Finest Punta Cana – a comprehensive review of this newly built all-inclusive resort

Finest Punta Cana is one of the newest luxury all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana, which just opened its doors in October 2021. It offers superb services, amazing culinary options and two Preferred Clubs (one adults-only option and one family VIP club), which are very affordable considering we are talking about a newly-built Punta Cana resort. But what can you expect when booking Finest Resort Punta Cana? Is it suitable for families, couples or honeymooners?

Let’s find it out in this comprehensive Finest Punta Cana review. We’ll tell you everything you need to know, including some of the fantastic services which are unique at this new all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana. And we also explain to you, why Finest Resort Punta Cana is a perfect family hotel as well as a very suitable option for honeymooners and adults-only holidays.

If not sure which all-inclusive resort to book, you can continue reading here about how to find the best all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana.
In case you are looking for some of the biggest water parks in the Dominican Republic, check out the best Punta Cana resorts with a water park.
If you are looking for other family-friendly hotels in Punta Cana, you can see our hand-picked list of Punta Cana all-inclusive family resorts.
If you’re looking for further options with swim-out suites, you can check out this list of the best resorts with swim-up rooms in Punta Cana.

Completely UPDATED: November 2023

Quick link: the best prices for Finest Punta Cana

 This Finest Punta Cana review is about all the different aspects and amenities this honeymoon and family resort in Punta Cana (yes, this combination is possible – check out the review below to understand why) has to offer. It shows you all of the experiences we made at recommendations we have for Finest – it is really worth reading.

 However, if you don’t have time (at the moment) and are just looking for the best prices to book Finest Punta Cana, absolutely no problem. For the best Finest promotions, we can highly recommend this meta search engine here*, which compares dozens of sites and shows you the current best prices. This is particularly important, as there are always different sales and deals running for Finest Punta Cana.

Where is Finest Punta Cana?

 Finest Punta Cana by the Excellence Collection is located in Uvero Alto, an area of all-inclusive resorts approx. 22 miles northwest of the Punta Cana International Airport. Its neighbors are Excellence El Carmen and the impressive 14-bedroom villa “The Palms”*. The next all-inclusive resort after “The Palms” just a few feet away is breathless Punta Cana.

When leaving Finest Punta Cana, there is not much around to explore by foot, which is why you can book several excursions in Punta Cana to get to know more about the Dominican Republic. However, along the beach, there are a few souvenir stores, a public bar and a popular massage center within walking distance. When leaving the hotel through the front gate, you can reach a small shopping plaza in less than a mile, mainly catering to tourists.

Transfers from Punta Cana Airport to Finest Punta Cana

To get to Finest Punta Cana, the most recommendable option is to book a private airport shuttle from Punta Cana International Airport. It takes around 40 minutes and is a smooth and easy ride. Taxis are available but not always as customer-oriented as they should be, therefore you are better with a pre-arranged airport transfer to Finest Resort Punta Cana.

 If you are thinking about a shared shuttle from Punta Cana Airport to Finest Punta Cana, this is probably not worth it, as the savings compared to a private transfer are minimal. You’re better off with picking a private transfer to Finest Punta Cana, such as this option here*.

 Uber from Punta Cana Airport to Finest Punta Cana is unfortunately not available – you can read in our extensive airport guide of Punta Cana why it doesn’t work. In general, Uber won’t be a great help during your stay for getting around, as Finest Punta Cana’s location in Uvero Alto is too remote – Uber in Punta Cana works only in the main area around Bavaro and Punta Cana Village.

 Last but not least, in case you book directly through Excellence Group (you should definitely check out their current deals here* as they sometimes have some amazing offers for Finest in the Dominican Republic), make sure to have a look at your booking confirmation or the offer details, as some reservations come with transfers from Punta Cana Airport to Finest Punta Cana included. The drive to Finest Punta Cana from the airport takes approximately 40 minutes and is around 26 miles.

Finest Punta Cana Map

Finest is a rather compact resort, where you’re never far away from the beach. The distance from the lobby to the resort is just around 700 feet, the furthest room (you can see them on the Finest Punta Cana map below) is approx. 800 feet away, which means you never walk more than 3-4 minutes to the beach or any other point in the resort.

For further reference, you can have a look here at the map of Finest Punta Cana.

If you want to know where on the Punta Cana map is Finest located, you should check out the region of Uvero Alto. Finest Punta Cana’s location is in the middle of this resort area approx. 25 miles north of Punta Cana International Airport. For further information about the location and its neighboring resorts, check out Finest on our Punta Cana maps.

Definition of Finest Resort Punta Cana

 This review is exclusively about Finest Punta Cana by the Excellence Collection, which is sometimes also titled “The Finest Punta Cana”, “Finest Dominican Republic”, “Finest Hotel Punta Cana” or “Finest Punta Cana All Inclusive”.

 Particularly the complete name of this resort, Finest Punta Cana by the Excellence Collection – All Inclusive”, might persuade people to confuse Finest Punta Cana with the Excellence Resorts in the Dominican Republic, Excellence Punta Cana and Excellence El Carmen. In total, there are 3 resorts in the Dominican Republic managed by the Excellence Group.

 While Excellence El Carmen is located right next to Finest Punta Cana, Excellence Punta Cana’s location is approx. 1.5 miles north of both hotels. This review is exclusively about Finest Punta Cana All Inclusive, but you can find a section further down where we compare Finest Punta Cana with Excellence Punta Cana, Excellence El Carmen and Finest Playa Mujeres.

Overview of Finest Punta Cana

Finest Punta Cana features 455 rooms and is a very compact resort, as everything is close together and you don’t have to walk too far. The distance from the lobby to the beach is just 800 feet, making Punta Cana Finest one of the smaller all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. The hotel features a general section, a family section and an adults-only section, making it a perfect Punta Cana all-inclusive resort for very different types of travelers. And they have not only divided the sections to please everyone, but they also come with very specific amenities for families, honeymooners or any other type of vacationer.

 When arriving at Finest Punta Cana, you are first greeted by the well-designed, but not too massive lobby. The arrival area and the check-in are on the second floor, allowing you a nice view of the shiny appearance of the welcoming lobby bar, one of the main meeting points during the evening.

 In case you have booked a room at the Finest Club or the Excellence Club at Finest Punta Cana, you will be escorted to the accordant lounge. You can find detailed explanations about both VIP clubs further below in this Finest Punta Cana review.

The lobby is surrounded by various amenities. You can find the coffee shop here, the sports bar with pool tables and arcade games, a few shops and the theatre next door.

When leaving this area, you get greeted by the mainly lush vegetation of The Finest Punta Cana, which is pretty impressive considering the resort has only opened 2 months ago. However, this is because all the plants were already seeded when construction began. They even carry large fruits, especially plantains, so if you are lucky, you can eat typical Dominican plantains right from the garden of Finest Resort Punta Cana.

 Starting here, you can walk along the several restaurants and pools of Finest Punta Cana. While the restaurants are located on the left, juice bar, playgrounds and the main pool with a lot of Bali beds are located on the right side of this centric area. You also have two food trucks here, including a large shaded area to sit and enjoy your snack.

From here, you are just a stone’s throw away from the beach, which is described in the next section of this extensive Finest Punta Cana review.

 This was the centric part of the resort, but you also have the areas left and right from this little “boulevard” of restaurants. To the right, you can find the Finest Club, which is the family VIP Club at Finest Resort Punta Cana. It mainly includes a separate pool area with a swim-up bar which is particularly quiet and perfect for relaxing. Of course, there are additional amenities, which are also described further below.

 On the back section of this right wing, you can also find several sports courts (tennis, paddle, basketball) and the teens as well as the kids club, incl. their own water park.

 What’s a nice detail at Finest Resort Punta Cana is that you have pool and beach towels waiting for you everywhere, elegantly stored around the property. Beautiful!

If you have booked an Excellence Club room at Finest Punta Cana, you can also explore the left section of the property. Here you can find a large artificial lake and the main pool of the Excellence Club, which is a large swimmable pool with plenty of Bali beds and daily entertainment. There are also some adults-only restaurants on this side, along with a separate pool bar and swim-up bar.

 The accommodation buildings are located throughout the resort. There are three main accommodation buildings, two Finest Club accommodation buildings and three Excellence Club accommodation buildings.

The beach at Finest Punta Cana

 The beach at Finest Punta Cana is a well-maintained and broad area in Uvero Alto, with plenty of golden sand, palm trees and lots of sun loungers for everyone. Especially remarkable are the several hammocks and the beach buffet grill, which is completely surrounded by sand.

 The beach is divided into three sections: the main area, the Finest Club beach area and the Excellence Club beach area. All three of them offer plenty of space, sunshades and beach chairs. The two Preferred Club beach areas at Finest Resort Punta Cana even do have a beach concierge, which helps you with all the needs you might have for your beach day (special requests, certain drinks, beach towels, reservation of beach chairs, etc.). Plus, they provide all Club guests at Finest Resort Punta Cana with sunblock and mosquito repellent in case you forgot yours.

 In general, the Finest Punta Cana beach is an average Punta Cana beach (which means a great beach 😉 ) with fine sand (particularly in the upper part) and plenty of palm trees. As everywhere in Uvero Alto, the ocean might be a bit rougher on some days, with a few more waves than in other spots in Punta Cana.

If you’d like to go for a beach walk from The Finest Punta Cana, you can do so in both directions. Southeastward you have around 1.5 miles until you reach a highly weathered section after passing Royalton CHIC with plenty of stones and plywood, which isn’t that nice to walk anymore. If you walk in the other direction (northwestward), you’ll pass a few other all-inclusive resorts of Uvero Alto (among them Grand Sirenis Punta Cana and Excellence El Carmen), before encountering different stretches of absolutely virgin beaches which are simply stunning. You can walk for around 3.5 miles until you reach the river mouth of Rio Maimon, which marks the end of the Uvero Alto beach.

The rooms at Finest Punta Cana

 As Finest Punta Cana is a completely new all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, all rooms are brand-new and feature state-of-the-art technology and design.

 Finest Punta Cana has a whopping array of 24 room categories, divided into general suites, Excellence Club Suites and Finest Club suites.

 The general room categories are as follows:

• Junior suite pool view
• Terrace suite with plunge pool
• Junior swim-up suite
• Junior suite ocean view
• Junior suite with private pool
• Family suite
• Pool family suite

 The Finest Punta Cana rooms with Excellence Club status include the following categories:

• Excellence Club junior suite pool view
• Excellence Club junior suite with private pool
• Excellence Club junior swim-up suite
• Excellence Club two-story rooftop terrace suite with plunge pool
• Excellence Club two-story rooftop terrace suite with plunge pool ocean view
• Excellence Club beachfront honeymoon suite with plunge pool
• Excellence Club beachfront honeymoon suite with private pool
• Excellence Club beachfront honeymoon two-story rooftop terrace suite with plunge pool
• Excellence Club imperial suite with plunge pool

 If you are traveling as a family and would like to enjoy the Preferred Club privileges, you can book one of the following Finest Club rooms:

• Finest Club junior suite pool view
• Finest Club junior suite with private pool
• Finest Club two-story rooftop terrace suite with plunge pool
• Finest Club family suite
• Finest Club pool family suite
• Finest Club beachfront suite
• Finest Club beachfront suite with private pool
• Finest Club imperial family suite with plunge pool

 Amenities, especially in the junior suite category (it doesn’t matter if Excellence Club, Finest Club or regular room) are pretty similar and mostly differ by the view (garden, pool or ocean) and the pool access (balcony, terrace, plunge pool, private pool, swim-up).

 Some of the room categories such as the 2-story suites, the honeymoon suite or the family suites are a bit different and come with more space and additional perks.

All suites at Finest Punta Cana by Excellence Collection are very spacious and feature all the amenities you need for a comfortable all-inclusive holiday in Punta Cana.

 The rooms have the newest technology with USB chargers, electronic air-conditioning, digital cleaning service signs and many more technological gimmicks. Furthermore, the design of the rooms is contemporary, with bright colors, a super large and impressive television, a walkable closet and a spacious bathroom with a separated toilet.

 The only thing which was kind of a design flaw was the jacuzzi. It is located on the terrace, but with transparent walls, which means you still enter it from the room. This being said, you neither have an outdoor jacuzzi nor a jacuzzi in the bathroom. You have one in your room, where you can look outside, but don’t feel a fresh breeze or hear the tropical sounds. Weird!

 Besides this, the balcony of our Finest Punta Cana Junior Suite was amazing. It had a separate nap area and a super cozy and wide sunbed, which was also perfect to relax, watch what’s happening or simply enjoy the beautiful Punta Cana weather. Thanks to the table with two chairs, we also enjoyed a wonderful lunch with room service on our balcony.

 What’s worth noting is that the rooms are also equipped with – besides the typical minibar – a full liquor bar. You get full bottles of premium liquor into your room. We had an Absolut Vodka, a Johnny Walker whiskey and a Barcelo Gran Anejo rum in our room. The brands may vary depending if you book a regular Finest Punta Cana room or an Excellence/Finest Club suite.

 Additional amenities include a sofa and seating area, a double vanity bathroom, bathrobe, a garment steamer and a service box for room service items after eating (so they don’t smell in your room or disturb the view).

 When traveling to Punta Cana as a family, you should also consider the spacious family rooms at Finest Punta Cana with separate sleeping areas or additional bedrooms, such as Family Suites (regular or Finest Club) or the Finest Club two-story rooftop terrace suite with plunge pool.

Booking and Prices at Finest Punta Cana

 What do you think of Finest Punta Cana? Does this sound like an option for your next holiday in the Dominican Republic?

Once you are decided on Finest Punta Cana, it is time to find the best way to book your stay at this Excellence Collection Resort.

 Let’s have a look first at where it is possible to book your Finest Punta Cana room. As it is still a very new hotel, a lot of popular booking websites such as Booking.com, Hotelscombined or Apple Vacations still don’t offer this Punta Cana all-inclusive resort. But with the following agencies and tour operators, you can book your stay at Finest Resort:

(mobile users: please turn your device to landscape mode to enjoy the best view of this table)

Website	Your Advantage	The Finest Punta Cana
Finest Website	Book directly with the hotel
Expedia	Online travel agency with great deals, personal service and good reputation
Travala	Get a 25 USD welcome bonus (register here*) + 2% cashback
Tripadvisor	Compare prices and reviews on one site

 Finest Punta Cana is by far not a cheap all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, but their prices are reasonable and in line with other similar upscale hotels in Punta Cana. With rates starting from around 300 USD per room per night in the low season (May – before Christmas) and 450 USD per room per night in the high season (January to April), prices are still lower than at some of the ultimate high-end resorts in Punta Cana, such as Zoetry Agua Punta Cana, Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana or Iberostar Grand.

 Kids up to 12 usually pay 50% and all older teens or additional adults get a 15% discount on the double rate.

 When checking about the best option to book your stay at Punta Cana’s Finest, you might also consider booking the flight and hotel together as part of a holiday package – obviously only, if you haven’t booked your flights to the Dominican Republic yet. Sometimes these combinations are cheaper, but sometimes not – therefore it is worth comparing the prices.

 If you’re looking for the best Finest Punta Cana deals, it can also help to know when is the best time to go to Punta Cana. While the peak season usually lasts from Christmas to the Easter holidays, the rest of the year can be considered shoulder and low season. Especially from April to June and from mid-November to just before Christmas you can find some great deals while enjoying very good and usually stable weather in Punta Cana.

 To help you find the best deals and promotions for Finest Punta Cana, here is an overview of the current prices per month for this unique family all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana:

• Prices at Finest Punta Cana in December 2023: starting from 450 USD*
• Prices at Finest Punta Cana in January 2024: starting from 600 USD*
• Prices at Finest Punta Cana in February 2024: starting from 700 USD*
• Prices at Finest Punta Cana in March 2024: starting from 650 USD*
• Prices at Finest Punta Cana in April 2024: starting from 450 USD*
• Prices at Finest Punta Cana in May 2024: starting from 400 USD*
• Prices at Finest Punta Cana in June 2024: starting from 350 USD*
• Prices at Finest Punta Cana in July 2024: starting from 350 USD*
• Prices at Finest Punta Cana in August 2024: starting from 300 USD*
• Prices at Finest Punta Cana in September 2024: starting from 240 USD*
• Prices at Finest Punta Cana in October 2024: starting from 240 USD*
• Prices at Finest Punta Cana in November 2024: starting from 275 USD*

 As you can see, especially the prices for Finest Punta Cana by the Excellence Collection from June to November are amazing, particularly considering the superb quality you can expect here. Make sure to check out their current deals and promotions on the homepage*.

Restaurants and bars at Finest Punta Cana

 During our stay at The Finest Punta Cana by the Excellence Collection, we noticed three particular areas which were extremely outstanding compared to other all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana: the attention to detail, the family amenities and the culinary options.

Considering Finest Punta Cana is a pretty small Punta Cana resort with less than 500 rooms, they offer an amazing array of 15 bars and 11 restaurants (+ beach snack, Grab and Go stations, coffee shop and more). That’s an extremely large selection, even though not all restaurants are open every day.

In total, Finest Resort Punta Cana offers the following restaurant options:

• International buffet “The Market Kitchen”
• Snack buffet “Las Dunas Beach House” (with a wonderful location – see the next photo of Finest Punta Cana)
• Mexican à-la-carte restaurant “Lizo” (incl. show cooking)
• Pan-Asian à-la-carte restaurant “Melting Pot” (incl. Teppanyaki show cooking + interactive Yakiniku tables)
• À-la-carte restaurant steakhouse “Brass”
• À-la-carte restaurant “Duke’s Lobster & Seafood” (incl. different lobster dishes)
• Italian à-la-carte restaurant “Insieme Trattoria”
• French à-la-carte restaurant “Le Petit Plaisir” (adults only)
• Japanese à-la-carte restaurant “Shoji” (adults-only; incl. Teppanyaki show cooking + sushi menu)
• International à-la-carte restaurant “Gusto” (for Finest Club and Excellence Club only)
• International à-la-carte restaurant “Dommo” (adults-only, for Finest Club and Excellence Club only)

 Besides those main restaurants, you have the following additional food options during different hours of the day:

• Food Truck “La Cocinita”
• Food Truck “La Playita”
• Sports bar “Legends” (with a super extensive snack menu, which is a hidden à-la-carte restaurant 😉
  Grab&Go stations in different areas of Finest Resort
• Coffee shop “The Sweet Corner” (incl. snacks)
• Self-service soft ice cream machine right at the pool bar (kids will love it!)

 During breakfast, you only have the option between the main buffet and an à-la-carte breakfast in one of the Club restaurants, if you have booked a Finest Club room or an Excellence Club room. This was probably the weakest part of Finest Punta Cana, but this is complaining on a very high level, even though the Excellence Club breakfast was indeed very subpar.

For lunch, you can choose between the beach snack (with marvelous views – see the next photo from Las Dunas Beach House), the international buffet and the fantastic à-la-carte lunch at Brass.

 Finally, for dinner, you have the full choice among the à-la-carte restaurants. Usually, 4 to 5 of those are open each night on a rotating schedule. Plus, you can order the very recommendable room service throughout the day and night, as you can read below in this Finest Punta Cana review.

 All à-la-carte restaurants at Finest Resort Punta Cana can be visited without reservations as often as you want, except for the show and live cookings, where you need a previous reservation, which can be made during the day in the accordant restaurant.

 In case the restaurant is full when you visit, you register via the Excellence App and get an email once your table is ready. In the meantime, you can enjoy a drink at the bar.

 It’s not only the quantity which is outstanding, but it is also the quality. Without a few exceptions – namely the Excellence Club restaurant Dommo (super slow and inadequate service for breakfast + a limited breakfast menu) and the beach buffet Las Dunas for lunch (amazing location with great beach views, but very limited choice and average quality) – the food was extraordinary.

À-la-carte lunch at Brass was a 3-course delicacy with a selection of fine meats, tender fish and vegetarian dishes, including some of the best bread we have ever had at an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana. It was definitely freshly baked right in the hotel.

The Mexican cooking show was interesting and focused more on food than on entertainment – which was a welcoming change compared to all those loud Teppanyaki shows in other Punta Cana hotels. And, another important detail: the show cooking, both in the Mexican and the Asian restaurant, was located in separate closed sections, so the other guests à-la-carte dining wasn’t disturbed by the sounds or the (often very intense) smells.

The Asian dinner was amazing as well, with super delicious Asian fusion cuisine and some solid and tasty sushi (+ a nice honeymoon surprise for us from the kitchen).

 The buffet at Finest Punta Cana offered a bit of everything, with well-selected food, plenty of space, and an adequate presentation. However, it still couldn’t fully compete with the amazing à-la-carte experience we had at Finest Punta Cana.

 Besides our own experiences at Finest Punta Cana described above, one has to say that the menus at this resort are amazing as well. There is so much choice, it definitely can compete with any public restaurant. Not even that, each and every (!) restaurant (even the sports and snack bars) has their own kids menu and their either vegetarian and/or WFPB (whole-food plant-based) menu. So far, Finest Punta Cana is the best Punta Cana resort for vegans and vegetarians we have seen throughout our stays. You could easily dine here for around two weeks without getting bored with the food and the variety.

 Furthermore, they had all your dietary restrictions present during the restaurant visits. As you check-in for dinner with your room number, any allergies or preferences are automatically popping up – and the staff is immediately informed. What a great way to use digital technology!

By the way, besides the sumptuous family menus, each (!) à-la-carte restaurant (on the family side) and the buffet restaurant are offering kids’ care right beside the restaurant. This being said, the adults can eat relaxed at the restaurant while the kids enjoy some additional playtime right next to it – what a perfect combination and an interesting detail for families.

 And if this wouldn’t have been enough, the room service menu at Finest Resort Punta Cana was also one of the best we have seen so far. Among the possible options are fresh fruits, tofu, green juices, different kind of breakfasts (British, traditional, healthy, Dominican), smoothies, seafood soup, grilled salmon, chicken wings, hummus, classic and vegetarian sandwiches and burgers, Mexican burritos or fajitas, different pizzas, pasta, Asian dishes, pork ribs and different desserts – simply amazing.

 Room service is available 24 hours a day. There is a regular room service menu and a Finest Club/Excellence Club room service. Interestingly enough, the Finest Club/Excellence Club room service menu is much more limited, so make sure to order from the regular one even you are in an Excellence Club room or a Finest Club room. You can choose between both.

As you can see, we were more than pleased with the culinary experience at Finest Punta Cana by the Excellence Collection. But it wasn’t only the food which was extraordinary, we were also very happy with the drinks. 15 bars sounds like a high quantity – but they also offered high quality.

 Besides the typical array of pool bars, sports bar, swim-up bar, club bar, lobby bar and beach bar, there aren’t many surprises among these 15 bars. It simply says that there is never a bar far away. Just note that 3 of those bars are excusive for Finest Punta Cana Excellence Club guests and 3 more only for the Finest Club guests.

One which was particularly interesting was the juice bar, as you indeed got freshly squeezed or mixed juices there. Even though unfortunately, the staff didn’t know their own menu (not a single item of it), but I assume this is going to change over the upcoming months, when all the staff members in this newly built all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana get more used to the daily operations and processes.

 What probably amazed us most when it comes to drinks at Finest Punta Cana was the fact that coconuts were included in the all-inclusive program. While in most Punta Cana resorts coconuts are sold for 3 USD or sometimes even 5 USD, we could enjoy as much as we wanted from the natural and delicious tropical water.

 Furthermore, the selection of beers was amazing. Besides the Dominican beers, they had Sol, Dos Equis, Bitburger 0.0, Coors, Miller, Heineken and Budweiser – one of the biggest selections I have seen so far in Punta Canas’ all-inclusive resorts.

 Regarding drinks, every bar had a full stock of premium liquor brands and there wasn’t anything you could have asked more for: Baileys, Campari, Martini, Malibu, Bacardi, Barcelo Imperial, Absolut Vodka, Bombay Sapphire, Johnny Walker and many more. They also made some good drinks (except the mojitos), definitely according to the luxury standard of this all-inclusive resort. And, importantly, their house wine was super delicious, so far the best one we had in all the different hotels in Punta Cana.

Entertainment and service at Finest Punta Cana

Entertainment, service and activities at Finest Punta Cana – there are also some special things here that are worth mentioning.

Obviously, you have all the typical activities such as pool games, beach sports and nightly performances (either in the theatre or live open-air, usually both) which are pretty common in all the all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana.

However, there have been some pretty cool activities as well where you could learn something new. Take for example their Aloe Vera workshop or a mud therapy, which is done in very small groups at the beach – something different than the typical entertainment.

Furthermore, there are a lot of options for sports. Besides the typical kayaks and Hobie Cats for the ocean, Finest Punta Cana by the Excellence Collection also counts with a brand-new paddle court, a tennis court and a basketball area. Additionally, there are opportunities for table tennis, table soccer and pool billiard at various places throughout the resort.

For families traveling to Finest Punta Cana, there are additional areas the kids will love. First of all, there is the water park already shown above. It is part of the kids and the mini club, which are offering an extraordinary playground, indoor and outdoor. The water park at this Punta Cana resort is also divided into a section for kids and one for toddlers (open both from 10 am to 5 pm and from 6 pm to 9 pm, subject to change). It’s a pretty cool world where the children will have lots of fun. It is one of the better kids clubs among the all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana.

Furthermore, there is also a playground in the middle of the resort. Right next to it, you can find a unique water bubble, which I have never seen before anywhere in the Dominican Republic. It is a super cool thing to play and splash around, even the adults had a lot of fun here.

 Concerning the service, we are usually not very picky as you can read in the other all-inclusive resort reviews here at Punta Cana Travel Blog, but you definitely could feel that Finest Punta Cana is a newly-built resort, where processes and daily operations still need some time to find the right adjustments. Not all the staff members knew what to do and there were a few hick-ups here and there, but in the end, that’s normal in a newly-opened all-inclusive resort.

Restaurant services were occasionally very slow and bartenders didn’t know their menus. But that’s nothing unusual for new Punta Cana hotels. At the time when you are reading this Finest Punta Cana review and planning your trip to this Excellence Collection Resort, likely everything works close to perfect.

Furthermore, everyone was very attentive, always smiling and helping to make our stay at Finest Resort Punta Cana unforgettable. Additionally, room service was very quick, which should not be taken for granted in a new all-inclusive resort.

Excellence Club and Finest Club (VIP Level) at Finest Punta Cana

 The Finest Punta Cana has two clubs that grant Preferred Club status to its clients: Finest Club and Excellence Club.

In the beginning, this double VIP tier system seems a bit complicated but in the end, it is pretty simple: both VIP clubs have access to each others amenities as long as you are only adults. If you are traveling with kids and book Finest Club, you don’t have access to Excellence Club as this is adults-only. However, services and amenities and both clubs are pretty similar.

 In other words:
– if you are traveling as a family, you can only book Finest Club and have access to Finest Club only (+ all the general areas of the hotel), not to Excellence Club (even though the adults could use any Excellence Club areas without their kids)
– if you are only adults traveling to Punta Cana, you can choose between Finest Club and Excellence Club and you can use the areas and amenities of both clubs (+ all the general areas of Finest Hotel), even though you probably spend more time at the Excellence Club areas, as this is an adults-only section

 When booking your room, make sure to check the room offers and prices carefully. For our booking, for example, Excellence Club was cheaper than any other room category, so obviously we chose Excellence Club.

 But what amenities you can expect when booking an Excellence Club room at Finest Punta Cana?

 Let’s have a look at the details for these kinds of Finest Punta Cana rooms. The following services are included when booking Excellence Club:

• Private check-in & check-out in the Excellence Club Lounge
• Late check-out & early check-in (subject to availability)
• Private lounge (7 am to 11 pm) with concierge desk, snacks and bar
• Access to Excellence Club restaurant (Dommo)
• Excellence Club pool area with large pool, sun deck, pool bar, swim-up bar and entertainment
• Excellence Club beach area with private beach section, large beach beds, concierge service, bar service, towel service and repellent/sunblock service
• Bvlgari toiletries and upgraded minibar in the room
• Nespresso machine and daily fruit & petit fours in-suite
• Fresh flowers and sparkling wine in suite upon arrival
• Complimentary beach bag for use during the stay
• One Aqua hydrotherapy treatment per person per stay
• Access to all areas of Finest Club

 The most important feature of the Excellence Club at Finest Punta Cana is the separate pool area with activities and a swim-up bar. According to our impression, most of the happening was there, even though there are activities and a swim-up pool at the main pool as well. Furthermore, you have the very comfortable and exclusive Excellence Club Lounge with bar and concierge service, even though, you mainly have the same drinks as at the regular bars. While in other all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana there is a certain difference between the brands you get in the regular area and the Preferred Club area, this is not the case at Finest Punta Cana (with a few exceptions) as the quality of premium alcohol is already very high in the entire resort.

 The beach area of the Excellence Club is also worth the upgrade if you enjoy upgraded services.

 On the other side, some of the additional perks were not available, such as the snacks in the lounge, the flowers and petit-fours in the room or the early check-in or late check-out of the room (even though the hotel had an occupancy level of below 50%). I assume that some of these amenities were not available because of Covid-19 in Punta Cana. Of course, we were able to use all the amenities and restaurants of the hotel before and after check-in/ check-out, hence this wasn’t a problem.

 The 2 additional restaurants you get with your Excellence Club booking are nice-to-have, especially for longer stays. However, they are not 100% necessary, thanks to the outstanding quality and culinary diversity Finest Punta Cana is offering in general.

 In total, we enjoyed the perks of the Excellence Club. Especially when the surcharge is not that high, it is worth the money and very recommended. You can check the price difference here, everything less than 30 USD per night per person can be considered a very reasonable price for an upgrade.

 As mentioned above, with an Excellence Club room booking, you can use all the perks of Finest Club as well.

 Finest Club amenities at Finest Resort Punta Cana include:

• Private check-in & check-out in the Finest Club Lounge
• Late check-out & early check-in (subject to availability)
• Private lounge (7 am to 11 pm) with concierge desk, snacks and bar
• Access to Finest Club restaurant (Gusto)
• Finest Club pool area with a smaller pool, sun deck, pool bar and swim-up bar
• Finest Club beach area with private beach section, large beach beds, concierge service, bar service, towel service and repellent/sunblock service
• Bvlgari toiletries and upgraded minibar in the room
• Nespresso machine and daily fruit & petit fours in-suite
• Fresh flowers and sparkling wine in suite upon arrival
• Complimentary beach bag for use during your stay
• One Aqua hydrotherapy treatment per person per stay
• Access to all areas of Excellence Club for adults

Interchanging facilities between Finest Punta Cana and Excellence El Carmen

 Finest Punta Cana by the Excellence Collection is located right adjacent to Excellence El Carmen. Both hotels share the main entrance and belong to the same hotel group.

 Therefore, one could think that both hotels share some amenities, especially as Finest Punta Cana has an Excellence Club area.

 However, this is not the case. Both hotels are completely independent all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana and don’t share amenities. The only exception is the water sports center, which is located right in the middle of both resorts and therefore provides service to guests of Finest Punta Cana and Excellence El Carmen.

 Therefore, you don’t have access to Excellence El Carmen as a guest of Punta Cana’s Finest. Obviously, you can walk along the beach of Excellence El Carmen as all beaches in the Dominican Republic are public.

Excursions from Finest Punta Cana

 Even though it might be hard because the hotel offers so many amazing services, you should leave your resort to explore more of the beauties and wonders the Dominican Republic has to offer.

Particularly as Finest Punta Cana is located pretty far north along the coast of Punta Cana, it offers a perfect starting point for excursions from Punta Cana to the north, such as Montaña Redonda, Whalewatching or trips to the Samaná peninsula.

Montaña Redonda is a stunning mountain just 45 minutes away from Finest Punta Cana by the Excellence Collection and allows full family fun and unique photo opportunities you won’t find anywhere else in the Dominican Republic.

 Whale watching from Punta Cana is a must-do excursion if you are visiting the Dominican Republic from January to March. A Samaná excursion from Finest Punta Cana often combines the picturesque waterfall Salto El Limón and the famous island of Cayo Levantado, also known as Bacardi Island.

 Of course, you can also check out some of the most popular excursions right in Punta Cana, such as ziplining, buggy adventures or catamaran tours. And if you want to see the most beautiful island of the Dominican Republic, you shouldn’t miss a trip to Isla Saona, even it is pretty far from Uvero Alto and Finest Resort Punta Cana.

  Do you need more ideas of what to do during your vacation in the Dominican Republic? Then check out this list of the best things to do in Punta Cana.

 Of course, there are so many Finest Punta Cana excursions to choose from. Just think of these wild dune buggy adventures you can have in Punta Cana, an amazing catamaran excursion along the shores of the Dominican Republic (which is perfect if you just want to leave your resort for a half-day) or some of the most amazing and thrilling ziplines Punta Cana has to offer.

 To help you with your choice, I have compiled a list of the best activities and excursions starting from Finest Punta Cana. Have a look at the following table.

