In 30-suite Tortuga Bay, fashion designer Oscar de la Renta has created a resort-within-a-resort focused on romantic escape, stellar service and an impeccable design that plays off the natural beauty of the Dominican Republic. Start your vacation as soon as you land: The hotel’s staff greets guests at the Puntacana Resort & Club airport lounge and ushers them from tarmac to sublime beach in minutes. Upon arrival you’ll find 15 chic, canary-colored villas containing 30 suites spread out across the beachfront property. This luxury hotel is located in Punta Cana, just a 5 minute ride from the Puntacana International Airport. Nearby attractions also include Corales & La Cana golf courses and the Puntacana Marina.
Tortuga Bay offers a private beach, 4 restaurants, 2 golf courses, a Six Senses Spa, impeccable service, private round-trip transfers from/to Puntacana International Airport and VIP assistance at the terminal. Personalized butler service: Guests are given their own cell phone with a direct line to a Villa Manager who can coordinate dinner plans, afternoon picnics, and excursions.
Nature takes center-stage at this boutique-sized enclave, part of the PUNTACANA Resort & Club development. Five miles of pristine private beachfront the property, which is nestled in a 1,500-acre ecological reserve. The leafy setting inspired fashion designer (and Dominican Republic native) Oscar de la Renta, who created the plantation-style suite interiors here. All have balconies and feature such touches as Frette linens and L’Occitane amenities.
Beautiful as these serene spaces are, guests are tempted by a myriad of activities, including golf on two 18-hole courses, and tennis and water sports like snorkeling and kayaking. At the end of an active day, the Six Senses Spa (the only one in North America) beckons; many of the treatments are all-natural, making it a great fit for this special place.
The Six Senses Spa at Puntacana Resort And Club is located in the club house area close to the beach. the eight inside rooms comprise thai massage for individual or couples, a beauty room, a single treatment room and five treatment rooms ideal for couples. Most of the indoor rooms provide spectacular views to the ocean and have its own changing section, relaxation and steam room. providing the unique sensory spa journey, the two outdoor treatment suites are set right on the beach, surrounded by tropical plantings, a private yin-yang bath and a herb garden which provides fresh herbs used on treatments and juice bar.
Corales Golf Club
“The exclusive Tom Fazio-designed Corales Golf Club features a spectacular seaside setting with six of its holes overlooking the turquoise blue waters of the Bay of Corales. Picturesque canyons, rocky cliffs and coral reefs create an exhilaratingly challenging course that culminates with the dramatic 18th, which requires a strategic carry over the rocky bay. Play is available to residents of the Corales residential community, club members and all registered guests of Tortuga Bay.”
Dining
Bamboo
Designed by Oscar de la Renta, Bamboo offers a graceful hideaway for enjoying Mediterranean-inspired modern cuisine. Recipient of the coveted AAA Four Diamond rating, the restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers poolside service during the day.
La Choza
For casual dining right on the beach, head to La Choza, an open-air restaurant set beneath an enormous palapa on Punta Cana’s signature white sand. The wide selection of offerings includes fresh seafood, sandwiches and a variety of barbecued specialties.
La Yola
Modeled after a fisherman’s boat, La Yola sits right on the Caribbean Sea, offering spectacular views out over the water. Enjoy freshly caught seafood and elegant Mediterranean cuisine in the spectacular dining room, which features a glass-floor viewing portal, or request a table on the open-air deck.
Playa Blanca
Enjoy fresh local seafood and grilled meats with refreshing cocktails at Playa Blanca. Situated directly on the Caribbean Sea, the restaurant offers a relaxed tropical setting for lunch and dinner daily and features live music by local Dominican musicians on a weekly basis.
The Grill
“Situated in the La Cana Golf Clubhouse, El Grill offers a fitting end to a spectacular day on the course. Take in sensational views of the fairways and the tranquil Caribbean Sea as you enjoy casual American cuisine fresh off the grill. Favorite dishes include the juicy Porterhouse and the zesty Caesar salad.”
The standard room at Tortuga is a one-bedroom, second-floor villa. Upgrades get you a Jacuzzi and additional bedrooms, all the way up to a four-bedroom villa. All of the rooms have the same tasteful and luxurious design, as well as a slew of impressive amenities. The major difference is between the first floor and the second: first-floor villas have terraces while second-floor villas have balconies, both of which have ocean views.
Highlights:
- Personal golf carts and bicycles come with each villa for guests to use, and are parked outside.
- Amazing beds — four-poster frames with high-count Frette linens, soft pillows, and down comforters. They may even top the much-lauded Westin Heavenly beds. Put simply: a bed can not get any better.
- Each suite has a balcony or terrace, all of which have ocean views.
- Powerful air-conditioning system that cools down the room very quickly.
- 37-inch plasma flat-screen TVs in the living room and in each bedroom. The TVs work well and get clear reception, and each TV gets about 80 channels, most of which are in English.
- No stereo to plug in an iPod, but there is a DVD player attached to the TV. There are no on-demand movies, but the front-desk staff can rent movies upon request.
- Luxurious bathrooms are decked out with a coral floor, a deep Jacuzzi tub, a glass shower, a toilet, and a bidet.
- Molton Brown bath products — moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, and soap — are favorites among luxe hotels (previously L’Occitane products were offered). A loofah and soaking salts for the Jacuzzi are also available.
- Two small bottles of Fiji water come free with the room and are replaced twice daily. More bottles are available at the bar, but in a country where tap water is not potable, a little extra water in the room would be nice.
- Coffee/tea maker, ice maker, microwave, and an iron and ironing board are in all rooms
- 24 hour room service
- Free Wi-Fi
Cleanliness
Almost perfect — ground-floor rooms might see some ants, as in any Caribbean resort.
Rooms at Tortuga Bay are tended to quite intensely. Maids make up the room during the day, then tidy up again during turn-down. Rooms are spotless, though ants are common in ground floor rooms at any resort in the Caribbean, Tortuga Bay included.
Outside, the grounds are all well-maintained. Towels are left on lounge chairs early in the day, then retrieved at night.
The hotel can be incredibly accommodating for children, even providing them with beach toys. Nearby, at the Punta Cana Resort and Club property (which Tortuga guests can easily access), there’s an endless list of activities for kids, including a petting zoo, exploring the eco-park, sailing, tennis, and bike riding.
There is no kids club, but hotel staff say they are happy to prepare kid-friendly meals at varying times for couples with children — i.e., earlier for the kids, later for the adults. As for the room, families can opt for two-, three-, or four-bedroom villas.
