Excellence Punta Cana

Dreaming of a 5-star adults only resort that will exceed your expectations? Look no further to the Excellence Punta Cana. The title speaks for itself. It is truly excellent and will offer you exclusive and indulgent experiences tailered specifically for adults where you will relax in luxury your entire stay.
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page… Saint Augustine
We travelled to Excellence Punta Cana in March to relax, soak up the warm Punta Cana sun, as well as celebrate my husband’s birthday. Upon researching top rated resorts within the Punta Cana area, the Excellence Punta Cana was rated #1. We read the reviews on TripAdvisor as well as watched many YouTube videos and we did not hesitate to book.
Tip. Before booking any vacation – click on Trip Advisor and/or YouTube. You will find endless reviews and videos outlining the places you want to visit, stay at, as well as see. Both websites are a tremendous help in determining your must-have and must-see goals.
Flights:
We flew out of Montreal via Air Transit. We purchased Option Plus again to gain access to numerous benefits. Click HERE to read more about option plus on air transit flights. Our resort package included a Luxury Option and the Excellence Club section where we gained even more amenities and options. One perk was the included private transportation to and from the resort. This was truly a bonus since we could be on our way as soon as we retrieved our luggage from baggage claim and have a direct transfer to Excellence Punta Cana without any stops at other resorts along the way.
Please Note: Air Transat Vacations no longer carry Excellence Punta Cana as a resort package option, but you can book direct through the Excellence Punta Cana website.
Arrival:
We arrived at this luxury resort to a magnificent lobby and a champagne welcome. We were guided to their Excellence Club private check in where we sat comfortably with our private one on one concierge for check-in. We had booked an Excellent Club garden view room, but they had upgraded us (complementary) to a pool view room. The room choice and location was spectacular. We were brought to building 4 overlooking their ‘quieter’ club member pool. A short walk to both the beach, as well as their lobby, other pools, and many restaurant establishments – we were delighted with our ‘home’ for the week.
Below is a glimpse inside the Excellent Club:



The Grounds:
Spectacular. Sprawling serene gardens laced with flowers outlining the walkways. The soothing sounds of the ocean and live saxophone music set the ambiance for tranquility. Boardwalks, ocean view patios all within a private and secluded cove where the backdrop is the turquoise water lapping against the golden sand. A peaceful oasis providing a romantic atmostphere for couples looking to unwind and relax.








The Beach:
Situated on Macao beach about 45 min from Punta Cana airport – you will be in solitude the moment you set foot on their silky soft golden sand set within a crescent beach along the turquoise waters of the south Atlantic. With next to no seaweed, you will not be disappointed by their ocean setting. Rolling waves softly crashing the sand and the soothing ocean breeze entering your soul – it’s a picture-perfect setting. An added bonus is that there are no resorts within a 1-2 km walk on either side of the resort so if you are looking for solitude, next to no vender sales, and minimal beach walkers… this resort is excellent.
The Excellence Club had its own section with a concierge to help with any need or wish, as well as bar service and their own restaurant for Club members only. At the beach and pool – within their Excellence Club private areas, there were plenty of spatiously set lounge chairs at hand. This private section of Excellence Punta Cana is an upgrade, but the regular rooms of this fabulous resort also had plenty of lounge chairs and amenities.











The Pools:
The Excellent Club had 2 pools. A quiet pool in there garden sections. This is what we looked out on and it was peaceful. It included plenty of lounge chairs as well as a bar and a concierge to help with your inquiries. The other Excellence Club pool was next to the beach. It was livelier with 2 hot tubs, as well as a concierge.
The main pool was an expansive windy pool stretching along a few buildings with many walkout room options. Here is where many pool activities and events were situated if you wished to participated.







