We just returned from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic! Have you been tuning into my Instagram stories? I shared videos of our time there. As always, our budget breakdown is down below. Spoiler alert: we booked this trip on points and miles!
Flights To Punta Cana
I’ve got good news and bad news. Good news: Southwest flies to Punta Cana (PUJ). Bad news: it’s not nonstop from Nashville (BNA is usually our airport of choice) and the cost is higher than most Southwest flights. Luckily, we have 2 companion passes so both of our kiddos are able to fly with us for just the price of the taxes and fees, which is why we chose to fly Southwest over the other airlines that fly to the Dominican Republic.
We flew from BNA to PUJ with layovers in Fort Lauderdale (FLL). Unfortunately, there are very few lounges at FLL, which is surprising with it being a major airport. One of the lounges is an Escape Lounge, which is a Centurion partner. We were able to enter this lounge with our Amex Platinum cards. One of our layovers was almost 4 hours long and the lounge was crowded and chaotic the entire time. The food and drink offerings at this lounge were mediocre at best, so we scooted off to the nearby Steak ‘n Shake to grab a bite to eat. Unfortunately, Steak ‘n Shake didn’t have any shakes that day, so I guess they were just “Steak ‘n Sadness.”
We also stopped by Auntie Ann’s during both layovers and both times they didn’t have any pretzel bites or lemonade. Curious to hear – have you had a more positive experience at FLL?
Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana
We stayed at the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana, an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana. We made our reservations before Hyatt increased their prices earlier this year, so we were able to book 3 nights for 79,000 World of Hyatt points. This rate is for 2 people, so to add our 2 kiddos was an extra cost. It’s possible to pay for the kids with points as well, but we found it to be a better value to save our points and pay the discounted rate of $125/kid per night with cash instead. To do this, you’ll need to book the reservation for 2 adults, then call Hyatt to manually add kids to the reservation.
To book this resort with points, I’d recommend getting this credit cardor this one.
- Welcome offer: earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. $95 annual fee.
- Welcome offer: earn 60,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. $199 annual fee.
The resort was beautiful and we all had a blast at the water park, but I can’t say for certain I’d book this hotel again, especially with the increased rates. The rates are now 35k-45k/night for a standard room. The food was good (but not amazing) and the service could have been a bit better. We had to request pillows and blankets for the kids’ bed several times. It took almost an hour before they finally showed up, which wasn’t ideal after a long day of travel. Overall, I’d give this resort a 6.5/10. Also, it’s more challenging and expensive for us to fly to Punta Cana vs. other Caribbean locations.
Dominican Republic Budget Breakdown
- (2) Flights from BNA to PUJ on Southwest: 45,484 points + $93.80 taxes/fees.
- (2) Companion Passes from BNA to PUJ on Southwest: 0 points + $93.80 taxes/fees.
- (3) Nights at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana: 79,000 Hyatt points + $750 to add 2 kids to our reservation.
- (2) Flights from PUJ to BNA on Southwest: 45,484 points + $148.50 taxes/fees.
- (2) Companion Passes from PUJ to BNA on Southwest: 0 points + $148.50 taxes/fees.
Total Cost: 169,968 points + $1,304.60
Cash Price vs. Points and Miles
And just for funsies, here’s the cost of the trip had we paid entirely with cash:
- (4) Roundtrip Flights BNA-PUJ on Southwest: $3,235.40
- (3) Nights at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana for 4 people: $3,397.00
Total Cost: $6,632.40
This trip was a bit more expensive than our previous points & miles bookings, but when we consider the cash cost ($6,600 vs. $1,300), we were happy to pay $1,300 for 3 fun-filled days in the Caribbean sun.
Next week, we’ll talk about how to navigate the airport with ease – Global Entry, TSA Pre-Check, Clear Plus, and more so stay tuned…
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