Sanctuary Cap Cana Evaluation – The Factors Man

What’s Sanctuary Cap Cana?

e-book Sanctuary Cap Cana

The resort has its personal web site, however as a Luxurious Assortment property, you too can e-book instantly by means of Marriott’s normal channels — together with marriott.com and the Marriott Bonvoy app. Doing so will make sure you earn Marriott factors in your keep, although my expertise reveals that you could be nonetheless earn factors by means of different websites.

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The couple getting married employed a journey adviser to assist visitors with their journey preparations and resort reservations, together with a block of rooms at a reduced price. Sadly, the group contract required a minimal of three nights, and work schedules meant that my spouse and I’d solely be there for 2. Fortunately, the resort was nonetheless capable of provide a reduction of about $80 per night time in contrast with reserving by means of Marriott, so we opted to make the most of that choice and forgo the factors.

We wound up paying $540 per night time for a Fortress Junior Suite (extra on the room under), which might’ve been $620 by means of Marriott.

At check-in, I used to be allowed so as to add my Marriott quantity to the reservation, and after the keep, I did earn 7,779 factors (5,186 base factors and a pair of,593 as a Platinum member). This meant that just one night time of the keep was posted to my Bonvoy account — although since technically I wasn’t eligible to earn any factors, I took these for the reward that they had been and did not submit a declare for added factors.

Rooms and suites at Sanctuary Cap Cana

The posh resort boasts 324 whole rooms and villas spanning 19 totally different classes, however the smallest junior suite nonetheless spans 646 sq. ft, guaranteeing that every one visitors have loads of area to calm down. Sadly, 19 room sorts can create plenty of confusion in relation to choosing one.

The very first thing to notice is that the resort is technically divided into three areas. The primary buildings are thought of the “Colonial” part, whereas there is a separate space referred to as the “Fortress” part that is meant to be a extra unique enclave inside the resort. Fortress rooms embrace a separate check-in space plus VIP providers upon arrival, together with a bottle of glowing wine within the room, butler service and help with unpacking and packing your baggage. Some even embrace swim-out entry to a pool that wraps across the Fortress part.

Lastly, there are roughly two dozen villas scattered throughout the property, providing much more area (they begin at over 1,100 sq. ft).

For the reason that marriage ceremony and reception had been occurring within the Fortress part, we opted to e-book the oceanfront Fortress Junior Suite — and we had been glad we did.

Our 840-square-foot room was on the bottom flooring and was break up roughly in half between the dwelling space and bed room. Fortunately, although, there wasn’t a wall between the 2 parts — only a TV shelf that jutted out from the wall, a vertical assist column on the alternative aspect and a darkish wooden horizontal beam (with recessed lighting) overhead.

I used to be instantly struck by the welcoming seaside vibes of white and cream with blue accents — but the darkish wooden trims added a contact of luxurious that was placing but understated on the identical time.

We had been grateful for the big sitting space, as we took our (complimentary) room service breakfast there on Saturday morning.

A calming bottle of glowing wine and a small field of sweets had been ready for us — and the minifridge had additionally been stocked with water, sodas and Dominican beers forward of our arrival.

The lavatory was a good dimension, together with his-and-her sinks, a soaking tub and a separate bathe — which was stocked with toiletries (and replenished all through our keep).

However the actual deal with of the room was what ready simply exterior the sliding glass doorways.

Ordinarily, I am not a fan of ground-floor lodging, preferring the views from rooms on increased flooring. Nevertheless, a ground-level junior suite within the Fortress part of Sanctuary Cap Cana meant a big terrace full with two chairs and a small desk plus two comfy chaise loungers.

From there, a wood walkway successfully served as a bridge over some sandy water that may replenish at excessive tide, and past that, a large grassy space gave option to sweeping japanese views of the Caribbean Sea.

It was the right “residence base” for our keep.

Meals and drinks at Sanctuary Cap Cana

As an all-inclusive property, your whole meals and drinks throughout the property are included (with a few minor exceptions), and there’s a vary of choices from which to choose. The first restaurant was Casa Bella, the buffet choice within the coronary heart of the Colonial part that served breakfast and lunch seven days every week (plus dinner on Fridays). I need to admit that I’ve by no means been a giant fan of buffets, however this one far exceeded expectations.

Our first meal there was lunch, which featured an enormous number of stations — together with a salad bar, a number of forms of ceviche, made-to-order Asian stir fry, an array of desserts and even a gelato case.

Evidently, we didn’t go away hungry.

We went again to Casa Bella on Sunday morning for breakfast earlier than leaving for the airport, and once more, we had been impressed by the choice. Past conventional gadgets like eggs, hash browns and sausage, you could possibly get made-to-order omelets, construct your personal salad or carb-load with quite a lot of breakfast pastries.

Simply exterior was a mimosa bar with six totally different juice picks.

The large factor to notice about Casa Bella is that a lot of the meals wasn’t assist your self; as an alternative, it was behind a glass partition and served upon request by Sanctuary employees members. Within the aftermath of the pandemic, that was a refreshing choice.

