This time last year we handed over our innocent little guy to the hands of a surgeon we barely knew. Watching him being put to sleep – him none the wiser, was heartbreaking.
Open heart surgery … on our baby.
Something I couldn’t have even imagined in my most scariest nightmare. The thought of your child having a defect that would eventually cost him his life is terrifying. We’d had to cancel our holiday to Punta Cana at the last minute when we had suddenly found out about the defect which required surgery immediately. A holiday which signified so much for us at that time – it was meant to be the start of the rest of our lives, finally beginning to accept his Down syndrome diagnosis. That was also ripped from beneath us. Life felt really unfair this time last year.
At that time, I couldn’t even bring myself to look to a year ahead – I was terrified that Saajan may not even be with us.
As I sit here, and write up this blog post today, I’m so grateful for everything. We weren’t able to go last year, but we were able to go on what was our dream family holiday to Punta Cana this year!
We decided to mimic the exact same holiday we’d booked last year for this year. The management at the hotel were incredibly helpful and knew our story as we’d planned our entire holiday before having to cancel it three weeks before we were due to fly due to the devastating news of Saajan’s heart condition. Luckily we never boarded that flight as it could’ve been potentially fatal for Saajan.
We’d heard amazing things about The Reserve at Paradisus Punta Cana through trawling the internet and reading reviews – what particularly drew me to the hotel was how great it is for kids and I really wanted that for the boys. This trip was ALL about the boys.
Gatwick Airport and the British Airways Lounge
We flew with British Airways as it’s a direct flight from Gatwick to Punta Cana. Having done stop over flights for Thailand and India earlier this year, I quite fancied a direct flight this time. At the time of booking, I was quite apprehensive about the flight time (11am departure) as it was a day flight and I wasn’t sure how the children would be.
As I’ve mentioned previously, Gatwick has really great services for children – there’s a fast pass queue through security when travelling with children and there’s also a play area for children.
The British Airways lounge was pretty average though I think Virgin have set the bar on lounge standards! They have a kid’s area which was good for older children but Arjun had fun playing his own version of table football with his daddy!
The Flight
The boys were really good considering it was a pretty long flight. Arjun was entertained by his bag that I’d packed, and there were so many of his favourite films on in the inflight entertainment system. He also enjoyed playing games. All of that after exploring his toiletries bag of course.
Saajan was great too. He had a couple of naps, happily played with his toys and was entertained for ages by the inflight entertainment remote! Haha! We had fun playing peekaboo too and he loved watching his nursery rhymes programme which we often watch at home – luckily, they had it on in the inflight entertainment.
We’ve not travelled with British Airways long haul before and I was a little disappointed with the lack of enthusiasm with some of the cabin crew. Emirates, Virgin and Etihad were all excellent with children and general proactiveness. With British Airways, there was no acknowledgement of the children and also several members of staff would walk past seeing our trays full from empty glasses or food but would leave it lying there till you asked reluctantly half an hour later. Not really the same service at all as the other airlines, especially considering it was Club class and they could see us dodging a tray of food with a handful toddler.
On landing, we exited the airport pretty quick. Our transfer which we’d booked through the hotel with a company called Otium was ready as soon as we got there. It was a nice spacious large car armed with a car seat for Saajan.
The Reserve at Paradisus Punta Cana
The Reserve is a separate area within Paradisus Punta Cana especially for families. The area includes a kid’s pool and a Kids Zone. The Reserve also has it’s own exclusive restaurant, The Gabi Club, for Reserve residents only. There is also a private beach area specifically for The Reserve residents.
If you know us at all, we love luxury and sometimes when going on a family holiday, it feels like you lose an element of luxury. Long gone are the days where I’d search for adult only hotels! Now, it feels like we have to find some compromise. This was the first hotel which really catered to providing a luxury holiday as a family – really taking note of the “family” element without comprising the luxury element. The Reserve at Paradisus Punta Cana offers extra comfort, privacy, luxury and service. The perfect option for those travelling with the hope to live the perfect family holiday.
If you book in at The Reserve, you’re taken directly to The Reserve reception and lobby area for check in. The staff were so quick and courteous. There’s an assortment of snacks from cornflake clusters to crudités to crisps and sandwiches – great as a post flight snack for a hungry toddler and child!
