Cayo Levantado Resort — Hotel in Samana

A Soulful, Unforgettable Escape — Our Cayo Levantado Experience||From the moment we arrived on the island, we knew we were stepping into something extraordinary. Cayo Levantado is not just a hotel—it’s a sanctuary where nature, wellness, service, and beauty come together in perfect harmony. It’s without a doubt the most beautiful and unique property we’ve ever visited, offering true privacy, breathtaking views, and a level of personalized service that’s incredibly rare.||Every part of the island reflects intention. The all-inclusive experience isn’t just generous—it’s mind-opening. From curated culinary journeys across five distinct restaurants to transformative wellness offerings and immersive cultural workshops, every day felt like a new adventure. The commitment to sustainability—such as the paper-free philosophy and thoughtful recycling—was equally inspiring.||Even during the off-season, the resort’s philosophy of welcoming fewer guests made the entire experience deeply personal. We never once felt like “just guests”; we felt like we belonged.||⸻||Yubarta Wellness – The Heart of the Island||Yubarta is where we experienced wellness in its purest, most human form. The design alone—open jungle views, serene meditation spaces, and tranquil ponds—was magical. But it was the people who made it transcendent.||Florangel moved us with her gentle voice and emotional sound healing sessions, voice activation and the full moon ceremony. Mahalia guided us through breathwork, including the Wim Hof method, culminating in an unforgettable ice bath surrounded by nature. Both of them were truly kind souls and they were truly passionate about their crafts and it shined through their personalities. Ynette taught us the power of plant-based teas and nutrition in a way that was fun, soulful and scientific. Fran, with his quiet attentiveness, ensured every detail was taken care of. Claudia, with her decades of wisdom and open heart, left a lasting impact on us—her energy and teachings felt sacred.||These experiences weren’t just wellness activities—they were emotional shifts that will stay with us forever. ||Thank you, Yubarta team, for changing us.||⸻||Conuco & Cultural Discovery – A Bridge Between Nature and Tradition||The workshops at Conuco opened our eyes in a completely different way. The sustainability tour led by José and his kind colleague who led the Music of the plants workshop (whose name we sadly forgot) was deeply educational—teaching us how the island integrates eco-conscious practices with local community support. Their passion for preserving the environment while celebrating Dominican culture was truly admirable. We loved that the island creates partially their own water and electricity. ||Two standout experiences: the “Music of the Plants” workshop, where we heard the frequencies of nature translated into sound—it was magical, almost spiritual. And the Casabe workshop, where we engaged with local artisanal tradition in such an interactive, meaningful way.||Johnny, who helped with the technical setup during the Music of Plante, was exceptional—with quiet professionalism.||⸻||Fitness & Movement – Positivity in Motion||We loved the outdoor training arena—set amidst nature, it was energizing. Coaches Juan, Faustina, and Hudson each brought passion, positivity, and professionalism. They taught us not just exercises, but correct techniques, always encouraging us with smiles and care.||⸻||Culinary Experiences – World-Class, All-Inclusive Redefined||Each restaurant delivered a different experience—and every bite was exquisite. The food was easily the best we’ve ever had in an all-inclusive hotel. Local ingredients, thoughtful presentation, and clear culinary storytelling made every meal an experience.||Johamar with his charming way always ensured we understood each restaurant concept and felt cared for. Leopoldo made our evenings special with his deep knowledge of wine and rum—his storytelling made tastings fun and educational. Betty and Elaine with her beautiful and true smile|brightened our evenings with their warmth and constant attention to detail. Miguelina and Ingrid made our mornings joyful with their infectious energy.||Stephen and Bladimir brought humor and heart to every meal. And to the chefs—thank you for creating such an outstanding, diverse culinary experience, from fresh ceviche to perfect tender meat cuts and beautiful desserts. The food was honestly consistently the best all inclusive a la carte food we ever tasted in a hotel. Both the master executive and assistant chefs from Mexico and all the other local chefs have truly created such a treat, in which each concept offered something different, with local ingredients, still showing lots of diversity from international cuisines. The platters were always fresh, good size and truly delicious. We were truly in heaven and ate too much;)||The coffee shop was a daily delight. We were especially touched by Oscar R. and Bryan—two wonderful souls who helped us select local souvenirs and shared their beautiful friendship story that made us smile deeply. Not only their knowledge on the local products but their stories of knowing each other from early childhood, their positive outlook on life and their true care for great servicing made this experience unforgettable. ||⸻||Room & Housekeeping – True Comfort||Room 404 was a dream—spacious, serene, and beautifully designed. The bed was luxurious, the view divine, and the smart TV with schedule access was a nice touch. Housekeeping exceeded expectations: our room was refreshed every time we stepped out, and the local artisan gifts left on our bed each day were a moving tribute to Dominican culture. These small gestures meant the world.||⸻||Ambassadors – Personalized Care at Every Step||From the moment Rafaela greeted us with a warm smile at the boat dock, we knew we were in good hands. She and Kendri were the epitome of thoughtful service. Through a shared WhatsApp group, they provided tailored daily recommendations, responded quickly to every request, and even arranged a tour of the villas for us. It felt like having a personal concierge who truly cared.||⸻||Front Desk, Drivers & Gardeners – Unsung Heroes||The front desk was always responsive, professional, and ready to assist—whether with transport or currency exchange. Special thanks to Rafalin, whose kindness during our departure made it a little less bittersweet.||And to the gardeners—thank you. Your work is visible in every leaf, every flower, every perfectly tended path. You’re the invisible artists behind this living masterpiece.||⸻||A Few Suggestions (Because Even Paradise Can Grow)||Our stay was perfect—but a few suggestions to make it even more magical:| • The daily recommendations via WhatsApp sometimes felt like copy-paste messages. A more personalized tone would elevate the experience.| • The motion-triggered bathroom light, though smart, can be disruptive at night. A manual switch would help.| • Evening terrace entertainment was sometimes loud—perhaps relocate or soften the sound to preserve the tranquility for nearby rooms.||⸻||Final Words||This was not just a hotel stay—it was a soulful retreat, a reconnection with self, nature, and others. We left not only rested but inspired. Thank you to everyone at Cayo Levantado for creating something so rare and beautiful. You didn’t just host us—you transformed us. We can’t wait to return and bring others with us.||With deep...

