The Best Luxury Resorts in the Dominican Republic Right Now
Image: ANI Resort Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic has long been overshadowed by it’s own reputation. Punta Cana’s strip of wristband heavy mega-resorts became the headline, while the Caribbean’s most diverse and beautiful landscapes slipped out of view.
Step beyond the resort corridor and the island shifts gears. Clifftops carved by the Atlantic, surf towns dotted with beach bars shacks, mountains covered by palm forests, and hidden cenotes. It feels raw in places, unexpectedly polished in others, but always compelling.
Its hotels follow suit. Thoughtful, designer boutique stays, private peninsulas, beautifully restored historical villas, and a handful of resorts that sit comfortably among the best in the Caribbean.
After months sampling the island’s best resorts, these are our Places With Palms approved properties worth booking.
All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. When you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. As a reader funded publication we appreciate your support.
The Dominican Republic’s Best Luxury Resorts
Images: ANI Dominican Republic, Rio San Juan
ÁNI Dominican Republic
Location: Río San Juan, North Coast
ÁNI sits on its own private peninsula, with La Piscina Natural to the east and the El Hoyo blow holes to the west. An intimate, 14-suite estate reserved for one group at a time. At its centre, two open-plan villas anchor the property, framed by teak-slatted pavilions and an infinity pool that appears to slip straight into the Atlantic. Suites are spaced across palm-lined lawns and manicured greenery, keeping everything private, serene, and deliberately secluded.
But the real draw is the service. No schedules or set timetables, instead a dedicated team shaping each day around how you, and your group feel. Dining is flexible too, from Dominican comfort dishes to tasting menus beside the pool.
Beyond the estate, ÁNI is perfectly positioned for exploring the north coast. Villa Amber fronts its own manmade beach, but the resort also unlocks access to some of the area’s best natural stretches of sand. Playa Caletón is five minutes away, Playa Grande is eight, and Cabarete’s breaks are ideal for surfing or kite surfing lessons.
The coastline is also a major draw for divers. Beginners can explore reefs with eagle rays and turtles, while more experienced divers tackle wrecks off the coast. From January to March, private whale-watching cruises offer the chance to see humpbacks migrating offshore.
Inland, Puerto Plata is an easy day trip, Victorian houses, colonial streets, and a cable car ride up Mount Isabel de Torres for botanical gardens and views across the city. Closer to home, Laguna Gri Gri’s mangrove channels make for a slow, beautiful drift in a hand-painted boat, ending with a swim in a turquoise cove and a picnic on the sand.
We recommend ÁNI for big family groups, who can make the most of eight hours of daily babysitting, cooking classes, craft sessions, and outdoor kids movies. While parents can take advantage of the daily spa treatments included.
What We Love
The setting is a given, but what makes ÁNI truly special is its connection to the local creative community. The ÀNI Art Academies sit just up the road. A fully funded school established by founder Tim Reynolds after his own art training changed the course of his life.
The curriculum, developed with artist Anthony J. Waichulis, is rigorous and technique-driven, producing graduates who go on to become working artists and teachers. Guests are encouraged to visit, meet the students, and see their work in progress, a rare, meaningful cultural exchange that feels sincere.
Image: Amanera, Rio San Juan
Amanera
Location: Río San Juan, North Coast
Aman junkies know the rule, Aman only lands where the landscape demands it. Playa Grande is that kind of place. Amanera sits above its namesake beach on a lush cliffside, designed by John Heah with almost monastic restraint, clean lines, desaturated stone, light, airy rooms framed in warm woods. Expect the brand signatures; firm Aman beds, blackout shades, soft lighting, and wide-open terraces that hero the horizon.
Casa Grande, the center pavilion, houses the restaurant, bar, and library, with the best views on the grounds. Days can be spent on nearby rainforest ridge hikes, teeing off at Playa Grande, or surfing quiet reef breaks like La Preciosa and El Barco.
But where Amanera really separates from the pack is its ritual-driven wellness culture, rooted in Taíno healing and local herbal traditions. The Wellness Casa, set high in the jungle canopy, offers everything from grounding hot-stone rituals to lunar-led treatments influenced by the moon’s cycle.
For guests who like their downtime punctuated with discipline, Amanera also has pro-led academies with guest residents. Surf with Dominican champion Junior Gómez Díaz, tennis with US professional Justin Clovis Mailloux, or golf with Dominican legend Julio Santos.
What We Love
The Grounding Facial is a bit of a legend, often described by Aman junkies as “eight hours of sleep in ninety minutes,” and honestly it lives up to the lore. And if you time it right, a private sundowner on the 17th hole might be one of the most magical moments on the entire north coast.
Images: Casa De Campoo Resort, La Romana
Casa De Campo
Location: La Romana, South Coast
Casa de Campo is one of those places people visit once, then immediately start browsing property listings. It’s a 7,000-acre universe unto itself. Part resort, part private community, where polo fields, golf courses, beaches, marinas, and open-air restaurants fold into each other like a sunny fever dream. Celebrities have been coming here for decades, but the vibe is more relaxed-Caribbean-country-club than paparazzi playground.
The rooms and villas are spread across tropical gardens, but the real appeal isn’t a single building it’s the sheer scale of the gated community. Three golf courses including the legendary Teeth of the Dog. A full equestrian center with polo matches and riding trails. A clay-bird shooting range. A marina lined with waterfront restaurants, and luxury super yachts. And the highlight, Altos de Chavón. A 1970s dreamscape built by Dominican artisans and Italian designers, inspired by a 16th-century Mediterranean village, complete with an amphitheater that’s hosted everyone from Sinatra to Marshmellow.
If you ever manage to peel yourself away from the beach club (Minitas is a personal favourite), and long lunches, there's a heavy line up of hobbies you've convinced yourself you'd try one day. Tennis, pickleball, sailing, pottery classes, you name it, it’s all here. And if you’re staying in a villa, you get a golf cart, which becomes the unofficial way to explore the grounds. Beyond the gates, day trips can take you to Isla Saona’s, a pristine tropical island, diving excursions at nearby isla catalina, historical tours in Santa Domingo, or kayaking the Chavón River.
What We Love
Everything, genuinely, our editor was convinced to move here. The detail that seals the deal?
The direct flight from Miami straight into Casa de Campo’s private airport. No chaos, no long transfers, just wheels-down and minutes later you’re at the beach club ordering lunch like you’re on your hundredth visit.
Images: Araya Resort, Samaná Peninsula
Araya Resort
Location: Las Galeras, Samaná Peninsula
Araya feels like the resort Samaná has been waiting for. Anyone who’s driven through this peninsula knows the deal. Las Terrenas is a breezy, Bali-like beach town… and Samaná town? A full sensory assault. Motorbikes threading through traffic, cliffside shacks stacked like unstable Jenga, giant appliance stores beside fruit stalls, horns, music, shouting, an experience, yes. A vacation vibe? Not exactly. Which is why where you stay matters here. Beachfront or tucked into the hills pure magic. Anywhere in between, you’ll be Googling “how soon can I check out.”
Araya sits high above it all, perched on a jungle ridge where the only noise is birds, breeze, and your own heartbeat slowing down. It looks like early Tulum before the tech bros arrived, thatched-roof casitas on stilts, timber decks cantilevered over the canopy, footpaths leading to an infinity pool with views that will be burned into your memory. It has that raw tropical appeal that you dream of when you picture your Caribbean vacation, that too often ends with an underwhelming mega-resort.
Don’t feel like leaving paradise? Don’t worry you can spend your days doing yoga in the open-air shala, sound healing, LED facials, and have aromatherapy baths prepared in your villa. But Araya isn’t just for wellness devotees. Araya balances introspection with adventure. Horseback rides into the hills, treks across the peninsula, boat trips to limestone coves, plus easy access to Playa Rincón, Playa Caletón, and the wild stretches of Las Galeras.
Dining revolves around Las Estrellas, where the chef heros bright Dominican flavours you won’t find in Punta Cana’s resort circuit. The menu is hyper-local, proudly farm-to-table (this region is famous for its burrata), and the setting is perfection, candlelit jungle-to-sea views.
