This is probably the article most party people going on vacation in the Caribbean have waited for: the best party resorts in Punta Cana. While you find endless lists on the internet with random hotels selected for so-called best-of lists (with resorts that are actually everything else than a Punta Cana Party Resort), the upcoming selection will be a true hand-picked list with all the best party hotels in Punta Cana, which also includes accommodation for a bachelorette party trip or a Punta Cana bachelor party vacation. As we have visited all of those on our own, we can tell you from our own experiences, where you find the best resort parties in Punta Cana, which is the nightly entertainment and where you have to book to encounter the craziest all-inclusive parties in Punta Cana.
This is a list of the best party hotels in Punta Cana. If you’d like to know some general information about accommodation in Punta Cana, you can continue reading all the insider tips on how to find the best all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana and my recommendation on how to save money during an all-inclusive holiday in Punta Cana.
If you’d like to party, definitely check out the article about the Riu Party events and the Punta Cana nightlife guide.
If you are interested in adults-only resorts in Punta Cana, you can read the extensive hotel reviews of Royalton Chic Punta Cana, RIU Palace Macao, RIU República, Catalonia Royal Bavaro, Live Aqua Punta Cana, Melia Punta Cana Adults Only and Secrets Royal Beach.
Overview: the best party resorts in Punta Cana
Contrary to lists on other travel blogs of the best party resorts in the Dominican Republic you can find online which are either AI-generated of where the author have never visited those resorts (which is why you can find many wrong suggestions on those lists, including hotels which have never seen a party), the following selection of the best Punta Cana party resorts only include those all-inclusive hotels in Punta Cana which are perfect for parties, endless fun and massive entertainment. That’s why I would highly recommend to read the entire article, especially as we have only picked the top party resorts and keep this article as helpful and slim as possible.
Still, if you don’t want to read, here is a quick overview of the most fun resorts in Punta Cana if you’re looking for the best parties in the area:
Best budget party resort: Riu República* (read the full Riu Republica review here)
Best upscale party resort: Riu Palace Macao* (read the full Riu Palace Macao review here)
Best resort entertainment (day&night): Hard Rock Punta Cana* (read the full Hard Rock Punta Cana review here)
Best nightlife activity: Coco Bongo Punta Cana* (read the full Coco Bongo review here)
Continue reading if you’d like to know what makes those places the best party all-inclusives in Punta Cana.
The best party resorts in Punta Cana
When checking for the best party resorts in Punta Cana, we have only considered those which offer you the REAL party experience. But, this doesn’t mean that you have to party all day. All of the following resorts also offer sufficient quiet zones and are suitable for different kind of travelers. And just because there is a party at one place of the resort doesn’t mean that you can’t relax in another area, especially as most of the party resorts recommended here are pretty huge. Therefore, check out the following suggestions and recommendations, which are ALL based on our own experiences we made at each resort.
Riu República
When looking for the best party resort in Punta Cana, there is not much doubt about it that the No. 1 spot goes to Riu República. It is the only resort that I would call 100% a party resort, as parties here are happening every day, the crowd is super animated and the resort hosts a full party schedule. Among all all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana, Riu República also has the youngest crowd, which is no wonder considering it is a very affordable all-inclusive resort as well.
Riu República itself is a pretty large resort with more than 1000 rooms. While you shouldn’t expect the most personalized service, the quality is outstanding considering it is one of the cheapest hotels in Punta Cana. There are plenty of restaurants, including super delicious Indian, Asian and Italian dinners, along with an impressive number of at least 7 pools (depending on how you count it, it could also be 10 or 11 pools). The adults-only resort is located at Arena Gorda Beach, one of Punta Canas’ beautiful beaches. It is only a short ride from the airport to Riu República.
But why is Riu República the No. 1 Punta Cana party resort? Well, just look at the official party schedule and you know why:
Monday: Riu pool party (theme Jungle Party) at Riu Party venue with free shuttles
Wednesday: Riu Get Together party at Riu República
Friday: Riu pool party (theme Pink Party) at Riu Party venue with free shuttles
Saturday: Riu pool party at night (theme Neon Party) at Riu Party venue (no shuttles)
Daily: Pool parties and pool gatherings at Riu República
Daily: Riu Pacha disco at Riu República
Furthermore, it is not only the itinerary that makes Riu República the No. 1 party hotel, but it is also the crowd. Even though you definitely can find your quiet spots (actually a lot of them, among them the beach, the beach bar, some of the pools, the à-la-carte restaurants, the second show stage at night and many places more), most of the people come here to party. This means you’re on vacation in Punta Cana with like-minded people, who just want to have fun, socialize, mingle and enjoy the warmth of the Caribbean (and the free-flowing alcohol from the 13 (!) bars).