In addition to residing at The Reserve, our holiday was upgraded to The Family Concierge service offered at The Reserve at Paradisus Punta Cana. This service provides a very personal touch and attention to detail.
We resided in room 2141 – in the Family Concierge building where the lounge area included snacks, a TV and wooden toys to keep the children entertained while we attended to grown up matters.
Our Reserve family concierge point of contact was Jhordan who was absolutely amazing from the get go. He was so helpful, warm and eager to ensure we had a fab stay. Jhordan gave us his mobile phone number so that we could communicate on what’s app – the easiest mode of communication.
Your family concierge is there almost as a right hand man to ensure you have a cabana or sunbeds reserved by your pool of choice (kids pool or the Reserve pool), make dinner reservations for you, plan excursions and any other special requests you may have. For example, prior to arriving, the hotel was aware that we were vegetarian – the day after we landed, Jhordan arranged for head chef, Miguel, to come and meet with us to discuss our preferences. We were really impressed with this and the food service we received thereafter food wise.
As part of the family concierge package, children are also provided with Paradisus kids kit including little bath robes, toiletries (including a mosquito repellent) and their own sand bucket and spades set. Arjun was ecstatic!
The mini bar is personalised based on your likes – ours was replenished daily with cartons of milk for Arjun, Lays crisps and crackers – not the healthiest snacks but we were on holiday!
There are also PS4, Xbox and Wii consoles available on request however we didn’t require these as Arjun is still quite young and enjoyed being outdoors!
Prior to arriving, I’d requested a steriliser, a stool for Arjun and a cot – all of which were ready when we arrived. Cleybi was the housekeeping supervisor during the majority of our stay and her attention to detail was fantastic. She went over and beyond by providing Arjun with his own double bed instead of a sofa bed for extra comfort, ensured the room was clean both in the morning and at turn down service. When we requested the extra cushions to be removed from our bed, this was granted and our request for extra towels was provided daily without reminder. Cleybi was on her days off for the last two days of our stay and their was a noticeable difference in service – the room wasn’t tidied in the evenings and we had to request extra towels. Her service was impeccable and so personal – she really prides herself in going over and beyond and she really should! We’ll always remember Cleybi for how helpful she was.
Every evening your family concierge leaves homebaked cookies for the children with a cute inspirational message. Preetam and I especially loved tucking in to those!
While we were in Punta Cana, it was Saajan’s one year healthy heart anniversary – a year since we handed him over to a surgeon. We wanted to mark the day and celebrate his life. The hotel were aware of this special date and on his anniversary, Jhordan surprised the children with a room filled with balloons and a cake and the most special note as well as with a balloon bubble bath. They were both ecstatic and we were so touched by the sweet gesture – we’ll always remember his first healthy heart anniversary thanks to Jhordan.
The Master Bedroom Suite
Our room was upgraded to a one bedroom master suite and as we entered, we were instantly wowed by the beautiful décor and the space! It was definitely the most practical room we’ve ever stayed in.
The master bedroom comprised of a king size bed with a sliding door to enter the huge master bathroom which included a huge Jacuzzi bath tub and two sinks where I stored my toiletries and make up. Following on from that bathroom, there was another bathroom comprising of a separate toilet cubicle, a shower cubicle and a third sink where Preetam stored his toiletries.
The master bedroom also included an iPhone 7 docking station which made charging my phone super easy!
The suite also comes with a kitchenette which made managing Saajan’s bottles and the kids snacks so easy! I loved having a designated area which included a separate sink to easily wash and sterilise his bottles.
The main lounge area included a dining table and sofa area. This is where Cleybi had also set up Arjun’s bed and Saajan’s cot.
I loved the marble effect lamp bases and lamp shades, the deep oak wooden furniture and the luxurious marble tops.
Our room was a pool view room. No rooms at The Reserve offer a sea view sadly!
The Pools
We didn’t end up using the main hotel pool as we didn’t feel the need to. We ended up residing at the same cabana which Jhordan reserved for us each day most days. It was really nice to have the same space each day as we knew exactly what to expect.
The pool wasn’t crowded at all and even without reserving sunbeds, we could quite easily have found some.
There is frequent pool side entertainment – you can find a schedule of activities quite easily on the Melia app which you can download for free.
