Set on the white sand beaches of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, amidst hundreds of coconut palm trees, and calm warm South Atlantic waters sits the Be Live Collection Punta Cana resort. The year-round sunshine and warmth of both the climate and the people of the Dominican Republic make this an ideal destination for families looking for a sunny vacation.
With large families like ours though, it’s not always so easy to just pick a resort and go. A family of five needs either a suite or two rooms in these vacation destinations, you can’t just throw an extra mattress on the floor.
Also, when you book this resort with Sunwing Vacations, you also get these exclusive perks:
- 2 kids (2-12 years old) stay, play and eat free
- Exclusive pricing for teens (13-17 years old)
- No single parent supplement fee
- Smile Kids club program
- Shaded playground or play area
- Kids pool, many with shaded areas
- Beach towels in room upon arrival
- 1 litre of bottled water per room per day
I recommend booking Elite Plus to get seats with extra leg room, increased weight limit (65lbs!) for your free checked bags, Elite check-in, and bags off first!
With an ideal destination, you need an ideal hotel for families. The Be Live offers multiple room types and categories and can accommodate families and groups of all sizes.
Trying to avoid having to book two separate rooms to stay on budget and keep little ones close to you means you may need a suite that is designed specifically for families. Not only are there multiple categories that can accommodate a family of five at Be Live Punta Cana, but there are also plenty of amenities that make it ideal for families of any size.
We stayed in a Family Home, which was like an apartment, and it was amazing for us. Three bedrooms and three bathrooms meant we could all spread out, have privacy, and even hang out together in a family room together with included (yes, included) room service!
A family suite at Be Live is a king bedroom with attached 2-single bedroom. A roll away can be added for families of five!
Dining at an all-inclusive is perfect for families because you can please everyone’s pallet. At the Be Live, we enjoyed buffet at breakfast and lunch and then chose from one of the six ala carte restaurants (menu ordering) for dinner each night.
Each morning my girls would head straight to the made-to-order crepe station and ask for nutella crepes. My husband and I would go straight to the omelette station and get an ‘everything’ omelette where they cracked two eggs and scrambled them with ham, onion, peppers, tomatos and fresh grated cheese every morning. Add some tropical fruit as a side, and I was satisfied until later in the day!
Tropical fresh fruit every morning at the buffet is such a treat!
Our favourite family dinner at Be Live was the Akeru where we had Tepanyaki cooked right in front of us for a delicious meal of fried rice, teriyaki chicken and beef, plus seafood. The chef was so entertaining as well, cooking and performing at the same time. Desert was tempura oreo cookies with vanilla bean ice cream. It is not to be missed, do make sure you make a reservation for this amazing restaurant.
Amongst the other ala carte dining options was Mylos, a Mediterranean restaurant with plenty of pasta options which is a family favourite for us also.
The Kids Club at Be Live is built just for children ages 4-11 and offers activities, games and fun theme days. The circus celebration my girls attended included entertaining characters, trapeze fun and treats + and ice cream. It was so great to be able to drop them off and head to the beach solo for a little while.
Teens Club amenities include a space for when your 11-17 year old is ready to socialize with others or get some time away from the family. The space includes ping pong, foosball, and other games that are sure to please your independent teen.
Daily activities by the pool and on the beach organized by the fun entertainment staff include beach volleyball, water aerobics, dance lessons, water polo, and regular foam parties. We splashed in the warm pool with foam and a giant air-filed slide one sunny afternoon.
Nightly entertainment in the outdoor theatre is sure to please the whole crew, and includes a family-friendly show in the theatre at 8.30pm and a late show at 9.30pm. We enjoyed warm evenings, where not even a sweater was needed, listening to merengue and salsa music and watching everyone dance in the resort’s central courtyard.
We turned our week away into some real downtime for us all. When the beach, the pools (multiple!), the kids’ activities and fabulous accommodations all came together for us to enjoy ourselves both apart and as a family, we found the real meaning of vacation!
All guests have the option to upgrade to VIP status and utilize the Better Together family amenities at Be Live Punta Cana.
VIP perks include the use of an exclusive pool, lounge building with WIFI, several VIP-only bars and more.
Watch our video!:
The Better Together (VIP) family pool has a playground, large trampoline, day beds with shade and a bar.
The Better Together lounge is an exclusive place for you to check-in, have access to WIFI, TV rooms and playroom for little ones too.
Having pina coladas delivered to your beach palapa in the shade is pure bliss. VIP beach access means waiter service, a private bar, and free day beds. A small playground on the VIP beach also affords you some flexibility to stay and play for your little one while you relax!
If you’re looking for a family resort with activities and amenities for a larger family or group, the Be Live Punta Cana could be just what you need.
* We were hosted by the Be Live Collection Punta Cana and Sunwing Vacations.
Looks like a beautiful resort! The amenities and food sound great. I might actually have to put DR on my travel bucket list!
This is something we need to do as a family of 5. We’ve never been to an ocean and this looks like paradise. Saving to chat with the hubby about 🙂
I was there in July, everything was great, the food, the beach, the staff. My only complaint was the main pool where the pool games go on. It was a very dirty pool. I go to Punta cana every year. If that pool gets a good cleaning, that would make a big difference!!