Past Casa Bella, there are 4 specialty eating places:

• Blue Marlin — a seafood restaurant open for lunch and dinner
• Wok — an Asian restaurant serving sushi and teppanyaki-style meals for dinner (closed Tuesdays)
• Capriccio — an Italian restaurant open for dinner
• The Steak Home — an American steakhouse serving dinner (closed Fridays)

Sadly, we solely had been capable of strive Blue Marlin throughout our two-night keep, as the opposite dinner was served on the marriage ceremony reception. However, we loved our meal on the open-air deck over the water, together with the fried calamari and grilled octopus — together with a serenade from the native band.

It is price noting that every one 4 of those eating places have a “Informal-Elegant” gown code; extra on that under.

In the event you’re feeling snackish exterior of regular meal instances, there are a number of choices:

• Seize a chunk at La Yola Snack Grill, simply off the primary pool. We stopped by there shortly after arrival since we had been hungry, and we loved a few Dominican Yaniqueques — that are served extra like mushy tacos at Sanctuary.
• Head as much as Ocean Bar within the Fortress part, serving a small menu of snacks together with cocktails subsequent to the small Fortress pool.
• Go to the espresso store within the foyer for a caffeinated beverage and/or pastry of your alternative.
• Order room service, obtainable 24-7.

We took benefit of room service our first morning, having fun with an omelet and a Dominican breakfast alongside tea and low, all from the consolation and privateness of our room.

In fact, one large attraction of all-inclusive properties is the truth that alcoholic drinks are included, and at Sanctuary Cap Cana, there is not any scarcity of libations — whether or not swimming as much as Freshco Bar on the fundamental pool, ordering a frozen drink or smoothie on the beachside Vacation spot bar or grabbing a pre-dinner cocktail at Love Bar, a piano bar in the primary foyer.

Lastly, if the above choices (by some means) go away you wanting extra, contemplate a jaunt to Sanctuary City, the on-property village that options a number of further eating shops — together with a burger joint, an Italian spot, a sushi restaurant and a sweet store. Solely Rincon de Paco, the Spanish restaurant, requires a further cost for visitors.

These institutions are solely open for dinner, and whereas we did not get an opportunity to strive any of them, it is nice to have extra informal choices for these not in search of a proper, sit-down dinner.

Past the room and eating choices, many different issues stood out throughout our keep.

The property itself is gorgeous

If the feel and appear of a resort is essential to you, Sanctuary Cap Cana has you lined. We had been amazed at how attractive the grounds had been, and the employees clearly took pleasure in sustaining that magnificence.

From the foyer to the pool areas to the walkways, simply strolling across the resort put us in trip mode — earlier than we even turned into our bathing fits or put a chilly beverage in our fingers.

I will let the photographs converse for themselves right here.

Past the decor, I liked the actual fact that there have been six swimming swimming pools — and regardless of what appeared to be comparatively excessive occupancy, I by no means noticed any of them even near full.

We liked our time within the Fortress part

Staying within the Fortress part was an exquisite expertise for us, ranging from the second we arrived and had been whisked away in a golf cart to the non-public check-in space.

Do not be fooled by the unassuming exterior. Simply inside was a double-ceilinged foyer with greenery accents that added to the texture of being in a real-life citadel.

After checking in, we had been handed frozen coconut-and-lime drinks at Ocean Bar, which we loved within the air con.

The primary pool on this space of the resort is elevated, offering sweeping views of the ocean. We visited twice and located it to be a haven from the extra social gathering ambiance of the primary pool space.

Our assigned butler — Eric — confirmed us to our room, and he insisted that I program his quantity into WhatsApp, as that is what we used all through our keep for requests like further bottles of water and choosing up our baggage earlier than checkout.

And whereas we did not have a personal plunge pool, the placement of our Fortress junior suite was spectacular, because it was separated sufficient from the remainder of the resort to really feel non-public — although additionally a brief stroll of simply 5-7 minutes to succeed in the remainder of the motion.

Do not skip the spa (and hydrotherapy circuit)

My spouse loves a superb spa, and I am a prepared accomplice in crime, so we booked the 90-minute “Higher Collectively” bundle. This included an 80-minute therapeutic massage for every of us but in addition gave us an hour to benefit from the hydrotherapy circuit.

This was a brand new expertise for me, however the facility featured a sauna, sizzling tub, steam room, chilly pool and dynamic pool, permitting you to energise your physique by exposing it to totally different environments and temperatures.

I’ve no clue if I did them within the optimum order and even acquired to all of them, but it surely was an effective way to destress. It additionally helped that all the spa facility was attractive.

You possibly can keep as busy (or as laid again) as you need

One other beauty of Sanctuary Cap Cana is that you may pack your day stuffed with issues to do, lay round doing nothing or discover a mixture of the 2. Apart from indulging in scrumptious meals and drinks throughout your keep, the property gives many actions as a part of its all-inclusive bundle — together with yoga lessons, bike excursions, seaside volleyball, water aerobics and extra. There was even nightly leisure, although our marriage ceremony festivities prevented us from collaborating in any of those.

