Sun Village: background
Sun Village Resort is a family-friendly, mid-sized all-inclusive property in Cofresi on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. The marine park Ocean World is next door; restaurants, shops, nightlife in Playa Dorado and Puerto Plata are not far away.
305 guest rooms, suites and villas are built on a hillside, leading up to the lobby, restaurants, pools, and kids club at the top. Expect to do some walking at this resort.
The Dominican Republic is known for all-inclusives at a good price point, and you'd pay considerably more for this resort elsewhere. Remember, though that the north coast of the DR is on the Atlantic; don't expect to find the beaches of the Caribbean coasts.
Sun Village is expanding with a 120-suite Residence condo-resort (December 2006) ; and a spa opens this spring with indoor/outdoor treatment rooms. Meanwhil a second property -- Sun Village Juan Dolio, on the south central coast-- is also due to open this year.
Features at Sun Village Resort:
- beach is on a lovely bay
- seven swimmming pools, two swim-up bars, Roman Tubs, adults-only pool
- lots of lounge-chairs, beach-side and pool-side. (Grab one of the bed-sized loungers near the beach).
- kids pool has waterfalls and waterlside, and is right by the kids' club
- Daily kids club for ages 4 to 12 (9am to 6pm)
- bocce ball court, billiards, ping pong, tennis
- windsurfing, kayaking, floats; introductory scuba lesson in the pool
- daily activity schedule might include beach aerobics, Spanish lessons, dance lessons, dart tournament
Oasis Suites have a personal Jacuzzi; Master Suites sleep six and have a proivate pool; villas can sleep eight, and breakfast is served chez vous.
As for restaurants, Sun Village has several a la carte choices: Thai, "Fusion", Californian, Mexican. The buffet has a nice selection of local food, besides the usual tourist dishes. In addition, Teddy's BBQ is on-property but not all-included: great eats by a Toronto restauranteur and tv chef. The resort also has 8 bars (two swim-up).
Right by the resort, on the beach, are several souvenir shops (no pressure) and a spot where ladies do hair-braiding.
Keep in mind about Sun Village:
- this resort suits people who want to explore outside of the familiar brands
- standard rooms need some updating; opt for a deluxe room (not much more expensive) or villa if you can. (And check website for updates.)
- night-time entertainment is limited, but Playa Dorado is nearby
- as is common in the DR: make sure you have your Towel Card, for checkout!
- well-priced scuba certification packages are available
Find out more about Sun Village:
- See the Sun Village Resort site
- check visitors' comments at TripAdvisor.com (-enter "Sun Village Resort & Spa" in the searchbox)
*photos (c) Teresa Plowright As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