I participated in paddle yoga with Eddie and a Christian – it was so much fun and they were pretty patient with my inflexibility! Haha!
Preetam and I also participated in a candle making class which was so therapeutic. Jose Cappuccino was our teacher and he definitely doesn’t fall short on the entertainment factor! He’s absolutely hilarious and full of life!
I also took part in pool side Zumba with Cappuccino – it was so so much fun! I don’t usually participate in adult activities when on holiday, but the pool side staff here made it so fun and inclusive and I’m so glad I did!
Jose by the pool side was always smiling even in the sweltering heat – he was so kind and helpful and all the pool side staff got to know our daily request of an ice bucket filled with water and would have it ready before we even requested it. The staff were always great at providing us with the tastiest mouth watering fruit platters too! We often had coconut water which was cut straight from a tree and prepared before our eyes. Doesn’t get fresher than that!
There is a swim up pool bar where you can enjoy hot and cold drinks – we also attended a fresh fruits drink experience here which was quite cool. Again led by Cappuccino’s commentary.
There is a pool side bar called Hydro Grill for food including pizzas, burgers and salads but to be honest, the quality of the food is really poor. I wouldn’t recommend it though the staff are lovely!
The kids pool features three slides in the shape of animals and is situated next to the Kid’s Zone.
Kids Zone
The Kids club at this resort was absolutely fantastic. It got super-hot during the midday sun and it was so helpful to have such fantastic kids facilities. We’ve never really used the kid’s clubs on previous holidays as they usually require supervision under the age of 4. This Kids Zone welcomes children from 1 years and you don’t need to stay with them. The facilities and services were brilliant and it’s open from 10am-10pm.
They have a baby zone which is pretty much the same as a nursery – it’s kitted out with practically every type of toy you can imagine! Soft play to ball pool to car tracks to light up toys. Both boys were so happy to be there! There is an indoor crafts area, a television area, an outdoor crafts area, table football, table tennis, air hockey, and table football for the older children. There is also an outdoor climbing frame for older kids and a smaller play area for toddlers. The best part – they have a gardening area equipped with shovels and rakes and watering cans! If you know us at all, you’ll know Arj is Mr Green fingers!
Joanna reassured us they’d take care of Saajan and that Arjun would also be ok. It was empty and they pretty much had one to one care. Xavier and Jafriesy were also especially great with Saajan. All the staff told us how much they’d miss Saajan – they really took a shine to him. Saajan attended every day during the midday sun, mainly for a nap and Arjun attended a few days where he enjoyed colouring in, a cupcake decorating class and swimming in the kids pool with Xavier. Saajan especially took to Joanna and I felt reassured that he was in good hands.
There is a separate room for nap time which is a dark room and has two cots so Saajan was comfortable.
Beach
The premises are pretty large with gorgeous gardens – perfect backdrops for those all important shots! If residing at The Reserve, it’s about a 7-10 minute walk to the beach. Alternatively, there is a very frequent buggy service that runs about every 15 minutes from several locations which can taxi you to and fro.
Though from afar, the sea looked stunning as you’d expect of the Caribbean, on closer inspection, there was a LOT of seaweed present which may be due to the time of year we visited. The day that there was a smallish amount of seaweed washed up on to the shore, there was A LOT in the sea – I didn’t particularly enjoy going in the sea as I was paranoid about being attacked by a sea snake and anytime seaweed caught my leg, I panicked! Haha! The day there was lots of seaweed washed up to shore, the sea was a lot more pleasant to swim in!
There is a separate section for The Reserve residents for sun loungers at the beach and there are plenty of them though if you don’t get to the beach early enough, you miss out on the sea front ones!
There is a bar at the beach so you can access lots of refreshing drinks.
Excursions
We decided to take part in a buggy excursion and took Arjun with us – it was a really fun experience but Arjun wasn’t keen on getting dirty, so Preetam was careful to dodge all the puddles! The excursion included a stop off at a Cave where you’re able to go for a quick dip – pre warning, the water is very cold and quite deep!, the coffee and chocolate plantation where you get to have a taste of the gorgeous hot chocolate and finally Macao beach – absolutely stunning, crystal clear blue water with a gorgeous backdrop.
