Casa de Campo – five star luxury in the Dominican Republic

Casa de Campo is a much more than a high-end resort and designated a member of The Leading Hotels of the World and the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Legend Collection. With 2,100 luxury villas, the 7,000 acres large scale of the resort and accompanying list of amenities and activities make it a self-contained luxury community. Rafael Torres, the resort’s President and marketing vice-president were in Montreal in late May to talk about Casa de Campo; and their presentation was impressive. I’ve subsequently studied their website and travel reviews; and this resort community offers high end European-style luxury in the gentle Caribbean climate.

A classic 3 bedroom villa is equipped with
2 electric golf carts

The first phase of the resort was opened in 1976, with the conversion of an old sugar mill and plantation to become what is now the largest hotel and resort community in the Dominican Republic. Casa de Campo was fully completed in 2012, including a 370 slip Marina and Yacht Club.

Villas come in various sizes, and many have private pools. Each villa has an electric golf cart for transportation around the resort, with two – three carts assigned to three and four bedroom villas. Each cart is equipped with a GPS unit. Of the 2,100 villas, the resort manages 400, and 70 luxurious villas are a permanent part of the Casa de Campo resort. The hotel building offers 274 chic rooms with five star amenities.

Oceanfront dining at The Beach Club by La Cirque

Guests have a choice of six restaurants: La Caña by Il Circo (seafood, meats and wine), The Beach Club by Le Cirque for elegant oceanfront dining), La Piazzetta (gourmet Italian food), Chinois Bistro (Cantonese food and sushi), La Casita Marina (seafood and tapas at La Marina Casa de Campo), and casual dining at the Lago Grill. Ferran Adria, regarded as one of the world’s best chefs, is a regular participant in the Casa de Campo annual August Food & Wine Festival.

The variety of activities from golf and yachting to polo and skeet shooting is beyond anything visitors can expect in even the most sophisticated Caribbean resorts.

Casa de Campo has 90 holes of golf; including the legendary Pete Dye designed
Teeth of The Dog course

Many readers of The Montrealer are avid golfers, and Casa de Campo has three championship-quality courses, including the famous seaside Teeth of the Dog, designed by PGA veteran Pete Dye. Golfers can also enjoy a links-style course as one of the three on-site eighteen hole tracts.

Tennis enthusiasts have 13 Har-Tru courts available, of which 10 have lights for night-time play. The ball boys will enable you to focus on your game instead of chasing down an errant serve. A tennis academy with 25+ certified instructors is ready to assist players from beginner to expert.

The equestrian centre is where Casa de campo really starts to make it’s mark as a unique luxury resort. There are 300 hundred horses, and guests have a choice of English or Western saddles for activities from trail rides to advanced riding instruction. Polo lessons and matches are available from November to April.

The Shooting Centre is popular with sheet-shooting enthusiasts, and there are hunting expeditions for pheasant, quail, pigeon and duck within the 245 acre Shooting Club.

The 5,000 seat Altos De Chavon amphitheatre and 16th century Mediterranean artisanal village

Inaugurated by Frank Sinatra in 1982; the nearby Grecian-styled Altos De Chavon outdoor amphitheatre seats 5,000; and has hosted shows by international artists such as Andreas Bocelli and Genesis. The open-air concerts have proven to be tremendously popular. The site also contains a reproduction of a 16^th century artisan’s village with boutique shops and museums. The nearby Casa de Campo La Romana International Airport is serviced by American Airlines, JetBlue and Air Transat and is just five minutes from the resort check-in. The International airports at Santo Domingo and Punta Cana make transportation to the Casa de Campo easy. The concerts create a special focal point for a long-weekend of high end luxury in the Caribbean.

Sea, sun and sand at Mintas Beach

Foodies will be interested to know that The Pubbelly Restaurant Group will bring their hip, Asian-inspired Pubbelly Sushi restaurant to Casa de Campo in November 2015. The highly anticipated Pubbelly Sushi will be located in the Marina at Casa de Campo and will offer seating for 114 diners. The eclectic menu will take diners and guests of the resort on an edible tour of Asia.

The resort offers a Health & Wellness Spa, with treatments available for people recovering from an injury.

Players from the Barcelona soccer team offer day-long clinics for players aged 6 – 17 from late June until the first week of August. It’s a terrific opportunity for young soccer enthusiasts to raise the level of their play.

For more information about Casa de Campo, please visit: www.casadecampo.com.do

Horseback riding on the 7,000 acre Casa de Campo estate

La Terraza Centre has 13 Har-Tru courts and offers group and private lessons