Sanctuary Cap Cana

Sanctuary Cap Cana is unlike other luxury all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic. If you value seclusion, spacious and gorgeous surroundings, a relaxed atmosphere, and personalized attention, this is the resort for you. Our Suite – 5/5 Our swim-up suite was exceptional. We had a corner suite conveniently located near the beach, and we often had the pool entirely to ourselves. The room and bathroom were impeccably clean, and the signature scent throughout the resort was absolutely captivating. (I would love to know what fragrance they use!) Cuisine – 5/5 The food was outstanding! We celebrated our anniversary with a romantic beachfront dinner, and the Surf & Turf was delicious. We also thoroughly enjoyed the buffet's wide variety of offerings and appreciated the added hygiene of having the food served by the attendants rather than self-serve. We ordered room service twice, and both meals were excellent. Our favorite restaurant was The Wok—we loved it so much that we ate dinner there every evening. The menu offers plenty of variety, so we never grew tired of it. Service – 11/10 This is not a typo. The service was, without question, the highlight of our stay. The attention to detail and genuine hospitality were unmatched. A special thank you to waiters Luis, Levis, and Neftalí, as well as our butler, JT, who all went above and beyond to make our stay unforgettable. One Area for Improvement If I had one criticism, it would be the bathroom. While it was spotless, it didn't match the luxury level of the rest of the resort. It felt small and lacked the upscale finishes, décor, and premium amenities I expected. Unfortunately, the beach was not accessible during our stay due to the heavy sargassum. That was a bit disappointing, but the private swim-up pool, exceptional service, peaceful and elegant ambiance, and incredible food more than made up for it. Overall, we absolutely loved our stay and, Lord willing, look forward to returning again soon. Thank you Sanctuary for a memorable anniversary celebration.

Amazing resort with very accommodating staff!

Excellent property and amenities. Our butler, Juan Camacho was excellent and provided all the information and support to make our stay relaxing and restorative.

Best part of the resort are the sweetest people who work there. They were all extremely hospitable, but here are a few people who went above and beyond: Luis Mario Felix Omar Juan Alejandro Jacobo Alexia Pleasantly surprised with quality of food as it is all inclusive. The resort is very spread out with lots of quiet places and then a few choices for a more lively atmosphere. Multiple pools - all lovely! I also visited the spa and everyone there was top tier as well. This was our first visit to the Dominican Republic and our experience at Sanctuary made it memorable. Thank you!

Summary: High Highs and Low Lows make this an experience that left us feeling good but not fully satisfied with this trip. Budget travelers looking to splurge will love this place, but Luxury travelers looking for a less expensive alternative should make sure to reset expectations before going, despite the many positive reviews online. The Good: The sit down restaurants were extremely strong, particularly the Wok was exceptional. The ambiance, views, architecture, and pools were excellent. There were 5 different pools for everyone (we did not have a private). Each one had different strengths which generally kept people spread out. The room cleaning and turn down was nearly perfect. Beyond normal expectations for sure. The gym has everything you need for whatever workout you could possibly want to do except a squat rack. The equipment was outdated but in good shape. There were plenty of treadmills and other cardio machines. We stayed in the castle served by our butler Lugo. He was great! I didn’t interact much with the other butlers but they seemed to be similarly mannered. The Mediocre: The Spa was good but not good enough to justify the high price we paid for it. Paint was chipping in the pool and some of the features didn’t work, but the massage and hydrotherapy amenities were solid. The poolside grill was barely passable. Could easily slide this to the bad category but given the nature and expectations of what a poolside grill is we will keep it on mediocre. The resort wasn’t lively enough to be a true party resort but there was too much noise and music for it to be a relaxing experience. It wasn’t a dealbreaker, but I think the resort would benefit from either doing more to increase the amount of people who go there or moving to a more relaxing atmosphere. The Bad: The breakfast buffet was the worst I’ve ever had. I got the omelette on our last day which was the only decent thing our whole trip. Every other breakfast was terrible. The coffee shop was disappointing and the baristas were especially rude. The drinks were hit or miss depending on your bartender which is pretty problematic for an all inclusive. The service was overall bad. 20% of people were good, 40% were fine and 40% were downright rude. Few people spoke strong English which would be ok with a very friendly staff but made most interactions even worse. Definitely the single most negative part of the trip. Overall Sanctuary Cap Cana was a good trip and my wife and I enjoyed our time with each other. But we have high expectations of the places we stay and had high expectations for this resort as well. Unfortunately, we depart from the resort feeling a little unsatisfied despite the positive overall experience.