Dining
The package we booked was all inclusive. Our bill at the end of the stay was $60 purely for items we’d purchased at the hotel shop! My perception of an all inclusive was based on our holiday in Jamaica a few years ago – I assumed we’d be surrounded by empty plastic cups which were once filled with booze and that the quality of food would be low. Oh how wrong I was!
There are over 13 restaurants on the Paradisus Punta Cana property and they’re all included ranging from buffet restaurants, experience restaurants to buffet restaurants. Though the quality varied across the restaurants, overall, we were so wowed by the amazing value for money we received. You can view the restaurants menus on the free app and as mentioned, your family concierge can arrange your dinner reservations for you.
The all inclusive package also includes room service though we didn’t end up using it even once surprisingly!
All the menus offer a separate kids menu which is the same around the resort.
As mentioned, Chef Miguel came to meet us the day after we arrived and ensured we were catered for throughout our stay. They made us bespoke meals such as a vegetable lasagne, vegetarian steak burger and lots of salad options which we were so grateful for. He ensured he communicated our dietary needs to each chef at each restaurant. Miguel would often come to greet us at meal times to ensure we were ok and to see if he could provide us with anything else. We were really impressed by this as when we visited the Lopesan Baobab, it wasn’t quite the same – here they were a lot more accommodating with providing cauliflower cheese without the bacon bits if we asked 😉
Breakfast: we had our breakfast daily at the Gabi Club. Though not a huge spread, we both agreed it was sufficient and the food they did serve was delicious – my daily Punta Cana vegetable and chili filled omelette was by far the best I’ve ever had and the fresh fruit was absolutely divine.
Gabi Beach Buffet: Though the views were beautiful at this restaurant, the food was quite limited for vegetarians – we went here on our first night prior to meeting with Chef Miguel. The English of many of the staff was quite limited so it was difficult to communicate out needs. It’s a buffet restaurant and though they had Indian food and baked potatoes, it wasn’t our favourite restaurant options wise.
Mole: Jhordan had arranged for us to visit Mole on the day of Saajan’s healthy heart anniversary and he couldn’t have chosen a better restaurant for the occasion. Mexican is one of my favourite cuisines and the staff at the restaurant were lovely! Lisselot was our main waitress and she was so warm and friendly especially towards the kids. The head chef from the restaurant came to meet us when we arrived and made us a custom meal comprising of vegetarian enchiladas, fajitas and quesadillas. The kids had cheesy quesadillas and fries. We really enjoyed our food and experience here!
The Grill: This is a steak house restaurant and is quite busy. Chef Miguel had especially arranged for us to have a veggie burger which was absolutely delicious! The vibe was really chilled out here. Though the main burger was nice, the sides weren’t as high quality. The service was a little slow and unhelpful at times but it may well just have been that our waitress was having a bad day.
Aqua: This is an Italian restaurant in an elegant setting. The food was really tasty and was made just as I requested off the menu – a penne pasta in a garlic and spicy sauce with lots of vegetables (true Indian style haha!). Arjun really enjoyed the food and our waiter Ramon Jimenez was really great at ensuring we were taken care of.
Gabi Club: We had one evening meal at the Gabi Club where we were made a delicious smoked aubergine lasagne. They also prepared a special dessert for us as a surprise – a chocolate melting box cake. It was delicious!
Bana: Our final dinner was at Bana, a Japanese restaurant where they prepare the food live. It was an interesting experience dining with others but a pleasant one! Though the vegetable tempura and sushi weren’t great, the fresh vegetable stir fry and egg fried rice was delicious!
Evening Entertainment
Every evening there is entertainment, however we always ended up falling asleep early due to jet lag! We did however make it to a acrobat performance on the beach on evening which both boys were wowed by! And also to the final evening of entertainment of The Lion King – I was blown away by the efforts of the pool side and kids zone staff for putting together such an impeccable show! The boys were absolutely hooked as were Preetam and I!
Our verdict
We had an absolutely incredible time at our stay at The Reserve Paradisus Punta Cana and we are already planning our next vacation! It was a holiday of a life time with many amazing memories that will last us a life time. It was the perfect setting for a relaxed family holiday with support from our family concierge and the kids club but also oozed luxury. We will definitely be returning and to date it has been our best value for money holiday. My only real complaint being that I was savaged by mosquitos one day – everyone else was ok! It must be my sweet blood 😉
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in exchange for a product or service. However all views expressed above are my own.
