Club Med Resort Punta Cana

Just back from our second fabulous stay at Club Med Punta Cana. Already wishing that everything at home was as close as the beach there and as beautiful... I would go back tomorrow if I could!!!

This this post will have many child-centric comments for visitors with young children. My child is two and participated in the PetitClub section of the resort’s MiniClub.

However, since the poster prior to me brought up malaria, I will speak to that first.

Yes, there have been cases of malaria in the Dominican province of La Altagracia, where Punta Cana is located. On its website (http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationDominicanRepublic.aspx), the CDC provides information on all health risks associated with the Dominican Republic -- including malaria -- and Club Med openly discloses some information on health risks on the Punta Cana portion of its website (http://www.clubmed.us/cm/resorts-the-caribbean-dominican-rep-punta-cana-practical-information-practical-information_p-115-l-US-r-8-d-000002-pe-09H-v-PCAC-CODTAC-000004-ac-vo.html).

You should read the information provided on the sites above and then consult with your physician prior to your trip as to the best route to take to ensure your family's health.

Here is my actual experience regarding mosquitos at Club Med Punta Cana:

March 2008: I was very worried about the prospect of malaria prior to our departure, and of course I only realized that it was an issue after we had booked our stay. Our pediatrician did not want to prescribe any preventative treatment. We took OFF! DEET-based bug spray (3oz non-aerosol size fits in carry on, in case luggage was lost) and OFF! individually-wrapped wipes. The spray is great for adults but I was leery of spraying my 15-month old (never mind that we would be applying DEET, ugh), so the wipes seemed like a good solution, as you can precisely apply without getting it in eyes, etc. We took the wipes in a bag while on the grounds, and we did notice just a *few* mosquitos in the evening in places that were more protected, such as the reception and the main bar, both when we were seated. So in the end we did apply, just as a precaution. We did not have any issues with mosquitoes in our room; note that we always ran our AC and did not leave the doors/windows open. We stayed on the resort and did not take any side trips "off campus." We did not get any bites.

March 2009: We took the same DEET-based products (spray and wipes), but although we took the wipes around in my bag in the evenings, we only applied twice the entire week, and we never saw any mosquitos anyway. My understanding is that the club does spray for mosquitos. In addition, there were **very** high winds during this trip, both during the day and evening, and that may have helped. We did not have any issues with mosquitoes in our room; note that we always ran our AC and did not leave the doors/windows open. We stayed on the resort and did not take any side trips "off campus." We did not get any bites. However, when we were in line at the airport to fly home, we saw many people around us with bites on their legs. I don't know where these folks stayed, of course, and I can't be certain that those were mosquito bites, but it appeared at a minimum that they did not apply bug spray.

Back to reasons why this makes a great place for families to vacation:

Key selling points for this club for us in 2008 – and that remained very important to us for our trip back this year – included:
- Proximity to the airport. We did not want a long airport transfer once we landed with our little one. The resort is literally 10 minutes away by taxi bus. (All vehicles we’ve seen have AC.) It’s very important to note that although the resort is close to the airport, you do NOT hear any airplanes (although you might see one occasionally).
- Child friendly atmosphere at a nice resort. We didn’t want to go to a really upscale resort where we would be pariahs with our small child. What we encountered were many families and also couples without children on vacation in an environment that welcomes children. On the other hand, the resort is large enough that you never feel that you are at a kiddie park. The parents and other adult G.M.s (guests) are very definitely enjoying “adult” vacations, complete with adult sports, drinks, entertainment, and dancing.
- Children’s programming that was clearly defined by age ranges. Some resorts we looked at offered childcare or nannies but it wasn’t always clear from the resort materials how the very small children would be cared for and if the programming was specifically designed for their needs, or if the kids would just be all lumped together with those of different ages and abilities.

I recommend this resort for
- Families with children who can enjoy organized group activities
- Families with children who prefer to stay with parents
- Extended families who want to enjoy time with and without one another on vacation.
- Groups of families who want to travel together (i.e. the parents are friends)
- Single parents who want to enjoy a resort vacation with their child (I would feel very comfortable going by myself)
- Adults without children who don’t mind seeing children periodically who want a FABULOUS beach and who enjoy continuing or trying sports (water or land) or participating in activities with others on vacation

I do not recommend this resort for
- People who plan to go to an all-inclusive and “get their money’s worth” by drinking a lot. G.M.s certainly DO drink and enjoy themselves, but it’s not a binge drinking atmosphere. Drinks are served in bars (you can take them away with you anywhere), and also around the pool at certain times, and wine is available with lunch and dinner, but there are no swim-up bars or beach stand bars as in ‘Cocktail.’

Please note that you do NOT need to speak French or Spanish to enjoy a stay at this resort. It helps if you remain alert to the name tag pins worn by each G.O. displaying country flags that correspond to the language that that employee speaks, and of course it always helps if you make a small effort to say thank you or a greeting in Spanish or French.

Club Med has a strong following of repeat visitors from many countries to their all-inclusive resorts. We did not know anything about the history of Club Med on our first visit to Punta Cana in 2008, and it’s certainly not a requirement to enjoy your stay at this GORGEOUS beach resort, but the curious can learn more about Crazy Signs and other Club Med traditions on the Club Med Planet website.

We visited Punta Cana in March 2008 with our 15-month old, and really looked forward to returning this year now that she is just over two and can participate in the children’s programs that are one of the much-publicized offerings of Club Med Punta Cana. In 2008, we did not use the organized childcare facilities provided by ClubMed, as we signed up too late to get into the limited-space infant care group. This turned out to be a good thing, as our child was not yet in daycare at home, and would have had a difficult adjustment. Once there, however, we did reserve for the babysitting service each afternoon. The same babysitter joined us just prior to naptime, and who stayed with our child through her nap and took her around the grounds and to play at the MiniClub during the afternoon. The babysitters only speak Spanish, but we asked another G.O. (staff member) to help translate specifics for us (care at 15 months is not terribly complicated after all). Our child seemed very happy with the babysitter, and other guests and G.O.s told us where they had seen her being strolled on the grounds.

THIS year we enrolled our now two-year old in the PetitClub program for two and three-year olds at the time we made our reservations. The PetitClub program has an additional fee, but the spaces are not so limited as they are with the infant program.

MiniClub Impressions

Background: Our two-year old is in daycare in the U.S. and is accustomed to being away from her parents and to playing in groups. Other very young children who are not in daycare or who have not yet started nursery school may find the initial separation from mom and dad difficult (it took our own child two weeks to fully settle into the daycare routine in the US). Some parents of these children left their children only part of the day, or did not send them every day. We sent our daughter to the program from Sunday through Friday, and she had an absolutely amazing time. She is still asking for some of the G.O.s now that we are home!!!

OK, now that the disclaimer is out the way -- the MiniClub is AWESOME!!!!!!!! The G.O.s are terrific. They are caring, tolerant, and enthusiastic, and they will do their very best to help your young one take advantage of his or her vacation. Our child is only two, so she was in the “PetitClub.” Some of the awesome PetitClub G.O.s we met in connection with the two-year olds include Diana, Virginie, Emmanuella, Sophie, Gerline, Lilli, Alina, Blanchard, Wilson, Fausto, and Alex. Some of the BabyClub G.O.s we met include Mirlande, Louise, and Kate. I can’t say enough positive things about these folks who are really dedicated to making your child’s stay enjoyable. The G.O.s are all multilingual (primarily English, French, Spanish, but also a few with Italian).

Unlike regular daycare, where children do go outside, but more for "recess", young children in the PetitClub are able to spend a good deal of time in the fresh air and in different parts of the club grounds. Many of the MiniClub play areas are covered in a circus tent-like fashion to block the sun, and the enclosed grounds are fairly extensive. The MiniClub has a variety of pools so that even two-year olds can have a pool experience, and there is also a large covered and gated hut on the beach so super-mobile little ones can play in the sand in a secure manner and avoid the sun. (For older children, the MiniClub includes even better pools, covered small-scale tennis court, and basketball court. Full-size stuff for teens is available in other areas of the resort.) The main parts of the day that resemble standard cold weather climate daycare are snacks, lunch, and nap!

I scanned in children’s programs materials from our stay, such as the MiniClub programming brochures for all ages so you can get an idea of how days are planned for each age group, ranging from babies to 10-year olds. Club Med would do well to provide this parents prior to their arrival, but since they don't, this information as of March 2009 for Punta Cana is available at http://puntacanamom.blogspot.com

The PetitClub G.O.s engaged parents in their children’s vacation experience by inviting parents to pick-up time events such as a Parent Cocktail/Pool Party, Baby Olympics, a PetitClub “Show” (featuring your child on-stage in costume), and an end-of-week all-MiniClub celebration that was a little like a large birthday party (with snacks instead of cake) featuring games, tie-dye, lots of music, and lots of fun. Parents are not obligated to attend any of these, but the events are by no means burdensome, and provide you the opportunity to see the kids in action with their caregivers and for you to get some great photos, too.

The G.O.s are very good about applying sunscreen for young ones and making sure that kids wear hats when outside. Our child is just as pale as before we left (and she is the most fair in all our photos!).

The evening can be an added high point for your child if they can stay up. We are very structured at home, but on vacation we were “bad” parents and let our daughter stay up to see two shows that went well past her normal 7:30 bedtime (we figured she is on vacation, too). Parents can drop their children off with the MiniClub G.O.s to watch these shows or can stay to watch themselves. Our daughter was absolutely enthralled with the Pirates & Princess Show and the Magic Show, post-show dancing and crazy signs, and I think the last evening MiniClub Disco made her stay. We’re home now, and she went right back to her regular schedule without any issues, as there are no “shows” at home!

Some parents complain, quite understandably, that the evening meal is served too late (starting at 7PM) for very young ones. We usually took an extra boxed cereal from the buffet for a late-day snack, and you can always get (cows) milk or juice at the bars, or milk from the 24-hour-access Baby Bottle Room connected to the MiniClub. We also found that the main bar has apple juice in juice boxes, and that the beverage service staff who restocked our minibar also had the same juice boxes.

We did try the Pajama Club (group babysitting in the evening) one evening (we were tired ourselves after full days on the beach, doing water sports, etc.)This was a success for us, and I would try it again in the future. (The really young children go to sleep right away.)

Bottom Line: If you have children and want to enjoy time with them AND by yourself/with your spouse on vacation, and you want your child(ren) to have a blast, I HIGHLY recommend Club Med Punta Cana.

We had a horrible experience with Club Med prior to even leaving on our trip. Anyone traveling to a Club Med resort understands that you pay a premium.

I thought that the premium price would include quality service and accommodations. Not s...read entire review at TravelPost.com