In the Dominican Republic, you can find a different range of resorts suitable for any budget. Most resorts offer world-class services, including water sports, spas, and entertainment. In this blog, I'm going to share my experiences at Hilton La Romana Adult All-Inclusive Resort. The resort is located on the west coast in Bayahibe La Romana. Hilton took over Dreams Resort in 2018 and finished its chic and beachy modern style renovations in 2019.
Hilton La Romana has two completely separate sides to its resort. On one end, it's the family side, and the other side is where you have to be at least 18-years of age to access, which is the adult-only side, and it's the side of the hotel I enjoyed. Hilton La Romana is a part of the Playa Resorts collection of hotels, the leader and owner of all-inclusive resorts in prime beachfront locations in popular destinations. This includes Sanctuary Cap Cana, Hyatt Zilara, and Ziva Cap Cana, also in the Dominican Republic.
Location
La Romana is about 90 minutes from the Santo Domingo airport and about 45-minutes from Punta Cana International airport. One of my favorite things to experience upon exiting the airport is a sign with my name on it. So per usual, I coordinated my transfer in advance, and after customs, I met my private transfer waiting for me. Now en route to the resort, I discovered what they do not tell you about the drive to this location: the sketchy road leading up to the Hilton La Ramona.
After riding for about 35-minutes, we took an exit off the highway. There was a fork in the road and a sign that read La Ramona to the left. Great, I thought we're almost there, but my driver went to the right. Needless to say, I asked why we didn't go left, at which time I discovered he didn't understand or speak English! He smiled and said it's okay, and pointed to a piece of paper that read Hilton while shaking his head yes and again said it's okay. A long story short, there was a sketchy man on a scooter that looked like he was following my driver so needless to say I'm thinking what do I have to defend myself (ROTFL). Then we turned on this highly bumpy dirt road lined with woods and dead trees!
Check-in & Property
Finally, there was light "pun intended," and I was at the entrance to this beautiful resort. Once at the lobby, I was immediately assisted by the bellmen, provided hand sanitizer, and instructed to wipe my shoes on a designated rug. Security requested that guests take a picture. All precautions due to the pandemic and routines that I later saw throughout the hotel during my stay. I showed up with premium status, checked in, then directed straight to the lounge where there's many seating areas and served a welcome drink of my choice.
The tall palm trees that tower the buildings make the resort quaint, and the calm Bayahibe beach waters have no seaweed issues. The extraordinary landscape, foliage, and flamingos add to the ambiance and visual delight at the property. There are multiply quiet areas, but the pool is one of the best features on the property. Each side, adult and family, has an infinity pool that overlooks the ocean (the adult side is better). I recommend renting a Bali bed for the day. And enjoy a day on a bed with drink service while at the pool.
Rooms & Dining
There are no "unique" rooms or shapes, so what you see on their website is what you're going to get. The difference you will find is the view from your room. The Swim Out rooms on the premium adults' side faces away from the resort. There is no walkway or building on the other side of the pool, making this incredibly private.
The resort has 12 restaurants, five bars, a VIP lounge, and the all-inclusive includes top-shelf liquor. I enjoyed good food and drinks to include the service staff at the pool/beach and bars.
Service
The staff has to be commended because almost all staff acknowledged me with greetings when I passed. Something that I appreciate and always do when I travel. And management did a fantastic job with COVID protections adding to my comfort and experience at the resort.
Overall, I give this property a 4.5 out of 5-star rating, and because it's remote I did not give it 5-stars. My preferred accommodation is a location where I can freely leave the property and immerse myself in the local culture. As I said previously, the ride to the resort was sketchy, so you would have to take a taxi to go off the resort.
Staying in the adults-only is the way to go to experience more dining and top-shelf beverages. Access to both adult-only and family sides makes a great vacation a fabulous vacation. Hilton La Ramona, thank you so much for your gracious hospitality & all you did to make my stay memorable.
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- Happy Travels -