Shortly earlier than our keep, we had been despatched a QR code to obtain the resort’s digital concierge, which, when added to your cell phone’s residence display, primarily features as an app to overview every little thing the resort has to supply.

When you have an upcoming keep, be happy to discover what’s on faucet earlier than your arrival.

Deliver respectable apparel for dinner

As famous beforehand, the upscale eating places all have a “Informal-Elegant” gown code. This implies slacks, a collared shirt and closed-toed sneakers for males. Ladies have some added flexibility, although the property nonetheless requires gown sandals or closed sneakers.

Sadly, we did not know this forward of time. In consequence, when the Friday night time seaside reception wrapped up, many marriage ceremony visitors had been hungry and headed towards Blue Marlin (the property’s seafood restaurant). Nevertheless, given our apparel, we had been instructed they could not accommodate us. Fortunately, the employees in the end acquiesced and allowed us to take a seat, but it surely was admittedly fairly irritating to should battle that battle in any respect.

The property does an ideal job with weddings

Past simply visiting the property for trip, I might extremely advocate Sanctuary Cap Cana as a vacation spot marriage ceremony spot based mostly on our expertise.

Friday night time was a welcome reception on the seaside — no sneakers allowed. The drinks flowed freely, and the resort had even arrange a personalised “canoe” of beers for the grooms.

It was so peaceable to attach with mates whereas the light Caribbean waves crashed on the seaside behind us.

The ceremony on Saturday was held in a lobby within the Fortress part, making for a particular backdrop as Tyler and Bradon tied the knot.

Cocktail hour was upstairs on the Ocean Bar, which provided phenomenal views over the water.

Then the primary occasion was again downstairs in a big ballroom, full with a buffet that rivaled any marriage ceremony we might been to.

All through all of it, the employees took nice care of not simply the grooms and the marriage social gathering however the entire visitors, making for a memorable celebration.

Solely burn your Marriott factors in particular conditions

As famous beforehand, free nights at Sanctuary Cap Cana are constantly 120,000 factors per night time. And this value holds whether or not you’ve gotten one grownup, two adults or three adults within the room (something extra and also you’re pressured into a bigger room that is not obtainable as a redemption). With paid charges that usually hover within the $500-700 vary, this is not an ideal use of factors.

Nevertheless, paid charges at Sanctuary Cap Cana improve as you add a second after which a 3rd grownup to the room — so this may make it a greater choice. And whenever you layer in Marriott’s fifth-night-free profit on award stays, it’s possible you’ll come out forward.

For instance, a five-night keep from Sunday, March 31, by means of Friday, April 5, would set you again $4,479 for 3 adults in an oceanview junior suite.

That very same room could be 480,000 factors — providing you with a redemption worth of 0.93 cents per level.

Not solely is that this above our valuation of Marriott factors; however you are additionally getting your whole meals, drinks and plenty of actions included.

I might solely advocate utilizing Marriott factors when the paid charges are excessive, and you’ve gotten no less than two adults within the room. In any other case, I might strongly contemplate reserving the room as a paid keep and banking your Marriott factors for a future redemption.

You want greater than two nights

In case it wasn’t clear, we missed out on a lot throughout our keep. We solely acquired to strive one of many specialty eating places, and we did not partake in any of the on-property actions. I walked by means of Sanctuary City however did not pattern any of the meals. A part of this was due to the marriage festivities, however we had been additionally on the resort grounds for lower than 48 hours.

Merely put, it wasn’t sufficient time.

In the event you’re contemplating a visit to Sanctuary Cap Cana, I might counsel an absolute minimal of three nights, however 4 or 5 could be even higher. The overwhelming majority of the marriage visitors had carved out extra time for his or her journeys, however on account of work commitments and childcare limitations, we could not. And we remorse it.

Accessibility

From an accessibility standpoint, we had been fairly impressed with Sanctuary Cap Cana. The bottom flooring of the Fortress constructing led out to a stone walkway (no stairs concerned) that took you proper to the primary space of the resort, together with Casa Bella, Blue Marlin, the seaside and the primary pool space. Two of the swimming pools had been additionally zero entry, and there have been in depth wheelchair-friendly elevators throughout the property — although they had been smaller within the Fortress space.

The property gives a number of ground-floor suites which might be absolutely geared up for visitors with particular bodily wants. Options embrace bathtub grab-rails, roll-in showers, alarm clock and phone ring signalers, lowered door deadbolts and lowered shops. Service animals are welcome at Sanctuary Cap Cana.

Trying out of Sanctuary Cap Cana

Our time at Sanctuary Cap Cana got here to an finish means too quickly, and like our arrival, we had organized for shared transportation again to the airport by means of the grooms’ journey advisor. The pleasant resort employees picked up our baggage at 10:15 a.m. forward of our 10:30 departure, and after settling our invoice (for the spa therapy), we had been on our means.

As we pulled out of the resort, we tried not to think about the opposite visitors, lots of whom had been simply beginning their days and searching ahead to hours of rest. However that simply means we’ll must plan a return journey — this time for for much longer.

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