Showing posts with label Punta Cana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Punta Cana. Show all posts

Monday, October 13, 2014

Sun and Fun at Breathless Punta Cana

After the excitement of my daughter Sam’s engagement on the beach to her boyfriend (now fiancé) Matt the night before, we were all ready for a relaxing last day in paradise, and Breathless Resort definitely provided it.

I went to Spoon Restaurant for breakfast, enjoying a cheese and mushroom omelet, a waffle with Nutella, and a plate full of tropical fruit.

Matt and Sam joined me and then we all spent the morning alternating between the pool and the beach.

We split up for lunch, for which I went back to Spoon for delicious pasta and more of that luscious fruit. I then headed to the big event – the Sunday Pool Party.

The party is a tradition at Breathless Punta Cana, but this one was extra special because it was the last with DJ Rhiannon. I had seen her before at a club in Atlantic City and I knew she could get the crowd going.

It seemed like most of the resort was at the pool. It was packed and a bit wild. Bubbles were in the pool and sangria was being poured (the swim-up bar was also open).

For those who weren’t in the pool, there was a rolling cart handing out Mama Juana (a Dominican liqueur) shots during the party.

I stayed there for a bit and then met Matt and Sam back at the pool near our rooms. I joined them for cocktails and the swim up bar and we hung out with some people we had met previously who had come down for a wedding on the beach.

Early in the evening, I headed back to the room for a short nap and then dressed for dinner. Sam knocked on the door and invited me to share the bottle of Moet Champagne we had brought from Zoetry (knowing they were going to get engaged, I had her bring the bottle along).

We toasted again to their engagement and the last night of our trip.

We were then off to dinner at Sofrito, the Latin Restaurant. It was full and we waited a bit to be served, but the sparkling wine was flowing and the food was excellent.

I started with a Caribbean Salad of pineapple, coconut, and cabbage. It was delicious, as was the meat and plantain in a banana leaf, and the beef stew with rice and peas.

Sam went with the seafood, first a Conch Salad and then a Grouper in Coconut Sauce. For Matt, it was a meat patty and then his first Goat Stew. They both loved their meals.

I was really happy that, despite some bad dining experiences the first two nights, all of our meals at the end were great.

The maitre d insisted on bringing some after dinner drinks for us and we were happy to oblige. We walked around for a bit, but I think we were all worn out from the day of fun in the sun.

For my last morning in Punta Cana, I ordered the Breathless Breakfast from room service and had it served on my patio. I wasn’t going to miss one more chance to enjoy a meal and the blue water at the same time.

It was even better than last time, with fruit, watermelon juice, scrambled eggs, potatoes, corn pancakes, bacon, sausage, Danishes, croissants, and coffee.

I ate what I could and sat and enjoyed the view of the beach with my coffee before packing. I then hung out at the XHale Club’s private pool on a float and swam a few laps. It was nice to have the chance to just relax before I headed back home.

It wasn’t long before the car came to take us to the airport. Sam, Matt, and I said goodbye to Punta Cana and each other, as we headed home are separate ways after a most memorable trip.


Monday, October 6, 2014

Breathless Day is One of Most Memorable Ever

It was the third day at Breathless Resort in Punta Cana for me, my daughter, Sam, and her boyfriend, Matt. It would turn out to be a day none of us would ever forget.

I checked out the Bloody Mary bar in the Xhale Lounge, the section of the resort we were staying in that offers extra amenities.

I decided instead to just opt for a latte and a croissant. I enjoyed it from a lounge in front of Xhale’s private sun drenched pool.

Sam and I took a ride over to Dreams The Palm to tour the resort and learn about weddings there for an upcoming destination wedding series I am working on. It happened they were setting up for a few upcoming weddings, by the pool, on the beach, and in the gazebo. All the set-ups looked amazing.

I really liked the Dreams resort. It had a Preferred Club, which was similar to the Xhale Club at Breathless. These guests have Bali Beds on their private beach at no extra charge. They also have great room amenities.

Although Dreams does allow kids, it is set up for families, couples, and singles, with numerous adults-only areas.

The Dreams Spa, which had its own Bridal Suite, was especially impressive.

We headed back to Breathless. Sam went to meet Matt and I chose a light lunch from room service of a Waldorf salad and a small piece of a raspberry covered ricotta cheesecake. I ate in from my patio while I looked out at the clear blue ocean.

I met them a bit later and the three of us hung out at the swim-up bar and made some new friends over Mango Margaritas and Mudslides.

We had very different plans for dinner this night. I was having dinner with Macarena, the manager of the Xhale Club, at Kibbeh. I had been disappointed in some of the dinners the past few days, but I can’t say enough about this place.

We ordered a little of everything and it was all wonderful, as was the service.  

After dinner, Macarena and I went to the Main Stage to see the Belly Dancer Show. It was quite fun. It wasn’t as exciting as another evening was going, though.

