First look: The St. Regis Cap Cana delivers a la carte luxury in the land of all-inclusives

The Punta Cana area of the Dominican Republic is known for its vast array of all-inclusive resorts, but this year, Marriott is changing the game with the shiny new St. Regis Cap Cana Resort. The now-open 200-room resort is an architectural stunner and design lover’s dream, with multiple restaurants and bars, family-friendly pools, adults-only spaces, a beautiful spa, and classic St. Regis rituals like daily Champagne sabering and a property-specific bloody mary.

TPG had the chance to be one of the first guests at the new property to experience what it has to offer. Despite some natural new-hotel hiccups (and a bit of misfortune from Mother Nature), the property is off to a solid start. Here’s what it was like visiting a little over a month after the grand opening.

Related: First look: The St. Regis Aruba is home to the island’s only rooftop restaurant, luxe oceanfront suites and the first-ever St. Regis casino

First impressions at The St. Regis Cap Cana

Set in a gated part of Cap Cana, this new St. Regis felt luxe from the very start of my stay, beginning with the dramatic geometric staircase standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling indoor waterfall. Dark woods, soft creams, and vibrant textures and patterns came together to create a beautiful theme that was carried out throughout the entire property.

During my stay, the guests were just as eclectic as the tones and textures; I met groups from New York, Chicago, Atlanta, the Dominican Republic and beyond. And, from the moment of arrival, the ultrafriendly staff helped set the tone for what kind of service to expect throughout the stay.

The rooms at The St. Regis Cap Cana

For my stay, I was in a two-queen Palm Luxe Swim Out. The modern room was beautiful, with very comfortable beds, a nice little table-and-chair area, a large flat-screen TV with streaming capabilities, a well-stocked minibar, and a cute little cart with liquor bottles and red wines. Nearly all tech features of the room (lights, curtains, “Do Not Disturb” sign) were controlled by convenient touch panels throughout the room, making it easy to open the blinds in the morning to let in the light, and automatic recessed lighting in the floor was great for late-night trips to the bathroom.

The balcony was a great place to lounge, and starting the day with a quick dip in the swim-up pool made each morning special. Just note, swim-up pools, like this one, are usually communal, so other guests can swim up and down the pool.

The room featured a beautifully appointed bathroom with dual sinks, ample lighting, a spacious egg-shaped soaking tub, a huge rainfall shower and a separate wash closet concealing the toilet. I loved the large towels and Frette bathmats, but one small linen-related issue was that the bathmat was so fluffy that the toilet door couldn’t slide over it to open, so I constantly had to flip it.

The room was very comfortable, large and easy to share with my mom, who traveled with me. Best of all, all rooms include the famous St. Regis butler service, and our kind butler volunteered to unpack our bags (and repack them when it was time to go home), but I opted out of the service.

Dining at The St. Regis Cap Cana

The St. Regis Cap Cana has nine bars and restaurants, and over my three-night stay, I had the chance to visit a few of them. At Nina, the resort’s most elevated restaurant, with a Peruvian-inspired menu by acclaimed chef Diego Muñoz, I enjoyed the wagyu beef katsu sandwich topped with potato chips ($38) and the pan-seared scallops with sweet cream corn. The service was even better than the delicious food.

For lunch, I couldn’t get enough of the garlic prawns ($23) at the poolside restaurant Marola, and ended up having them two days in a row. The same restaurant’s chicken and chorizo paella ($25), on the other hand, just didn’t do it for me.

Breakfast each morning was at Cassava, where a buffet ($50 per person) offered the classics like fruit, cereals, pastries, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, plus a la carte items like eggs Benedict and eggs made any way. The servers seemed surprised when we asked for mimosas, but still made it happen. Cassava is also open for dinner, with a Latin and Dominican menu emphasizing meat and seafood. 

Certainly don’t forget to stop by the St. Regis bar for elevated bar snacks like lobster rolls ($26), wagyu sliders ($24), oysters and scallops (both $21). St. Regis fans will know that each property offers a local take on the bloody mary, and the Cap Cana version, the Quisqueya Mary, infuses local rum with fried plantains.

At the pool, servers were coming and going quite frequently to take drink orders, and I enjoyed a few spicy margaritas (some were better than others, and at more than $23 per drink with tax, I wished for a little more consistency). Despite the property being just a month old (or young!), the servers were all friendly and willing to help with any need.

