Sanctuary Cap Cana

Mark Chesnut

Sanctuary is a nice resort and is inside the gated and secured Cap Cana village. We felt safe. My only other experience was the Hard Rock years ago and I didn't like it. Too much of a party atmosphere and we felt like it was unsafe to leave the compound. Sanctuary is a step up for sure - and so is the clientele. Food was hit and miss. The Wok restaurant was the best. Blue Marlin was decent. The Casa Bella for breakfast and lunch was fairly good. All others including the Italian restaurant and steakhouse weren't very good - although they all "try" to be upscale. Service was good everywhere. Drinks were good. The grounds were very nice and pretty. There are lots of room options and the villas looked pretty cool. The beach area is small but big enough. Plenty of pools and pool chairs although some folks put towels down early to reserve chairs yet never use them. Bring LOTS of $1's and $5's for tips. There were 6 of us and we easily spent $50-80 a day on tips. The atmosphere was basically quiet and relaxed. Didn't see anyone trying to party it up too much. For an all inclusive I think this one is a pretty good one in a good area. This is only our second all inclusive experience and since there were 6 of us on our family trip, it worked out well. We had three Premium Luxury Junior Suites with great ocean views. The two King rooms had jacuzzi tubs on the private balcony. The double room did not. Overall Sanctuary is a nice resort, but definitely not a Ritz, St Regis or Four Seasons which are more expensive and not all inclusive.

john iwanowski

I am a travel influencer and I regularly review hotels I stay at on my YouTube channel. I create custom content of every trip I take. Over the past 8 years, I have visited Sanctuary Cap Cana 5 times, the last time being in 2019, right before COVID. I will never forget the beach parties with great music and fun, the restaurants and wonderful food, and in the evenings, the discos and diverse, high-quality performances, the circus, and the unforgettable foam parties. It was my absolute favorite resort in the entire Dominican Republic. Despite my age, I could not wait to have fun again and enjoy the restaurants, shows, and all the amazing entertainment. So, the big day arrived, and as always, the hotel was well-maintained and clean, with a great pool, but what I noticed was that nothing was happening at the resort. Silence. No white parties, no beach parties, no shows, no entertainment – everything I wanted to show my friends who come as far from Poland and Germany, and all was gone. In a word, a huge shock, and what is more, the buffet was always the same every single day, for lunch and dinner, the same choices. There was a selection, but at some point, I was really fed up with eating the same thing day after day. And most importantly, Blue Marlin always had a great menu, but this time the same menu was served for both lunch and dinner without any changes. The Steak House was the best, without any changes. Italian Capriccio was nothing short of an insult to Italian food; the food was dry and oversalted, and the famous monkfish dish was like chewing gum, terrible. Honestly, I have never eaten anything so disgusting in my life. One day we decided to go to a steakhouse, but it was closed, so we went to another well-known restaurant called Wok. To our disappointment, we found out that this Wok restaurant was not included in the all-inclusive package. As a result, we all went to the buffet, but to our surprise, the buffet was also closed. Hungry and shocked, we found a sushi bar, but it also was not included the all-inclusive package. I don't know what happened, who took over, or who manages this wonderful resort, but despite the fact that the resort is beautiful and well-maintained, there's barely anything to do outside of visit the pool (incidentally where everyone sits all day, drinks beer, and pees in the pool, because it's impossible for anyone to drink so much beer without needing to go to the toilet). The beach is, in a word, unusable – brown water and a lot of sharp stones, making it impossible truly enjoy the beach. What happened since 2018? Don’t blame it on COVID as I have seen many other hotels flourish and renovate during COVID, coming back better than ever before. I am still so shocked and disappointed. I had such wonderful memories of my experience in 2019 and that experience simply does not exist anymore. So, I am asking myself, will I return to this hotel? Right now, my answer is definitely not. This was my last time unless they restore and reinvest in quality entertainment, food, and beachfront. This hotel is no longer all-inclusive, which is a real shame. The rooms are, as always, nice, and clean, without any complaints, with magnificent views. The staff try to do everything to make you happy but how can you be happy when you are bored and hungry? For the first time, this did not feel like a vacation. It felt like I was in a retirement home. I will leave the rest for you to figure out – what really happened to this once wonderful resort and its unforgettable atmosphere??