Sam and Matt had a most special dinner. It took a wonderful group of Breathless Punta Cana employees to set up an unbelievably romantic dinner on the beach for the two of them in their own private rose-filled hut, with their own wait staff. (This is something that any guest at Breathless can set up, though there is a small extra charge.)

 They sipped champagne, ate surf and turf, delighted in a delectable chocolate dessert, and…

GOT ENGAGED! Yes, Breathless Resorts will always hold a special place in our hearts as it is the place my daughter and her boyfriend (now fiancé) became engaged. The staff even set up a rose petal filled Jacuzzi for them.

We drank some champagne together before I called it a night. It was certainly hard to top the excitement of this day, but I was ready for another Breathless day to come. 

Monday, September 29, 2014

Relaxing and Enjoying Breathless

After a few days of girl time with my daughter at the ultra-luxury, super relaxing Zoetry Punta Cana, we met up with her boyfriend Matt at Breathless Resort for a different getaway at an adult-only resort with a bit more of a partying reputation.

We had suites next door to each other with patios that had views of the beach and the turquoise water from our lounge chairs, but planned to spend plenty of time separately enjoying Punta Cana.

I ordered breakfast from room service (24 hour room service is complimentary at Breathless) so I could get a little work done before I headed out into the beautiful sunshine.

The “Breathless Breakfast” covers it all – juice, tropical fruit, eggs, cold cuts, hash browns, toast, danishes, muffins and croissants. I couldn’t possibly eat it all, but still managed to get quite full.

I met with Macerana, the manager of the Xhale Club, an area at the resort where we were staying that offers extra upgrades and amenities.

Matt and Sam met up with me as she first took us down to the beach to see the Cabanas, where you can get waiters to bring you everything from sushi to cocktails. She also told us how popular the resort was for weddings and we saw a couple of popular wedding spots.

We toured the property and saw some of the many suites available, as well as the main lobby with restaurants, lounges and stores attached. 

Also upstairs in this building is the After Dark nightclub. It’s a popular spot that doesn’t open until about 10:00 pm and we planned to check it out one night.

The resort also has eight pools, one of which was an Exhale Club Pool just outside our doors. Also among them is the Tiered Pool, known more as the party area.

It was always lively with music and cocktails flowing, volleyball in the pool and dancing on the rim

I did not get to experience the spa while at Breathless, but I did tour it and it was quite impressive.

The spa has more products than I have ever seen, including an exclusive line from Bumbalina, and products for couples to enjoy together, such as Sweet Heart strawberry body treats, edible paints, and lotions.

By the time the tour was over it had gotten quite hot and humid. I went over to the Xhale Club pool and relaxed in the quite on a lounge in the pool.

Lunch was at Spoon Restaurant for the buffet. It was quite impressive with a huge selection

I had a salad with some fresh vegetables and couscous.

I went back to the pool to read and then we all watched a beautiful wedding on the beach before I headed to my room for some rest.

After my nap, I checked out a favorite spot of mine available at all AMResorts, the Coco Café. I indulged in a mocha and a freshly baked peanut butter cookie while I checked some email.

I headed back to my room and saw how quiet the pool in front was so I stopped for some laps, knowing there would be more cookies to come.

I dressed for dinner at Silk Road, the Asian restaurant.  We arrived on time, but the reservations were a bit backed up and dinner didn’t quite go the way it was expected.

I reminded myself that this resort was still fairly new and going through growing pains, and pointed out the issues to management.

After dinner, I went down to the main stage and listened to the band for a while before the show. It didn’t take more than one cocktail to remind me how tired I was and I headed back to my room. I was more than content after a totally relaxing day at Breathless.  

Sunday, September 21, 2014

From Zoetry to Breathless in Punta Cana

My daughter Sam and I woke up to the warm sunshine of the Dominican Republic at Zoetry Aqua Punta Cana.

We were told that a special breakfast was being planned for us, but we certainly didn’t dream of what it was.

Our waiter appeared and set up an amazing array of food for us, along with champagne, fruit, coffee, and juice.

I had just finished Pilates and Sam was still in the Jacuzzi while he set up. She was amazed when she came out to the balcony and saw the spread. We had a long, leisurely, delicious breakfast, consuming breads, croissants, eggs, Dominican Sausage, and potatoes.

After breakfast, we met with Yarenis Nunez, Executive Assistant to the General Manager, and toured the property.

Despite the fact that they were at full capacity, the place was quiet and the guests had plenty of room to spread out.

We talked about weddings on the property for a destination wedding series I’m working on and saw the beautiful marble gazebo they use for ceremonies, which has a window that looks out to the beach.

Sam and I had some time to chill at one of the pools before bidding farewell to the resort.  It was hard to leave the tranquility of Zoetry Punta Cana. I definitely need to plan a longer visit at one of these properties someday.

Our ride came to take us to our next stop, Breathless. This was a new concept of adult all-inclusives by AMResorts for more active adults who didn’t want to sacrifice luxury.

Sam’s boyfriend, Matt, was flying in and meeting us there to join us for the balance of the trip.

