Dreams La Romana, a Dominican resort of luxury

Dreams La Romana Resort and Spa is located in the Playa Bahibe area of the Dominican Republic's sun-drenched southeastern coast, on one of the country's most pristine beaches, in a tropical jungle and with a palm-lined stretch of sand made for relaxation. The rooms offer views of the ocean, pools or gardens, and there's a wide range of activities for all ages, including a supervised Explorer's Club for children. Nearby excursions are available for golf, shopping and tours of all kinds.

There are 751 rooms at this resort in the categories of deluxe garden view; deluxe partial ocean view; garden view suites; ocean front suites; Preferred Club deluxe; Preferred Club Partial ocean view; and master suites.

Room appointments include one king or two double beds; furnished balcony or terrace; daily refreshed minibar with beer, juice, soft drinks and bottled water; cable television; electronic safe; bath with shower and luxury personal amenities; alarm clock with MP3 player docking station; and 24-hour room and concierge service.

Preferred Club benefits include private lounge, private pool, preferred status and amenities, concierge service, afternoon hot and cold hors d'ouevres, free international newspaper daily, free Internet access, upgraded minibar amenities and upgraded bath amenities.

There are seven restaurants from which to choose at this resort: Portofino, fresh Italian specialties; Himitsu, fusion of Pan-Asian food; El Patio, Mexican cuisine; Oceana, fresh gourmet seafood; Seaside Grill, grilled steaks, burgers and other grill-worthy items; Bordeaux, candlelit French a la carte cuisine (adults only); World Cafe;, international buffet; Jungle, Dominican specialties (outdoor dining, subject to weather conditions); and Coco Cafe;, coffee, tea, pastries and deli snacks throughout the day.

There are also unlimited premium beverages at seven indoor or outdoor bars and lounges, and they area: Veranda; Rendezvous, the lobby bar; Show Time Bar in the open-air theater; Manatees, a swim-up bar; Sugar Reef, on the beach; and Desires, a music lounge.

What to do? What not to do, with so many activities offered, including dips in the resort's three pools. Activities included are an introductory scuba lesson in the pool, snorkeling, windsurfing, kayaking, catamarans, ocean trampoline, Euro-bungee, tennis, biking, water aerobics, beach volleyball, billiards, dancing, Spanish and other classes.

The Dominican is famous for golf and nearby, at extra cost, you can tee off at three of the Caribbean's top-ranked courses: Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore and Links.

The resort also has a full-service spa, at extra cost, offering a menu of hydrotherapies and other treatments. There are also saunas, indoor and ocean front palapa areas for single and couples massages, and whirlpools.

Dreams La Romana is decidedly family friendly, offering the Explorer's Club for Kids, a jungle village set up that keeps kids entertained with a variety of games, adventure and exploration. One a week, the club offers overnight beach camping as well. The club also provides ocean trampoline, sand castle contests, storytelling and music, treasure hunts, arts and crafts, big screen movies under the stars and a game room.

The Core Zone Teens Club is for kids 13-17 and runs from 9 a.m. to midnight, featuring entertainment, daily activities and a wide range of sports and games, including late-night disco mixers, weekly beach bonfires, a rock-climbing wall and a giant chess game.

Dreams La Romana
Playa Bayahibe, La Romana
Dominican Republic
Phone: 809-221-8880
Website: http://www.dreamsresorts.com/drelr/index.html
Rates start at $183 a night