Club Med Punta Cana — Hotel in Higüey

We had a bittersweet experience with ClubMed PuntaCana. We tried to book one of the 400+ sq ft room for our family of 4 (mom/dad/2yr old/11month old) for nearly a month, but the online booking system would always crash in the last step when we were about to confirm the booking. This, along with inconsistencies in the responses from ClubMed customer service, basically forced us to book a much larger room that was about 50% more expensive and "recently renovated". The final answer from ClubMed was that we were not allowed to book the room we intended to because it was meant for families with kids older than 3. I guess the answer did not make sense to us.

When we arrived at the hotel, they received us pretty well. In general, guest service at the hotel was decent, but it does not come any close to any of some of my previous experiences like cruising @ Royal Caribbean, HardRock Caffe @ Mexico, or Olympic Lagoon @ Cyprus. That said, as we moved in to our rooms I was fairly disappointed. Yes, it was colorful and large, but nothing on that room made you feel like you were in a premium / luxury room, and we paid a lot for it. Doors were squeaking when opening/closing, toilets and sinks getting stuck/ almost clogging. Bad sealing in the showers allowing large quantities of water splashing all over the washroom. Rusted faucets. We also got cockroaches on nights #3 and #4 in the washroom. And honestly, the list goes on and on. We did complaint at some point, and they did offer us to change rooms, but we kind of figured it probably would not make any difference and decided to stick to it.

The hotel is big, and I mean big. But this did not mean it was packed on every square feet with attractions. There was a lot of things to do, but you needed to walk decent distances. For example, this Hotel barely has 3 restaurants, and unfortunately, while we were there only 2 were functioning, one buffet, one a la carte by the beach. The food was generally good, but the lack of restaurant options was another disappointing point. If you are staying there for 7+ nights as we did, it gets pretty boring quite quick.

The #1 reason we chose this Hotel was because it was by far the most recommended one for families according most online reviews + friends. I believe, It was the only Hotel we found in PuntaCana that had kids club for kids under 3 and 1. On night 3 we finally went on, registered and dropped our kids in the kids club for half day. When we came back to pick them up at the agreed hour, we found our little one completely irritated, and gave us the impression that he was crying for at least some good 30mins. He was super hot too, so we head back to our room super quick and measured his temperature, and voila, he had 39 degrees fever and no one ever called us from the kids club!. On top of this, they charged us full day for both of our kids. We complained to the kids club manager, she refunded us the fees for the little one, and adjusted the fee for our older daughter to only half day, as initially agreed. For the next couple of days either myself or my wife would stay in the room with the little one, and eventually he got better. It was day #6 or so and there was a beach party that night and the hotel arranged a Pijama Club at night at the kids club, we decided to give it another shot. When we got there to drop our kids, we found out that the room where our older daughter was supposed to play did not have AC, did not have any toys either, and the educators suggested they will let her watch TV on their cellphones. This was disrespectful to say the least, so we decided not to drop her last minute, but to our surprise when we were checking out, they charged us anyways. After complaining, the Hotel did drop the charge.

Finally, keep in mind that this hotel & its infrastructure is of the oldest in Punta Cana, and there is no place to escape from the heat. The only place with AC (beyond your room) is the buffet resto, and even there, the AC barely blows some dry air, at best. We went on May 2024, cannot imagine the experience in...

An Unforgettable Family Vacation at Club Med Punta Cana!

Our family just returned from an incredible 7-day vacation at Club Med Punta Cana. This was our third visit, and it continues to amaze us with its exceptional service, fantastic activities, and warm, welcoming atmosphere.

Our daughters, aged 8 and 4, were thrilled to return to the kids' clubs, reuniting with some familiar faces and meeting new ones. The staff’s dedication to creating a fun and engaging environment for the children is truly remarkable. From creative arts and crafts to exciting outdoor games, our kids were entertained and happy throughout our stay.

The GOs (Gentils Organisateurs) were phenomenal. Special thanks to Faye (Kids Club), Jorge (Golf Instructor), and Vero (Kids Club). Faye spent quality time getting to know us, even on her day off. Jorge recognized us immediately from last year and warmly welcomed us back, even calling out our names from a distance as soon as he saw us. Vero was incredibly sweet and fun, ensuring we had an amazing experience. We enjoyed spending time with each of them at meals, parties, and other events and activities.

Other wonderful GOs who made our stay memorable include:

Rose (Kids Club): Fantastic with our children, especially our 4-year-old. We got to know her fairly well. Marion (Kids Club): Made a big difference in our kids' experience. We had the pleasure to spend time with her on several occasions, which was nice. She did a great job with the kids’ show choreography. Cynthia (Kids Club): Always attentive and engaging with our daughters. Ariadna (Kids Club): Remembered us from last year and was very welcoming and attentive. Pierre (Kids Club): Fantastic with our 8-year-old daughter. She's still debating whether he's her new best friend or not, and we all enjoyed getting to know him. Alicia (Kids Club Supervisor): Welcoming, genuinely sweet, and attentive; she also remembered us from last year, and we were all happy to see her again. Ramon (Tennis Instructor and Entertainment Host): Made private Tiara and Indigo events more enjoyable. We briefly met him last year and were happy to get to know him better this time around. Ana (Nautical Sports): Taught our daughter a Brazilian dance and continued teaching her at one of the night parties. She was so kind and accompanied our daughter on a kayak. Romain (Village Assistant Manager): Went out of his way to make us feel like part of the Club Med family and remembered our names from the moment we met and greeted us each time he saw us.

