Inside Punta Cana there's a gated community spanning nearly thirty thousand acres that most travelers never see: Cap Cana. It has its own marina, a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, and a beach that rivals anything in the Caribbean. Here we're comparing the 7 best resorts in the area, from seven down to one, with what actually works and what falls short at each one — no sponsorships, no generic amenity lists.
TAN Resorts Marina Cap Cana
This building started out as Ancora Cap Cana, then became the first-ever Sports Illustrated Resort, and today operates as TAN Resorts — three different names in just a few years, so always check the date on any review you read about it. It sits in Downtown Cap Cana's waterfront entertainment district, steps from the marina, with colonial-style architecture and yacht views instead of open ocean. There's no beach on property: a complimentary shuttle runs guests to Juanillo Beach several times a day. It's a solid pick for families who want to be close to the marina's energy and pay less than the top-tier resorts in the area.
- Located in Downtown Cap Cana's waterfront entertainment district
- Complimentary shuttle to Juanillo Beach several times a day
- Three names in a few years: Ancora → Sports Illustrated Resort → TAN Resorts
- ⚠️ No beach on property — a shuttle ride away
If being close to the marina and shops matters more than beachfront, and a lower rate than the top-tier resorts is the priority, book ahead — it fills up fast during regatta season.
Book this resort →The next resort stopped existing — and never closed for a single day.
Dreams Cap Cana Resort and Spa
Until November 2024, this exact building was Margaritaville Island Reserve, run by Karisma. The owners handed management to Hyatt, and the 519-room complex became Dreams Cap Cana, renovation included. Today it's one of the best family resorts in the area: it sits on Juanillo Beach, a fifteen-minute drive from the airport, with 40 villas and 100 swim-up suites, nine restaurants and six bars under the Unlimited-Luxury® program, so you never have to book a table. Search for reviews and you'll find three different versions of the same property mixed together — it's a conversion, and in a few corners it still shows.
- 519 rooms: 40 villas + 100 swim-up suites
- Nine restaurants and six bars under Unlimited-Luxury®
- On Juanillo Beach, a 15-minute drive from the airport
- ⚠️ Recent conversion (formerly Margaritaville Island Reserve) — reviews mix both brands
Family swim-up categories are the first to sell out during peak season.
Book this resort →Before we keep going, here's what there is to do outside the resort.
🗺️ Things to Do in Cap Cana
Cap Cana is surrounded by activities beyond the resort itself: catamaran trips around the marina, snorkeling and diving on the Juanillo reefs, day trips to Saona Island, and golf outings at Punta Espada. Most can be booked with hotel pickup included.
Catamaran and snorkeling in Juanillo, Saona Island, golf tours at Punta Espada — with hotel pickup and free cancellation.
What's coming up doesn't look like a resort — it looks like a fortress.
Sanctuary Cap Cana, a Luxury Collection Resort
It's 324 adults-only suites laid out like a Spanish colonial village perched on a cliff over the ocean — arguably the most photogenic resort in the Caribbean. Marriott added it to its luxury collection in September 2022 as the world's first Luxury Collection all-inclusive resort, though the building already existed — this is a conversion, not new construction. The crown jewel is the Castle Island Suite, over 5,000 square feet across two levels on a private island with indoor plunge pools. It's a fifteen-minute drive from the airport. The honest criticism, straight from guests: anyone expecting miles of sand walks away disappointed, because the resort's own beach is small.
- 324 adults-only suites, Spanish colonial village architecture
- Castle Island Suite: 5,000+ sq ft on a private island
- World's first Luxury Collection all-inclusive resort (Sept. 2022)
- ⚠️ Small beach — not the pick if sand is your priority
The Castle Island Suite and cliffside-view categories book out months in advance.
Book this resort →From here on, there's no all-inclusive wristband.
The St. Regis Cap Cana Resort
There's no open bar here: you pay for every order. It opened May 1, 2025 as the first St. Regis in the Dominican Republic, with 200 keys across rooms and suites, plus 70 private residences. It's surrounded by the Jack Nicklaus-designed Punta Espada golf course, consistently ranked the number one course in the Caribbean and Mexico by Golfweek. The dining lineup is nine venues led by Nina, from chef Diego Muñoz, plus The Amber Room cigar lounge. It has four pools, a spa, a kids' club, a private beach, and the butler service that's the St. Regis signature.
- First St. Regis in the Dominican Republic (May 2025)
- Surrounded by Punta Espada, Golfweek's #1 course in the Caribbean and Mexico
- Nine dining venues, including Nina by chef Diego Muñoz
- ⚠️ Not all-inclusive — every order is billed separately
Since it's not all-inclusive, budget for dining and drinks separately from the room rate.
Book this resort →Comparing bundled flight + resort packages can come out significantly cheaper than booking separately. Real-time pricing.
Now comes the first Dominican resort to win something no one else here had.
Eden Roc Cap Cana
It's the first resort in the Dominican Republic to earn Two MICHELIN Keys, the recognition the guide reserves for truly exceptional stays. It's also the country's only Relais & Châteaux member. There are only 68 accommodations total, between pool suites, oceanfront suites, oceanfront bungalows, and villas and residences with three to eleven bedrooms. It's not all-inclusive either. You get around by electric cart, through dense gardens and lagoon-style pools. The Eden Roc Beach Club is the kind of place where lunch runs until five in the afternoon and nobody rushes you. There's no nightly show and no water park here — that absence is exactly what this resort is selling.
- The only Dominican Republic resort with Two MICHELIN Keys
- The country's only Relais & Châteaux member
- Just 68 accommodations: suites, bungalows and villas up to eleven bedrooms
- ⚠️ No nightly show or water park — not the pick for families wanting entertainment
With only 68 keys on the entire property, the private-pool suites go first.
Book this resort →Second place has 457 suites and zero table reservations.
Secrets Cap Cana Resort and Spa
It's 457 suites on Juanillo Beach, a twenty-minute drive from the airport, with seven à la carte restaurants plus a buffet, a grill and a café, and six bars and lounges. The best part of the system: you never have to book a table, you just walk in, sit down and eat. Categories range from Caribbean-decor suites to casita-style bungalows and suites with direct pool access, plus the Preferred Club tier with its own lounge, a private stretch of beach and its own bar. With 457 rooms, this is a large resort, and during high season you'll feel it at the main pool and on the beach.
- 457 suites on Juanillo Beach, adults-only
- Seven reservation-free à la carte restaurants, plus buffet, grill and café
- Preferred Club tier with its own beach, pool and bar
- ⚠️ Large resort — the main pool gets crowded during peak season
Budget for the Preferred Club tier from the start — the gap with the standard category is noticeable.
Book this resort →With your own car, you can explore Cap Cana and the surrounding area without relying on transfers. Book early for the best rate.
And number one isn't one resort — it's two.
Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana
It's a dual resort that solves the oldest problem in all-inclusive travel: what to do when half the group wants kids' activities and the other half wants total quiet. Ziva welcomes all ages, Zilara is adults-only, they share one stretch of land on Juanillo Beach, and each one has 375 oceanfront suites. Guests cross back and forth to use each other's restaurants, so the variety multiplies. The Canapolis water park has a lazy river with a grotto waterfall, water cannons and five slides, and the gym runs close to 14,000 square feet. The detail that puts this resort in the number one spot isn't just our opinion: Hyatt Zilara took the number one spot in its category at this year's Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Best of the Best Awards, and Hyatt Ziva won that same recognition the year before. Two years running, two brands, the same stretch of sand.
- 750 combined suites (375 + 375) on Juanillo Beach
- Canapolis water park with five slides and a lazy river
- Guests can cross over and use both resorts' restaurants
- Hyatt Zilara #1 Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Best of the Best 2026; Hyatt Ziva won the same award in 2025
- ⚠️ The busiest complex in Cap Cana — not the pick for total calm
It's Cap Cana's most awarded resort two years running — oceanfront suites sell out months ahead during peak season.
Book Hyatt Zilara → Book Hyatt Ziva →Peak-season pricing changes week to week. Booking ahead can mean a difference of hundreds of dollars per person.
📖 Discover the Next Ranking
▶ Another Corner of the Dominican Republic on Video: Samaná
Loved Cap Cana? Samaná is another destination on the island worth knowing — the 6 best resorts, on video.
2026 | Top 6 Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Samaná Dominican Republic
@TopLuxuryHotelsOfficial