Now Garden Punta Cana

Punta Cana is filled with massive all-inclusive resorts featuring tons of amenities, gorgeous beachfronts, and -- consequentially -- lots of crowds. Now Garden has all of those amenities (and generous all-inclusive rates) without the crowds. However, you'll need to be ready to walk to reach many features. This outpost is essentially an annex of the sprawling Now Larimar property and the five-minute walk separating the two keeps the vibe here tranquil and laid-back. Now Garden opened in 2015 and -- as the name implies -- its grounds are lush, full of gardens, bamboo patches, and palm trees. The resort’s guest-room buildings frame a grassy area with a lazy-river style pool that ambles through the grounds. On the far end of the property are bird-filled mangroves that guests walk by when heading to Larimar. Since there’s no beach Now Garden, and the massive pools are located at the sister property, the resort doesn’t feel crowded and also doesn’t have the pushy salespeople that some guests have encountered at Now Larimar. Now Garden’s guests are mostly from the United States and Canada, generally over the age of 30. A number of families also stay here, and the property does a healthy wedding business.

Now Garden sits on a sprawling property shared with two other AM Resorts. Unlike the other ocean-facing resorts, the property is landlocked, which is definitely something to keep in mind when booking here. From the resort, it’s a 10-minute walk past lush mangroves to Barvaro Beach. Within a five-minute drive are a small market, golf course, and a high-end shopping center, supermarket, and pharmacy. There’s also a bank and American franchise barbecue and pizza restaurants. Coco Bongo -- the famous Caribbean nightclub brand with its over-the-top Vegas-style shows -- is a 15-minute drive from the resort and near a few fast food restaurants. For an adrenaline rush, there’s an adventure park with a paintball field, mountain bike trails, zip lines, and Zorbing a 20-minute drive away. Hoyo Azul, a swimmable cenote with unbelievably turquoise water, takes around 40 minutes to reach by car. For a taste of Dominican history, Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone (in the New World's oldest city) is around a two-hour-and-20-minute drive away. Punta Cana International Airport takes 25 minutes to reach by car or taxi from Now Garden Punta Cana.

Now Garden’s air-conditioned rooms smell sweet -- like cinnamon, actually, which makes a pleasant first impression. All rooms have either garden or pool views and the priciest ones feature direct walk-out pool access. The style is tropical, but a tad generic -- expect to see details like tan walls and big photos of dew-covered jungle scenes. All rooms have a king or two double beds with floral-embroidered bed runners and matching throw pillows. Flat-screen TVs have cable channels, but not many English-language stations. Rooms also feature coffeemakers with free coffee, daily refreshed minibars (beer and soft drinks), irons, ironing boards, umbrellas, scales, and safes. The marble-countered bathroom vanities are integrated into the main body of the room, while rainfall showers and toilets are separated by a glass door. Robes, slippers, and hairdryers are provided, and toiletry kits are extremely generous. Balconies or terraces feature whirlpool tubs, plus two chairs and a table, and are a great place to unwind at the end of the day (though we wish there were privacy screens instead of half-height walls between them). And for a family-friendly resort, it's surprising that cribs aren’t available. Wi-Fi is free in all rooms.

Since Now Garden’s amenities are shared with the nearby Now Larimar, the on-site amenities are limited. Now Garden’s decent-sized freshwater pool has a big main swimming area, lounge chairs built into the pool, and a swim-up pool bar. It’s surrounded by metal lounge chairs, cabanas with billowy sheet walls, and thatched umbrellas. A lazy river-inspired pool ambles through the resort’s grassy grounds and connects to the main pool on both ends. Ping-pong, foosball tables, and thatched huts for outdoor massages are all located near the pools as well.All-inclusive rates cover top-shelf drinks (though wine options are limited) and 24-hour room service, plus all meals, snacks, parties, and many activities. The resort doesn't require wristbands. Food-wise, Garden Barefoot Grill is a grill next to the pool that serves sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs. For a sit down meal, Now Garden’s three restaurants get mostly positive reviews and have a shared dining area near the lobby. Windows is the alfresco breakfast buffet and a la carte lunch restaurant. Capers is located indoors and has an Italian menu. La Trattoria is the open air pasta and pizza restaurant, which shares the space with Windows. A nice plus for all dinners is the tasty shared salad bar. The resort's second bar is located in the lobby, but we wish it was open later.Now Garden has two Har-Tru tennis courts, a paddle board court, and a basketball court. Free rackets and balls are available to borrow. Tennis lessons are available for a fee. There’s also a fee to use the court lights if playing after dark. A small kids' club essentially serves as a holding area for kids to wait until they’re transferred to the main kids' club at Now Larimar. The concierge, which is open around the clock, can assist in arranging tours, guides, car rentals, and baby sitters (for a fee). Laundry service is also available as is free Wi-Fi. As mentioned earlier, most of Now Garden’s amenities are located its sister property Now Larimar. In addition to the kids' club, the beach, spa, multiple restaurants, bars, bowling lanes, nightly entertainment, free non-motorized water sports are located a roughly five-minute walk away from Now Garden Punta Cana. A free shuttle to Now Larimar runs 24 hours a day.