For my father’s 70th birthday, the full fam went on a big trip to the Dominican Republic and while it may have been a trip for him, we all celebrated. While Punta Cana typically comes to mind when you think Dominican resorts, we took ourselves to Casa de Campo, which is about an hour away. (I should clarify that “we took ourselves” really means my parents took everyone becaue even though my brother and I scouted destinations, they decided to foot the bill because they’re crazy like that.) Because this vacation was in celebration of my Dad, it was built around the opportunity to play a bucket list golf course and Casa de Campo is home to Teeth of the Dog, the #1 course in the Caribbean. But the great thing about Casa de Campo is that there is truly something for everyone, even if, like me, you’re not a golfer.
This is where the elite come to play and relax. The Clintons, J Lo, Beyonce – Casa de Campo is their resort of choice. In addition to the many amenities, this place offers privacy. While there’s a hotel on site, the majority of lodging is in villas and many people own homes and actually live there. It’s set up like a mini city with tons of restaurants, a grocery store, a movie theater, even a kitchen & bath renovation store. Did I feel like perhaps I didn’t belong? Sure. Did I settle in just fine? Yup.
Because of the abundance of villas, I’ve noticed this has become a group vacay hotspot. I think I’ve seen three bachelor/bachelorette parties gracing my IG feed. There’s also the ability to do an all-inclusive package, which we did. While normally all-inclusive means sub-par food and rarely works in your favor alcohol-wise, this is one deal I’d recommend. Because many people actually live in Casa de Campo, the restaurants are “real” restaurants vs. a few resort kitchens churning out mass produced food. But in addition to covering unlimited food and drink, this deal also includes activities like horseback riding, tennis, non-motorized watersports, and skeet shooting. You can actually get your money’s worth here; and trust me, we did.
Friday, July 19
Our little family of three was the first to arrive and we went straight to our villa. We were staying in Villa Marmol and our butlers, Winston and Luz, greeted us upon arrival. They were ready with a cheese plate and prosecco, which is how I want to be met from now on. I spent the next 20 minutes walking around the villa, stunned that we got to stay there for four nights.
The rest of the Konter fam wasn’t far behind us and as soon as they arrived, we hopped in the pool. There was an amazing speaker system in our villa so my brother was soon playing dj and we were relaxing in the hot tub with a cocktail in hand.
After a quick shower, we all left for dinner at La Casita, a Spanish-inspired restaurant right on the water – with open sides so you can actually enjoy those marina views. This is where that all-inclusive comes in handy: I wanted a legit cocktail and the option to taste my way across the menu. Nobody felt weird about ordering a ton of dishes to try and share while worrying how the bill would stack up.
We ordered Finn Serrano ham croquettes with paprika aioli that the other boys enjoyed so much we got a second order. Also from the starter side, we got octopus, ceviche, and shrimp, with the ceviche being the star. I should note that I considered the gazpacho but didn’t end up getting it and am actually pleased with my decision since the sauce that came with the bread basket was almost like a gazpacho (and delicious). For entrées, my Mom got salmon, Allison got the black rice with calamari and shrimp, Albert and Brooks split a steak, and then we got severak orders of paella (both the meat and seafood varieties). The paella was great and mine was packed with seafood, which just felt right, given the setting. The only thing that didn’t bowl us over were the potato and asparagus sides. They were fine but nothing special.
Since Finn had pushed through without a nap, he was very much done. We hopped back into our golf carts (the resort is quite expansive so you need to drive everywhere – our villa came with three golf carts) and headed back for bed. Well, bed for him; for me it was wine + book time.
Saturday, July 20
While still in bed, I got a text from Allison asking if I wanted to go on a run. I quickly popped out of bed and we were out the door less than 10 minutes later. We just did a quick loop around our neighborhood, soaking in the sun and ogling at the beautiful homes.
We had placed our breakfast order on Friday afternoon so we returned to the most amazing smells wafting from the kitchen. Winston and Luz prepared a feast of eggs, pancakes, pastries, and fruits. The mangoes were actually plucked right from a tree on our property and were incredible. After Finn made sure everyone knew he did NOT like papaya, we got on with our day.
This was the day the menfolk were playing Teeth of the Dog so when they left, so did we. While we had a pool at the villa, we wanted to check out the other spots so we headed to the resort pool at Minitas Beach. The weather took a turn and it started POURING. It made it a bit difficult to enjoy the beach/pool, but we certainly made do every time the clouds broke up. We got popsicles and food from the food truck before heading back to the villa so Finn could take a nap, I could have an afternoon glass of rosé, and we could all get ready for dinner.
