ZEL Punta Cana by Meliá & Rafa Nadal

We came to the Zel Punta Cana by Meliá , one of the most recent hotels in Punta Cana.

We chose it because it opened relatively recently, it looks really good, it’s part of Meliá, and we wanted to check whether it really lives up to the high-end hotels in Punta Cana.

Also, being such a new hotel, we hadn’t found that much detailed information. The reviews online looked pretty good, but we wanted to try it from the inside: sleep here, eat in its restaurants, use its pools, see the activities, the beach, the rooms, and check whether it’s really worth it.

We spent three days here, and since it’s a smaller hotel than other Punta Cana resorts, we had time to see practically all of it.

And I’ll tell you one thing up front: it’s one of the hotels we’ve liked most on this trip.

It’s not perfect, there are some things to improve, but the general feeling is of a very well looked-after hotel, very pretty, with good food, quality activities and a vibe that’s quite different from other, bigger resorts.

So in this review we’re going to tell you everything good, everything bad, and whether we really recommend the Zel Punta Cana.

The first impression was very good.

As soon as you arrive, the check-in already feels different from most resorts.

You’re not standing in a queue waiting your turn. They sit you down in a coffee-shop type area, at a big table or in armchairs, while they offer you something and explain the hotel to you.

It’s a quick check-in, comfortable and much more pleasant, more premium and much more in line with the kind of hotel they want to be.

The hotel has a look that mixes the Caribbean with a Mediterranean style pretty well, with a lot of detail and decoration.

And outside there are lots of palm trees, gardens, quiet areas, Balinese beds, sun loungers, shaded areas and fairly private spaces.

It’s not an enormous, crowded resort. It feels more like a boutique hotel — spacious, but contained.

There are lots of corners where you can be quiet, without the feeling that you’re surrounded by people all the time.

The corridors have big columns, high ceilings, very clean decoration and nothing over the top.

In general, it gives off peace, rest and good taste.

It’s a hotel that’s very easy on the eye, without being exaggerated or ostentatious.

Let’s go now with one of the strongest parts of the hotel: the rooms.

And here I have to say it clearly: it’s probably one of the best rooms we’ve stayed in , not just in the Dominican Republic, but in general.

The room is huge, very pretty, very clean and with very carefully done Mediterranean decoration.

You get a kitchen-dining area, a big living room, a TV, a record player you can use over Bluetooth, a capsule coffee machine, a huge terrace with a hot tub, a big bathroom with another hot tub, a giant shower, a vanity area, a large wardrobe and a very comfortable king size bed.

It’s one of those rooms where you really do feel like spending time.

It’s not just a place to sleep. You can sit on the terrace, listen to music, order room service, take a bath, rest in the living room or just enjoy the space.

And that makes a big difference compared to other resorts where the room is fine, but doesn’t invite you to stay inside.

The bed seemed very comfortable to us.

The pillows are good too, because you get two different types: a softer one and another that’s a bit higher and firmer. So depending on how you sleep, you’ll probably find one that works for you.

The bathroom is spectacular.

It has a huge shower, a very pretty look, a vanity area, good space and a very premium feel.

Now, even in a room this good there are a few details that could be better.

The first one is the soap, shampoo and conditioner dispensers.

The bottles get stuck when you press them, but the product smells good. It happened in our room, in Víctor’s room and also in some common areas. So I suppose it’ll be a factory defect in that batch of dispensers.

It’s not a serious problem and I suppose they’ll change them as soon as the next batch arrives.

Another thing that could be better is that the TV is not a Smart TV, or at least we couldn’t use it as one and didn’t really understand it.

And another flaw is the water restocking.

They leave you several small bottles, but they run out fast. When you ask them to restock, it can take quite a while, even until the next day.

At a hotel of this level, it would be better to leave bigger bottles or restock them faster.

They’re not flaws that ruin the room, but they are details they should polish.

