Falling for the Dominican - Iberostar Punta Cana

[George]

Falling for the Dominican

January 21, 2007

Pristine beaches draw visitors but friendly locals keep them coming back. A favourite of Canadian travellers, the Dominican Republic is one of the most scenic destinations in the Caribbean. Its diverse landscapes include beautiful white sand beaches, like the one at the Iberostar Punta Cana resort.

Judge Eunice Sepulueda is busy wheeling around the region today marrying tourists who flock here to exchange vows by the seaside.

Just after 4 p.m., a casually dressed Sepulueda pulls up in a green Chevrolet Impala to a beach at the Iberostar Bavaro resort and greets about 40 family and friends of U.K. couple Wayne and Nicola Heald, who are anxiously awaiting their vows.

The Brits cheer, clink glasses and yell catcalls as Wayne, 32, plants a long, wet kiss on the lips of Nicola, 30, to seal their nuptials.

"We both wanted to get married on a beach for a long time," says Wayne, who travelled from Derby, England, with his wife and 39 friends for the big day. "Getting married here is the greatest because there are no hassles."

After about 20 minutes, which includes time for signing the paperwork, Sepulueda is back in the Impala and on the road to another waiting couple.

It costs about $1,150 for a wedding package that includes flowers, judge services, translation, wedding certificate in Spanish, wedding cake, photography and music. Couples and their witnesses must have valid passports and original birth certificates to get hitched.

The Healds' had spent hours researching hotels on the island before choosing the Iberostar chain, which operates five all-inclusive five-star resorts on the island. In Punta Cana itself, there are three adjacent Iberostars, including the Bavaro, the Dominicana and Punta Cana.

Canadian tourism officials say the Dominican Republic is third behind Mexico and Cuba as the most popular Caribbean destination for Canucks. More than 600,000 Canadians flock here for the sun yearly. Costa Rica, which is making a name for itself in eco-tourism, is also growing in popularity with Canadians.

On a recent trip organized by the resort chain, we stayed at the Iberostar Punta Cana, where from my room I could see pink flamingos and waterbirds strutting around the sprawling property.

There are also ducks, birds and a pond brimming with tropical fish, that was relaxing to watch. I only had to walk 7-metres through sliding glass doors to get to the hot sandy beach with a thatch-roof bar.

The resort also features five restaurants, Turkish baths, massage and steam rooms. There's also a casino in the lobby of the inter-connected Dominicana and a nifty disco with a cockpit of an airplane forming the DJ booth.

The 420-room resort is known as a "beach lovers' paradise" because of the palm-fringed, sandy white-sand beaches that you can walk on for miles, and I often did.

At the Iberostar hotels -- and I've been to all five on the island -- friendly staff are more than happy to drop whatever they're doing to help guests.

So friendly are the staff that, as a journalist, I was able to spend a fair bit of time with some of them at their quarters -- a housing block that contained pinball machines, pool tables and a bar that featured the latest salsa and meringue tunes. More than 500 staffers who work at the three hotels are provided rooms and meals in men's and women's dorms. They return home weekly to visit their families.

The most fun though was at a midnight party for staffers that was held on the beach one starlit night. More than 100 workers danced until daybreak to the sounds of samba music as waves crashed in the background.

It turned out the party was to celebrate Iberostar being awarded a prestigious Crystal Award last September for best hotel chain. This was the sixth year in a row the chain has received a Crystal from American tour operator Apple Vacations. Iberostar also copped a Golden Apple award this year for 10 of 12 resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic that were featured in the company's brochure. The award winners were selected by responses to questionnaires completed by more than 200,000 guests who evaluated hotels in the Caribbean and Hawaii.

"Fine service and guest satisfaction are among our top priorities and to achieve that end, our staff undergoes diligent training," Iberostar president Miguel Fluxa said on receiving the award." We provide top notch, all-inclusive product ensuring that our guests experience the five-star vacation they deserve."

Ignacio Subias, manager of the Iberostar Punta Cana, says most staff live in rural areas of the country and stay on the resort when working.

"Our employees receive ongoing training to improve their language and other skills," Subias says. "Our staff have an opportunity to learn English or German."

He says some of his guests, who are like family, have been returning to the resort for 20 years. Some holiday here twice yearly.

"There's one Swiss man who's been coming here for 20 years," he says. "Everyone around here knows him by name." Iberostar official Bettina Boskowsky said the area is also popular because of the good diving and water sports.

"A lot of people come here for the diving," Boskowsky says. "There are a lot of fish and species of water life."

Susanne Schoch, 31, of Switzerland, says she has stayed at the Punta Cana resort six times in the last three years.

"This is a very nice place and I enjoy the people," Schoch says. "We also come here for the beach and the good food."

Many repeat holidayers say they enjoy the friendly staff and many have personal stories to share about the workers.

Albenis Baeyz, 29,a manager of Jambalayas restaurant, says he's been working at Iberostar for nine years and enjoys it.

"It is a nice place to work," Baeyz says. "The people are friendly and I like the work."

Front-desk clerks Rosa Keyla Soto and Pamela Vasquez say the resort has made available to them opportunities to obtain skills they can use in the future.

"I have learned a lot and I am learning more every day," Soto says. "The people here are friendly and they treat us well."

If you have to leave the resort, you may consider a sidetrip to Altos de Chavon, a modern medieval village in which artists conduct workshops and sell their wares. There are displays and shopping.

There's also the magnificent Basilica de Higuey, an elaborate domed church that was made famous after visits by the Pope in 1972 and 1982.

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BOTTOM LINE

ACCOMMODATIONS

Iberostar has 16 resorts in the Caribbean and South America, including the Dominican Republic, and 76 in Spain and the Mediterranean. Contact Iberostar at 1-809-221-6500 or 1-888-923-2722 or iberostar.com. Or see your travel agent for information on Canadian tour operators that offer all-inclusive packages to Iberostar resorts.

TRAVEL TIP

Take lots of suntan lotion. U.S. dollars are widely accepted. Before or upon arrival, visitors must purchase a $10 US tourist card. A $20 US tax is payable upon departure.

By TOM GODFREY -- Sun Media