Sanctuary Cap Cana

We just got back from a one-week stay at Sanctuary Cap Cana. Overall, this was a very nice resort with friendly staff. I'll give more details below. The resort is a short drive from Punta Cana Airport. That was convenient. We stayed in the Castle, and staff brought us and our luggage from the main building to our building in a golf cart. The check-in process was quick and easy. Our butler, JT, brought us to our room and gave us the info we needed for our stay. He also gave us his cell number, and we texted throughout our visit. JT was very friendly and helpful. We bumped into him several times and he always said hello and asked how our day was going. He handled all our dinner reservations and texted us regularly to keep us informed about resort activities. When we left, he loaded our bags into the transfer van and saw us off. He was a great ambassador for the resort. Pools: there are several pools on the property, on various levels of the resort. The main pool has a swim-up bar and zero-grade entrance. It's a nice pool, but not huge. The resort wasn't terribly crowded so that was fine. We had plenty of room to swim around, though for the most part people just stood in the water drinking. It was like a cocktail party in chest-deep water :) None of the pools are heated, which I think is common for the Caribbean. It was refreshing after being in the sun. Be advised that pool chairs can be scarce. People would routinely come out early in the morning, claim their chairs, then disappear for hours. It's worth tipping one of the pool attendants at the beginning of the week to ensure you always get a place to lounge. They also have wicker beds that we were able to get a few times. They were really nice. In addition to the pools, there's also a beach with more lounge chairs. The ocean swimming area isn't huge, but it's enough to say you'd been in the Atlantic. When we were there the water was a bit choppy so it wasn't clear. We had lounge chairs in the sand on our last day and it was very pleasant, though we didn't have an umbrella so it was HOT. Food: overall, the food was good but inconsistent. One thing to remember is that it seems like onions are the national food of the DR :) My wife doesn't like onions, and they were everywhere. Be sure to ask them to hold the onions if you aren't a fan. The buffet was good, with a wide variety of foods. The desserts were impressive as well. There is interior and exterior seating, and it was never really busy. Not fine dining, but for a buffet it was more than adequate. The lunchtime pasta station is worth checking out. Our first night we ate at the Steakhouse. My wife had the short ribs and said they were very good. I had the mixed grill. Also good, but you should know going in that it's enough food for two people to split. The next night was the Blue Marlin, the seafood restaurant set on stilts over the water. We ate here on our last night as well. Very good food with an atmosphere that's hard to beat. I recommend the fish and seafood fideua. I also had the ceviche, which was good but covered in onions. Then it was time to try the Wok, the resort Asian restaurant. This place is well-known enough that it has its own parking lot and is patronized by non-resort guests as well. I can see why. The food was excellent. Various Asian appetizers, like bao buns, dumplings, and nori tacos, as well as sushi and a few main dishes. Try to get a table outside overlooking the koi pond. JT was able to score reservations here for us on two nights, which was great. Casabella is the Italian restaurant. This was probably the weakest link in the restaurant offerings. The service was slow and the room was oddly bright. I had the monkfish, which was good. My wife had the carbonara. Also good, but not amazing. The poached pear dessert was excellent. Not every dish at every restaurant is part of the all-inclusive package, but the menus were all pretty clearly marked. There is also a walk-up snack bar next to the beach that offered surprisingly good fish and chips and chicken wings. Across from the main lobby is Sanctuary Town. This is an area of additional restaurants. Whether it is included in the all-inclusive package depends on the restaurant and on what you order. We tried the taco restaurant and the pizzeria. Both were excellent and among the best food we had the whole week. You can get the pizza to go, which is what we did. We enjoyed it on the resort patio. The hotel bar is called the Love Bar. Small and intimate. Nice seating, and there was live music most nights. Finally, there's a coffee shop in the main building with an assortment of beverages and small snacks. Nightlife: there isn't much to speak of. This is not a party resort. The live music in the Love Bar was either a solo saxophonist or a four-piece combo performing jazz standards. We're not nightclub people so that worked fine for us. The grounds: the property is beautiful. The Castle really does look like a castle. Our room had a large balcony with a partial view of the ocean. Palm trees and flowering shrubs were everywhere. The staff was constantly cleaning and maintaining the property, including raking the beach every day. Incense was burned in the lobby areas, which I thought was nice but might not be everyone's cup of tea. The last night we were there was "Dominican Night". They offered Dominican food and craft vendors. We didn't try the food as we were on our way to Blue Marlin. I would offer one criticism of the vendor displays. Before we'd even descended the staircase to get to the display area, they were calling us over to see their wares. The vendors are far too aggressive. We couldn't walk two steps without another one calling us over and not letting us go. I told one we'd be back later. When he saw us five minutes later, he called out to us and said, "you said you'd come back". We just had to keep walking. We did buy from one. My wife chose a dolphin carving. The vendor said it was $150USD. We laughed and she offered him $20. They settled on $30. In a matter of moments, he reduced his price by 80%. Unless you are willing to be accosted and are up for serious haggling, I would recommend avoiding the whole area. We were at a resort in Jamaica last year that offered a similar vendor night but it was much more relaxed. And, as it happened, we spent more there. High-pressure sales do not go with a relaxing vacation. Amenities: we did not use the spa, but I did use the gym. For a hotel gym, it was impressive. Many cardio machines and weightlifting machines, as well as a Smith machine (IYKYK), an Olympic bar and plates, and dumbbells up to 75lbs. I got in two great workouts. The only downside was the floor. It was weirdly slippery, so much so that I had to modify one of my workouts because I was concerned I might slip while holding a barbell. That was odd. The vibe of the resort is chilled. The clientele seemed almost exclusively American. We did meet a few other Canadians, including some French-speaking guests from Quebec. But otherwise it's mostly American. Take that for what it's worth. One thing that surprised me was the lack of facility with the English language of some of the staff. I know that sounds entitled. But I think if you are working in a front-facing capacity in an industry where the overwhelming majority of your customers are English-speaking, you should be able to understand questions like, "where is the Italian restaurant?" That said, most of the staff were very friendly. While the resort says tipping is included, you should bring a wad of $1s and $5s with you. Everyone tipped for drinks, for towels, and for food. We enjoyed our stay. The weather was perfect. The main issue we had is that we both contracted stomach ailments. At the risk of sharing TMI, I will simply say we didn't eat much the last couple of days, and didn't venture too far from the washrooms. That put a real damper on our vacation. We were careful not to drink the water, so I can only assume it was something from the restaurants. Next time we will be sure to get the vaccine before we go.

Had the most amazing stay. Everything was perfection- spa, food, rooms, pool, drinks, atmosphere, entertainment and of course our butler service with, Emilio!! Will definitely be choosing this resort again in the future.

We hadn’t read reviews before we arrived. We got a tip from a friend that said it was one of the best in DR. We couldn’t have been happier after the week we were there. Our butler, Frank, was incredible. He checked up on us daily with requests for dinner reservations and any other questions or wish we had. . The staff, Alex, Jeanette, Benen, are just a few of the standouts. Everybody was so friendly I will return just for the over the top service we received.

I recently stayed at the Sanctuary property in Punta Cana, and the experience was outstanding from start to finish. The property itself is beautiful, impeccably maintained, and immediately feels welcoming. Luis at the front desk was extremely helpful and set a great tone for the stay. After a long travel day, we went straight to the Italian restaurant for dinner, which was a perfect first choice. The hostess there made a lasting impression as our first interaction of the evening. From that point on, she recognized me throughout the property, remembered my name, and even my likes and dislikes. That level of personal attention is rare and truly special. In lounge saxophone player blew me away. The pool team was excellent, always attentive and proactive with food and drinks. Luis and Hector stood out, along with the only woman working the pool area, who was an absolute rockstar, especially during the rum and coconut tastings. Felix was also fantastic and added to the fun and relaxed atmosphere. Luis at the Bluefin restaurant was another standout, delivering great service and hospitality. Beyond the more visible roles, I want to recognize the team members who often don’t get enough credit. The grill man on the beach works incredibly hard by himself, producing great food nonstop while remaining friendly and positive at all times. Rosa, who prepares salads and fruit during breakfast and lunch, does not speak English but was incredibly caring and attentive. The same goes for the three women behind the kitchen line. Although they didn’t speak English, they encouraged me to try different dishes through gestures and warmth, making the experience feel authentic and uniquely Dominican. The drinks, food , and overall hospitality throughout the resort were exceptional. This property truly understands that service, care, and people are what make a great stay. Money moves mountains, but genuine hospitality is what makes guests return. Sanctuary Cap Cana delivers on that in every way