By the way, some premium spirits such as Johnny Walker Red Label, Dewars White Label, Smirnoff Vodka or the prestigious Dominican rum Barcelo Imperial are also on the menu and included, hence despite paying very low prices, your drinks come in a decent quality if you ask for those brands.
There are 3 more things you should know about the Riu República party resort in Punta Cana.
1) Another reason why Riu República is the top party resort in Punta Cana is their disco. It is one of the very few discos in Punta Canas resorts that really fills up. I just went there on a random day (which was during the week) and it was super packed. I have not seen any other crowded disco in any other of the all-inclusive hotels in Punta Cana, despite visiting at least 30 of them.
2) Even though most of the parties are happening right at Riu República, you also have access to four weekly parties at the amazing Riu Party venue, even though only two of them (Mondays and Fridays; subject to change) offer free shuttles (for the others you would have to organize your own transportation). Parties here – where all 6 Riu resorts are gathering – are really crazy and those are by far the wildest resort parties in Punta Cana.
3) Even though Riu República is by far the best party resort in Punta Cana, it might not necessarily be the best hotel for you. The crowd is pretty young, usually in their 20s and 30s, hence if you are in your 40s or 50s and like to party in Punta Cana with some people of the same age, better pick one of the other party all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana listed further below. It is also a basic resort in some terms, hence if you’re looking for a more upscale experience, check out the options further below, especially Riu Palace Punta Cana, Hard Rock Punta Cana or Royalton Chic.
For further experiences at Riu República, please check out the Riu República review as we have explained all the details there regarding the parties and what you should know before going.
The Top 3 features making this hotel one of the best Punta Cana party resorts:
– the most social and ready-to-party crowd among all resorts in Punta Cana
– 4 massive weekly parties and daily pool parties
– most crowded (and best party!) disco among all Punta Cana all-inclusive resorts
Riu Palace Macao
The silver medal among Punta Canas party resorts goes to – Riu, again. This time it is Riu Palace Macao, which takes the medal substitutional for the three Riu Palace hotels, Riu Palace Macao, Riu Palace Bavaro and Riu Palace Punta Cana.
In case you don’t like Riu, I am sorry to mention Riu twice at the top of this article, but this is my personal opinion (and not a sponsored post!). But it is without a doubt that the Punta Cana parties at the Riu Party venue are the best, the wildest and the most entertaining parties you can find as an all-inclusive resort guest in Punta Cana.
Let’s explain quickly the concept of the Riu Party events. This is a separate venue within the huge Riu property in Punta Cana, which is accessible by foot from all 4 Riu hotels (Riu Palace Macao, Riu Palace Bavaro, Riu Palace Punta Cana and Riu Bambu) and by a free shuttle (only for two weekly parties) from Riu República. In total, there are 4 weekly pool parties at the Riu Party venue, which is a mix of pools and bars. The parties are the best Punta Cana parties you can find and I can guarantee you 100% that you will have a blast. Entrance is free, drinks are included, the DJ does a great job and simply everyone there is ready to party. This is why Riu Party Punta Cana is a must if you are looking for the best all-inclusive parties in Punta Cana.
The party schedule for Riu Party when staying at Riu Bambu or any of the Riu Palace hotels is as follows:
Monday: Riu pool party (theme Jungle Party) at Riu Party venue
Wednesday: Riu pool party at night (theme White Party) at Riu Party venue
Friday: Riu pool party (theme Pink Party) at Riu Party venue
Saturday: Riu pool party at night (theme Neon Party) at Riu Party venue
Riu Palace itself is part of the big Riu Resort property and therefore grants you access to all of the 4 weekly Riu pool parties (trust me, once you were there you want to visit all of them). The great thing is, that you combine the quality and peacefulness of the Riu Palace Resort with the wild parties of the Riu Party venue. This means, that if you feel like partying, you head to the Riu pool parties and if you want to relax, you simply stay at the property.
