The Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock is situated on the stunning eastern coast of the Dominican Republic. Just a quick 20-minute shuttle ride from Punta Cana International Airport, this tropical paradise greets guests with warm hospitality, stunning ocean views, and a host of world-class amenities.
We visited in July, during the off-season due to hurricane season, which allowed us to snag some incredible deals on short notice. The resort was pleasantly quiet, offering a serene atmosphere free from the usual tourist crowds. We booked the Presidential Island Reserve Private Pool Villa for less than half the peak season rate, making it an even more compelling reason to travel in the off-season.
The standout feature of the Presidential Island Reserve Private Pool Villa is undoubtedly the private balcony pool. The outdoor balcony alone provided a fantastic retreat while the first-floor villas offered swim-up access to their patios. We were very pleased with our choice of the upstairs villa and its exclusive pool.
The villa boasts a spacious bathroom equipped with a walk-in closet, his-and-her sinks, a luxurious soaking tub, and a large walk-in shower with dual overhead rain showerheads.
The walk-in shower also features a door leading to an outdoor, open-air shower and seating area, providing a seamless blend of indoor luxury and outdoor relaxation.
The outdoor shower was an incredible feature and quickly became our favorite, second only to the balcony pool!
The villa offers both king-size and double queen rooms. We chose the king-size option and informed the staff that it was our anniversary. Upon arrival, we were delighted to find that our housekeeper had gone the extra mile, decorating our bed with rose petals.
Each villa comes with its own dedicated butler who can assist with dinner reservations, excursions, room service, and any other needs. Unfortunately, our experience with our assigned butler was less than impressive; we saw him only on the first day and never heard from him again. This was quite disappointing. In contrast, friends staying in the neighboring villa had a different experience with their butler, Jorge. They couldn’t praise Jorge enough for his attentive service, frequent check-ins, and proactive approach, such as ensuring their room bar was always stocked. They were thoroughly impressed with Jorge’s dedication and care. Next time we will request Jorge by name!
The view from our balcony was absolutely stunning, exactly what we had envisioned for a perfect tropical getaway.
The Island Reserve section of the resort is exclusively for adults, with access to the pool and wet bar limited to guests staying in one of the 40 surrounding villas. While villa guests can also visit other pools throughout the resort, we found ourselves drawn to this secluded area.
We spent most of our time at the private pool area and swim-up bar with swings, where we enjoyed the company of our bartender, Michael. His fun personality, excellent drinks, and fantastic playlist made it our favorite spot during the entire vacation.
Having visited other all-inclusive resorts, I’ve encountered some disappointing practices, like one in Jamaica where they refilled premium liquor bottles with cheap local spirits. That wasn’t the case at Margaritaville. Here, they use genuine, name-brand spirits for all their drinks. With over 10 bars spread across the resort, they have everything you could possibly need.
Every morning, an employee would make rounds to all the first-floor poolside villas, offering freshly brewed hot coffee and pastries.
As you can probably tell, we’re more of pool enthusiasts. While we came here to enjoy the beach, ultimately, we adore a fantastic pool with a lively swim-up bar. The beach along the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic provided a lovely setting to soak up the sun and unwind throughout the day.
While the beach here wasn’t quite as appealing as others I’ve visited across the Caribbean, it didn’t bother me much because we didn’t spend a lot of time there. The real fun was definitely at the resort pools!
Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock boasts 5 restaurants across the resort to cater to every palate. Mon So Wi, inspired by Asian street food, offers a wide array of choices to satisfy any craving.
Frank & Lola’s Italian Trattoria offers a wide range of Italian classics from pastas, pizza and seafood.
As I mentioned earlier, we visited in July, which is considered the off-season. Despite this, we were fortunate to experience mostly clear weather, with only one afternoon/evening being a bit cloudy. A benefit of it being off-season was the fact that there weren’t as many guests in the resort, this made it very easy for us to get into any of the restaurants we wanted for dinner. Bonus!
The resort grounds were very well manicured, and the pools were extremely clean. There’s nothing more disappointing than spending your vacation at a disorganized and/or unclean resort, but Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock exceeded my expectations in every way.
As an added bonus, the VIP lounge at Cap Cana International Airport features an infinity pool with stunning views overlooking the airport and jetways. Don’t miss the opportunity to capture this must-have vacation photo—be sure to pack your bathing suits in your carry-on luggage for the flight home!
The Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock provided an incredible experience from start to finish. The entire staff were very helpful and were eager to help, well except our villa butler, he was not quite what we expected but next time we will request Jorge! Lol. I do highly recommend the Presidential Island Reserve Private Pool Villas for their exceptional amenities that exceed those of standard rooms. You will not be disappointed!