila girl ), and they made it perfectly every time. Also tried a Scooby Doo shot and I’m not mad at it ⸻ ️ The Room We booked an Excellence Club swim-up suite, and I would 100% do it again. It gave us privacy when we wanted to chill and easy access to everything when we wanted to be outside. Everything was clean, updated, and well-maintained. No weird humidity smell (which matters more than people talk about). Towels were refreshed throughout the day and they respected our space if we didn’t want to be disturbed. ⸻ Grounds & Overall Vibe The property is beautiful and so well kept. You constantly see staff maintaining everything. It’s very walkable and seemed accessible as well. The crowd is mixed in a good way, and everyone is just there to relax and enjoy themselves. No weird energy. ⸻ Tipping Tipping is optional, but we did and I’d recommend it if you can. You’ll get great service either way, but showing appreciation just adds to the experience on both sides. ⸻ Final Thoughts We came here thinking we’d keep trying different resorts… …but this one really set the bar. We’ll definitely be back, and if we do try somewhere else, it’ll be another Excellence property. This just felt easy, thoughtful, and worth every second.

Stayed at Excellence for the first time. The property is nice, but very small. The food is just okay. Breakfast and Lunch options are way better than dinner. None of the dinner places take reservations (except for the hibachi place) so you end up waiting a long time. The entrees are not only very very small (child sized portions) but the food quality is terrible. There is a lot of food waste here because everything is cooked so poorly. The worst restaurant we went to was "The Grill" - it was the worst steak I've ever had in my life.

AMAZING!!! The hospitality was superb, particularly Andrely! He was so kind and accommodating!!! Favourite restaurant by far was The Lobster House! Highly recommend! Cannot wait to return next year! Also shout out to Jesus! All of the entertainment was well thought out! We appreciated everything.

We are very unhappy! This is the third time we have been to Excellence Punta Cana and our 5th at an Excellence Resort. My husband had cancer treatment for 8 months, including on his 85th birthday. We booked because we have enjoyed Excellence Punta Cana before and this is probably the last time he will be able tor travel. We asked if we could upgrade to an oceanfront or Honeymoon Suite. We were told by Anabel that we could have the latter for the last 8 days of our stay. We were really happy! The night before we left, at 7:19 pm, we received a message saying the Honeymoon Suite was no longer available. We would definitely have canceled but received the message too late to do so. When we checked in, there was no apology, nothing. I contacted Anabel and asked if we could get an ocean view. We clearly saw unoccupied ocean view rooms during our entire stay but did not get one. When I checked out, I asked for a credit to make up for the major disappointment. The reply was completely unsympathetic and unhelpful. I do want to mention that Marta, the food and beverage manager is wonderful! We adore Rafael and his team at Chez Isabelle. Astrid at the Club and Bautiste were great. Overall, the staff is very nice and helpful and housekeeping is excellent. However, we are devastated that this happened.

Excellence Punta Cana is a beautiful resort with excellent service. The pools were amazing. Alcohol was available everywhere. The only drawback is the beach was rough (red flag) our entire stay.