We travelled to Cayo Levantado with TUI, who were excellent from start to finish. So many previous reviews have covered the main points, friendly staff, clean beaches etc - but as this resort will be changing to a family resort in a couple of months, I will review it from a parent point of view.

Transfer from Puerto Plata (POP) - TUI fly their Dreamliner into this airport and it’s a 4 hour transfer from the airport to the jetty where you then catch a boat over to the island. We travelled on a new, comfortable coach (no toilet on board and they only make one restroom stop). It’s a hair-raising bus transfer - there are no road markings so it’s a ‘free for all’ with mopeds carrying 2,3 or 4 passengers weaving in and out of traffic and the bus tail gated anything and everything. Sadly, the journey from the airport gave us a very poor impression of the Dominican Republic. Far from the glossy brochures showing pristine beaches and idyllic island life, we were really disgusted by the huge amount of rubbish (mostly polystyrene takeaway boxes, cups and plastic bottles) absolutely everywhere and locals were sat outside their houses and on the pavements surrounded by heaps of rubbish. Feral dogs could be seen scavenging through mounds of rubbish. The only clean areas could be found near large hotels. We were really quite distressed to see the huge amount of plastic waste being dumped into the ocean and for this reason, will not return to the Dominican Republic.

The rooms at the resort whilst spacious and well appointed, have a huge glass ‘window’ between the bedroom and the bathroom and afford NO privacy as there is no blind. We stayed in villa 2 with the most amazing view over the ocean.

Food at Portofino ‘Italian’ is simply awful - we ate there twice because we didn’t want buffet again, but cancelled the third reservation after being served raw pork. Don Pablo was very good but service was much too quick (staff waited by the table on one occasion whilst my partner finished his starter) and you have about 7 different members of waiting staff for each meal. Food will need to change radically in order to accommodate children. Also, the restaurant reservation system needs an overhaul - we had no luck reserving any restaurants for our first week despite being at the guest services desk at 9am following our arrival. It very much seemed to depend who was manning the desk as to whether you got a reservation- we were told on several occasions during our first few days that we could not book for our second week until Saturday morning 9am. Yet when I spoke with a member of staff on Thursday morning she waved her hands in the air and said she’d book whichever we wanted - I fear that come Saturday there would have been little left to book! Also, why were the restaurants never full? At best they were running at half capacity and not open every day.