The Room:
We stayed in the Excellence Club pool view room – in Building 4. This resort offers exquisite accomodations and our room displayed this magnificantly. It was a perfect location since it was close to the beach, had a view of the ‘quiet’ pool – no early morning loudness, steps away from the tennis courts, mini golf, spa and fitness facility, as well as close to the Excellent Club office. We had many amazing upscale amenities within our room as well:
- Nespresso coffee machine
- Shoe shine service
- King bed
- Turn down service
- Top shelf liquor
- Snacks – peanuts, crackers and Oreos
- Couch
- Safe
- Fully stocked fridge
- Bathroom amenities like toothpaste, toothbrush, lotions and soaps
- Plenty of outlets
- Digital do not disturb option
Since we were in the Excellence Club section, we had personal service via the Excellence Club – which was exceptional! Attentive staff catering to the guests’ every need. Also included was an exclusive restaurant – Magna – for al a cart breakfasts and romantic international inspired dinners.






Dining:
The food at this resort was Devine. Fine dining delectables to an abundance of fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs. They offer multiple gourmet restaurants with dishes that will satisfy everyone’s palate. Each restaurant is set in their own unique decor with exceptional servers who will go out of their way to make your experience out of this world.
Below is a description of each eatery:
The Grill
Their steakhouse grill is set in an old-world stone building and offer a variety of options – multiple steak choices, salmon, chicken, or BBQ ribs are cooked to your liking. We enjoyed this restaurant so much that we went back three times.
Chez Isabelle
Their French restaurant is set in an elegant upscale décor offering a fine dining experience. While each exquisite dish was eye pleasing, their menu was not one of our top picks. We did enjoy our meal, however – we found the other restaurants more of our liking. Many other guests thoroughly enjoyed their experience and raved about their selection so perhaps it may be a ‘taste’ choice as to each persons liking.
Lobster House
Their seafood restaurant was so delightful, that we ate here twice. The first visit was on my husband’s birthday and it was outstanding. Options included surf and turf, salmon, chicken and a variety of different lobster dishes. The lobster was mouth-watering and the atmosphere next to the ocean quite romantic. Simply put – it was splendid!
The Kitchen
Their buffet restaurant is open for breakfast as well as lunch and has an abundance of options to choose from. Their breakfast options were wide ranged: from fresh fruit and pastries to omelets, eggs any style, waffles and crepes, bacon/sausages as well as many local delectables to try. Their local coffee was also one of the best we have ever tasted while visiting Punta Cana.
Their lunch options were also fantastic. Again, fresh fruit and veggies were on hand, as well as many meat options, soups, salads and a pasta bar.
We could always find more than enough to satisfy our palates at the buffet. Each bite was simply bliss.
Magna
The Excellence Club exclusive restaurant was open for al a cart breakfast, as well as dinner. We did not have the opportunity to try it for breakfast, but their dinner was fantastic. We chose to sit on their outdoor patio which was set with a beautiful ocean view and romantic lighting casting on each table. We had one of our best meals at this establishment and the staff was top notch. If you are looking for a romantic setting with exquisite food – then Magna will check off those boxes.
Spice
Their Asian/Japenese restaurant with Hibachi option. The only restaurant that requires a reservation (for their hibachi section) was fantastic. We booked their hibachi for about midway through our 8 night stay. Our chef was not only fantastic at his meal prep – he was a true entertainer keeping us engaged and laughing throughout the entire experience. We enjoyed this experience tremendously and the food was delicious.
Oregano
Their Italian speciality restaurant. We did not eat at this restaurant, but we heard fantastic things about it. Located next to Lobster house with views of the ocean – you will be satisfied with their scrumptious meal selections, atmostphere and attentivie staff. They are also open for an al a cart lunch with many delicious options to choose from.
Agave
Their Mexican restaurant is set next to The Grill in an old-world stone setting. We did not eat at this restaurant either, but again – heard great reviews from other patrons. Their menu will satisfy any Mexican craving you may be having, as well as provide you with a setting filled with charm and elegance.
See below for a gallery display of some of the fantastic dishes we ate:












The Spa:
MIILE Spa was amazing. Their state of the art facilities offers a range of indulgent treatments, massages and hydrotherapy. The inspiration for MIILE spa is:
M – Mother Earth’s Gifts
I – Indigenous healing and rituals
I – Inspiration in our guests dreams
L – Love to humanity
E – Energy from our hearts
Each time we visit a resort, we book a spa treatment. Our experience at MIILE Spa exceeded any other resort spa experience we have had. From our immediate check in – we were greeted warmly and brought to our changing rooms. We then – with the help of Junior – experienced their hydrotherapy circuit. We have done the hydrotherapy option before at other resorts, but this one had new stations throughout their circuit – which included a salt scrub, warming lounge chairs with mini scalp massage and a relaxation area while we waited for our spa treatments. Spectacular!
Our spa treatment consisted of a couples massage. When we were being led to our spa treatment room – we noticed apon arrival that the door was decorated with balloons as well as the inside of the room beautifully decorated in rose petals, light up signs displaying LOVE as well as HBD and our initials. All for my husbands birthday. It was overwhelmingly touching. As a bonus – it was probably one of the best resort massages we have had. I would highly recommend experiencing their spa facilities while visiting Excellence Punta Cana. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.






Fitness Facilities:
Their resort gym was certainly excellent. Plenty of cardio machines, free weights, as well as strengthening machines to choose from. Also, there is a separate stretching room away from the busyness of the workouts. Here, they also have daily exercise classes available.
We were very impressed by their gym facilities. We did not have the opportunity to try one of their fitness classes, but we look forward to someday if we get to return.
Next to their Fitness Facility are 3 tennis courts (2 being clay courts), a pickle ball court, basketball court, mini put course, as well as pool tables and ping pong for our competitive nature. We played tennis twice, ping pong twice and miniput once during our stay and each time not only did we gain a great workout, but also experienced many laughs.











Nightly Entertainment:
The entertainment at this fabulous resort was fantastic. Starting around 7:30pm – the night would begin with an amazing saxophone player to serenade you with sweet lusterous sounds. From 8:30pm-9:30pm was a rock type band or trio to liven up the audience prior to the big show. Starting at 9:30pm was the main stage entertainment and each night was an incredible performance. Some examples of shows were:
The Michael Jackson Show
Magic Show
Circus Show
Rock Show






Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Location: The private area and beach that Excellence Punta Cana is situated on was so serene
- Beach – soft silky sand next to crystal clear water
- Grounds – impeccable
- Activities – There was always something to do – from paint classes, to aquafit, to dance lessons and many more options
- Restaurants – so many to choose from with amazing options
- Private transfer – if booked direct with resort, booked through Costco or booked with Transat Vacations with their luxury option
- Quiet rooms
- Terrific entertainment
- The Service
- The Spa
- The people – every team member interacted with you in a joyful manner.
Cons:
- Almost an hour from the Punta Cana Airport – although it does make it less busy that way. I honestly could not really think of any cons… this was the all that I could grasp at.
Tips:
Download the Excellence app. All of their restaurants use the app for their menu’s in the restaurants. Also, you can see what activities are on each day, what the entertainment is that evening, as well as view their resort map and excellence club benefits – all directly within the app.
Summary:
Overall, we would give this resort a definite 5 stars. It’s location on its own private beach with crystal clear turquois water and gentle breeze is a dream for any beach lover. Those who love pools will love their expansive main pool which stretches along half the resort. For those foodie fanatics – the food here was excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed each meal we had and loved the entertainment aspect of their hibachi dinner at ‘Asian’ and the romantic oceanside atmosphere of Magna.
We have been fortunate to travel to many all-inclusive resorts – both adult-only, as well as family style and Excellence Punta Cana topped them all. You will step into luxury the moment you enter their grounds and will continue to be pampered throughout your stay. Excellence Punta Cana is part of an Excellence Collection of resorts – offering top notch service, cuisine, experiences, spa facilities, and serenity. Their attention to detail in every aspect of th resort – from the design and decor to the landscaping and ambiance. They ensure a truly luxurious experience for all of their guests.
Choosing Excellence Punta Cana will set the bar high in comparison with other comparable resorts. So if you are thinking of vacationing to sunny Punta Cana for your next romantic couple’s get-a-way – then look no further at Excellence Punta Cana. Your dream will come true at Excellence.
To explore more about this luxury all-adults resort – click the video below: