Exhausted from packing & unpacking our lives during our move from Montreal to Toronto & drowning in a sea of what seemed to be endless boxes, we needed a vacation! Ismael and I both love to travel and explore new places like Greece and Croatia, but this time we were craving a relaxing & stress-free holiday in a luxury, all-inclusive resort. The last time we went to a resort was 4 years ago and I had fond memories of coming back from the vacation in a state of total relaxation, batteries re-charged! So, were more than thrilled to be whisked away by Sunwing Vacations to the stunning Sensatori Resort & Spa. A semi-private, air-conditioned mini bus picked us up at the airport and within 45 minutes, we were sipping champagne in the main lobby!
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The Sensatori resort is modern, minimalist & aesthetically upscale. The resort looks like a gorgeous little town, with a cluster of white buildings where you can find restaurants, bars, a shop, spa, gym facilities and even a trendy coffee shop! There are pops of color in the form of cushions of pink, green and yellow all over the resort, giving it that extra oomph. The main lobby hosts the ‘007 bar (Shaken, not stirred) where we spent most of our evenings trying out the entire menu (it’s not a small menu and each drink was better than the next…) and chatting up with the friendly bartenders (Maicol, Carlos, Viktor & Johanna – all amazing people). What’s great about this resort is that it has a separate section for ‘adults only’. As we don’t have kids yet, we really appreciate the tranquility of a kids-free hotel building, pool with a swim-up bar & even a separate section in the buffet dinning room! It’s not usual that resorts offer this type of option, which is why I think this one is so exceptional!
Overall, the hotel has 3 pools: a large infinity pool & two smaller pools with bars that are connected to the swim-ups. There is music around the infinity pool, a bar & daytime entertainment. The smaller pools are a lot more quiet and reserved for adults only – which makes them a great place to relax, sip on a drink & read a good book. We met Wander at the Papaya Swim up bar – so nice to talk to and served me that non-sugar mojito on repeat! ;)
There was also a reserved section for adults only with a row of beach beds right on the beach – where we pretty much spent most of our days either swimming, tanning or reading books on the beds (I read 3 books, that’s my record so far)! The beach is picturesque and tucked away from other hotels, so it seemed private. You can still walk along the long coastline where other hotels are located, if you choose. The white sands, the clear salty water & the waves of the ocean are still missed as I reminisce about the vacation. The resort is also fully equipped with a sports hub: tennis & basketball courts, air hockey, ping pong & pool tables, giants chess – you name it! This is also the place where Ismael spent a good chunk of his vacation watching the World Cup, while I enjoyed some beach time ;)
Our room was exquisite & spacious with a king bed, lounging & eating area, waterfall shower and his & hers sinks in the bathroom. It also had a great balcony overlooking the pool and the beach, with a nice couch, a table & chairs – pop of color cushions made the space extra special. The room was stocked with water, soft drinks, juices, beer (Coors Light and Heineken) as well as some crackers and cookies. Not to mention that it was re-stocked daily! There was room service available 24/7 and we took advantage of ordering breakfast twice and lunch one of the days where Ismael wanted to stay in and watch the World Cup game in the room.
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The food as this resort was exceptional, including the red wine – which is a rare occurrence down south, in my experience. The buffet was delicious, my favorite being the fresh lobster and pasta stations! Aside from the buffet, we tried 2 a la carte restaurants. The Wok Wok joint offered amazing sushi & fried rice – a must try (we went 2 times, that’s how much we loved it)! The Verdello Sicilian restaurant had the most amazing fungi risotto & tiramisu cake – if we had more time, we probably would have went again to this one as well, haha.
I had the pleasure of trying out the hydro therapy & a massage at the spa. I’m not a huge fan of hydro therapy, as I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing most of the time (lol, true story)! But, this experience was different: I had a dedicated person guide me through the entire circuit, telling me which sequence of activities and length was most beneficial. After the circuit, I had a deep tissue massage as my back was giving up on me after lifting all those boxes back home (which were great to escape from during those 10 days). I felt like a huge weight was taken off my shoulders after this massage – it was perfection! The decor of the spa was minimalist and catered to relaxation. There were massage designated beds outdoors and indoor. It rained a bit that day so I had my massage indoors. It was also the perfect activity to do while the weather outside was not too great, as the rest of the days were sunny and hot! Overall experience of this spa was 5 star worthy!
Honestly, if I were to go back to Punta Cana, I would hands down choose this resort over and over again! The good food, the friendly staff, the beautiful decor & all the amenities – perfection! It truly deserves the 5 STARS! Thank you again Sensatori Resort for having us & we hope to come back real soon!
Kisses,
WCX