Margaritaville® Island Reserve is the perfect destination for you and your family — turquoise waters and white sand await just a few hours away from NYC! Fly from JFK to Punta Cana in less than 4 hours where the resort is located just 15 minutes from the Punta Cana International Airport. Planning a girls trip this year? Ditch the cabin in the woods for the palm trees by the beach at Margaritaville Island Reserve.
I was hosted for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Margaritaville Island Reserve has everything you need for your next vacation, including excellent food options from Italian to Dominican, Asian, and you can't skip Cheeseburger in Paradise! The bars open at 10:00am and they will delight you with their skills. Feel free to request non-alcoholic drinks — they make them extra tasty! The music is just like you would imagine — soothing and relaxing with a "sit back and relax vibe."
Visitors at the resort included a good mixture of different kinds of families, from couples celebrating anniversaries to empty nesters, young couples on their honeymoons, and young parents with kids of mixed ages. It was just perfect — I was thrilled to see the vibe was family friendly and safe.
Although the resort has two sides that blend together — one for families and one for adults only — the people all come together in common areas like restaurants, the beach, and the live music at night. The family section is called Wave, check it out! Click here to see a little bit of the kids' space.
1. Great Amenities
There are 10 restaurants, 5 bars, a coffee shop, a gym, and a spa on the resort. Everything you need is within a 5 minute walk from your room and there is a map provided when you arrive. There are swim up bars and hot tubs located throughout the resort, and the more you walk the more you discover!
The coffee shop was a must in the morning. I made it a mission to wake up before sunrise every day, head to the coffee shop, then sip a warm cappuccino while the waves were crashing by my feet.
I really enjoyed the placement of the restaurants and their other shops — it was easy to see everything and it helped me make great choices! The coffee shop is right next to the gym so of course I had to take advantage of their large indoor space for a quick workout. Their spa is under the same roof as the gym and I was able to receive a massage that I didn't even know I needed — worth every penny.
2. Parakeets Kids Club
If you are coming with your kids, then take full advantage of the kids club, specifically designed for drop-offs for kids ages 4-12. If your child is younger than 4 and you would like to drop them off, then you can hire a babysitter from their staff and they will take your child at an additional cost. Here are some of the things your kids will be doing at the Kids Club:
- Art zone
- Cooking classes
- Mad lab experiments
- Pajama parties
- Movie nights
- Splash pool
Once you arrive in your room, let the staff know if you would like rollaway beds or a crib and they will come and set it up right away at no additional charge.
3. Entertainment
Don't let the kids have all the fun while they are at the Kids Club! Margaritaville Island Reserve has all the adult fun you were hoping for.
While I was there they had live music every night, silent disco parties at the brewery, organized beach volleyball games (among other games), and epic pool parties with live DJs and dancers to get the party started! They even bring the bar to you in the pool on a canoe every day!
Here is a lineup of their weekly events:
- Pool parties with a local DJ
- Margarita blending (and sampling!)
- Pickleball tournaments
- Cornhole tournaments
- Margaritaville’s iconic flip-flop Olympics
Book your trip today and tell us how it went!
Wondering what to pack? Here are my top suggestions:
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Beach Bag
- Waterproof phone case
- Hat
- Water Bottles from your hotel room mini fridge
- Water Shoes/Waterproof shoes
- Cover up
- Medicine from home in case the kids get sick
- Small bills for tips
- Light sweater for the breezy evenings
- Copy of your insurance card-just in case!
P.S. Don't take your big coat if you are ride sharing to the airport. It's just going to get shoved in your already tight suitcase and you won't need it for a single second.
