Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Chic by Royalton in Punta Cana: Review

Chic by Royalton Review
Chic by Royalton, Punta Cana
Close your eyes for just a minute. Imagine the sun warming your skin, the sound of ocean waves crashing, the chill of an icy cold cocktail in your hand, and the smell of salt water. Sounds like a little slice of heaven, right?

This is exactly what Nick and I were looking for when we booked the end of our stay in Punta Cana. We had already experienced days jam-packed with awesome activities (the best scuba diving in Punta Cana with Passion Paradise Adventures, adventurous days at Bavaro Adventure Park, and awesome tours with Bavaro Runners). After a week and a half of this, we were ready for a bit of a break. As we researched resorts, we discovered that Royalton had recently opened a new property in Punta Cana: Chic by Royalton. We couldn't resist the urge to try out and review a brand new, luxury, all-inclusive resort in a perfect location in Punta Cana. Upon our arrival, Chic had only been open for a few months, and we were excited to try out this luxury brand hotel. Without further ado, here is the full review of Chic!

Chic by Royalton Review
the grounds & buildings at Chic Punta Cana
Chic is an adults-only all inclusive resort, and overall a very luxurious one at that. Nick and I elected to stay at Chic by Royalton for a four-night stay, anticipating not having a care in the world. Overall, the level of service, amenities, and staff met and even exceeded our expectations, from the moment we arrived until long after leaving.

Upon arrival at Chic, we stepped out of our taxi and were immediately greeted "Welcome, Angells!" ...I cannot say how much it impressed me that upon arrival, we were greeted by first name. Our luggage was whisked away, and we were taken to the check-in desk. Laury helped us through every step of the check-in process, and even assisted in getting us upgraded accommodations to a Presidential Suite. As we arrived at 10 A.M., unfortunately the suite would not be ready for a few hours- but it was not to worry, Laury provided us with our wristbands to begin enjoying the accommodations. Rather than changing into our suits and heading directly to the pool, we decided to stop for a visit at the lobby bar. Felipe, or "shake-it shake-it baby" was an amazing bartender who always greeted us by name and provided our favorite cocktails without asking. He must have just learned the "shake-it shake-it baby" saying as each drink was presented to us with his signature expression. Overall, the staff was incredible and treated all of the guests with a lot of respect, energy, and enthusiasm for their jobs.

Chic Punta Cana Review
Nick and I enjoying our last evening at Chic
Beyond the staff, the best part about Chic by Royalton is definitely the accommodations. There are two different tiers: Diamond Club, and the regular all-inclusive. Diamond Club access gets you either a poolside or ocean view suite, upgraded drink selections in your room, access to private areas of the resort, and a personal butler, among other options. While staying at Chic, I heard rave reviews about the Diamond Club access- but personally, did not feel it was entirely necessary. The 'regular' drink selections are still widely varied and name-brand varieties of beer, wine, and liquor. At a lot of all-inclusive resorts, the liquor selections will be domestic, cheap brands. Chic Punta Cana had premium brands available from the U.S., as well as local liquors available.

best hotel in Punta Cana
The Presidential Suite at Chic by Royalton Punta Cana
Another view of our room
Our suite was amazing, and more than we could have asked for in a hotel room. With a living room adjoining the king-sized bedroom and bathroom with dual-waterfall shower, jacuzzi, and dual vanities, Nick and I felt we had more than enough room. The decor was very swanky and definitely could be described as chic. The maid service swings by in the mornings, and there is also a turn down service provided at night. I certainly didn't mind returning to my room after dinner and having the bed turned down, ready to tuck right into! Speaking of the beds- amazing, super comfortable, king-sized bed. The only problem (if you can call it that!) is that the bed was so large it was difficult for me to be a bed hog.

best hotel in Punta Cana review
Enjoying the ocean view & sunset at night!
Outside of our rooms, the resort had impeccable grounds. Seaweed on the beach was swept up each morning. Although some guests complain about this, even in the evenings there was a minimal amount of seaweed. It is the ocean people, it happens. The pools were huge, and had calmer areas and more of party-areas. Daily and nightly activities were fun to partake in, especially the dancing in the lobby bar. The staff all work very hard to ensure that each and every guest has a memorable experienced. Activities ranged from foam parties in the pool, to yoga and dancing classes, to evening dances and parties. Beyond the structured activities, there is of course the pool, beach, and mermaid pool to enjoy, as well as a life-sized foosball game, giant chess set, and more. Personally, I also loved how picture-perfect the resort was- finding great picture spots was super easy!

Chic PUnta Cana
Just one of many picture-perfect spots on the resort!
Chic Punta Cana review
working away- not a bad way of working!
Another terrific lounge spot
Chic Punta Cana review
Who doesn't love a swim-up bar?
Hunter, the steakhouse, and Vespa, the Italian restaurant, are the best restaurants at the resort for evening meals. Even during the day, and other dining hours, the buffet is a great choice with plenty of fresh selections and meals to please every appetite. A highlight of Chic by Royalton is the room service available, which was always fairly timely (less than 20 minutes from order to arrive) for Nick and I.