A positive point is that room service is included .

We ordered it twice and it took about 30 minutes, although they normally warn you it can take about 45.

The food is fine.

It’s not very high quality food, and it doesn’t try to be. It’s more the typical resort room service: good sandwiches, burgers, snacks, simple things.

But it comes in very handy if you get back late from an excursion, if you don’t feel like moving, or if you want to eat something between meals, quietly, in the room.

As an extra, it adds a lot.

Let’s go now with the food.

The main buffet is small.

And it’s important to understand this: small doesn’t mean bad.

It’s simply not the typical enormous resort buffet with dozens of trays and a thousand options. Because this is a hotel with only 190 rooms .

Here you get a fruit and dessert area, a salad area, some stews and a live cooking station that changes depending on the time of day.

The style is more Mediterranean, healthy and carefully done.

There isn’t as much variety as at other resorts, but the quality of the products is pretty high.

And the area where you eat is very pretty, open, with views over the pool, shade and a very pleasant vibe.

It’s one of those places where having breakfast, lunch or dinner feels good, not like a battle to find a table or find food.

Breakfast is pretty good.

I wouldn’t say it’s spectacular, but it is well put together.

You get omelettes and eggs made on the spot, fruit, healthier options, breads, some hot dishes, smoothies they make on the spot and a pretty decent live cooking station.

The style isn’t so much the heavy English breakfast, although there’s bacon and some options of that kind too.

It’s more of a Mediterranean breakfast, light and healthy.

The one thing we didn’t like at all was the Spanish tortilla, the tortilla de patatas . For us, as Spaniards, it wasn’t right.

But apart from that, breakfast does its job very well.

Personally, I liked lunch and dinner more.

Especially the homemade pizzas, made on the spot, with pretty good dough and simple but good-quality ingredients.

We also really liked the pasta from the live cooking station. You choose the ingredients and the amounts, you hand them to the cook and he makes it for you on the spot.

And honestly, it was one of the buffet dishes I liked most on this whole trip.

In general, the buffet has little variety compared to other resorts, but almost everything is good.

And I prefer that to having a thousand options where half of them aren’t worth it.

For lunch you also have à la carte restaurants that don’t need a reservation.

One of them is a sort of Mediterranean, Greek and Mexican fusion, with dishes like gyros, tacos, burgers and things of that style.

It’s next to the pool, they serve you at the table and it’s a good alternative if you don’t feel like the buffet.

The food is tasty and the vibe is quiet.

But the restaurant we liked most at midday was Neguri , the beach restaurant.

And this one you really do have to come to.

Neguri struck us as one of the hotel’s big strong points.

It’s on the beach, with shade, an elegant beach-bar feel and very pleasant views.

The food surprised us a lot.

We tried several starters and main courses.

The crispy calamari were very good, with a tasty sauce and fresh product.

We also tried a pretty good breaded fish, croquettes, prawns with squid ink and the catch of the day.

But the best thing was the rice.

A rice with beef short rib, where the meat fell apart and the rice was perfectly cooked.

On top of that, they finish preparing it in front of you, mixing the meat and the rice so it all comes together properly.

It was one of those dishes we’d genuinely remember.

We also thought the cocktails at Neguri were pretty good, and we really liked the restaurant’s atmosphere.

For me, the à la carte lunch at this hotel is one of its strong points.

For dinner we tried two à la carte restaurants: the steakhouse and the Japanese one.

Both are good, but I wouldn’t say they’re at the level of the best of the hotel.

Let me explain.

We’ve liked the hotel a lot overall, but the dinner restaurants, although they’re good, weren’t the part that surprised us most.

At the steakhouse, the starters were outstanding. We tried Manchego cheese and beef croquettes, grilled artichoke hearts and hummus.

But the main courses weren’t as high. They were good, but they lacked that touch to really stand out.

The Japanese one left us with a similar feeling.