Hussein Siblini

We booked two Castle Oceanfront rooms at Sanctuary Cap Cana for a New Year’s family vacation, paying premium holiday rates and expecting a Luxury Collection–level experience. Unfortunately, the stay was defined by repeated service failures, poor coordination, and a lack of management accountability. The most serious issues involved dining reservations: • On New Year’s Eve, we arrived for a confirmed reservation at the Italian restaurant and were told the reservation did not exist. After arriving dressed for the celebration, we waited over 90 minutes to be seated. • On January 2, a reservation at the Wok restaurant that had been confirmed in advance via email with the concierge before arrival was also missing, resulting in another 90-minute wait. • On our final morning, breakfast service was effectively nonexistent until I personally approached a manager. When these issues were escalated, management’s response was dismissive and resulted in no corrective action or follow-up. Additionally, on our third night, we were woken at approximately 1:30 a.m. by a fire alarm—three separate times. When we contacted the front desk, we were told it was a “test,” with no prior notice, reassurance, or explanation. Being abruptly awakened multiple times in the middle of the night without knowing whether there was an actual fire or safety issue was unsettling and completely inappropriate for a luxury resort. While individual staff members were polite and well-intentioned, the frequency and severity of the service breakdowns made our stay feel far below what one would expect at this price point. Even after formally escalating these concerns post-stay, we received no substantive response. Sanctuary Cap Cana is visually appealing, but luxury is defined by execution, communication, and guest recovery—all of which were lacking during our stay. We left feeling that we overpaid for an experience that did not deliver on the quality or attention promised, especially during a premium holiday period.

Aaron

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Exceptional Service, Beautiful Property, and Truly Caring People Sanctuary Cap Cana is an exceptional property, and the people are what make it unforgettable. From start to finish, the care, professionalism, and attention to detail made this trip one for the memory books. We upgraded to a premium Castle room, and José, the manager, made the process effortless and welcoming. The room was stunning — sweeping ocean views, a private plunge pool, a beautiful jacuzzi bath, and a spacious, immaculate layout. Amelio, our butler, took wonderful care of us throughout our stay with warmth and consistency. Every day was elevated by the staff: • Glory, selecting the best passion fruit each morning • Chefs preparing custom omelets with care • Thoughtful touches like flowers on the table by Aleksander and team • Fun, attentive service at dinner from staff like Roberto • And an unforgettable chef’s tasting dinner prepared by Chef Marc Serrano, beautifully presented and explained by Carlos, the sommelier — an absolute highlight The food was outstanding, the service genuine, and the experience deeply relaxing. You can feel that the team takes pride in their work and truly cares about the people they serve. Stop looking — Sanctuary Cap Cana is the place to be.

Eliana Kim

We chose this luxury resort to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary after doing a lot of research. Before coming, we saw a few reviews that made us a little uncertain, but we decided to experience it ourselves — and we’re glad we did! This resort is adults-only, which makes it a perfect place for couples who just want peace, quiet, and relaxation. The staff are very friendly, and the food is overall good. If I could suggest one thing, it would be to have some small evening shows or live music — it would make the nights even more enjoyable. We also loved spending time at the pool bar, sipping cocktails and just unwinding. I especially recommend the Asian restaurant — the food and service were both excellent. If you’d like to receive a bit of extra attention, leaving a small tip goes a long way. We truly enjoyed our 4-night, 5-day stay here. Also, I highly recommend joining a local tour. It costs around $50 per person and makes for a fun and fulfilling day. Just keep in mind that the resort photos online look a bit more glamorous than reality — so try to come with an open mind. Overall, we had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend this resort!