There are so many amazing vacation destinations! It is always fun to see new sights, taste new foods, and enjoy new activities. It is a great way to break out of your hum-drum routine and enjoy life. That is exactly how I felt on my recent visit to the Dominican Republic and I am happy to share my Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana review with you here. I was provided with a stay in order to facilitate my review and I brought my mother along since it was Mother’s Day! This was her first experience at all all-inclusive resort and she just could not get over all the wonderful amenities. The Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana is such a fun way to experience the Caribbean beach life!
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana All-Inclusive
If you have never been to all all-inclusive resort before, you may be wondering what to expect. To put in briefly, you can expect an amazing vacation experience without the stress or hassle of searching for good food and drinks or worrying about the prices. At the Hard Rock Punta Cana Hotel, you can expect beautiful, tropical grounds, fancy rooms with private balconies, so many delicious and convenient food choices, and drinks whenever you want them. You don’t have to worry about having your wallet on you at the beach for drinks or when you grab lunch. You don’t have to wait for a bill to arrive at the all-inclusive restaurants, you can just leave when you are done! It is such a free feeling! You can even get room service included!
Is alcohol included at Hard Rock Punta Cana? Yes, top-shelf drinks are included. Soft drinks are also part of the inclusive Hard Rock Hotel experience.
First, I will give you a quick overview list of the All Inclusive amenities and then go into more depth below.
- 5 Star Accommodations
- Dining in 9 restaurants
- Delicious snacks, including poolside service
- Top-shelf drinks
- 24/7 in-room service
- Body Rock® fitness center with instructors
- Daily activities
- Nightly entertainment
- Live entertainment
- Hard Rock Roxity Kids Club
- Rockaway Bay Water Park
- Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the property
- Free parking
- Unlimited phone calls to the Continental US and Canada
- Free Internet on resort computers (30 min. max)
- Gratuities included
Does Hard Rock Punta Cana have beach access?
Yes, the Punta Cana Hard Rock property is located right on the Bavaro beach. Go Dominican Republic notes that, “World-famous Bávaro Beach ranks among the longest, most continuous white sand beaches in the Caribbean. Extending 48 kilometers (30 miles) and surrounded with coral reefs.” The reefs create a nice buffer making the ocean very inviting to swim in with only medium to small waves crashing against the shores. The sands are so white and the ocean is so turquoise and then blue deeper out. It is hard to express just how inviting those blues are. It was so nice hearing the waves on the beach and being offered island drinks while I kicked back on a lounger.
Want to see more of the beach? Check out my instagram reel for a short video clip of the beach.
What Are The Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana Pools Like?
The property includes 13 pools and 4 swim-up bars. You can check out the Family Pool for teen-friendly tunes, waterslides and activities for the under 16 set. Or the Central Pool with ocean views and a bar may be more what you had in mind. Each pool has its own music type and vibe. If you are looking for relaxation with a tropical vibe, you will love the Hard Rock Punta Cana! It is hard to beat sitting at the pool, sipping on a cold beverage, and listening to the DJs play Latin beats and Caribbean rhythms. They even have a lazy river if you want to float around while you relax! If adventure is more your thing, adults and kids will love the new Rockaway Bay Water Park with 26 world-class water slides.
More views of the pools.
Hard Rock Punta Cana All-Inclusive Restaurants
The food choices at Hard Rock Punta Cana felt endless. I was only there for a three nights and there were so many more options that I didn’t get to try!
There are several restaurants included in the all-inclusive packages. Most of them are located centrally on the “Boulevard” of the main building. IPANEMA and Toro are located more toward the ocean-front. Here are my Hard Rock Punta Cana reviews of the food options.
The Market Food Hall offers guests a culinary journey around the globe. Each country’s themed station has a buffet of options as well as some made-to-order choices. There is a featured cocktail each day or you can request your personal favorite hand-crafted cocktails. It is a very inviting space as are all of the restaurants are each decorated with style and flair to match the food they offer. The service is great, you don’t need reservations, and they are open for all three meals. There is so much variety of food that you could go here for each meal and eat different things each time. I personally loved the Mexican breakfast options the most and I found all the fresh tropical fruits to be a treat! They have plenty of American breakfast classics and sweet choices if you prefer to stick to what you know.
The BISTRO MED offers Mediterranean and Lebanese dishes. They are also open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We enjoyed dinner there the first night and it was quite good. I got the Kababs platter and my mom got the vegetarian platter.
Ciao offers contemporary Italian choices like antipasti, fresh pasta, and some delicious Secondi Piatti Romani. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
If you just want to have burgers, well STACKED has you covered. This is your typical American burger joint except that they use upscale certified angus beef. They also offer chicken burgers if you prefer and milkshakes to wash it all down. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
CIAO TRATTORIA is open for lunch and dinner. It serves, antipasti, fresh pasta, and a variety of artisanal pizzas.
Just want to grab a delicious sandwich and boogie on down to the beach? THE SPLIT has all kinds of delicious subs using fresh ingredients on homemade breads that can be served hot or cold. 11am-11pm
Los Gallos serves traditional ancient Mexican recipes paired with a selection of tequila-based cocktails. Only open for dinner and I suggest you make a reservation. We just loved the ambiance, music, and excellent service. My Mahi Mahi was amazing and even the vegetables tasted like tender flavorful gems. My mom’s chicken mole was the best I ever tasted. Yum!
If you are in the mood for Asian cuisine, Zen is a teppanyaki eatery with a sushi option as well. I heard other guest raving about Zen. Not only is it fun to watch the chef ́s performance while he cooks, they said the food was just so good they were going to go back the next night too. This is a dinner only option and I suggest you make a reservation.
The IPANEMA BRAZILIAN HOUSE is open for breakfast, lunch, and diner. It is surrounded by the lazy pool. This Brazilian rodizio style restaurant allows guests to enjoy a vast selection of meats & poultry.
The Toro steakhouse offers premium cuts grilled to perfection as well as an extensive wine list. This is a dinner only option and I suggest you make a reservation.
But that is not all! There is even an American style ice cream parlor (even though each of the above mentioned restaurants offers their own desserts). And a food truck by the beach with a menu if you don’t want to leave the oceanfront. Plus, a coffee shop and bars! Believe me when I say the choices are many.
You can see more photos of the food in my reel here on Instagram.
Hard Rock Punta Cana Food Experiences
If you want to kick things up another notch, Hard Rock has a few options for fine dining that are not included. These options require a reservation and perfect for making memorable experiences for special occasions. Look for YOUYU to get the finest Asian Pacific cuisine in the Asian Gaming area of the Hard Rock Casino. The MONTSERRAT MANOR offers the highest prime meat brought directly from Chicago, hand selected and wet aged for 21 days. They also specialize in local fish caught daily and live lobsters.
The new Immersive Experience at AWAKEN YOUR SENSES is something way beyond dining. It is like taking a VIP trip with the Hard Rock around the world to see and hear various locations as well as to taste, smell, and touch the food. “This multi-sensory, gastronomic performance incorporates high-resolution video projection, an interactive touch table, scent synchronization, augmented reality, a surround sound system and more — all paired with an exclusively curated selection of dishes that are sure to take the dining experience to the next level.” Each of the seven courses is paired with a cocktail made to compliment it perfectly. My mom and I truly enjoyed this. It was such a unique experience and at 74 when something is once in a lifetime, well that is a big deal!
Hard Rock Punta Cana Hotel Rooms And Suites
The rooms and suites are extremely nice. According to U.S. News & World Report, they call the style “Opulent, Modern” and I agree. Everything you need and then some. Spotlessly clean each day. You can expect:
- Hydro spa tub
- Private bathroom with shower and double vanity
- Balcony with a table and two chairs
- Mini bar with soda, bottled water & domestic beer (all-inclusive)
- LED TV 55 (IPTV)
- Rock Spa® bath amenities
- Bathrobes & slippers
- Digital safe (laptop size)
- Individually controlled A/C
- Coffee maker
- Direct dial telephone
- Bluetooth-enabled wireless alarm clock radio
- Hair blow dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Free Wi-Fi (wireless internet)
- 24-hour room service
- Selection of Guitars (PICKS program) and Crosley Turntable (WAX program) available upon request
Each room has its own sitting area and balcony and each balcony features a fabulous Hydro spa tub. At first I wasn’t sure what to make of the spa tubs on the balcony but then I tried it out and added it to my nightly routine because it was amazing! I mean a hot tub soak in your own private tub while listening to the waves and the music drifting up from the pool is so relaxing. They were large tubs and even though it was nice having plenty of room to myself, I wished my husband would have been there because, well, how romantic! They have lots of professional photos of the spacious guest suites on their site if you want to those and they do have a Hard Rock Family Suite option.
Punta Cana Hard Rock Things To Do
To be honest, I was mostly content to just lay out at the gorgeous beach and fabulous pools. But there are a ton of other things to do.
- Casino (Named Top Caribbean Casino by TravelNoire.com)
- Rockaway Bay Water Park
- Shopping- tons of cool shops from Billabong to Pandora to the Rock Shop®
- Henna StudioTEMPORARY TATTOOS
- Bowling
- Golfing at the Hard Rock Golf Course
- Adventure Tours (From ziplining to dolphin encounters to a half day safari to beach horseback riding)
- ROCK SPA®
- Body Rock® Fitness Center
- POSH ® BEAUTY SALON
- Planned activities (fitness, sports, karaoke, live music, and shows)
Hard Rock Punta Cana Hotel Review Conclusion
I hope you found my Punta Cana Hard Rock reviews helpful. I saw lots of couples, friend groups, families, and multi-generational families on this trip. There were a lot of Latinos and Americans as well as some Europeans and Asians. Everyone seemed to being a great time. Overall, it is a top-tier, all-inclusive resort. The service is great. Everyone on the waitstaff has a smile and most spoke English very well. Hard Rock has gorgeous grounds, fabulous rooms, delicious food and drinks, and fun things to do. You will come away recharged and refreshed. My 74 year old mom was so energetic when she was there and she didn’t complain about any pains once. We both really enjoyed this Caribbean vacation!
If you are thinking that this Hard Rock Resort is perfect for a destination wedding, you are right! They do have wedding planning services.
If you want to learn more about the all-inclusive experience or book a stay visit hardrockhotels.com
My last word of advice, wear the sunblock the first day, the first time you go to the pool or the beach. It is powerful sun and I made the mistake of thinking I’d be fine without it from 10:30-12:30. Nope, got sunburned!
If you didn’t find information you were seeking in reviews of Hard Rock Punta Cana, please feel free to ask questions in the comments or reach out on social media @familyfocusblog and/or @hrhcpuntacana. Have you stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana before? What would you say about your stay?
Related Posts:
Domingo says
Nice and valuable information. That Hard Rock review is what I exactly looking for. Thanks for sharing these details about what to expect at this all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic.
Rex says
It was a gorgeous Caribbean location to visit and I think food was so nice. I would go again.
Tom says
This place was so nice and I feel I want come over there with my fmaily.
Sheetal Chaudhary says
What a place such a nice place I will definitely visit this place at least one time in my life.