Eric and I lucked out and got to visit the Dominican Republic twice in December. The first was a trip he earned through a Chamber of Commerce committee he led (which is also how we went to Puerto Vallarta last year), and the second was a (very generous) Christmas gift from my dad. Prior to December we had never been to the Dominican, and although the two resorts we stayed at were very close to each other, each was a very different experience. For this post I’m going to focus on our second (family) trip.

When planning an all-inclusive vacation, the resort is key and can make or break the entire trip. We stayed at the Royalton Bavaro and loved it! It was our kids’ first time at an all-inclusive resort, and they loved ordering room service and strawberry daiquiris anytime they wanted. Finch thinks he had 51 frozen drinks in total. Ha! We had an absolutely wonderful time.

Our kids had been to the beach a couple times before (here and here), but this was the first time it was warm enough to swim in it. And having their five cousins there to enjoy it with was icing on the cake!

The resort was incredible. The service was fantastic, the landscaping was immaculate, and the food was delicious. We were so happy with it that we decided there was no reason to leave for excursions. The resort has a lazy river with a swim-up bar, multiple pools and hot tubs, beach volleyball, water volleyball, mini golf, and a beautiful beach with soft sand.

On the first day we were having trouble finding Finch, and eventually Eric found him in the pool doing water aerobics. What a goof. On our last day, all 13 of us did the water aerobics class together, which was so fun!

Every morning we would save chairs at the pool and beach, meet at the breakfast buffet at 9:30 am, and then head to the pool. We would find a central location for the adults to relax and then let the kids go back and forth between the pools and lazy river. We’d go to lunch in small groups whenever we felt like it. I read a couple books. It was paradise. Our only worry for the entire week was getting sunburned.

Pro tip: Buy sunscreen before you go. One spray bottle of Sun Bum cost $45 at our resort!

When the sun went down we would head to our rooms to shower before meeting back up for dinner at one of the amazing on-site restaurants.

Gourmet Marché: We had breakfast every day and dinner a few times at the main buffet. The kids’ buffet area is so cute (it’s lower for their height). Fresh crepes were a highlight here!
Grazie Italian Trattoria: My favorite thing I ate the entire week was the four cheese pizza at Grazie! I would suggest getting in line at 5:15 pm and hope to get right in when they open at 6. We were turned down one evening due to the number of Diamond Club reservations ahead of us, but thankfully we got in the next night.
Rio: Do not sleep on the Brazilian grill! This was the biggest surprise and some of our group’s favorite meals.
Oceanside: My favorite place for lunch. Delicious pizza and pasta!
Nibbles: The poolside food truck is a great spot to grab a burger and fries.

No matter where you eat — fresh pineapple for every meal is a must!

Each night after dinner, the resort had kids’ activities and entertainment in the theaters. Our kids loved the silent disco, dancing on the center stage, singing karaoke and the white party on the beach!

As much as I like exploring new places, I wouldn’t be upset about staying here again. No matter where we go, I love traveling with family!