The best Punta Cana Excursios	Review Score (as of May 2023)	Duration	Price (as of September 2023)	Further information
Isla Saona Premium Tour*	4.95/5.0	9 hours	165 USD
Private Boat Snorkeling & Catamaran*	4.93/5.0	4 hours	800 USD (per group)
Small Group Snorkeling & Catamaran*	4.91/5.0	4 hours	99 USD
Jungle Buggies + Zipline Combo*	4.91/5.0	6 hours	184 USD
Lux Coral Nursery Snorkeling*	4.91/5.0	4 hours	109 USD
4×4 Dominican Experience*	4.88/5.0	4 hours	64 USD
Punta Cana Ziplining*	4.84/5.0	5 hours	90 USD
ATV & Snorkeling Combo*	4.81/5.0	8 hours	129 USD
Montana Redonda + Playa Esmeralda*	4.79/5.0	4 hours	95 USD
Snorkeling Cruise + Dune Buggy Adventure*	4.75/5.0	8 hours	129 USD

 If you ask me, among those 10 choices, the small group Saona trip (if you can spare a full day) or the luxury snorkeling tour (if you prefer a half-day trip) are my favorite Finest Punta Cana excursions.

Finest Punta Cana vs. other Excellence Resorts

Finest Punta Cana vs. Excellence Punta Cana

 The main difference when comparing Finest vs. Excellence Punta Cana is that Finest is open for everyone while Excellence Punta Cana is an adults-only resort in Punta Cana. However, please note that Finest also has adults-only areas as explained further above in this review.

 Of course, there are some more differences between Finest Punta Cana and Excellence Punta Cana. One of them is the beach, which is much wider and longer at Excellence Punta Cana, but also a bit wilder. In fact, Excellence Punta Cana doesn’t have any neighboring resort hence the resort is located along a pristine and untouched beach – a beautiful setting. In terms of the design of Finest and Excellence Punta Cana, the latter one features a more tropical vibe while Finest Resort Punta Cana was built with a more modern appearance. 

 However, what’s very similar among Excellence and Finest Punta Cana is the quality of food and the dedication to service. Furthermore, both resorts are pretty compact and feature a beachfront location. Food lovers will love both resorts in our comparison Finest Punta Cana vs. Excellence Punta Cana as they offer many more restaurants than the average all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana – 11 for Finest, 8 for Excellence. Elegant beachfront snacks and lunches are also possible in both resorts.

Finest Punta Cana vs. Excellence El Carmen

 Finest Punta Cana and Excellence El Carmen are neighboring resorts but still, there are a fair amount of differences. Similar to Excellence Punta Cana, Excellence El Carmen is an adults-only resort in the Dominican Republic which sets it apart from Finest Punta Cana, which is suitable for families looking for a resort in Punta Cana.

 However, that’s about it regarding the major differences as the quality of food, the dedication to service and also the very modern design and contemporary rooms are pretty similar when looking at Excellence El Carmen vs. Finest Punta Cana. Both upscale resorts also feature around 11 restaurants, which is a massive selection for your all-inclusive vacation in Punta Cana.

 Please note that even though Excellence El Carmen and Finest Punta Cana are located next to each other, you don’t have access to the other resort when staying in either one of them. Each one is a stand-alone resort with no interchanging facilities.

Finest Punta Cana vs. Finest Playa Mujeres

 Obviously, there are some more differences between Finest Punta Cana and Finest Playa Mujeres, particularly regarding the location. While Finest Punta Cana is located in the Dominican Republic, Finest Playa Mujeres is in Mexico. This means different flights, different food, different people – but the resorts themselves are surprisingly similar. Both resorts in this comparison, Finest Punta Cana vs. Finest Playa Mujeres, feature plenty of pools, excellent restaurants and very spacious and contemporary rooms. Both are located at the beach, even though the beach at Finest Playa Mujeres is a bit more ample and beautiful compared to the one at Finest Punta Cana.

 However, the main difference between Finest Playa Mujeres and Finest Punta Cana might be the price. On many dates, Finest Playa Mujeres is around 15-25% more expensive, which means you can score much better deals at Finest Punta Cana.

Summary

 Finest Punta Cana is an amazing all-inclusive resort, both, for families and adults. In our opinion, it creates the perfect symbiosis between a family resort and an adequate adults-only experience. There are various family amenities such as the huge kids club world, the kids care services next to the restaurants or the kids’ menu in every restaurant which makes it a very recommendable family resort in Punta Cana, especially for those looking for a luxury experience.

However, due to it being one of the more upscale Punta Cana resorts, Finest Hotel Punta Cana will never be a place with tons of screaming and yelling kids. In combination with the adults-only Excellence Club, all those on honeymoon or seeking peace and relaxation will have enough opportunities to do so, as an entire part of the beach, a large pool with swim-up bar and pool bar and a couple of restaurants are exclusively for adults.

With this combination, The Finest Punta Cana by the Excellence Collection manages to offer the best of both worlds. We were really happy that we stayed here (on our honeymoon 😉 ) and enjoyed our stay to the fullest, particularly due to the enormous culinary diversity, the free coconuts, the additional service amenities described in this Finest Punta Cana review, the outstanding room service and the beautiful grounds, to name just a few reasons.

If you are looking for a similar experience, Finest Resort Punta Cana definitely is a top choice when planning your holiday in Punta Cana. And when booking your stay at Finest Punta Cana for 2022, you can be pretty sure that the few service hiccups will be a thing of the past as well.

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions