Swimsuit

Paradise Minutes From the Airport: Inside the Westin Puntacana Resort & Club

The hotel is perched within 15,000 pristine acres.

Jordi Lippe-McGraw

The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club's private beach.

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Usually, when you want a true escape, you have to travel thousands of miles and take multiple modes of transportation. But at the Westin Puntacana Resort & Club, paradise is just minutes from the airport.

The luxe resort is located in the Playa Blanca section of the Puntacana Resort & Club, a stunning 15,000-acre resort in Punta Cana. And the wellness-focused resort has its own three miles of white-sand beach and other onsite amenities that make you never want to leave.

To start, the golfing experience is superb. The magnificent Gated Beachfront Resort includes 45 holes of championship golf, with the Corales Golf Course being among the world's finest and most exhilarating golf experiences. It culminates at the Devil's Elbow, the course's final three holes, where it is celebrated as the first PGA Tour event in the Dominican Republic. Plus, La Cana Golf Club is a favorite of golfers worldwide, and Golf Magazine described La Cana as “the number one course in the Caribbean.”

Corales Golf Course at The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club.

Next, the other highlight has to be the wellness offering. The onsite Six Senses Spa offers an intuitive mix of science and human awareness, where the high-tech and high-touch approach defines a service that is crafted around the individual. In fact, Puntacana Resort & Club is the only location within the Caribbean to feature the world-renowned Six Senses Spa.

And did we mention the Center for Marine Innovation? The state-of-the-art facility is dedicated to marine conservation, restoration and management. Plus, it's the only one of its own within a resort in the Caribbean. Inaugurated in 2018, the center works with diverse partners to conduct research, environmental education, and active management and restoration projects.

Of course, there's also plenty more to do, like playing on pro-level tennis courts, enjoying a variety of water sports and dining at one of the many award-winning restaurants. And, again, all of this is literally five minutes away from Punta Cana International Airport.

FAQ

Why should travelers stay at Westin Puntacana Resort & Club?

Located at Puntacana Resort & Club's magnificent Playa Blanca beach, just minutes away from the airport, guests will enjoy the Westin's signature amenities. A 200-ocean-view room Caribbean getaway hotel features restaurants, meeting and wedding facilities, an expansive outdoor pool, beachside grill, lobby bar, hand-rolled cigar bar, children's club, walking trails and access to white-sand beaches. Additional amenities include a 24-hour business center and the brand's signature Westin WORKOUT gym experience. The Westin is the perfect place to discover the love and joy of travel, as you connect with Dominican culture and nature and the unique hospitality of Dominican people.

What makes the spa special?

Delivered through our locations and specialist skills, they will take you as deep as you would like to go, from core beauty that changes the way you look to specialist treatments that can change your life, located in La Cana Golf & Beach Club. With indoor individual or couples accommodations, the Six Senses Spa offers an array of treatment rooms and peaceful settings in which you can enjoy the rejuvenating therapies of our international team.

Six Senses Spa at The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club

Are there any other interesting facilities and activities for guests?

The Oscar de La Renta Tennis Center offers a variety of programs targeting each age and stage for our guests' and homeowners' tennis development. Some of the amenities provided within the tennis center are a tennis pro shop, a snack bar, 12 tennis courts and a fully equipped Technogym. They also have nine clay courts, one Har-Tru court, one natural grass court, and one hard surface deco-turf court. Four of these tennis courts were built under the IFT standards, where players from the ATP can enjoy their vacations and practice for any of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments.

Oscar de la Renta Tennis Center at The Westin Puntacana

Oscare de la Renta Tennis Center at The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club.

What are some of the most popular activities booked by hotel guests?

Birdwatching tours and Ecological Reserve Ojos Indigenas. The birdwatching tour is a guided tour where you can see endemic and native birds of the Punta Cana region and other migratory species. On the way, you will cross the Sendero del Gavilán, up to our birdwatching tower. You will appreciate the birds' natural habitat, including our Gavilán de la Hispaniola. The Ecological Reserve Ojos Indigenas lets guests go for a swim in the freshwater lagoons of our ecological reserve, considered a treasure of tropical flora and fauna. This 1,500-acre subtropical forest is dedicated to conservation, scientific research and recreation.

What restaurants are available?

Playa Blanca Restaurant from afar.

To start the day with a succulent buffet breakfast, Ananí restaurant offers a colorful and refreshing space for an exceptional dining experience. Then, with a unique and pleasant space, Brassa Grill, Beach & Bar is dedicated to offering the best of international cuisine, with a wide range of delicious dishes, SuperFoods RX, vigorous and nutritional food for a healthy life. Meanwhile, the Don Queco Cigar Bar is a space designed so that with every detail of the environment, you can enjoy a good cigar accompanied by a selection of rums and whiskeys.

The Grill at La Cana Golf & Beach Club is the ideal destination for a delicious beachfront lunch or dinner, serving a wide variety of Caribbean-Mediterranean dishes and organic farm-to-table options for people who are looking for a lighter meal. Plus, Playa Blanca is a tropical restaurant and bar that serves fresh local seafood, grilled meats, and cocktails for lunch and dinner daily. In addition, Bamboo, Tortuga Bay is an AAA 4 Diamond award-winning restaurant that offers the perfect fusion of local ingredients and Mediterranean influences in a cozy and elegant setting. And lastly, the AAA Three Diamond award-winning La Yola Restaurant serves the freshest Mediterranean cuisine and seafood in an elegant setting.

La Yola Restaurant at The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club.

Is there a signature drink at the property?

The property puts a lot of effort into every cocktail crafted at Westin. They include natural, local and handmade ingredients. All are selected to maximize flavor and freshness. And, of course, each cocktail and craft recipe is masterfully mixed, shaken, and stirred. It's great. "November 1" is one of the signature cocktails at the resort.

Restauranute Brassa at The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club

Is there anything new coming up?

Starting on Oct. 16, the Westin will be reopening with two new restaurants: a steak and Italian and one eatery that features Asian cuisine. There will also be a new convention facility for 400 people and another for 15 people, and a new terrace for outdoor activities.

The Grill at The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club

What is the rate?

Rooms start at $250 per night.

Paradise by the pool at The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club.

Views of The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club.

Published
Jordi Lippe-McGraw
JORDI LIPPE-MCGRAW

Jordi Lippe-McGraw is a Contributing Editor for SI Swimsuit covering all things lifestyle from travel and beauty to entertainment and wellness. Over her nearly 15-year-long journalism career, her work has appeared in the New York Times, WSJ Magazine, Forbes, and more. Plus, she’s appeared on TV shows such as Wendy Williams, TODAY, E!, and MSNBC for her expertise. Jordi's personal passion for travel has brought her to over 50 countries on all 7 continents, including Antarctica at 5 months pregnant. She's also an avid penguin and truffle lover.