Royalton CHIC Punta Cana

Forget the boring resorts where the only thing you hear is the wind in the palm trees. The Royalton CHIC is another story: it is like bringing an Ibiza or Miami beach club into the heart of the Caribbean.

The premise here is “Party Your Way”. It is designed for people who want to feel alive, drink in hand and with good music, but with the class and the comfort of a 5-star. It is not a college blowout hotel, it is a social, modern resort where the average guest age is around 40–55.

After staying there, and trying even its famous glass pool, I will tell you whether it is really worth paying for this “chic” atmosphere.

We stayed in October 2025 and paid €267 a night. It is an adults-only resort, in Uvero Alto.

The Royalton CHIC is the king of the classy party scene. It is the perfect hotel if you are travelling as a couple or with friends and you feel like meeting people, enjoying pools with a DJ and having a lively atmosphere without giving up luxury.

I loved the balance: you can be partying in the main pool and, a while later, relaxing in your private jacuzzi in the room.

Who is it for? Clearly for adults (40–55) who want to socialise and have a good time; for a younger crowd, the best party I have seen is at the RIU. If you are after absolute silence and isolation, you are going to pick the wrong hotel, and I would recommend the complete opposite, the Meliá Punta Cana Beach.

✅ The best:

• The rooms: they are huge and they are built for enjoying. The jacuzzi next to the bed is a great touch and the beds are supremely comfortable (a Royalton trademark).
• The pools: they have a lot of personality, especially the Mermaid Pool (the raised one with glass walls), which is the ultimate photo spot.
• The Indian restaurant (Tandori): a very pleasant surprise. Perfect for a romantic dinner that is a bit different.
• The entertainment team: they are not the usual pushy animators; they have good taste in music and the shows (acrobatics, live music) are at a professional level.

❌ The worst:

• Butler service (Diamond Club): in our experience, it added no value. They were slow to answer and did not solve much. Save yourself that extra if it is only for the butler.
• The Japanese restaurant (Pescari): we had a bad experience with the waiting times (almost an hour for the starters) and the quality of the sushi was not up to the mark. We walked out and went to have dinner a second time, at the Tandori.
• Little shade on the beach: the beach is pretty and wide, but it has no natural vegetation to shelter under from the sun.

At the Royalton CHIC, life revolves around the water. It is not the usual one giant pool and that is that; here they have 4 separate areas depending on your mood:

• The main pool: this is where the action is. It is enormous, it has a resident DJ with very good taste in music (no cheap reggaeton at full volume, but classy mixes) and a wet bar. It is where the foam parties happen and where it is easiest to socialise.
• Mermaid pool (VIP): this is the famous raised pool, one floor up, with glass walls. From the outside you can see inside the water, which gives you a lot to play with for photos (and for seeing and being seen). Careful: it is exclusive to Diamond Club guests. It has the best views in the resort and a much more VIP atmosphere.
• The “giant jacuzzi” pool: there is a smaller pool that works like an enormous hydromassage. Perfect for soaking with a cocktail and talking quietly.
• Chill zone & cabanas: if you are looking for something more private, there is an area with cabanas (they all have waiter service and a jacuzzi) and a more relaxed atmosphere, ideal for winding down after the party.

The rooms are very big and you can tell they are designed with couples or groups of friends in mind, people who want to enjoy the room, not just use it to sleep in.

• The jacuzzi: for me, the best thing. Many rooms have a big jacuzzi right next to the bed. Not in the bathroom, not on the terrace... next to the bed! It is an amazing way to start (or end) the night.
• Real comfort: as in every Royalton, the beds and the pillows are from another planet. You sleep beautifully.
• The bathroom: enormous, with a double sink and a spacious shower with a very modern design.
• Swim-Up: if you can afford it, the ground-floor rooms have direct access to a semi-private pool. It is an extra that improves the experience a lot, above all for taking a dip the moment you get up.