For this overview of the best party resorts in Punta Cana, I picked Riu Palace Macao as it got completely renovated in 2023 and therefore is currently the most modern all-inclusive resort within Riu Punta Cana. Furthermore, it is the only adults-only all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana’s Riu complex (besides Riu República, which is located in a separate venue). In the end, it doesn’t matter which Riu Palace you’re going to decide on, the level of food, drinks and other services are very similar and all of them grant you access to the Punta Cana pool parties at the Riu Party venue.
If you’d like to know more about our experiences, check out the Riu Party review.
All of the Riu Palace hotels also have access to the Pacha disco, which, however, is not as crowded as the Riu República disco. Drinks are not included at the disco either as it does have public access as well.
The Top 3 features making this hotel one of the best Punta Cana party resorts:
– access to the Riu Party venue with the wild Punta Cana pool parties
– the perfect combination of a relaxed resort with a relatively high standard and access to the 4 parties per week off-resort, just minutes walking away
– access to the disco Riu Pacha, which serves as the disco for 5 resorts with around 3000 rooms
Royalton Chic
To complete the podium, the bronze medal among the best party hotels in Punta Cana goes to Royalton Chic. If you are looking for an adults-only party resort in Punta Cana with particularly high quality when it comes to food, drinks, service, rooms and general hotel amenities, Royalton Chic is your top pick. It offers the highest quality level among all the Punta Cana party resorts mentioned in this article (along with Hard Rock Punta Cana)
Royalton Chic is a rather small all-inclusive resort, which definitely could call itself a boutique resort: small but powerful, as we usually say in German. Particularly the pink design of the resort is predominant and adds a rather sexy vibe to it, along with fancy pools and some of the best restaurants you can find in Punta Canas’ adults-only all-inclusive resorts in the medium to the upper price level. All the buffet breakfasts and lunches we had have been fantastic here (thanks to the gourmet selection of food), same as the dinners at the Italian and Indian restaurant, which had some exceptional flavors. Check out the extensive Royalton Chic review for more information about gastronomy at this particular party hotel.
Concerning the party, Chic by far can’t compete with the crowded spectacles at Rius’ pool parties. But that’s also not the goal of Royalton Chic Punta Cana. Instead, you’ll find a very cozy social atmosphere here, with lots of more intimate smaller parties where it might be easy to get to know people compared to a mega event with 1000 attendees – depending on what kind of traveler you are. Some of those events are pool parties with the entertainment team, social activities, lobby parties or weekly GetTogethers. The crowd here is usually mixed, with the majority being in their 30s and 40s, including some in their 50s.
If you need some alcohol to get the party vibe flowing, Royalton Chic might be the best choice for you among all those party all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. The choice of premium brands here is simply insane and the quality of the cocktails is outstanding. Try the Taboo Bar next to the Indian restaurant as they sometimes have a professional mixologist there who is not only creating unique cocktails, he is celebrating every drink. It might take a while until your drink at this particular bar is ready, but it is well worth this unique experience.
Royalton Chic also has a disco which is open until 2 or 3 am, but don’t count on it to see it overly packed, it is rather a great spot to meet those who still don’t want to sleep after midnight when most of the other bars at Royalton Chic are closing.
The Top 3 features making this hotel one of the best Punta Cana party resorts:
– the highest level of quality (particular food and drinks) among all the party hotels in Punta Cana
– great price-value ratio considering the above-mentioned services and amenities
– lots of social activities and intimate, smaller parties
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana
I wouldn’t call Hard Rock Punta Cana a proper party resort in Punta Cana, but when it comes to entertainment, it is one of the best nightlife all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. This is due to the reason that Hard Rock in my opinion offers the best show acts, particularly when it comes to live music, theatre and group performances. Particularly along Hard Rock Boulevard, which is the center of all the happening at night, you’ll find plenty of entertainment options, including spontaneous performances, celebrity imitations and cool pop-up bars. Therefore, it never gets boring at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana.
Party-wise, you can expect more than average pool activities and high-quality nightly shows. There are one or two pool parties per week (usually around the weekend), live music at least 4 times a week at the Eclipse or Moon Terrace and three times (or more) a week a Live DJ starting at 10 pm or midnight for all night owls
As you can see, your entertainment program is duly filled at Hard Rock Resort Punta Cana, making it one of the best nightlife all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. You also shouldn’t forget the casino, which is the biggest resort casino in Punta Cana (and also open to the public). Furthermore, the atmosphere at Hard Rock Punta Cana is vibrant and there is always a little surprise waiting for you every now and then, hence it is a great choice for people who want to get entertained 24 hours without partying like crazy every night.