What We Love
Araya captures Samana’s raw, jungle-wrapped beauty better than anywhere else. The palm-stacked mountains, the electric-blue coastline, the feeling of discovering somewhere just before the world catches on. Those decks suspended over the forest at sunset? Unreal. And for travellers who crave one foot in luxury, one foot in adventure, it’s the perfect middle ground
Images: Eden Roc Cap Cana
Eden Roc Cap Cana
location: Cap Cana, Punta Cana
Eden Roc is the gravitational center of Cap Cana. The place where homeowners, snowbirds, and the “I summer in the DR” crowd actually socialise. The rest of Punta Cana might be known for mega-resorts and spring-break, but Cap Cana? That’s a gated world of its own. Golf carts, glossy villas, linen shirts, and the kind of tans you only get from having “a place here.” If The O.C. had been filmed in the Dominican Republic, this would’ve been the set.
Don’t be surprised to find the residents, regulars, and the Dominican upper crust float into Eden Roc’s yoga classes in immaculate Alo sets and perfectly blown-out hair, greeting each other like they’re on the board of a foundation. Come festive season, Eden Roc becomes the place to be, hosting one of the best New Year’s Eve galas in the country. If you’re coming to the DR to find your next husband, this is the room you want to be in.
Design-wise, it’s very Dominican. Cream linens, tiled floors, coastal touches, with bursts of gold, velvet and chandeliers. The oceanfront bungalows sit right on the rocks with plunge pools spilling toward the turquoise water. The villas feel like private homes, sunny courtyards, outdoor showers, soft lighting, and shaded terraces perfect for a morning cortado.
Cap Cana’s major draw card is Punta Espada Golf Course, ranked among the best in the Caribbean. Dramatic cliffside shots, immaculate greens, and those brutal winds off the sea that distinguish a player from a poser. If you’re here for golf, there is no competition.
And then there’s what nobody tells you, Cap Cana is full of cenotes, clear, quiet, freshwater pools tucked into limestone caves. Eden Roc arranges private cenote spa treatments where you're massaged beside crystalline water that glows under the rock formations. It’s genuinely magical.
The beach club is pristine, classic Punta Cana crystal-clear water without the chaos. And if you want a little more energy, take your beach buggy down to Api beach club on Sundays. The music is good, the vibe is relaxed, and it’s where you’ll actually meet people.
What We Love
Eden Roc is the place to be in Punta Cana, not because it’s flashy, but because it’s where the social world of Cap Cana actually happens. Golf, Polo, beach clubs, it’s the upscale Dominican lifestyle in its purest form. Also we love that it’s pet friendly, so our furry friends can enjoy the vacation just as much as we do.
Images: Cayo Levantado Resort, Samaná Bay
Cayo Levantado Resort
Location: Private Island, Samaná Bay
Set on its own private island in Samaná Bay, Cayo Levantado feels closer to a large-scale wellness retreat than the Dominican Republic’s usual beers and buffet all-inclusive. Arrival is by boat, which immediately raises the bar and filters the crowd.
The beaches are the headline act, renowend for their shallow, glassy water, and some of the whitest sand in the country. Rooms and villas are tropical and bright, with colourful interiors that nod to classic Caribbean estate style. Culturally, the resort feels rooted in. Dominican designers, and artists shape the interiors, giving the island warmth and personality instead of generic luxury gloss.
What makes Cayo Levantado different is its four wellness pathways, which you can follow seriously or casually depending on your mood. The wellness pathways rage from deeply restorative to genuinely high-energy. You can go all in with bootcamps, breathwork, and sound healing, or cherry-pick between workouts, massages, long lunches, and cocktails. This is not a dry retreat. Dominicans don’t do things by half. Sweat in the morning, order another round at sunset, no judgement.
Food is notably good for an all-inclusive. Santa Yuca stands out for fresh, produce-driven plates, while the wider dining scene skips buffet chaos in favour of multiple proper restaurants and no awkward upsells. Guest can also
Cayo Levantado also works well as a base for exploring the wider Samaná region. From January to March, the bay becomes one of the Caribbean’s best whale-watching destinations, with humpbacks migrating just offshore. Day trips to Playa Rincón, which is regularly ranked among the country’s best beaches, are an easy day trip.
