Cap Cana, which was born in 2001 but went into freeze mode for a few years there, has shifted back into high-speed development mode a couple of years ago, and the results are astonishing. The new Eden Roc Hotel and Fishing Lodge (a Salamander Resort) have completed more units, villas are going up at Punta Majagua and Punto Cayaco, and on June 15 the first 85 of what will be 192 Punta Palmera condos will open for purchase and rental. These condos may be the best luxury value in the Caribbean.
Location, location, location: Punta Palmera’s 4-story buildings with classic Spanish tile roofs are tucked right between the Jack Nicklaus-designed Punta Espada Golf Course and Cap Cana’s wide, white-sand beach. The condos range from studios to three bedrooms, with 2-bedroom units predominating, and they are all huge. The 2-bedroom condos, for example, average 3,100 sq. ft. Furnishings include lots of marble floors, cool white colors, artful wood trim and furniture, a whirlpool in the master bedroom, and the mother of all hot tubs on ground floor patios. There will be complimentary WiFi, parking, and all the services of a five-star resort, from the 24-hour reception desk to the chaise longues on the beach and at the amoeba-shaped swimming pool.
If guests want to play golf, Cap Cana is also home to the Punta Espada Golf Club, a world-famous championship course with eight seaside holes and virtually every other hole within sight of the water. If guests want to go fishing—Punta Cana is ranked #5 in the world’s top 100 spots for bill fishing—they can charter a big marlin boat for $1,000 a day. That’s relatively inexpensive for this sort of thing, and for good reason: Trophy fishing here begins just three miles offshore.
I mentioned value: These units start at just $175 per night, and even in high season, a 3-bedroom will cost just $575. Sales and marketing vp Juan Martinez Villa says, “Commissions will be 12 percent, and we will offer FAMs.” He is also expecting to work closely with Apple Vacations and other tour operators. The website, just4holidayrentals.com, is being redesigned this month, so contact Martinez directly: (809) 601-1148 or [email protected].