At hotels this size (more compact than the mega-resorts), the food usually has two sides: the quality is good, but there is less variety. Here is my real experience, dish by dish:

• The buffet: for breakfast it more than does the job (in the end, almost all of us always order the same thing: eggs, fruit, toast...). The quality is good. The problem comes at lunch and dinner: since it is a small buffet, it gets repetitive if you are planning to eat there every night.
• The hit (Tandori): the Indian restaurant was our best dinner. The atmosphere is intimate, perfect for couples, and the menu is very adaptable (they have options without any heat if you do not dare take on the fire). Recommended 100%.
• The letdown (Pescari): we went in really wanting sushi and we came out disappointed. We had to wait almost an hour just for the starters and the quality of the sushi was not at the level of a 5-star. We ordered a variety of sushi, it did not fill us up and it did not convince us: we walked out of the Pescari and went to have dinner a second time, at the Tandori. That second dinner ended up being the real one.
• The nuance: I only recommend it if you are a fan of Teppanyaki shows (live cooking on the griddle), because the show saves the dinner. If you are going just to order off the menu, better pick another one.
• The lifesaver (lounge cafeteria): they have a café/bar open almost 24 hours that saved our lives. Good coffee in the morning, well-made cocktails at night and sweet things to snack on at any hour. The guys there treat you like a 10.

Forget the usual naff dance routines or kids’ entertainment. Since it is an adults-only hotel, you can tell they have invested in quality shows.

• Shows with a level to them: we saw a live DJ and an acrobatics show that left us open-mouthed. You can tell they are professionals.
• The DJ (good taste): this is key. The pool and party DJ knows how to read the crowd. He does not hammer you with cheap reggaeton all day; he plays classy music, chill out when that is what fits, and hits to dance to when the atmosphere heats up.
• A spicy touch: the night bar has a dance floor and even a pole dance bar. It gives the night a fun, uninhibited touch without falling into the vulgar.
• Entertainment team: the team is lovely. They invite you to take part in the theme parties (like the foam party or the White Party) but if you say “no, thanks”, they leave you alone. That respect is appreciated.

Here the hotel does a good job of keeping your routine going, though with a “but” in the spa.

• The gym: although it is not huge, it has something many hotels forget: proper free weights. It has bars for squats and deadlifts, on top of the usual machines and a cardio area. If you are the kind of person who needs to lift iron on holiday, you are going to be happy here.
• The spa: with the Diamond Club package, you get a hydrotherapy session included (we made use of it).
• The good: we had the jacuzzi and plunge-pool area to ourselves. It was a great private moment of relaxation.
• The bad: the sauna was not hot. They told us that “that was the temperature”, but the reality is that it was lukewarm, bordering on cold. It is a pretty spa but a very simple one; enjoy it if you get in for free, but I would not pay an extra just for this.

After going through it all, here is my conclusion so you can decide whether you book or not.

It’s for you if:

• You are between 35 and 55 and you want a social atmosphere, where you can have a drink with good music and meet people without being surrounded by drunk teenagers.
• You value the room above everything else: you want space, modern design and a jacuzzi next to the bed to enjoy as a couple.
• You like the classy posing: you want that photo in the glass pool and you like seeing good-looking, well-dressed people.

It’s NOT for you if:

• You are after absolute peace and silence: although there are quiet areas, the DNA of this hotel is music and activity.
• You are a sushi purist: the experience at the Asian restaurant may frustrate you, because of the wait and the quality.
• You need a lot of natural shade on the beach (here it is down to the parasol).

Diamond Club: yes or no?

This is the million-dollar question.

• YES, it is worth it for the access to the Mermaid Pool (the glass one) and the exclusive beach and pool areas, which are the prettiest ones.
• Do NOT pay for it expecting the butler to sort your life out, because on that side the service is weak.
• My advice: pay for the Diamond Club for the facilities and the views, not for the butler service.