We had made reservations at La Piazzetta, which is a nicer spot so we hired a babysitter for Finn. He got room service and playtime, and we could fully relax. La Piazzetta is the resort’s first restaurant and was originally decorated by Oscar de la Renta. It’s a stone beauty that fits perfectly within the manmade Mediterranean village, Altos de Chavon.
The food here was definitely a step up. For appetizers we got an antipasti plate and some absolutely stunning beef carpaccio. We also got the pumpkin soup with scallops. Everything was great, but I particularly loved the carpaccio. I don’t totally remember what everyone else ordered, but I got canelloni that was stuffed with ossobuco and sitting in a truffle cream sauce. It was lovely.
They were selling cigars just outside the restaurant so Albert picked some up before we went back to the villa. The drive back to the villa, by the way, was an event in itself. The homes in this area are insane. One looked like Versailles; another had a guard stationed out front; many were full compounds. It was like the scene in Crazy Rich Asians when they drive up to the Young family home for the first time.
Sunday, July 21
On Sunday, we put Finn in camp for the first half of the day. After seeing the facilities, we knew it was the right move. He had multiple trampolines and scooters, several play kitchens, puzzles, and lots of crafts. Did he cry when I dropped him off? Of course because my child is simply plagued by fomo. But he was alllll smiles when I picked him up. He was so excited to show me the bracelet he made along with his fish art project. As I suspected, he decided not to get his face painted, but that’s his perogative. While he was there, the men golfed again and my Mom, Allison, and I each did our own thing (the other boys were also in camp). Allison had scheduled a tennis lesson and my Mom was going to hit up the spa but decided she was content to just sit by the pool with a magazine. I took my time chatting with my Mom before heading to the resort gym because I looove a hotel gym. When I finished my workout, I grabbed an iced coffee and took in the scene where I noticed the pool in the hotel area was quite the spot.
Actually, I should say pools. There were several, including a massive kiddie pool, along with a swim up bar. Since it was almost time to pick up the boys from camp, I texted my Mom and Allison, told them to put on their bathing suits, grab Finn’s floaties and my swim stuff, and meet us there. We grabbed a quick lunch and then hit up the pool for the next hour and a half.
When we got back to our villa, there was enough time for Finn to take a short nap so I put him down just as the men were getting back from golf. Just after they walked in the door, my Dad and brother turned right back around, this time with me and Reed in tow, so we could go skeet shooting. I love that this was an option. Since I can’t play golf or tennis, I loved having an outdoor activity that wasn’t just swimming. Fun fact: I’m quite a good shot.
While I worked on my aim, Albert went with Allison and Brooks to play pickleball. My Mom hung back to read the latest issue of NY Mag and watch the monitor. After all our activities, we showered and headed out to dinner, again getting a sitter for Finn. This is when I realized just how classy this place is. Our sitter for both nights was Helen who is apparently friends with the counselor at Finn’s little camp. When I was signing Finn in that morning she noticed the villa number and remarked “oh this is who Helen watched last night!” and I told her yes, Finn loved her. I also signed in the other boys, which includes providing birthdays, emergency contacts, etc. She must have noticed that the next day was Brooks’ birthday and told her friend because when Helen showed up to watch Finn that night, she brought a gift for Brooks – even though she wasn’t watching him. This level of service is top notch.
Our dinner that night was at Causa, a Peruvian restaurant. This one was also in the marina, but in a different spot from where we ate the first night. This area had several restaurants in a u-shape bordering open-air seating. It reminded me a lot of Naousa in Paros, Greece. The menu covers the three main types of Peruvian cuisine: Criolla, Nikkei and Chifa. Silly me, I didn’t know there were three types. It turns out, Peru pulls influence from several different cultures, so there is fusion-style food that incorporates African, Chinese, and Japanese flavors. Some of our group was wary. One was concerned the dishes looked too funky, another was worried they were trying to do too much with the menu and spreading themselves thin. How could you have both sushi and chimichurri on the same menu, they wondered. The concerns were unfounded because this tied with La Piazzetta for the best meal of the trip.
We ordered soooo much food. It’s served tapas/family style so we were able to try a ton and when we realized how good everything tasted, we kept ordering more. We got traditional ceviche, octopus ceviche, skewers (chicken, steak, shrimp), chicken salad over potato purée with huancaina sauce, hamachi tartare, gyoza (pork and shrimp), braised beef, pork belly and sweet plantain fried rice, and several sushi rolls. I was so full but so happy. The desserts looked great, but the boys were craving ice cream and I had no room left in my belly to order anything for myself.
