Los Corales 28 in the Dominican Republic is a dream vacation rental for families.   This six-bedroom villa, which comfortably sleeps 14, has one of the most luxurious and beautiful locations imaginable.   Set in the exclusive gated Corales community within the Punta Cana resort, it combines all the advantages of a private villa with the benefits of a large resort.

The Villa

The villa is built as a collection of Polynesian-styled buildings connected by beautiful covered walkways surrounded by lush landscaping and a number of pools.  No other villa I have visited has given me as great a feeling of being in my own private boutique resort.  There are two bedroom suites, including the master, each having its own building.   There is one two-story building that has two very private king-sized bedroom suites and a final bedroom building that has two bedrooms, along with a small living/TV room.   In this building is one bedroom with two queen beds with access to a bathroom off the small living room.   The second bedroom in that building is a boy-themed room with four twin beds.  Two of the beds are in an elevated loft and are smaller-than-normal twin beds.   This room has its own ensuite bathroom.

The master suite of Los Corales 28 is accessed by crossing over one of the pools and offers amazing views.   In the suite there is a small office (we had a mattress placed here so that our young son could sleep near us), a luxurious king-sized bedroom, walk in closet, a large bathroom, an outdoor shower, and a wraparound patio.

The other free-standing bedroom has a king-sized bed and a large bathroom.

There is a very large central living room that overlooks the pool area.   It is an  impressive room with its soaring ceilings and many large scale pieces of art.  Within the room there are several sitting areas, as well as a games table and television.

Dining takes place at one of two locations.  There is an outdoor platform surrounded by reflecting pools and covered by large umbrellas for casual dining.   We had breakfast and lunch here daily.   Next to the outdoor dining platform is the formal dining room and kitchen.

There is also an outdoor covered lounge area overlooking the pool.  Not only is this a relaxing and picturesque area, but it can also be converted to a lovely spot for private yoga classes.

The pool areas of Los Corales 28 are a highlight of the house.  Some are for swimming, others more decorative, wrap around much of the villa.  There is one main area for swimming and an attached hot tub/soaking pool.  The other pools, while not designed for swimming, were still very popular with the kids for wading and water fights.

Finally, the villa grounds are simply fantastic.  While the yard isn’t huge, in front of the master suite, on a point with fabulous views of the ocean and beach, is a large grassy area that is great for playing croquet or just running around.   For our family, if we weren’t in the pool or on the beach, we were likely enjoying this picturesque yard.   We had fun flying kites, holding an Easter egg hunt, watching sunrises, and blowing bubbles.

Overall, the villa offers a great deal of privacy and space for a group to spread out, but also provides sufficient common areas to hang out together.

The Location

Villa Los Corales 28 has an enviable location within the Punta Cana Resort.  Situated on a point overlooking the private beach for the villas of the exclusive Corales community, the house benefits from spectacular views.  As the house is right next to the private beach, you can just walk down the villa stairs to the beach.   While the beach isn’t for the exclusive use of the Los Corales 28 guests, it does feel like it.  During our 10-day stay I think we saw another family use the beach two times!  And the beach is lovely and inside a protected bay.  It was perfect for swimming and playing, although not extensive enough for “long walks on the beach.”

 

The villa is situated within the Punta Cana Resort which is a 26-square mile purpose-built resort complex with multiple hotels, 2 golf courses, marina, spa, shopping village, and several restaurants.  It is at most a 10-minute drive to the airport making transfers amazingly quick and easy.

There are a number of activities which are available through the resort including golf, horseback riding, tennis, fishing expeditions, spa treatments, and SCUBA diving.   Additionally there is a petting zoo and an ecological park conducive for hiking.    Our group loved the ecological park, especially all of the little natural springs and pools which you can jump in and explore.

The Service

The villa is fully staffed with a chef, kitchen helper, butler, gardeners, and housekeepers.  Not surprising, as the Dominican Republic is a Spanish-speaking nation, none of the staff speaks English well.   So while communicating with them was difficult, they were certainly attentive and provided great service.  The food prepared was very good.   They were also willing to go above and beyond with extra touches.  For example, we had two young children who were both still taking bottles in the middle of the night.   Every evening the staff would prepare their bottles and place them in glamorous ice buckets to chill until needed so that we wouldn’t have to walk to the kitchen.

The villa staff also set up beach bonfires for us on the private beach on multiple evenings, complete with chairs for everyone and provided us with cocktails and snack service.   These were some of the most memorable moments of our holiday.

On several occasions one of my brothers who loves to cook wanted to use the commercial size kitchen and assistance of multiple sous-chefs and cleanup crew to create some culinary masterpieces for us.  Not only did the staff work to get him the items he requested for his recipes, but he loved the opportunity and had a great time working with them.    I suspect that most staffed villas would be very accommodating if any home chefs wanted to prepare special meals.  Plus, cooking without the responsibility of cleaning and prep work is usually a treat for most at-home chefs.

Who Shouldn’t Rent Los Corales 28

While this villa is amazing and everyone in my family can’t wait to go back , it isn’t for every group.

First, the staff (at least during our visit) spoke almost exclusively Spanish.  The butler had a few English words, but we spent most of the time using our limited Spanish trying to communicate with him.   As I mentioned, the staff were all very accommodating and tried hard, but if language difficulties will be an ongoing frustration for you, perhaps this isn’t for you.

Second, this villa is not designed for anyone in a wheelchair.  Getting to the outdoor dining platform requires stepping across a series of concrete stepping stones which would be incredibly difficult for someone using a mobility assistance device.    Accessing the beach from the villa is done descending a couple of flights of stairs down a cliff.  While you could drive around to the beach,  this access would certainly be inconvenient.

Third,  the villa has many reflecting pools surrounding it and is also located on a small cliff.  These features pose numerous potential dangers for young children.  While we visited with four kids under the age of 5 and loved it, this is not a house where you can turn your back on kids for a second.

Fourth, if you are in a party that is splitting the cost of the villa rental, be aware that the master bedroom is substantially larger and more luxurious than all of the other bedrooms, which could make dividing up the rental costs difficult.

Finally, there is no substantial town nearby to experience nightlife and lots of local culture.  Punta Cana really is just a big resort community. So if nightlife and a vibrant restaurant/bar scene are important to your group this probably isn’t the destination for you.

 

Listed nightly rental rates for Los Corales 28 start at $5,000/night during low season, with a minimum of three-night rental.  During peak/Christmas season the rates rise to $7,500/night with a minimum fourteen-night rental.  18% government tax, food/drink costs, and staff gratuities are not included.