Buffet: We we’re disappointed to see so many guests refusing the antibacterial hand gel on entrance to the buffet and people were coming in straight off the beach in their swimwear which was not attractive. Food is ok, but Bahia Principe, please inform your chef that he shouldn’t be handling raw and cooked meats with the same utensils.

Beach: very clean, plentiful sun beds and clean towels. Ocean on left hand side beach was very rough and I wouldn’t let a child anywhere near the water here as the undercurrent is incredibly strong. Beach on the right hand side is a little calmer, but still not suitable for children as the beach drops away quickly into deep water.

Top pool has a couple of deep areas for swimming and a shallower area for paddling (0.4m). Neither pools are heated. Bottom pool is good for swimming. Plenty of sunbeds around both pools.

Public beach - please don’t take your children down here at any time of day or evening, it was covered in litter from day trippers and beaches were not as well maintained as the resort - I would fear for little feet there.

Overall we had a lovely, relaxing holiday but the island resort is not suitable for children in its...

Shoutout to Thalia, Keddy, Betty, Luis, Maguelina, Eddy, Julio and the entire team for making the trip so wonderful!

Property 10/10. The resort is situated on its own island off Samana in the DR. The property itself is stunning, the design work is really wonderfully done throughout the resort. I constantly was taking pictures of light fixtures, sinks, plates, chairs. I had the chance to do a private ecological tour of the island and the care they put into maintaining and regrowing the natural landscape is evident. Outside of the nature, everything is very clean and well maintained and stocked.

Room: 9/10. We had the standard villa room, and our upgrade options were somewhat limited due to the fact we needed two beds. Most of the rooms were just one king bed, including all the beachfront rooms. The room itself is beautiful, the sheets very comfy, the minibar restocked well, and the design beautiful. Every night housekeeping came and delivered a local gift to the room, which was a nice touch. You can control the room from either the TV or the wall, which was nice, and the A/C was well functioning. The downsides - the bathroom has a "window" into the main bedroom, which means you can see into the shower from the bedroom, which is not my ideal. Also weirdly, the patio didn't have a door handle on the outside, so while you could open it easily from the inside, it was more difficult once you were out there.

Concierge: 10/10 Personal concierge service was done via WhatsApp, which worked well for us. Every morning/evening they texted you a list of activities provided on the island the next day. It worked throughout the week and responses usually came within 1-2 minutes.

Dining: 9/10. Dining was interesting because it was the off season, they ran limited dining options and only had one restaurant open for dinner each night. While we did not mind it as it lead to you having the same servers every night and feeling of an atmosphere with other diners, there were times where I wish we could have chosen something else. Mostly because for lunch the restaurant Carey was open every day, and I had to specifically ask the concierge to pre-order a lunch item from another restaurant that would not be open that week. The buffet was also closed, limiting some grab and go options. However, all the food itself was fabulous, the coffee shop great, and room service is open 24/7. You can order off menu from room service as well to get items from some of the other restaurants, which was a nice benefit. Unfortunately, I don't drink that much so can't really comment on the quality of alcohol used.

Spa: 6/10. This was one of the areas I found the most lacking. While there are changing rooms/bathrooms in the individual room, there are no free to use facilities such as a steam room/sauna. There is a paid area that you can reserve for $40, but at least at the time of my booking some of the facilities in it were not working so they were offering 20% off. Inside the actual massage room there is a shower, but my therapist recommend I not shower, so I did not actually use the facilities. The waiting room was also very limited and seemed more of an afterthought. The massages were good, just the spa itself felt lacking.

Activities: 8/10 Every day they had a list of smaller activities that required registration. The ones they hyped the most were the fire dancing (only on Saturdays I believe) and sound healing (offered every other day). We also participated in a yucca bread making class, bracelet making, and sip and paint. They had DJs and music most nights, but with the lack of guests due to off season, this wasn't that popular (no fault of theirs!)

Beach: 10/10 The beach was also wonderful. There are about 5 cabanas (all free to use) and due to limited guests we never had an issue reserving one. Beach service was quick and efficient, often no one else was ordering anything.

Pools: 10/10 Two main pools, both with their own bar and ample...