Sunscape Dominican Beach Punta Cana

Sunscape Dominican Beach is a mostly laid-back all inclusive. The resort shares its amenities with Sunscape Bavaro Beach Punta Cana next door, but often seems less crowded and more serene than its more active neighbor. Sunscape Dominican Beach's long grassy grounds are lined with palm trees, bamboo patches, and blossoming ixora flower hedges. The grounds could use some maturation, but overall they’re well maintained and lush. The bleach-white buildings are three-stories tall and honeycomb-like lines give them a modern, geometric feel. The resort’s beach is lined with palm trees, but its narrowness and ugly off-shore erosion barriers could be a deal breaker for some travelers. During the days, the resort has activities like beach volleyball, rum tastings, taco making, and show cooking. Most of the action -- including entertainment -- is at Sunscape Bavaro Beach’s theater next door. Guests are mostly American and Canadian couples and families, looking for an all-inclusive beach vacation with low rates.  

Sunscape Dominican is located in El Cortecito, a neighborhood along the mostly gorgeous Bavaro Beach. Sadly, the oceanfront directly in front of the resort is blighted by erosion barriers. Good thing it’s a two-minute walk in either direction to gorgeous, unspoiled beaches. There’s a pharmacy, gift shops, and restaurants serving Italian, Mexican, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines within a five-minute walk. It’s also a 10-minute walk from the resort to another pharmacy and a shopping strip with additional restaurants, a mini-market, and souvenir shops. A dolphin park where visitors can swim, ride, and watch dolphin shows is a 13-minute drive from the resort. The famous nightclub Coco Bongo with its over-the-top, Las-Vegas styled shows is an 18-minute drive from Sunscape. For an adrenaline rush, there’s an adventure park with Zorbing, a paintball field, zip lines, horseback riding, and a short bungee jump a 21-minute drive away. The Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course with breathtaking oceanfront greens is a 39-minute drive from Sunscape. For a taste of Dominican Republic's history, Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone (where Christopher Columbus once lived) is a two-hour-and-28-minute drive. Punta Cana International Airport is about a 30-minute drive. 

Sunscape offers a mix of Sun Club and Deluxe Rooms with beachy, minimalist interiors of beige walls and marble floors. The rooms have either one king bed or two double beds with striped azure-blue bed runners, hourglass-shaped tables, and armchairs (or love seats in the Sun Club Rooms). Fun decor elements include stacked, round edge mirrors and whimsical carved wood fish hanging on the walls. Other room standards include flat-screen TVs with cable channels, iPod docking alarm clocks, safes, irons, and ironing boards. Coffeemakers come with free coffee and minibars are stocked with free beer, soda, and water. The clean-lined bathrooms have marble vanities and glass-wall showers. All bathrooms include hairdryers, scales, magnifying mirrors, bar soap, shampoo, and lotion. All rooms have private balconies with two chairs and a small coffee table. A nice plus are the rooms with ocean views and whirlpool tubs.The bigger (and pricier) Sun Club Rooms upgrade to additional toiletries (sewing kits, vanity kits, shower caps, conditioner, and shower gel), rainfall shower heads, bigger flat-screen TVs, and free room service. Wi-Fi is available in all guest rooms, but is only free in the upgraded Sun Club Rooms. 

Sunscape Dominican Beach's low all-inclusive rates cover just about everything -- but you get what you pay for with most of the features. The resort has a gorgeous oceanfront location, but a small beach and occasional pushy vendors. There’s also an unsightly erosion barrier just offshore. There aren’t any beach umbrellas to get out of the hot Caribbean sun, but a pine-covered area next to the beach provides much needed shade. Non-motorized water sports are free and include Hobie Cat catamarans, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, and boogie boards. Sailing lessons are available for an additional fee. A free one-hour introductory diving class is also available (but it's really just a sales pitch to become dive certified). The resort has two freshwater pools: a members-only Sun Club pool and a bigger pool with a built-in shallow children’s area. Only the Sun Club pool has a swim-up pool bar. Sunscape has three all-inclusive restaurants. Kaleidoscope International Buffet is the main buffet restaurant, with hot and cold items. The Olive Branch serves Mediterranean snacks during the day and becomes an a la carte restaurant at night. Sun Club Lounge is a members-only international a la carte restaurant just for Sun Club guests. The resort's seven bars are scattered throughout the property so there's no going thirsty here. Past guests have complained about low-quality food and alcohol. The kids' club is for children ages 3 to 12. In addition to activities like arts, crafts, and movies, it has video game systems (Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii), and a playground, foosball, and air hockey table. Other stand-out features include a big trampoline and batting cage. The resort can arrange taxis, tours, car rentals, airport transfers, and babysitters (for a fee). Sunscape also has an on-site medical center and free parking. Sun Club packages include additional perks like free Wi-Fi, a private beach area, members-only restaurants and bars, and private check in. Wi-Fi is available, but its only free in the lobby. It's important to note that shared amenities are located at the resort next door and include a tennis courts, a spa, nightly entertainment, multiple all-inclusive restaurants (French, Asian, buffet), and a teen club.