We ordered quite a variety of sushi, makis, nigiris and sashimis.

Some pieces were very good, especially the salmon, which was tender and tasty.

But other pieces were more ordinary and were missing a little something to be excellent.

The restaurant is good, the atmosphere is good and I recommend booking it if you come, but I wouldn’t say it’s the hotel’s strongest point.

To sum up: the dinner restaurants are good, but we liked the à la carte lunch and the hotel as a whole even more.

We liked the pools a lot.

They’re not the typical rectangular pools where everyone is packed into the same spot.

Here the pools have lots of shapes, nooks, rounded areas, more private corners and spaces where you can be quiet with your partner or your family without feeling like everyone is on top of you.

On top of that, there are loads of Balinese beds spread around the resort.

And the best part is that many of them are surrounded by hedges, palm trees or small green areas, so it looks like you have a private area without having to book anything.

We liked this a lot.

It gives you the feeling that you’re in a very quiet hotel, even when there are more guests.

There are also hydromassage areas inside the pools, a swim-up bar, loungers in the water and spots to put your drink.

Then you have another, more classic pool, more rectangular, with loungers around it and a slightly more traditional hotel feel.

But in general, the pool area is one of the strong points of the Zel Punta Cana.

Another of the hotel’s big strong points is the activities.

And here you can tell these aren’t the typical resort activities put together without any enthusiasm.

They have yoga in the mornings, different types of yoga, aerial yoga, classes more focused on breathing, mobility, upper body and wellness.

And the most important thing: the teacher knows what he’s doing .

It’s not the typical improvised hotel class.

Here you can tell it’s someone with experience, able to run a professional class both for beginners and for people who already practise yoga.

This sets the hotel apart a lot.

They also have activities like paddle pilates , which is doing pilates on a paddle surf board in the water.

It’s curious, different and fits the hotel’s concept very well.

On top of that, they have creative workshops during the day.

For example, painting hats, cloth bags or plates.

They’re quiet activities, but very well thought out, because you take home something you made yourself.

It’s not just an activity to pass the time. It’s a keepsake.

I’m not really one for workshops and I don’t have a lot of patience for these things, but I did the hat one and I don’t regret it.

I found it entertaining, useful and a nice keepsake from the hotel.

They also do bike tours around the resort.

The gym is open 24 hours and it’s pretty good.

It’s a very clean gym, with lots of options for functional training, weights, kettlebells, varied equipment and enough to train properly.

Some specific machines may be missing, but in general you can work every muscle group without a problem.

On top of that, you have access to the tennis and padel centre in the Meliá area, with tennis and padel courts.

It’s a more professional centre, with classes and use for a supplement, but if you like sport, it’s a very interesting point.

And this fits the Zel concept a lot: wellness, active life, sport, healthy food and rest.

The spa is also pretty good.

It has a thermal circuit, hot jacuzzis, a cold water pool, hydrotherapy, massage cabins and a relaxation area called the “siesta room”, where you can rest after your massage.

We couldn’t see the double cabin with a jacuzzi because it was in use, but in general the spa struck us as complete and pretty consistent with the kind of hotel this is.

It’s not a gigantic spa, but it is a good complement for a restful stay.

Although the Zel Punta Cana is much more focused on adults, wellness and quiet, families can come too.

And here there’s an important point.

A few minutes’ walk away you have access to the Paradisus water park , which you can use if you’re staying here.

It’s a water park designed above all for children up to about 8 or 9, with splash areas, small slides, pools and play areas.

You also have Fun Republic , a common area with attractions, trampolines, adventure circuits, mini golf, football billiards, swings, play areas and activities for kids.

Some of these areas are really cool and they’re included.

So if you come with kids, they can have a good time.

But you have to understand the concept properly: the Zel Punta Cana is not a family hotel like the Meliá Caribe.

If you come with small children and your priority is them, I’d look at the Meliá Caribe first.