When we arrived we were brought right into the lounge of the Exhale Club at Breathless. In addition to the many amenities offered by this resort (including free phone calls to the U.S. and Canada), the Exhale Club guests had even more.

There was an additional lounge with food and drinks all day long at Exhale. There was also a pool just for guests of those rooms that was right off the beach and always had waitresses available to bring you food and drinks, and the mini-bars in the room were stocked with more amenities.

Our room wasn’t quite ready yet so when Matt arrived our VIP Host, Steve, took us to lunch was at the Strip Grill. Matt and I had the burgers and Sam enjoyed the Tuna Tartare Strip.  We finished at about the same time Steve came to take us back to the lounge.

Our rooms were next door from each other and just steps from the beach, which we could see from the lounge chairs on our ground floor patios.

The rooms were quite spacious and each had a separate living room area, where bottles of champagne awaited us. My only complaint was that the rooms were near the entrance where the housekeeping and landscaping staff would come in so it was a bit noisy at times. (We were offered a change of rooms, but really liked the beach view of these.)

We made plans to meet for dinner and I didn’t take long to put on my bathing suit and head out. I started my beach time with a Blue Hawaiian. I enjoyed it on my lounge after a walk along the equally blue water. The beach at Breathless is one of the best I've seen in Punta Cana.

We decided to have dinner at Spumante, the Italian restaurant. To be honest, it wasn’t a good choice. When you go to a new resort there are always growing pains and there were a lot in this restaurant, from the organization, to the service, to the food.

I did speak to management about the problems at Spumante and was told that they were not only aware of them, but changes were already in the works.

It had been a long day and we skipped dessert at the restaurant and went straight to our rooms.  We would have four days to explore the day and nightlife of Breathless Punta Cana and were ready to get a good night’s sleep and get started. 

Sunday, September 14, 2014

A Heavenly Day at Zoetry Punta Cana

It had been a few years since I’d been to Punta Cana. I was excited about returning to the beautiful beaches in this area of the Dominican Republic. I was looking forward to taking my daughter and her boyfriend to check out AMResorts new property, Breathless, but first we got to experience a two day girls only getaway at the perfect spot – Zoetry Agua Punta Cana.

I had spent the day at Zoetry Paraiso Riviera Maya and could not wait until I had the opportunity to return to one of these resorts. I felt it would be the perfect way to do a little mother-daughter relaxing before we headed to a more party-oriented resort.

Sam and I met at Punta Cana airport since we had flown in from separate parts of the country. It took us a little while to get through the customs line and get our luggage, but then we were whisked off by our private driver to the 45 minute drive to Zoetry Agua.

To say Zoetry is a luxury property is an understatement. It’s about “Endless Privileges,” and, with only 96 suites spread out on a large property, there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out, and plenty of staff to tend to every need.

We were greeted by nearly the entire staff and immediately handed a pineapple-filled cocktail.  Our well-stocked room -- which included a bottle of Moet Champagne and a large fruit platter -- was on the second floor with a large balcony.  We were told to call for our butler after we had changed into our bathing suits and he would escort us to lunch.

I knew any meal here would be special, but I had no idea that the Zoetry staff had prepared a private lunch on the beach for us. We ordered Mojitos and toasted to the turquoise sea while plates of food continued to appear before us, and wine was poured with each course.

Everything looked as good as it tasted and we were completely stuffed by the time we leisurely got off our chairs.

We had eaten chips and guacamole, a Caprese Salad, Ham and Cheese Croquettes, and steak, finishing with a delicious fresh fruit dessert.

We walked off some of the lunch with a stroll along the beach before heading to the spa. We went through the wet circuit, which include various showers and jets to improve circulation, and then hit the steam room and sauna.

We finished in the hydrotherapy pool before we were taken into the couples treatment room for massages.

The combination of a quiet resort, a private lunch, and two hours in the spa was enough to bring us both into total relaxation mode. We continued with a dip in the infinity pool before heading back to the room.

When we returned to the room there was a beautiful display of chocolate with cherries and strawberries that (almost) looked too good to eat.  We waited a bit as we had a special dinner planned at Zoetry's Piragua Restaurant.

The dinner was quite spectacular. We started with a Mushroom Ravioli that was more like cannelloni, with a thin pasta. It was filled with cheese and topped with tomato relish and foie-gras.

Sam had the Seafood Linguine, which was mostly shrimp, a favorite of hers. My main course was a Duck Risotto, with perfectly tender and crispy duck in a tasty sauce.

The dessert was incredible: pistachio ice cream and coconut cream poured into a chocolate cup laced with ganache on the bottom.

We sipped champagne throughout the meal and took our glasses with us to the lobby. We listened to the music for a bit and both decided we were too tired after our early morning flights to stay up for the Flamenco show so we walked back to our suite.

Our room had been transformed while we were gone with the curtains tied and the beds turned down. We were more than ready to head to sleep, dreaming of many more Punta Cana days to come.