Monday, July 22
While my Dad was lovinggg the in-villa breakfasts, we pushed to do one morning at Lago, which has spectacular views of both the Teeth of the Dog course and the Caribbean Sea. They also have a spectacular buffet. There was the omelette station, of course, but they also had a fruit and granola bar, meats/cheeses/pastries, fresh fruit juices/smoothies, pancakes made to order, and traditional Domincan food. The Dominican station was probably my favorite so I filled up there…but I made sure to get a side of bread pudding and chocolate crepe (that I topped with fresh passionfruit from the fruit station).
From breakfast, we headed to the beach for an excursion that would last most of the day (10am – 2:30pm). We took a boat to Catalina Island where we could just spend hours on the beach. There’s not much on the little island, but there was a bar so I was happy. The water was clear and warm so Finn had a blast. The rest of the family snorkled while we played with him and then we all enjoyed bag lunches that we arranged with our concierge in advance.
By the time we got back to our villa, there wasn’t time for V to nap so we just started showering and getting ready to head to Altos de Chavon I had arranged for family photos. Altos de Chavon is a replica of a 16th century Mediterranean village – think: lots of cobblestones. Is it strange that such a thing even exists? A little, but it’s actually beautiful and the ampitheater makes for a stunning backdrop for top tier musical talent. It also made for a beautiful setting for family photos. The last time we’d taken family photos was 7 years ago (incidentally, also in the Dominican Republic), but so much has changed since then, namely Finn, who wasn’t even a blip on our radar. The previous photos were beach style so it was nice to do something different. I used Flytographer and the experience was great.
Side note: there are some nice shops and galleries in the area that I wish we’d had time to check out. That was the plan between photos and dinner but Finn fully broke down. So much time in the sun and zero nap is TOUGH. We all agreed to skip shopping and sit for supper early to try and calm him down, but he still lost it so the three of us took him back to the villa and got room service. I did taste some of their leftovers and they were some serious tacos at that Chilango.
While I’m bummed to have missed some of the Altos de Chavon fun (and Brooks’ birthday dinner), it was nice to eat in a hotel robe, one of life’s greatest luxuries. I then took that robe out by the pool to enjoy my wine under the moonlight as the perfect way to spend the final evening.
Tuesday, July 23
Our concierge arranged for a transport to the airport so after one last breakfast in the villa, we were off. The rest of my family had a later flight so they squeezed in a paddle ball sesh and a last quick dip in the pool. Customs was a breeze and we were home before we knew it.
Casa de Campo Details
- Accommodations: Whether you stay in a hotel room/suite or one of the villas, you’ll be experiencing luxury. The benefit to going with the villa is that they are each is staffed and all feature a private pool, maid service, dedicated concierge, and golf carts. I love that they all look different and cost as little as $750/night. That might sound expensive, but when you consider that would sleep at least six people (aka $125/person or $250/couple) and includes all those amenities, it’s quite the steal. I challenge you to find a hotel room anywhere else for $250/night that includes all that.
- Food: I was very impressed with the food at the resort. It makes sense: while some people are doing all-inclusive who may “happy with whatever,” the food also needs to please people who are full time residents that won’t put up with food that was just phoned in. And, yes, people actually do live there. On Saturday, Finn made friends with a little boy at the pool whose mother told me her in-laws live in Casa de Campo so they visit nearly every weekend from Santo Domingo – they need to live up to those standards.
- Breakfast at Lago is a must and I also recommend La Piazzetta and Causa for dinner, particularly since they have decidedly different vibes.
- With room service being 24 hours, it’s fun to take advantage. A big juicy burger eaten at 2am in your bathrobe by the pool before you dare to jump in? Heaven. The chicken and guandules con coco were both very tasty.
- Activities:
- Sports: I find that many resorts only include beach/pool and spa. This one also has activities like skeet shooting, horseback riding, night golf, and fishing.
- Tour: Leave the resort to go on a cave tour or cigar factory tour.
- Altos de Chavon: In addition to shops filled with the wares of local artisans, you can meander through an art gallery or even take an art workshop.
- Nightlife: There’s an actual club, but I’d hit up either La Caña or Minitas Beach Club, which both feature live music or a dj after the sun sets.
Peaches to Apples 