If your kids are a bit older, they like tennis, padel or activities, or you want to combine quiet with a few plans for them, then Zel can work too.

The beach is the same stretch of beach that the other Meliá hotels in the area share.

It’s wide, pretty and pretty pleasant.

The area right in front of the Zel struck us as fine, although we didn’t see as much shade or as many loungers as in other parts.

But since you’re in the same Meliá beach area, walking a few minutes gets you more space, more natural shade and more places to set up.

It’s not the most impressive thing about the hotel, but the beach is good.

And if you want a pretty beach, good food, quiet pools and wellness activities, the whole package works very well.

At night the hotel keeps a pretty quiet atmosphere.

There are dance classes, like bachata or merengue, live music and some more relaxed activities.

It’s not a party resort.

It also has a small bar-club that’s open until 2, but we didn’t use it much because we normally get up early to film and we’re not really the type to go out every night.

In general, the night-time atmosphere is more about having a drink, listening to music, dancing a bit if you feel like it, and resting.

The staff was one of the best things about the hotel.

In fact, I’d say it’s one of the best teams we’ve seen in Punta Cana .

They’re friendly, attentive, they get things sorted, and they keep an eye on you without being a nuisance.

In the restaurants, for example, it’s not that they serve you once and then disappear. They keep coming by the table, they ask if you need water, if you want anything else, if they can clear plates, if everything’s fine.

That makes a big difference.

At hotels of this level, service matters a lot, and here you can tell they’re pretty well trained.

For me, the staff is one of the big reasons the hotel feels premium.

Let’s go with the scores point by point.

• Cleanliness — In general everything was very clean, although we saw one or two small details in the jacuzzis.
• Bed and pillows — The bed is very comfortable and you get two types of pillow. Very good rest in general.
• Bathroom — Huge bathroom, very pretty, a spectacular shower and a hot tub. One of the best things in the hotel.
• Room size — Huge room, with a living room, a terrace, separate areas and loads of space.
• Breakfast — Fine, healthy, pleasant and good quality, although it isn’t the most spectacular thing about the hotel.
• Buffet lunch and dinner — Less variety than other resorts, but good quality, very tasty pizzas and a well worked live cooking station.
• À la carte lunch — Very good, especially Neguri on the beach. The rice was one of the best things we tried.
• À la carte dinner restaurants — Good and worth recommending, although they weren’t the most surprising thing about the hotel.
• All-inclusive — Very complete if we count food, drinks, activities, workshops, room service and included experiences.
• Pools — Very pretty, quiet, with private areas, Balinese beds and lots of space.
• Adults’ facilities — Yoga, workshops, 24 h gym, spa, padel, tennis, quiet activities and a very good atmosphere.
• Kids’ facilities — It can work thanks to the water park and Fun Republic, but it’s not a particularly family hotel.
• Beach — Good beach, wide and pleasant, although the Zel’s stretch wasn’t the one that impressed us most within the complex.
• Staff — One of the best teams we’ve seen in Punta Cana. Very attentive and good at getting things sorted.

That’s roughly what the hotel averages out at.

Yes, we recommend it wholeheartedly.

It’s one of the prettiest and most complete hotels we’ve tried in Punta Cana. I’m not going to tell you it’s cheap, because it isn’t, but I do think it’s very well priced for everything it offers.

Huge rooms, beautiful design, good food, quiet pools, very well done wellness activities, creative workshops, a good gym, a good spa and excellent staff.

I’d recommend it especially to couples, adults, people looking to rest, eat well, do activities like yoga or pilates, enjoy pretty pools and have a quieter, more carefully looked-after experience.

If you come with small children, I’d look at the Meliá Caribe first, because it’s more focused on families.

But if you come as a couple, with quiet friends or even with slightly older kids who enjoy tennis, padel or different activities, Zel Punta Cana can be a very good option.

For me, it’s one of the hotels with the best value for money within the high end of Punta Cana.