W Punta Cana All-Inclusive Resort: Book Online

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.

W Hotels is officially stepping into the all-inclusive arena — but true to form, the brand isn’t merely joining the category, it’s rewriting the rules. With the grand opening of W Punta Cana, the 26-year-old lifestyle hotel marquee is reshaping a category long synonymous with wristbands and buffet lines into something more design-driven and wellness-forward.

For George Fleck, Senior Vice President and Brand Leader of W Hotels, the move marks a natural evolution for the brand, and an overdue answer to what younger travelers actually want from the model.

“All-inclusive was always known for ‘all you can eat, all you can drink,’” Fleck tells Variety. “But today, people value the freedom to focus on the experience itself — to not worry about signing checks or feeling forced into entertainment they didn’t choose. There’s something almost cheeky about grabbing a drink or snack without thinking about it. It’s the ultimate freedom to design your own trip.”

Located between Punta Cana’s lush jungle and electric-blue shoreline, the new-build resort serves as W’s global entry point into the segment. The adults-only property, developed in partnership with Grupo Puntacana and MAC Hotels, features 340 rooms and suites starting at 700 square feet, all with king beds and bathtubs. 46 suites come with swim-ups, and several offer full private pools, a rarity on the island.

For Fleck, choosing Punta Cana was strategic. “The destination is spectacular, and it’s already known for all-inclusive,” he says. “We wanted our first proof point to be in a market where travelers understand the category and where we could show them a completely different side of it.”

Instead of the typical wristband-and-megabuffet experience, W Punta Cana unfolds like a contemporary, open-air village. Spain’s Zanobia Arquitectura infused the grounds with Dominican textures — larimar blues, tobacco-toned woods, nods to colonial architecture and native fauna — while keeping density intentionally low. Winding jungle paths, endemic flora and hidden pockets of privacy break up the 340-room footprint into what feels like a cluster of boutique enclaves.

“The biggest learning for us was that people don’t want to feel overstimulated,” Fleck says. “You don’t need a DJ at the pool all day. You don’t need everyone eating in the same massive dining room. Luxury doesn’t mean constant entertainment — it means choice.”

Last weekend, to celebrate the launch, W Punta Cana hosted dozens of talent across media, fashion and lifestyle paces to experience the resort, pictured below.

That philosophy shaped the resort’s 12 restaurants, bars and lounges. One night, guests can perch at the Pan-Asian Noodle Bar with 30 others; the next, they can book a candle-lit, à-la-carte dinner of fresh-caught fish at the beachfront club. Trade Market, a new food-hall concept for the island, offers globally inspired street-food counters, while Scena elevates Caribbean-influenced flavors.

Meanwhile, the AWAY Spa includes a steam room, sauna, Himalayan salt room and striking indoor pool, while sunrise yoga and restorative rituals take advantage of Punta Cana’s natural setting. A 1,500-square-foot FIT gym is open 24/7, resonating with the millennial and Gen Z travelers Fleck says are increasingly prioritizing routine — even (and especially) on vacation.

“As long as you know you have variety and choice,” Fleck says, “it becomes this wonderfully freeing way to travel. You can go big, you can take it slow, you can drift between experiences. It’s all about having the freedom to live in the moment.”