The 186-room PuntaCana Hotel, tucked within the PuntaCana Resort complex on the east coast of the Dominican Republic, completed a $2 million refurbishment of its accommodations this fall in time for the upcoming winter season.
The hotel, which opened in 1979, sits on 105 acres within the 15,000-acre Punta-Cana Resort & Club, which also includes the 15-villa Tortuga Bay complex; the Six Senses Spa; the Punta Cana Ecological Foundation; four residential communities; a marina; nine restaurants; a shopping village; two 18-hole, designer golf courses; and the Punta Cana Airport.
The refurbishments at the hotel include flat-screen TVs, extensive interior paint work and new bedding throughout the property. WiFi is available in the lobby, pool area and on the beach.
In addition to the 186 hotel rooms, the property also has 10 two-bedroom and 11 three-bedroom oceanview and beachfront casitas with king beds, a living-dining area and a garden or terrace.
The PuntaCana Hotel also offers several new packages through next summer. One business travel-oriented program, called the Meeting Planner's Dream, starts at $199 per room per night, double, and includes transfers, a cocktail reception, all meals, coffee breaks during meetings, discounted greens fees, discounts at the Six Senses Spa and access to the Ecological Reserve.
The reserve has trails, hiking paths, bird-watching, a petting zoo, natural swimming lagoons and protected sea turtle nests.
The development of the resort complex began in 1971 when Grupo PuntaCana, the developers and parent company, built the first beach cottage.
In 1994, the PuntaCana Resort & Club helped set up the PuntaCana Ecological Foundation and donated 1,500 acres to be set aside in perpetuity for conservation, research and recreation.
This was followed in 2001 by the launch of the PuntaCana Center for Sustainability and Biodiversity, which now runs research and educational programs to support the sustainable development of the entire Punta Cana region, including reef conservation and the protection of coastal resources.
The resort itself is a leader in sustainable tourism development and has been honored by the Green Globe Benchmarking program for its commitments to sustainable energy and water consumption, community involvement and environmental policy.
Alberto Abreu, general manager of the hotel and executive director of hospitality for the resort, said, "The low-density nature of the resort [and] our long list of eco-credentials and facilities ... are elements we are proud of and which our guests continue to enjoy year after year."
Visit www.puntacana.com.