Prevue September/October 2011 - (Page 58)

[on location] greg oates the punta cana/ samana split New north coast airport offers affordable split programs in the Dominican Republic. We’ve been waiting for this. In 2002, the 388-room Barcelo Bavaro Beach & Convention Center made a big splash in the meetings industry at that year’s annual buyer/supplier tradeshow. The fact that there was a modern convention center in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic instantly created a new market for the island’s vaunted east coast beaches, ranked among the top 10 in the world. I was there for that show. And I remember people gushing over the new, really modern looking center and the spectacular beaches and thinking this was the greatest thing ever. And, for a convention center location, it was. Almost. Few attendees there knew about Samana, however, a 50minute flight to the north. The setting is mythical. The road to get there, at the time, was tortuous. Rumor was that ex-CIA agents retired to Samana to escape to an unbelievably beautiful paradise. It’s the stuff of spy novels, but for real. Maybe. Now, what if you could combine Barcelo in Punta Cana with Samana up north? Hold that thought. BarCelo Bavaro PalaCe Deluxe The adults-only Barcelo Convention Center property is part of the Barcelo complex that includes the neighboring 1,366-room Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe. Both are all-inclusive with a combined 11 restaurants. The Palace Deluxe property has been undergoing upgrades for the last few years to the tune of $250 million, and the final product was unveiled this past January. New balconies with hot tubs were added to all of the 800 junior suites. And the bright decor is especially fun and modern with tropical colors, minimalist loft-style furniture and large glass rain showers. The entire social, entertainment and dining hub was totally rebuilt. For upscale dinners, the seven à la carte restaurants offer a creative mix including: la Comedie (French), la Dolce vita (Italian), la Fuente (Spanish tapas), Kyoto (Japanese teppanyaki) and Santa Fe Steakhouse. We tried the latter, which features a private dining room for 200 pax, serving items like a well-prepared 8-oz churrasco steak with BBQ or chimichurri sauce, paired with a decent Latin American wine. Off the central lobby, the 1,000-seat open-air theater is a cavernous venue with 80-foot ceilings, a large stage and two big bars on both the ground and balcony levels. It’s used nightly for Las Vegas-style shows but groups can book it during the day, or arrange for private seating and VIP service at night. Really impressed with the new u Spa, in terms of its sheer size and central coed area with multiple fountain, shower and pool experiences. For added high-touch group events, arrange with convention services a large group spa treatment and/or wellness program right on the palm-studded beach. 58 | prevue magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue September/October 2011

Back Bay, Boston
Manchester
Meliá Hotels & Resorts
San Francisco/Denver/Cleveland
HSMAI + Soles4Souls
IRF/MGM Resorts, Las Vegas
Daytona Beach
Sustainability: The Next Big Thing
Central America
India
Sweden
Barcelo Resorts/Samana, DR
Portland

Prevue September/October 2011