A side note- when you read reviews online, there are a fair amount of complaints. One of the first is regarding the language barrier. In my experience, each of the staff members at Chic had fairly good to exceptional English. Keep in mind, you are traveling to a country where English is not their first language- and often, the staff members spoke English, Spanish, and even a third or fourth language. The ocean will be wavy and rough at times- but there is always a pool available. Another frequent complaint is the persistence of the TravelSmart representatives to sit down, take a tour, and consider becoming a member. To avoid this, just be upfront and honest, say you aren't particularly interested, and they will leave you alone.

chic punta cana review
enjoying cocktails with our new friends!
Another bonus factor of staying at Chic Punta Cana is actually the other clientele. Nick and I found that each of the other guests staying here were super friendly, easy to relate to, and overall terrific people. We definitely made some great friends on the trip, and are so happy that we met each of these people while staying at Chic!

Nick enjoying a cigar before dinner
Chic really has everything you could ever want in a resort. Impeccable accommodations, friendly staff, daily and nightly activities, and great food are just some of the highlights to touch on. The resort also has several shops, including a cigar shop, touristy shops, and a convenience store with anything you may have forgotten at home.

One thing I do unfortunately have to touch on, is the importance of locking up your belongings when you aren't in your room. One of our friends did have a cell phone and wallet stolen from their room while at dinner. The management did say they were going to work to find out who had accessed their room, but ultimately, things like this shouldn't happen- especially when you are staying at as nice of a resort as Chic. While Nick and I did not have any issues (because our valuables were always locked up or with us), this is something that unfortunately happens. Just a few bad apple employees- like this one- can ruin an entire experience. There is a lockbox provided free of charge, so as long as you stick things in here you should run into no problems.

As you can see, I really don't have anything but great things to say about the resort at Chic by Royalton Punta Cana. If you are looking for a luxurious all-inclusive in Punta Cana, look no further- Chic is one of the best!

**Disclosure: We received a complimentary or upgraded stay in order to facilitate this review. As always, this did not affect my review in any way and all opinions are my own.**

24 comments:

  1. Excellent review! I will be staying at Chic in July for my anniversary. I would like to do a review of their resort on my blog as well. Do you suggest that I mention it to the staff when I am checking in?

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    1. Oh, you will enjoy it so much! Overall the resort was excellent. Like I mentioned, some of the reviews have 'negative' things- but as long as you are a normal, sane person, the resort is perfect! And yes, it is definitely worth mentioning!

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  2. Just wow! It's like a piece of paradise on Earth. The relaxation and happiness shines through!

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    1. Thanks Ana! It was such a great stay. Hoping to go back one day!

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  3. Great review! Probably going to be book but I wanted to know what was the accommodation choice you went with? Luxury suite or the presidential one bedroom suite? TIA!

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  4. Planning a trip here and on the fence about the diamond club.

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    1. I would say diamond club is totally up to you! There are some great benefits - the private sun deck lounge and mermaid pool, as well as premium liquor selections. Personally, I did not participate in Diamond Club and still loved my experience at Chic!

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  5. Thanks for the review! We're interested in going to Chic for our honeymoon... Were there any water activities to do included at the resort?

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    1. Hello! They had daily activities available in the pool, including a foam party. Tons of great things!

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  7. Hi! my sister and I will be traveling here in May. Your review really made my decision to come here, feel like a good one. All I've heard is bad reviews so thank you for your positive one. I love how you touched on all the "bad" reviews but explained why people would think they were bad. My question, is how far was it from the airport? You mentioned you took a taxi, if you dont mind me asking, roughly how much did it cost? Me and my sister want to be aware of it up front. and one more question (sorry to be a pain) all the drink and food is included or did you have to pay for anything?

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    1. Hi Thayer! No worries - to answer your questions, all of the standard-level food and drink is included. You have the option to upgrade to Diamond Level, which will give you premium drink options. Chic was maybe a 30-minute taxi or so from the airport- I'll be honest, I don't remember the cost! One thing you will want to factor in extra money for will be tips for the staff. While it is an all-inclusive resort, I always recommend tipping the staff!

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  8. Is snorkeling possible at chic?

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  9. Is snorkeling possible at chic?

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  10. We'll be at Chic in 3 weeks. We did select the Diamond package with ocean view. We're traveling with our parents would we have to upgrade to get the 1st floor swim out. Or is there 1st floor diamond rooms that arent swim out? Are the swim out rooms an upgrade for diamond?

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  11. Hi Samantha - when looking at reviews for this resort I came upon yours... which is refreshing! Also after reading your blog further I realize you're a hockey wife, my boyfriend played hockey his whole life and in college and I am def a hockey girlfriend! My boyfriend and I actually booked this through a groupon and after further reading reviews I have been a bit nervous. I have read reviews that said the rooms are gross, bathrooms don't work and stealing. Like you mentioned I will make sure to lock up our things! I just worry about the room itself. Did they upgrade you for free upon arrival? Any guidence you have is helpful! Thanks!

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  12. Nice post. I was looking like this. Really it is very useful and informative post. Thanks for sharing. Thanks again! see it here

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  14. We will not ever go back! Had a great time first visit but this trip we had $600 stolen from out ground floor room. We stayed for an hour while security searched our room and were told they would check cameras and get back to us. After 48 hours said we were the only ones electronically accessing the room and they did not have cameras at the patio doors. I realize now I did not lock them properly. No excuse on a 5 star resort! The event was traumatic to me and worst feeling was we felt like no one believed us.

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  15. It can be said that having a bunk bed is like having a tree house for the girls, that they have to climb the ladder first before reaching their bed. kids bunk bed with slide

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  16. While the life of a mattress depends on it's material and how well it was manufactured, if you answered "yes" to Question 1, then chances that its time to start looking for a replacement. truck mattress

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