La Guappa

La Guappa is a seven-bedroom villa in the Arrecife enclave of Puntacana Resort & Club, with the ocean on one side and the golf course on the other, a cook, a butler and a housekeeper on call around the clock, and the nearest beach under 500 metres away. Sixteen guests, a gym, a dining table for twelve and an outdoor kitchen for the evenings.

Seven en-suite bedrooms sleep sixteen: two kings, a room with two queens, three rooms with two double beds and a twin room. We’d put it forward for a multi-family holiday where the grandparents want the staff and the teenagers want the beach and the tennis centre, both a three-minute golf cart ride away. Of the Punta Cana villas we place, it’s the one for sixteen who want to be looked after.

THE HOUSE

High ceilings run through the social rooms, with an air-conditioned dining room for twelve, a sofa lounge, a balcony and a terrace with seating inside and out. The kitchen is fully equipped, down to the ice maker, dishwasher and coffee machine, and a second outdoor kitchen with a barbecue and gas grill handles dinner outside. A gym, a washer and dryer, cable and smart TV, Wi-Fi, a safe and a welcome pack on arrival complete the picture.

THE BEDROOMS

Every bedroom has its own bathroom, air-conditioning and a ceiling fan. Two have king beds, one has two queens for a family of four, three have two double beds each and the seventh has twin beds. One of the bathrooms comes with its own private hot tub; all have hairdryers and toiletries.

THE POOL AND THE SETTING

The pool comes with a patio and a lawn and garden, the golf course in front of the house and the ocean close by. Beach towels are in the house, and the Oscar de la Renta Tennis Center and the beach are each a three-minute ride by golf cart, which the concierge can rent for you. The villa is inside the gates of Puntacana Resort & Club, which runs seven restaurants and bars, 45 holes of golf, twelve tennis courts, two beaches, a nature reserve and a marina.

THE STAFF

A cook, a butler and a housekeeper are at the guests’ disposal around the clock. The concierge arranges the rest: chef services, grocery shopping, airport transfers, golf cart rental, yacht and catamaran charters, fishing, excursions, car and bike rental, a personal trainer, a massage therapist, live music and decorations, all on request. Breakfast can be booked.

THE RULES

Quiet hours run from 10 pm to 9 am, parties and events need written approval, smoking is for designated outdoor areas only, and pets are accepted only with written authorisation before arrival. The resort asks for the ID or passport of every guest at least 48 hours before check-in. A refundable damage deposit of 10 per cent of the rent is taken on arrival and returned five days after check-out.

THE LOCATION

Puntacana Village, just outside the resort gates, has eight restaurants, plus bars, shops and a pharmacy, and the Blue Mall is a short distance away. For how a staffed house in this resort actually runs, from the first grocery order to the last dinner, our guide to provisioning a Punta Cana villa walks through it.

To check dates or request a quote for La Guappa, write to [email protected].