Dreaming of the ideal beach for a destination wedding? The white sandy beaches, gently swaying palm trees and balmy climate of the Dominican Republic might what you’re looking for! In today’s post our Cyber Maid of Honour, Ashley, completes her intensive Punta Cana hotel review for destination weddings.
Back in May, Ashley reported on the main attraction of her FAM trip: the Majestic Colonial in Punta Cana. She then shared with us a few of the other hotels that impressed her while on her 16-hotel Punta Cana jaunt in the blog post, 3 More Punta Cana Resorts Reviewed.
Here are the remaining Punta Cana resorts Ashley saw and thought would be ideal locations for destination weddings:
Dreams wedding gazebo
Dreams Punta Cana
It was love at the main gates! When we drove up to the entrance, I was in awe of this hotel.
Set at the top of an uphill drive, the appearance of Dreams Punta Cana makes you feel like you are driving up to a palace to start a royal holiday. Its open-air, marble and gold-coloured lobby really set the tone for the gorgeous facilities that follow.
The hotel is long and sprawling with one of the largest pools in Dominican Republic. The beach at Dreams Punta Cana is not the same as the white sand beaches in the Bavaro area but more of a “brown sugar” golden sand. It is a bit windy as well due to the location of the hotel which can cause the water to be a bit rough at times, but for me, being a HUGE Pacific Mexico fan, I think that was one of the great features of this hotel – a little Vallarta in Punta Cana!
As for weddings at Dreams, there are definitely some great locations around the resort (including a beautiful staircase coming down from the main lobby) that will cover intimate couple shots to fun group shots.
Iberostar Complex
Iberostar Grand Bavaro pool
We started our tour of the Iberostar Complex at the Iberostar Grand Bavaro, the newest and highest star rating (5 stars!) of the four resorts. One word sums it up – Gorgeous! One of the great things about the Iberostar chain is that they strive for the “Wow factor” in all their hotels and they truly deliver this.
We started our tour of the property by visiting one of the ocean-view rooms. With a spectacular visual of the entire property and turquoise waters, the room was fabulous. Tastefully decorated in neutral tones, one feels completely at home at this resort.
My favourite feature at the Iberostar Grand was the night club – instead of being your typical club, it was in the Pirate Ship in the pool! Guests staying at the Iberostar Grand Bavaro have access to all hotels in the complex.
From the Grand, we took a walk along the long pathway between the other 3 properties. Next to the Grand is the Iberostar Bavaro. We were able to meet with the Wedding Team briefly while they were rapidly setting up for a sunset beach wedding (unfortunately we didn’t get to see the wedding).
The beach location for weddings here at the Iberostar Bavaro is appealing as it’s situated at the side of the resort and fairly private compared to other hotel beach wedding locations. Guests staying at the Iberostar Bavaro have access to all hotels in the complex except for the Iberostar Grand Bavaro.
We ended the tour off at the Iberostar Dominicana and Iberostar Punta Cana. These two hotels are interchangeable, however, staying at either one means you do not have access to the Iberostar Grand Bavaro or the Iberostar Bavaro.
Overall, a destination wedding at Dreams Punta Cana or either one of Iberstar’s Bavaro hotels will provide a touch of luxury for you, your guests and wedding photos. From what I’ve seen at these Punta Cana resorts, the Dominican Republic offers value and beauty no matter what your budget demands.
Have you been to one of the resorts Ashley reviewed in these blog posts or one she didn’t mention? Please share your experience with us!
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