What it is

A 50-suite beachside retreat with a 24-hour rooftop infinity pool, orchid garden, a 12,400-square-foot spa and two inventive restaurants.

What it isn't

Commonplace. Casa Colonial is the only resort in the Dominican Republic that’s luxe enough to have been chosen for membership in the Small Luxury Hotels of the World Collection.

What we think

Welcome to paradise. Whichever room you stay in at Casa Colonial, you’re promised all the thrills of a heavenly sojourn in the tropics, including a private balcony with a prime overlook of the resort’s own pristine beach or lush grounds. Designed by local interiors whiz Sarah Garcia, each outsized suite is ineffably calming, in a serene palette of neutrals and outfitted with must-have amenities like deep Roman tubs, Frette bathrobes, Bose CD players and zippy internet (plus AC you can control yourself). While you’re here, be sure to have at least one dinner at French-Caribbean restaurant Lucia, which overlooks a mangrove jungle and has dishes like crab on yucca cake tarts and Caribbean lobster, just plucked from the salty sea.

You're here because

You’re obsessed with top notch service, and the property has gratis private transfers to the Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed Playa Dorada Golf Course (and a 24-hour concierge ready to book your whirl around the links.)

The Moment

There’s only one thing you want after your afternoon dip in the Atlantic Ocean—and that’s the spa’s Marine Feast treatment. After the Thalasso Bath and marine mud body wrap, you emerge feeling as jaw-droppingly stunning as Aphrodite from the seafoam.

Restaurants & Bars

Lucia - gourmet French-Caribbean fusion cuisine

Veranda - casual oceanfront setting serving breakfast and lunch

Location

Set directly on its own private beach just a 19 minute drive from Puerto Plata International Airport. Don’t miss a guided hike to the legendary 27 Waterfalls—home to, ironically, 12 waterfalls (but bountiful turquoise pools).