Just Back From: Cap Cana

TWIL Travel Advisor’s Ilana Prussky and Rhonda Lewis recently returned from a confernece in Cap Cana, a beautiful and secluded area in the Dominican Republic, closest to Punta Cana. This area is known for their high-end resorts and the beautiful Juanillo beach, featuring white sand and crystal-clear waters. During their time in Cap Cana, Ilana and Rhonda made a point to visit the top properties in the area. Each of these resort options have a variety of dining options, activities and entertainment to suit all types of travellers!

Location

All these luxury resorts are located on the east coast of the Dominican Republic in the exclusive Cap Cana area. The properties below are found about 15 minutes from the Punta Cana International Airport.

HYATT CAP CANA: Two brand new, all-inclusive properties

Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana (family) 

Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana (adults only 18+)

Photo: Sunwing

Rooms

Rooms either offer a king bed or 2 queens with a pullout and small seating area, in addition, the bathrooms are large with a double sinks and separate water closets. The balconies are very large with loveseat, plus a table with 2 chairs.

Amenities

• Onsite water park features a lazy river, tall slides and water cannons. Plus they offer a splash area for younger kids with buckets that overturn, small slides, etc. 

• Stunning beach with beautiful white sand and turquoise water

• The resort offers a variety of water sports including paddle boarding and kayaks (double and single). They are also happy to organize off site activities for a fee, for example, deep sea fishing, zip lining and tennis

• Family evening entertainment at the outdoor amphitheater, featuring musicians and amazing dancers

• They offer the best gym I have ever seen, a few amenities they offer are a spin room, yoga, cross fit and boot camp

• For adults they can provide a romantic dinner under the stars, couples massages on the beach and cooking classes to learn how to make traditional dishes

TRS CAP CANA HOTEL: An adult only beach front resort in a gated community that is perfect for couples or groups of friends. It’s a beautiful small boutique resort that is perfect for relaxing and unwinding.

Rooms

Junior suite ocean view and junior suite pool view are large rooms with a king or queen sized beds, with furnished balconies to enjoy the incredible views. The resort provides 24 hour room service and personalized assistants for your specific needs.

Amenities

• They have a small beach area and provide a shuttle to a larger private beach near Secrets Cap Cana resort

• There are 4 international restaurants using top quality ingredients, in addition they have a 24-hour sports bar

• The dine around program lets guests go to the restaurants at the Gran Palladium in Punta Cana or TRS Turquesa Hotel

• The resort has a lively pool and quiet pool to choose from

• A small beautiful spa offering many services and treatments, including hydrotherapy, done by professional experts

• Great line up of daily activities, for example yoga, stretching and paddle boarding in the pool

Photos: Eden Roc Cap Cana

EDEN ROC CAP CANA – A beautiful family resort that offers 60 lavish rooms with both ocean front views and in-land suites. It is a unique and secluded resort in the beachfront community of Cap Cana. This property is a member of Relais & Chateau, and the food does not dissapoint.

Rooms

• Rooms are very spacious and can be connected to add bedrooms by the beach. The two bedrooms are very large with a king connected to two queens and a large living space as well as a kitchen and great furnished balcony.

• The resort offers beachfront suites and boutique suites as well as a variety of villas to accommodate large families

Photos: Eden Roc Cap Cana

Amenities

• A great laid-back vibe on the property, with a variety of experiences from cultural delights, family activities and out of the ordinary experiences

• The garden of Eden is beautiful and can be used to host romantic dinners

• Koko kids club is designed like a tree house, located on a lagoon and has an excellent indoor and outdoor play space

• Golf carts are available for some room categories and you can drive anywhere in Cap Cana

• Good sized gym that offers a variety of machines, an aerial yoga room, boot camp, dance lessons and much more

• Juanillo beach is a beautiful white sand beach with turquoise water

• Infinity pools overlook the beach and the resort offers water activities, eco-adventures and sailing opportunities

• Sports activities are provided, including the opportunity to play at a Jack Nicklaus signature gold course for an extra fee

Overall, we had an amazing stay at all these beautiful properties and they are perfect to accommodate families or couples.

To learn more about how we can create the perfect vacation offering VIP treatment at the worlds finest properties and provide you with exclusive added values and amenities when you book your stay, please contact a TWIL Travel Advisor.

Just Back From: Halkidiki, Greece

One of our TWIL agents, Ilana Prussky, visited Greece in October and here is what she has to say:

First Stop: Ikos Olivia: Luxury All-inclusive Resort 
Getting There: The closest airport is Thessaloniki. It is approximately 50 minutes to the resort. 
Who is it for? Ikos Olivia is perfect for family travel. Whether it is a family with young children or a multigenerational family, Ikos is the perfect spot for you.

Our Take:
Ikos has positioned itself as redefining what a luxury all inclusive is. I can truly say that when you are at Ikos you do not feel like you are in your typical Caribbean all inclusive - it has a boutique resort feel with amazing service. I arrived at Ikos at night and immediately I was able to see that it would be a special place. Ikos has many different restaurants on property as well as all the other amenities you would expect out of a 5-star hotel.

• There are over 4 pools and a variety of accommodation styles. They have your standard guestrooms in the main lobby tower, and then they have many options of bungalows. Bungalows range from one- and two-bedrooms suites either with garden view, pool view and ocean view. Ikos is split up into the standard rooms and bungalows and the deluxe bungalows. The deluxe bungalows have a few more special touches, however the main difference is the deluxe section has its own pool and private beach section. 

• Something special about Ikos is the childrens program. Every parent I spoke to raved about the kids program, whether they had a young toddler or a teenager. They have basketball, soccer, volleyball, bike rentals and many more activities to enjoy.

• The breakfast buffet was plentiful ranging from omelette bars to crepe making, all the best Greece dishes as well as the classic American cuisine.

• A highlight of my stay at Ikos would be the Wine Tasting. It is included in the Ikos All inclusive experience and is well run by a sommelier.

Second Stop: Sani Luxury Resort (four main resort options)
Getting There: The closest airport is Thessaloniki. It is approximately 50 minutes to the resort. 

1. Porto Sani: 
   Who is it for: Families 
   Must know: Porto Sani does not have a beach! That said, it has many pools, and tons of availability for seating. It is made up of bungalow style accommodations ranging in size. The furniture is more traditional and dated. 

2. Sani Asterias: 
   Who is it for: Couples or Families 
   Must know: Sani Asterias is the smallest of all the Sanis. Asterias would be the highest end property, which is portrayed in the level of service and the décor. The property is quite small, it is a short walk from the rooms to the pools. There are only two treatment rooms, so reserve at your time of booking! 

3. Sani Club: 
   Who is it for: Families with young children 
   Must Know: All the properties on Sani Resort are located within walking distance of each other except for Sani Club. Sani Club is located approximately 5 minutes by shuttle from the rest of the resort. Sani club is filled with children and is perfect for multi-gen. It is important to note that Sani Club is huge! Going from your room to breakfast to the beach is not walkable! You must call a golf cart every time you want to go somewhere, and there are always golf carts around to take people places. Sani Club is also located on a hill - it makes for the most unbelievable views - however, it makes getting around challenging.

4. Sani Dunes: 
   Who is it for: Families with older children or couples 
   Must know: Sani Dunes is my favorite of all the Sani Resort properties. The rooms are bungalow style - they are stunning. The beach club at Dunes is the place to be. It is absolutely stunning. The lobby is grand, and has a delicious restaurant, called “The Market.”

Our Take: 
Sani Resort is a five-star resort located in Halkidiki. It is split up into 5 different resorts, sharing common spaces, restaurants, as well as a marina. Sani Resort is made up of: Sani Club, Sani Beach, Sani Dunes, Sani Asterias & Porto Sani. Each resort is run completely on their one. Sani Marina is made up of a teens club, a ton of restaurants, shopping and more. Once you are at Sani, you truly never need to leave. The different resorts at Sani are perfect for different types of travellers. 

Halkidiki is postcard perfect for any occasion.

Just Back From: The Four Seasons Resort, Costa Rica

Just Back From: Four Seasons Resort, Costa Rica

Property Type: Luxury Resort

Destination: Peninsula Papagayo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Getting There: The closest airport is Liberia. It is 1 hour drive from The Four Seasons.

Who is it for? The Four Seasons Resort has positioned itself so it can appeal to any type of traveller.  It is perfect for anyone, ranging the adventurous family or the couple that is looking to relax.  

Our Take:

From the moment you enter the gates, you are taken back by the views of the bay and the lush greenery. The Four Seasons is situated 15 minutes away from the Papagayo gates. The Four Seasons just completed a 35-million-dollar renovation opening its doors in early December and I was fortunate enough to experience the luxurious accommodations first hand. All the rooms are located within a 5-minute walking distance to the main area, where the pools, restaurants, lobby, boutiques and spa are located. The suite product is located further from the main area, creating a more exclusive environment.

There are two beaches and three main pools on property. The beaches are known as the activities beach and the quiet beach; however, it did not seem to be too quiet when I went. The activities beach has multiple free activities like kayaking, paddle boarding, and volleyball, just to name a few. On the property you are also able to rent jet-skis without having to plan in advance. One of my favorite features of the quiet beach was that where was a pool! With it being jelly-fish season, barely anyone was in the water and everyone would go to the pool. Having this pool at the beach gave guests the ability to enjoy the beach, and cool off afterwards without having to go into the ocean.

One of my favorite features of the four seasons resort product is the level of service each employee provides. They had set up every day a fruit bar, an ice-cream bar, passed snacks at the pool, and much more. Our favorite restaurant on property was Bahia Grill. One thing to note, is wherever you are on property – you can order from any menu. This is something they don’t tell you, but knowing about it will maximize your experience.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this property to anyone who is interested in going to Costa Rica!

Just Back From: The Whitby Hotel, New York

Property Type: Boutique Hotel

Destination: New York

Who is it for? Couples or Business Travelers. 

Our Take:

The Whitby Hotel is the brand new Firmdale property and the second New York location for this iconic british chain of beautifully designed, boutique luxury properties. Located in midtown, it is a small hotel by New York standards, with only 86 rooms. Each room is uniquely designed by Kit Kemp, who is known for her bold colour schemes and interesting use of patterns. Every space in the hotel is colourful and unique, yet so well connected throughout. Guest rooms have floor to ceiling windows, reminiscent of it's sister property in Soho, The Crosby Street Hotel. A few rooms even feature their own private terrace.  The rooms are very spacious for a hotel in midtown New York. The location is amazing, on 56th between 5th and 6th avenue. It is near central park, tons of restaurants, museums and department stores. The restaurant on property is great, having a variety of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The service at the property was outstanding. The Whitby hotel has a very laid-back environment. Overall, would definitely recommend.