Amenities and service at The St. Regis Cap Cana

• Across the board, all staff members that I encountered on the property were incredibly friendly and always smiling, even as they came up to speed from the recent opening.
• The hotel has a massive, family-friendly pool; a dedicated splash pad area (which had a small buffet and ice cream cart at one point); and an adults-only pool with lounge chairs and cabanas that come with great shade and a refrigerator. There’s also a rooftop pool (but we preferred staying at the adults-only pool).
• A state-of-the-art gym spans two levels and includes ample Technogym equipment and an entire spin classroom.
• The spa offers all the classics, and guests can even request their spa service on the rooftop treatment space that looks out at the ocean.
• A children’s club is available for kids 12 and under.
• A Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course is available next door at the Punta Espada Golf Club.
• Butler service is available for any and every need.
• The concierge desk can help arrange activities from excursions to nearby adventure parks to deep-sea fishing.
• On-site shops offer everything from high-end clothing to sunscreen and souvenirs.
• The nightly Champagne sabering is a St. Regis tradition, and guests all get a glass to toast with.

The beach at The St. Regis Cap Cana

I have long loved the beaches in the Punta Cana area during winter visits, and have always found them to be stunning. Sometimes, Mother Nature has other plans, though, and the warmer summer months can mean the beaches are overrun by sargassum (a type of algae) and seaweed. Unfortunately, the area was being hit hard during my early June stay, and despite ocean netting and a clean-up crew working all day, the beach continued to be pounded by it.

Luckily, the multiple pool areas were more than enough to keep us happy and unbothered while enjoying the sun. Once the sargassum goes away (and remember, it’s not up to the hotel when it comes and goes), the beach features beautiful chairs and cabanas to enjoy. It’s worth noting, too, that many parts of the Caribbean and Mexico experience this as well, so be sure to research any destination about the best and worst times to visit.

Location and logistics at The St. Regis Cap Cana

The St. Regis Punta Cana is about 3 miles — around a 20-minute drive — from Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ). For ease, the hotel can arrange transportation to and from the airport for around $30 per person. A ride-hailing service will cost around $15-$20 depending on the time of day and demand.

Many airlines fly into Punta Cana, including Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue, as well as some international airlines like British Airways and Air Canada.

What it costs to stay at The St. Regis Cap Cana

Rates at The St. Regis Cap Cana in the summertime, the area’s low season, start at $587 per night, according to the flexible booking calendar. As the season picks up, expect to pay upward of $700 to $1,000 per night.

Marriott Bonvoy members can book award nights from 100,000 points per night, but the majority are priced slightly above at 104,000. (This is a frustrating tactic that blocks people from using an 85,000-point free night certificate, which can be topped up with a maximum of 15,000 points for a total of 100,000, on plenty of dates.)

When booking The St. Regis Cap Cana, you’ll want to use one of the credit cards that earn the most points for Marriott stays, or one that offers automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status for value-added benefits. These include:

• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite status and 25 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Gold Elite status and 15 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Gold Elite status and 15 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
• Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Gold Elite status and 15 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Silver Elite status and 15 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 3 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Silver Elite status and 5 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.

The information for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Accessibility at The St. Regis Cap Cana

Accessible rooms are available at The St. Regis Cap Cana (look for the two-queen Superior room under “Accessible Rooms” on the rooms page of the hotel’s website). This room type touts mobility access and an accessible tub.

As always, TPG recommends contacting the hotel directly to confirm what room types are available and how well the property can accommodate your specific needs (especially with properties outside of the U.S., where accessibility laws may be different).

That said, the resort felt generally level and accessible with many elevators. I did not, however, notice a pool lift.

Bottom line

The St. Regis Cap Cana Resort adds a luxurious — and expensive — place to stay in an area that otherwise lends itself to less upscale all-inclusive experiences (which I also love!).

For sun-seeking travelers with deep pockets (we’re talking margaritas at $23 a pop), this gorgeous resort is a great escape. And while there were some very minor growing pains, like sometimes slow (but always friendly) service, I very much enjoyed my stay. I would certainly visit again, and can’t wait to see how the property runs once it has the benefit of time and practice under its belt.

Related reading: 

• The best St. Regis hotels for the most luxurious hotel stays
• The best all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana for every type of traveler
• 3 reasons why the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is worth the $95 annual fee