Caribe Club Princess Beach Resort & Spa

The bright red and yellow entrance of Caribe has an authentic palapa-style roof, and is shared by the Tropical Princess property next door. The lobby leads out to manicured gardens with a small chapel and colorful shops for essentials. A regular tram service picks ups guests here to take them to the beach area, or instead, they can walk through the protected mangrove area for a bit of nature. One the other side of this area lies a kid's play area, shuffleboard, a gazebo sitting over a pond, and the main restaurant area. Keep walking to get to the main pool and beach.

While the Tropical Princess is more family-oriented, Caribe Club attracts a younger crowd. The pool has a swim-up bar that gets quite active in the afternoons, especially in the presence of the dedicated animation team. Not too far away is the beach bar where drinks are flowing.

Those heading to the beach should be able to find open lounge chairs, but people to get up early to snag a palapa and they tend to be snatched up pretty early in the day. The beach area is popular for parasailng, so direct views of parasailers is common -- great for photos! If the activity is on the agenda, there is a vendor set up right next to the beach.

At night, people get dressed up, head to the restaurants (reservations required) and continue the party in the lobby, theatre, disco and 24-hour bar. Those who want a good night's sleep should ask for a room far from here.

This pretty area of Bavaro is about a 30-minute drive from Punta Cana airport. Visitors here typically stay within the resort premises, as there isn't much else in the immediate area. The resort, like all neighboring resorts along the coast here, faces east for spectacular sunrises. Mornings are especially meaningful then, with beach walkers, joggers and photo takers. Unlike its sister property Bavaro, most of the rooms are within easy walking distance to the pool and beach so it's easy to get up and see the magic. Getting to the lobby though, will require a trek through mangroves to the lobby, or a wait for the tram.

Rooms are located inside a series of colorful buildings in red, blue and yellow. Some areas have separate jetted tubs inside the courtyards, as well as a member offering activity suggestions. The most common rooms include two types, the Caribe Suite and the Superior Room, but there are some larger room options like the Royal Suites and Honeymoon Suites, which tend to be slightly more modern. Honeymoon suites in particular have two-floors, jetted tubs and extra large bathrooms. Caribe Suites on the other hand, have outdated bedspreds and tube televisions. All rooms have the basics: mini-fridges, balconies and dual sinks, while VIPs (guests have the option of adding this package at check-in) will receive additional amenities like beach towels (no cards to deal with), stocked mini-bars, a 20-minute massage, and the ability to eat at one of the non-included restaurants. The rooms are not the draw here, but having easy access to the beach and pool is nice.

Stand-out features of Caribe Club include the beach and pool, of course, and their separate bars which stay lively throughout the day with rarely a wait. Late night partying will continue at the trendy disco next to the main entrance, and then the 24-hour bar, where people can party til dawn (or start again). For a bit more culture, guests can hit the theatre after dinner for nightly entertainment by a talented animation team, who might look familiar as they are the same team that keeps the pool and beach energized during the day. Restaurants include Italian, Mexican, and Asian as well as two romantic specialty options that will cost extra. The main buffet is large and sterile in feel, but kept well-stocked with the usual stations.

Non-motorized water sports, tennis, archery, mini-golf and table games are available to guests, as is a free intro to Scuba where they can sign up for excursions. Parasailing is easily accessible from vendors at the beach. Guests have access to Tropical Princess's mini-golf and quieter pool, as well as Bavaro Princess's Casino and Spa.