Beautiful Zoëtry Agua

The Dominican Republic (often abbreviated as the DR) surprised me.  This was my first visit and while Punta Cana is far from its normal self, resorts are open and the scenery is gorgeous.  I stayed at Zoëtry Agua which is in Uvero  Alto--an area about 40 minutes from the airport on the Atlantic Ocean side. Uvero Alto  has  fewer resorts than  the more bustling area of Bavaro Beach  and  the  resorts are more spread out here than they are in the Cap Cana area.  From the moment I arrived, I felt very welcome at Zoëtry.   The reception area is all outdoors, so no boring check in here.  Under new COVID precautions,  there  are a few extra items that  need to be completed before heading to your room,  but the whole process is still done within  5 minutes.  One extra item is to confirm enrollment in the Dominican Republic COVID insurance program.  One form is filled out on the plane and given to immigration and a follow up form confirms your arrival as a tourist at the resort.   Of course, all staff wear masks and you are asked to use hand sanitizer upon arrival and before entering buildings  (restaurants, spa, etc). Masks are not required for guests, but signs  are placed suggesting masks where you might  encounter other guests (walking into the restaurant, even just to walk to the outdoor seating).  

After the formalities were taken care of, I was escorted to my suite by a member of the concierge team...welcome drink in hand :) As we walked  I was given a tour and told which parts of the resort were currently open.  Traveling  during COVID requires flexibility and that means understanding some things will not be open for your visit.  Zoëtry's occupancy  was quite low (I traveled Monday  to Thursday which is slower even pre-COVID) and so only one of the five restaurants were open.  At first thought, it  is  hard not to be a little disappointed.  Some of the fun of going to resorts is having a choice of several types of food in one place.   However, once I understood a bit more, it made complete sense.   The restaurant open varied by the day and I quickly learned that the chef and his team was willing to  make items by  request.  As many of you know, I am  a vegetarian.  After  one meal, the  chef basically said why don't I prepare you a  special menu for each meal.  Um,  yes!  So each meal I would sit down and poof...an amazing  4 or 5 course meal would simply appear.  I never  knew what I  would be getting, but let me tell you, it was all fantastic! Zoëtry has a focus on organic and local foods wherever possible and the freshness came through in the food.  The coffee shop was also not open, but the bartender could  go into the coffee shop and make you whatever coffee drink you had in mind.  I appreciated Zoëtry's flexibility and willingness to make guests happy.  Room service was still running 24/7  (one of  the few resorts in Punta Cana to continue 24/7)  and you could request staff  to set up your table or have them place the order in the  service box---a large box built  into the side of the suite with a door that opens on the  outside so staff can place items in or take items away contact free---these existed before,  but the main reason was privacy (yeah, no reason to get dressed for room service delivery!).   Staff knock to let you know it has arrived and you open  the door inside the suite and can  set your own  table.  

Zoëtry is designed to hold 200 guests, so even pre-COVID, it was a resort where you could easily find space to yourself.  The grounds are expansive, but not so big that you are never further than a few minutes walk  to the ocean or your room.  Certainly no golf carts needed here. All of the rooms are similarly designed with the different categories being mostly for the views you get from your own  private patio or balcony.  They also  have a few villas for when you want some extra space.   The beach is  beautiful sand and there is an opportunity  to walk in either direction for a nice long walk---no neighboring resorts.  Zoëtry has swim out suites where you can enter the pool right from your room, as well as two main pools (one is currently closed, but slated to open in November).   There are fitness options---like  yoga, water aerobics  (with  bikes under water),  or pilates offered every day, as well as a tea time or mixology lesson and live entertainment at night.    This  isn't the resort  for you if you really like to party,  but there are activities to keep you busy if you don't want to simply relax.  Zoëtry also offers non-motorized water sports, like paddle boarding, kayaking  and snorkeling.  The water was too rough to  enjoy  any of  those  during my short stay,  but the water sports office is right on the beach and appeared very  easy  to use. 

The spa is currently undergoing  some renovation, so all treatments are now performed on the beach (or a room patio if the weather is bad).  A massage at the beach normally costs extra, but now it is included.  An extra little perk for traveling now :)   I enjoyed every moment of my treatment  and was certainly lulled into relaxation a little easier with the sound of the waves.  As I sit here on a rainy  day back in VA having tea, I wish I could go back to that moment....

I will write more about my inspections at  other resorts in the area in another blog post.  Zoëtry Agua  is high on the list of resorts that I will be recommending to my clients---they do a great job of making you feel that you are at your own private resort and I felt very safe during my stay.