Choosing a Resort to Match Your Personality

There is that old saying "you can tell a lot about a person by the shoes they wear." Whatever truth that may carry, and my best guess is not very much, it goes without saying that your vacation is a reflection of who you are. College kids travel in hoards to the beaches of Mexico in search of relaxed laws. Some of us, we flock to opposite poles of the world for different flavors of cultural experience. In Punta Cana, the variation between hotels offers a similar range of diversity, truly offering something for everybody.

Punta Cana's resorts span from the personalized,all-about-you services of smaller hotels to the overwhelming extravagance of the chains and boldnamers. What remains constant throughout most of the country and trend to most of the Dominican Republic's hospitality industry are the all-inclusive packages that fulfill almost every demand of a successful vacation. That covered, identifying a hotel that matches your personality, or your shoes, is the next step to finalizing your retreat.

For traveling families, TheStreet.com recommends nothing but the all-inclusives, as they tend to offer special family rates and activities to keep children to tweens occupied. The site suggests booking a reservation at larger reputable hotels.

"Sol Melia's Paradisus Punta Cana gets consistently good reviews." TheStreet.com said, "The sprawling but stylish property has four swimming pools, four tennis courts, a spa and health club, and on-call medical staff. For meals, there are eight a la carte and two buffet restaurants to choose from. Family activities include horseback riding, dance classes, snorkeling and scuba diving. The Family Concierge Suite starts at about $400 per day, including meals and activities. Kids are given t-shirts, floaters and walkie talkies to communicate with their parents."

Vacation planning with a golfing or fishing agenda should look not further than Casa de Campo, home to 3 courses designed by Peter Dye. The greens host international tournaments year-round and are frequented by professionals. Beside the golf, the hotel has over 300 rooms, 9 restaurants, 3 pools, and charters deep-sea fishing expeditions that see its visitors hooking tuna, kingfish, marlin, and barracuda.

In North-East Dominican Republic, the little town of Cabarete, population 20000, attracts a kiteboarding and windsurfing following. Velero Beach Resort, situated on a corner of the main beach, is a minute's walk out the lobby to all of Cabaretes' wind-sports. In the evening, a younger crowd invades the shoreline as the clubs open their doors and DJs spin their records.

To escape the hotel genres and wane to semi-seclusion, Casa Colonial, a hotel that resembles a manor, offer 50 modern luxury-resorts stocked with flat-screen televisions, high-speed internet, mini-bars, and a beach you can walk to just by stepping out your front door. Its spa features 13 treatment rooms and an assortment of massages and facials.

Contrary to popular pigeonholing, Dominican resorts are casually veering from the gimmicky nature of the all-inclusives of yore. Long past is the cattle-hearding of buffet lines and the screaming children darting wildly through the corridors. Hotels now opt for the serene and assimilate what comes naturally to the Dominican Republic as their sole theme.