Due to a record-breaking snowstorm on the day of our arrival, we needed to add one additional night to the beginning of our original four-night stay. I called Sanctuary Cap Cana directly to ask about availability and was instructed to book the extra night through the website, which I did. When we arrived at the resort around 8:45 PM, the first sign of trouble was at the front gate—we were not on the arrival list. The reservation desk confirmed this, and I had to show both my online booking and confirmation email to prove we had a reservation. We were then informed that we would not be staying in the room category we booked. Instead of our Castle Oceanfront Junior Suite, we were placed in a Castle Garden Suite for the first night and told we would need to switch rooms the following day. To make matters more confusing, we were asked to create another reservation through the website for the garden room and then process payment again at the reservation desk. With multiple bookings and payments involved, I am still concerned about being charged incorrectly. We were told that online reservations can take up to 15 days to process, which is supposedly why the additional night didn’t show—but if that’s the case, why require guests to keep rebooking online? After a full day of travel, all we wanted was a room and dinner. Instead, the correction process took so long that we missed dinner entirely and had to order room service. This resort has many unnecessary extra charges, making the “all-inclusive” label misleading. There is a $10 service fee for room service, and many food and drink items at the restaurants also come with additional charges. For a resort marketed as five-star luxury, this feels excessive. At this price point, guests should not be questioning what is and isn’t included. Our first room, Castle Garden Suite #2070, was a terrible first impression. The room felt dirty. One of the double sinks was clogged and unusable. The water smelled strongly of sulfur—I gagged while brushing my teeth, even using bottled water, and the smell lingered in the room. We had to shower with our shoes on. There were drain flies present. At that point, I genuinely regretted spending so much money on this resort. Our first impression was extremely disappointing and frustrating. The next morning brought more frustration. By 8:00 AM, every chair at both the pool and beach was already “claimed.” How is this acceptable? Marriott—put out more chairs. Do better. The pool we ended up using wasn’t very clean, and we had to leave our belongings on the ground due to the lack of seating. The only pool that felt properly maintained was the main pool. Service continued to be inconsistent throughout our stay. There was a daily drink station set up at the main pool from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. One afternoon, we remembered around 3:30 PM and tried to locate it. When we couldn’t find the station, we asked a waiter for help. He simply told us we were “too late” and kept walking—no assistance, no explanation, no courtesy. Earlier in the stay, we had asked two different waiters on separate days if coconuts were available. One said they did not have any. The next day, another waiter told us they would be available at the drink station the following day and vaguely pointed toward the main pool, but did not show us where the station would be. Neither waiter remembered our request, followed up, reminded us, or offered to bring one over when they became available. By comparison, when we stayed at Excellence Punta Cana, a waiter remembered that we had asked about coconuts and brought them to us as soon as they were available—without us having to ask again. That is luxury service. Compared to other resorts at a similar price point, Sanctuary Cap Cana is disappointing. Our second room, Castle Oceanfront Junior Suite #1036, was significantly better. It was clean, everything worked, and the room was overall much nicer. Had this been our first impression, the experience would have started on a far better note. We asked our butler for extra hangers, as we do at other luxury resorts, and he returned with wire hangers. Wire hangers. Really, Marriott? This is not luxury. The resort itself feels strangely bipolar. Walking from the Castle to the main areas, calming zen music plays along the walkway, but once you reach the main pool, the music is loud and can be heard throughout much of the property. It completely clashes with the “Sanctuary” concept. The identity of this resort is unclear. The staff experience mirrors this inconsistency. Some employees were exceptional, while others clearly lack basic customer service training. There are many visible staff members who need to be reminded that hospitality is about creating a welcoming experience. A smile, a greeting, and basic courtesy should be standard—especially at this price point. Some staff made us feel as though we were in their way while walking through common areas. Unacceptable. The technology and reservation system is another mess. Which app are guests supposed to use—Marriott Bonvoy or Marriott Experience? Restaurant reservations can also be made through OpenTable, adding even more confusion. After reading numerous reviews about restaurant booking issues, I contacted the concierge (contact information is not readily provided and required a phone call to obtain: concierge@sanctuarycapcana.com. I was told reservations must be made through the Marriott Experience app three days prior to arrival. Only two restaurants—Wok and Capriccio—require reservations, and guests are limited to one reservation per day. Castle guests can have their butler assist. Despite booking Wok through the app, the restaurant did not have our reservation when we arrived. I had to show proof in the app, and it was only honored because they were not busy at the time. Yet another unnecessary point of confusion. This resort urgently needs to streamline its operations and elevate service standards. Guests paying luxury prices should not have to work this hard for basic accommodations and dining. The two consistently good aspects of Sanctuary Cap Cana were the food and the aesthetic—both were excellent. Now everything else needs to be elevated to match the price tag.