People come to Punta Cana because it's the least expensive destination in the Caribbean, according to Gabriela Fernandez, group sales coordinator for Iberostar's Punta Cana hotels, and because its beach is so beautiful. Existing hotels are expanding and renovating. I visited eight of the hotels. All looked inviting, but there was no way to determine which was best because I could not compare their service. While some places are more compact and others have less mature landscaping, many are similar to Paradisus, with lobby pavilions, open-air buffet restaurants and scattered buildings.
Some properties contain two or three adjoining hotels owned by the same company.
One, the new Occidental Flamenco Bavaro, has a more exclusive hotel within the hotel. No U.S. hotel chains have opened all-inclusives at Punta Cana, but other hotel operators expect it's just a matter of time. She said all staffers there must take classes to learn English and foods in its buffet are labelled in four languages. Hotels hoping to attract large numbers of U.S. visitors, especially families, may have to offer smoke-free areas and restrict topless sunbathing. As I anticipated, you don't learn much about the Dominican Republic in Punta Cana.