26 years and 1 kid later, I finally took a trip by myself! Thirty other Macaroni KID publishers and I met up for a Caribbean vacation — sans kids.
The staff at the family-friendly Meliá Caribe Beach resort was the MOST welcoming of any hotel staff I've ever experienced. They greeted us with treats, drinks, and kind words of welcome in The Level Lounge. The kind gestures and feeling of welcoming continued during the check-in process, the golf cart ride to my room, having my bags carried for me to the 3rd floor, and finding a table full of treats and a kind note waiting for me in my room.
 | ||
| The view just before entering my room at Meliá Caribe Beach resort. |
After a full day of travel, I spent the afternoon relaxing in my room and enjoying the garden view before dinner. I stepped out onto my balcony to take in the view and noticed a horse grazing. It was a fun reminder of home, where there are horses all over the place.
Meliá Caribe Beach resort is located on the north side of Punta Cana on Bávaro Beach, just 20 minutes from the airport. It's laid out in rows with trains and golf carts that take vacationers from one side of the resort to the other — it reminds me of a little neighborhood.
The all-inclusive resort is completely family-friendly, offering everything from spacious rooms — family suites are even equipped with trundle beds and pull out couches for the kiddos — to a water park called "Splash Island" (with dance shows, cotton candy, crafts, and a water slide!), and an obstacle course with a climbing wall and a kid-sized zip line. Want some private time? They have a kids club with video games, comfy couches, arts and crafts, snacks, and games.
 |
Not traveling with kids? The resort actually connects to an adults-only resort (Meliá Punta Cana Resort) that has an adults-only pool and beach, complete with a swim-up bar (closed for COVID). I stayed on the family-friendly side and spent most of my time in The Level Pool (exclusive to The Level guests) or at Barefoot Beach. There were only ever 2 or 3 other groups in The Level pool when I was there, so it was still very relaxing. I think this is because Meliá Caribe Beach has 6 pools and the water park, which allow everyone to stay spread out.
Beach access at Meliá Caribe Beach is just a short walk or golf cart ride from the rooms. I spent a good part of my last day there, just laying in the lounge chairs with a book while the bartender brought me ice cold water. The sound of the water and kids playing in the sand was the perfect soundtrack for a relaxing afternoon.
 |
Memorable dining experiences
Drinks and food are included at this all-inclusive resort, making meal times easy. With 13 restaurants to choose from, you can try something different at every meal.
On our first night, we enjoyed a welcome dinner on the beach. I tried so many new foods this night, including a goat appetizer and beef carpaccio. The stars of the show were an amazing leek and potato soup with truffle oil and the main course — steak and lobster. Another night we dined at Casa Nostra, an Italian restaurant with delicious Mushroom Risotto. The real show stopper was our farewell dinner. We indulged in ceviche and octopus! It was beautiful and a fun new experience.
The other restaurants on the property specialize in everything from Mediterranean and Tex-Mex to American Japanese. There was truly something for everyone.
After dinner? Head to the lobby and check out the live entertainment. We got to experience Dominican Night during our stay. There was a full hour of beautiful dancers showcasing their talents in a fun show, followed by live music and dance lessons for the guests. Not into dancing? Tuck the kids in and take turns at the Casino!
 | ||
| Dominican Night |
During the day, most guests dine at the various buffets around the resort. Most of the buffets had breads, different meats, rice, vegetable sides, salad bar, build your own pasta, fruit, desserts, and much more. They were very kid/picky eater friendly! I had lunch at Merkado one day and enjoyed fish, rice, roasted veggies, and pineapple. The breakfast buffets had a good variety of sweet and savory. I had French toast every day because, YUM. There were several types of cereal, pancakes, French toast, bacon, fruit, yogurt, hashbrowns, and much more.
Indulge at the spa
No resort is complete without a spa, and Meliá Caribe Beach is no exception. Some of the girls treated themselves and looked so relaxed after. It has a secluded swimming pool, Turkish bath, and whirlpool bath. The spa menu is full of treatments, including facials, massages, hydro-therapy, even hair-removal services if you want your body to be extra smooth for the beach. Definitely a splurge worth experiencing!
Off-resort excursion: Bebe Catamaran
Our group set up a catamaran excursion for us to explore the sea for a day. There are also vendors on the beach selling parasailing and banana boat excursions, but this is what we did and we had a blast. My favorite parts of our experience on the boat:
- Seeing the dolphins perform a few tricks
- Dance lessons from the boat crew — one of the crew happened to be a dancer from the Dominican Night show and they showed us some fun dances
- Snorkeling along the reef — there were only a few fish, but seeing a reef in person is amazing
- Anchoring near the dolphin enclosure and relaxing with music on a sandbar
 |
Meliá Caribe Beach does an amazing job of balancing opportunities for kids to have fun and opportunities for adults to relax and pamper themselves. I would highly recommend visiting for a family vacation!
The author's stay and excursion at Meliá Caribe Beach were complimentary for the purposes of this review, but the opinions are her own.