We also want to thank:

Rym (Receptionist and Singer): Made a strong impact with her friendliness and talent. Nora (Yoga Instructor): Provided excellent yoga sessions. Paul (Kids Club): Known as Paul Banana by the kids, very popular and engaging. Ralph (Kids Club): Fantastic with the kids. Bonnie (Bar): Remembered us from last year, very friendly and attentive. Adrian (Bar): Fun, friendly, and attentive. Hector (Restaurant): Remembered us and provided excellent service.

Booking our couples massage was a breeze thanks to Mondelus, Garnier, and Gaspard. The two masseuses provided an exceptional experience, making it our third visit to the spa, and it was just as wonderful as ever.

The circus school, trapeze, and evening shows were highlights for the whole family. The food was excellent, with themed dinners, and our room was a comfortable retreat.

Being remembered by the staff from previous visits and meeting new ones made us feel like we were coming back to a second home. We made new friends and cherished the moments spent with both the staff and other guests.

Club Med Punta Cana continues to be one of our go-to destinations for a family vacation. The combination of stunning surroundings, exceptional service, and a plethora of activities makes it a perfect choice for families. If you’re looking for fun, relaxation, and unforgettable memories, Club Med Punta Cana is the place to be.Thank you to everyone at Club Med Punta Cana for making our vacation truly special once again. We can’t...

We recently returned from a seven day trip to Club Med Punta Cana. I hope this review helps other families plan a trip or decide on this resort. First we are a family of six from the United States who has kids from seven to sixteen. We chose this resort due to the location and family focused activities and comments we read on other reviews. We are not a party/alcohol focused family and wanted an all inclusive experience that would allow our kids to enjoy the trip while mom and dad could also have fun.

Overall we really enjoyed our stay and would certainly return to a club med resort. It met most of our needs but there are a few areas of improvement and things to be aware of if you consider going to this resort. For our family the trade offs are worth it and we had a memorable vacation that my kids will talk about for years.

First we want to recognize a few staff who really did a great job. Wolson In archery, Jess in sailing (patience even as my family tried to take her out on the sailboats), Wilson in kids club all amazing. The entire watersport team and kids club staff are amazing sorry we cannot remember other names.

Strongest positive

The kids club is excellent. My kids asked to go and got mad at us when we picked them up. They have separate age appropriate activities lined up every day (they get to choose two paths) that include things like catamaran sailing. The GO's who work in the kids club are well trained and you can tell love the job. Very safe and caring environment.

Positives

Reception and checkout process is very smooth and welcoming Lack of a "tip culture" really takes the stress off the vacation. Activities are fun and well planned. My family really enjoyed the circus activity and several of us did group fitness classes. Watersport's are fun. You will burn calories on this trip! Food is good and I personally prefer the plated meals at the buffet restaurants to the other all inclusive model of fighting for reservations. We found the lunch at Indigo good as well. There was always a good selection of food types and my kids loved the food. The head chef at Hispaniola made a point to talk to my wife about his creations. Location is excellent. The beach/water area is perfect for swimming and in general fairly well protected from waves and sargassum. Tons of beach chairs and beds and never had to fight for a spot. Room cleaning was good every day. They really tried to make the rooms as clean as possible. Many of the staff (GO's) live on the resort. They eat the same food you do and often do multiple jobs. We loved eating with the GO's. Multilingual and multitalented staff are friendly and fun. Entertainment surprisingly good for a resort. Wifi is workable. Expresso/coffee drinks from the bar are excellent

Room for improvement

Interconnected family/standard rooms are in serious need for improvement. One of the reasons I chose this resort was my family size and need for a single space for six. The rooms need bathroom remodels, the HVAC needs to be redone, and there are other annoying issues. It is the one thing that is keeping this from a five star rating IMO. They did start some renovation project on the building we stayed in the day we left. They need more kids pool area and some water features and slides, but I literally got an email the day I got back that this is being added in the fall. It's not a huge issue but would really elevate this resort.

Culture

The most spoken language is French, followed by Spanish, and then English. At times you can feel a little left out by the French/European crowd at it can seem the GO's cater more to the French. But as you embrace the unique culture here that goes away. Go with the whole GO/GM thing and the dress code/45 thing and have fun! We met several families from all over the world.

Overall a great trip. Had the rooms been just a little better would have been 5 star review all the way. Club med please invest...