Punta Cana — Finest Resort

Best family resort they've been to. All-inclusive, 1 hour from airport, 30 min from downtown. Group of 7 including 2 children. Finest Family Suite and Excellence Club Junior Suite — both exceeded expectations. King bed, spacious bathroom, walk-in closet, mini fridge, private balcony. Spotless rooms. Room service takes ~45 min. Book directly with hotel for free airport transfer. Reserve ahead for great discounts.

8 restaurants total, 6 in central U-shaped building. Pan-Asian, Mexican, steak, seafood, sushi, pizza, burgers. Each has unique charm/decor. Recommend: Surf & Turf (seafood), Brass (steak), Insime (Italian). Service was chaotic though — orders often wrong, non-veg served to vegetarians. Every restaurant has 'Imagine Club' kids play area.

Highlight of the resort! Bouncy ball for kids on one side, open swim area and pool bar on other. Morning activities: water aerobics, dancing (parents join more than kids). Plenty of chairs and cabanas. Staff serves drinks and food poolside.

Pristine beach, perfect for SUNRISE — watching sun rise with cool ocean breeze and orange sky was magical. Spacious, clean, chairs and cabanas with tables, beach towels provided. Water was clean, warm, inviting (not crystal clear in November). $60 USD for 1-hour beach massage. Authorized vendors are friendly and non-pressuring.

Shows every night — musicals, dance shows, karaoke. Post-dinner until 11:30pm. Kids section with activities, theater, lounge, water area. Parents can leave kids 6:30-10:30pm for a cozy evening.

Half day private boat. Snorkelling (plenty of fish but only 1 hour in water out of 4). Then sailed to shallow beach — crystal clear waist-level water, spent 1.5 hours. Don't go too close to beach (stingrays). SKIP the dolphin viewing — small enclosure with 17 dolphins and a shark, not free-swimming.