SELECTUM HACIENDA PUNTA CANA — Hotel in Higüey

We weren’t sure what to expect when we booked our vacation at Hacienda Selectum, but we were amazed by the level of care that they put into every aspect of our stay. The trip was wonderful in the ways you might expect from a beach vacation, but where this experience really stood out was the food and the staff. There were two wonderful, talented Turkish chefs who told us many times that they were willing to make whatever we’d enjoy - though we were most excited to be surprised by what they wanted to cook. As our trip progressed, the chefs - whom we talked with every day - learned what we liked most and refined it over time so that by the end we were eating authentic Turkish eggplant dishes with rich tomatoey sauces (sometimes two versions of dishes to accommodate our different dietary habits), and the other tables were eating things like sushi, roast chicken, and whole baked fish. I have never seen this level of care and personalization. Similarly, we had servers we got to know and love over the course of our stay, who were charming, attentive and professional. They spent time with us every meal and honed their service to our preferences and quirks (that we drink our coffee black, that we don’t need the ashtray on our table, that I might need oil and vinegar even at breakfast etc.) Every meal is many courses, and many of the ingredients are locally-sourced, or grown on site. Sitting poolside, one of the servers will surprise you with a fresh fruit smoothie, or a coconut with a straw (or probably a beer if you're into that!) Our room was beautiful, clean, well-stocked with all sorts of supplies (I've never before had a hotel supply me with a nail kit, a loofa, a shave kit, shoe polish and brush, toothpaste and toothbrush, and hand sanitizer), snacks (superfluous, since you're never hungry) , drinks and coffee. The location was extremely beautiful and sunny, and the buildings are artfully constructed and decorated. The beach below is technically public land, but we hardly encountered anyone in the hours we spent there. In the morning there are beautiful sunrises over the ocean, and you can hear the ocean from your room at night. We mostly wanted to have a quiet and relaxing vacation, but there are many things to do if you prefer something more stimulating (tours, spa treatments, partying, helicopter rides!) One of the directors coordinated a private surf lesson for my partner, just a five-minute walk away. We very much appreciated that the staff took care of everything for us, and anticipated all of our needs, in addition to being fun and interesting people. The trip ended with the staff and CEO of Selectum coming out to bid us farewell, and one of the chefs carrying my suitcase to the car for me. Have you ever heard of such a thing? We can't...

Everything about this boutique is perfectly curated. It far surpassed anything we could have expected. The property is stunning and has only 9 beds. There are no crowds. It is truly a paradise and is even more beautiful than the pictures. From the minute you walk in, they welcome you like family and truly cater to any request. We had fresh coconut waters brought to us every day while reading books at the pool. When lounging outside our room on the porch we had fresh fruit juices and bowls of fruit brought to us. ||The food experience was by far the best part. There is a chef's garden where they grow the greens for the salad. The fruit is local and perfectly ripe. Breakfast included eggs from their own chickens. Every meal was an experience and catered specifically to us. We ate mostly vegetarian and had multiple course lunches and dinners every day. We spent hours on the second floor open air dining room at the main house loving every single course. The chefs take any request and we asked to have them make some of their favorite Turkish meals which were incredible! Even though we had vegetarian Turkish food on our table, the table next to us had a completely different multiple course meals. These are professionally trained chefs. The detail in the style, preparation, texture and taste of the food was truly a gastronomy experience. I have never eaten so well. ||The rooms are spotless and the property was safe and security is on site at all times. We will...

If I could leave zero stars I would. First let me say my husband I travel ALOT. Close to probably 60 countries between the both of us and this was hands down one of the worst places we stayed for several reasons. The room was nice and comfortable but the hot water only stays hot for maybe 5 minutes after that it’s luke warm at best. The food is only available at weird hours that aren’t posted absolutely anywhere and have a very limited menu. We kept having to leave to get food due to this. The location is very secluded it’s about 25 mins from Punta Cana city and we struggled getting an Uber to go anywhere because they kept saying we were too far. We requested a refund because we were wanting to just move to a resort closer to the city that had food more available and they refused to refund us. We had 1 meal here and it was mediocre at best. We were woken up very early 2 mornings in a row to people outside of our room talking and making a bunch of noise. The hot tub is broken. We were told the beach was wonderful so we walked down to beach and it was full of trash. We came because of all the wonderful reviews but now I’m convinced most of them are fake reviews. If you want to be very secluded with VERY limited food and things to do then this is for you but we will never return here. Bummed we are stuck here for the rest...