On the island itself, days can be as active or relaxed as you like. There’s a full schedule of included activities, from water sports and hydrobiking to local workshops and live merengue music. The Ecobahía conservation sessions are a standout, offering hands-on insight into the island’s marine and coastal ecosystems
Why we love it: It’s one of the very few all-inclusive resorts we’d actually recommend. The private-island setting does a lot of the heavy lifting, but it’s the balance that seals it. Structured wellness without the sanctimony, proper food, and enough atmosphere to make the evenings feel social. You can treat it like a reset, a celebration, or a bit of both, and it never feels like you’re doing it “wrong.”
Images: Kimpton Las Mercedes Resort
Kimpton Las Mercedes
Location: Colonial Zone, Santo Domingo
Kimpton Las Mercedes is the hotel you choose when you want to be in Santo Domingo, not insulated from it. Set in the heart of the Colonial Zone, it’s modern, social, and deliberately unpretentious. A city stay that feels like a lush tropical hideaway, than a stark urban hotel.
In a country where design-focused hotels are rare, this is one of the strongest options outside of Amanera or Playa Grande Resort. The property’s exposed brick colonial exterior has plenty of history, and character but the interiors are firmly current. Rooms are chic, playful tiling details, mid-century furniture, and a pastel palette. They’re designed for real city use, somewhere to wake up well, retreat in the hot afternoon, and head straight back out after sunset.
Public spaces do the heavy lifting. Courtyards are leafy and serene, with shaded social spaces spilling out into the heart of the hotel. But the rooftop pool is where you want to be, by late afternoon it turns into a local scene with cocktails flowing and an easy mix of guests and Santo Domingo regulars.
Downstairs, El Pozo Lounge introduces a Dominican ritual worth adopting, cigars, rum and plenty of good conversation. While Zola, the hotel’s Northern Italian restaurant, keeps things fresh and unfussy, with a raw bar that makes sense in the Caribbean heat.
Ultimately, it’s Kimpton’s location that seals the deal. Located in the heart of Santa Domingo's Colonial Zone, near the city’s best streets, plazas, bars, and museums, and the hotel actively encourages exploration with loaner bikes.
Why we love it:
A sharp, well-designed base in the Dominican Republic’s capital that proves Santo Domingo is more than a stopover, it’s worth staying for. Oh and it’s pet friendly, so your furry friends can swan around Santa Domingo with you instead of staying home.
Images: St Regis Cap Cana
St. Regis Cap Cana
Location: Cap Cana, Punta Cana
Punta Cana has long been heavy on resorts and light on true global luxury names, no Four Seasons, no Six Senses, no St. Regis. That changed this year. St. Regis Cap Cana marks the brand’s long-awaited Dominican debut and the most serious luxury arrival the region has seen in a while. In a destination crowded with high-end options, it’s one of the few that moves the needle.
The project was led by architect Abel Acebal of Acebal Canney, and his influence is immediately clear. Despite its scale, the resort never feels overwhelming. The layout unfolds in a fluid sequence, guiding guests naturally from lobby to beach. There’s a confidence to the architecture, restraint where it matters, drama where it counts.
Swim-out suites are the obvious upgrade, and well worth it.
There are four pools, including adults-only and family zones, a children’s and teens’ club. Dining standouts include Nina, with menus by chef Diego Muñoz and a serious wine program. The St. Regis Bar, where champagne sabering, caviar rituals, and the Dominican-inspired Quisqueya Mary set the tone, and The Amber Room, a cigar and rum bar, perfect for your late night tipple.
The day spa is another standout feature, and in true Dominican fashion, there’s drinks available at the bar upon arrival. Post champagne, guests can spend time relaxing in the hydrotherapy room prior to their treatments.
Cap Cana itself is part of the draw, gated, green, and quiet, it’s far removed from Punta Cana’s busier stretches. The beach is pristine, and access to Punta Espada Golf Course, the marina, and equestrian centres means excursions are always within reach. Service is classic St. Regis, discreet, anticipatory, and highly tuned, with butlers smoothing every detail.
Why we love it
Because it’s easy. St. Regis Cap Cana is perfect for travelers who want to fly-in, settle down poolside, and stop thinking. For family stays, that level of reliability is an absolute win.
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