Hard Rock Punta Cana is also the biggest standalone resort in Punta Cana with around 1800 rooms. Therefore it caters to a wide range of people and you can be sure to find like-minded travelers, doesn’t matter of your age, family status, sexual orientation or other important factors you might consider when socializing. It is also one of those hotels in Punta Cana perfect for multi-generational travel.
Besides the parties and constant entertainment, Hard Rock offers an enormous selection of 13 pools (including one topless pool), 23 bars and 9 restaurants (+coffee shop, ice cream shop and more). Selection and quality food are outstanding, even not always 100% perfect. A lot of rooms are getting renovated recently, even though there are also some older rooms. The beach at Hard Rock Resort Punta Cana is one of the best among Punta Canas beaches, especially as it is a super wide stretch with a more than mile-long pristine section next to it.
If you choose Hard Rock Punta Cana as your party hotel in Punta Cana, you definitely won’t get bored. Don’t expect resort parties every day until 3 am, but you can be sure to have an amazing day, evening and night every day thanks to the endless activities and entertainment options. And last but not least, the famous Oro Nightclub is now open again on Fridays and Saturdays until 4am (drinks at Oro not included in your all-inclusive package).
The Top 3 features making this hotel one of the best Punta Cana party resorts:
– Punta Cana resort with the most activity and entertainment options
– regular live music and pool parties + occasional live DJs
– endless entertainment at night at the Hard Rock Boulevard, perfect to stroll around and enjoy
Breathless Punta Cana
Approx. 7-8 years ago, Breathless Punta Cana was the No. 1 top party hotel in Punta Cana. Everyone who wanted to party in Punta Cana was heading to Breathless. There was literally no competition as Riu República only has been recently opened back in this time (2016) and didn’t have this strong party focus in its first year, the Riu Party venue was not existing yet and Royalton Chic was catering to a slightly older clientele.
This has changed since then plus the other hotels mentioned before have done a great job marking their path as Punta Canas’ best party resorts. Breathless is still a very decent hotel with lots of parties, even though not as top-notch as it has been before. The all-inclusive resort is located in Uvero Alto and features 11 restaurants and 8 bars. You also have full access to neighboring family resort Dreams Onyx with its stunning water park, which brings the total of restaurants and bars to 22 respectively 16. The Breathless Resort features a sometimes eclectic vibe, the crowd is rather mixed. You’ll find a lot of young people in their 20s and 30s, but also many travelers in their 40s and 50s, which mostly come for the breathless Punta Cana themed nights.
When talking about Breathless Punta Cana as one of the party resorts in Punta Cana, it is impressive that there is a different party every day – and on some days even two (one during the day, one during the night), which is a pretty full schedule. You definitely won’t get bored at Breathless Punta Cana. Due to the massive selection of parties, most of them are not that full like at Riu for example which also makes them less wild – which doesn’t need to be a disadvantage, depending on what you’re looking for.
When watching the weekly party schedule, you’ll see that Breathless is one of the most social resorts in Punta Cana. While you probably won’t experience all of the following parties during your stay, you can see that the variety is as big as in any party resort in Punta Cana: Black Light Pool Party, Champagne Spray Party, Mega Dance Party, Electric House Pool Party, Masquerade Party, Challenging Party, Single Party After Dark, White Beach Party, Gatsby Party, Sense of Place Party, breathless Punta Cana foam party and many more.
The Top 3 features making this hotel one of the best Punta Cana party resorts:
– highest diversity of themed parties at breathless Punta Cana
– eclectic vibe and social crowd
– full access to neighboring Dreams Onyx resort
Riu Bambu
There is another Riu resort on this list of the best Punta Cana party hotels, but this will be a rather short one. In fact, Riu Republica is the best party resort when you’re looking for the youngest crowd and most frequent parties and one of the Riu Palace hotels is perfect when you’d like to combine the quality of the Riu Palace hotels with the wild Punta Cana pool parties at the Riu party venue.
For Riu Bambu, the same rules are applying as for any of the Riu Palace Hotels. You have your stand-alone resort with all the restaurants, activities and amenities, but you can use the shared services of the huge Riu Punta Cana Resort, such as the casino at Riu Palace Macao, the Pacha disco, the huge Punta Cana water park in the resort and – of course – the Riu Party venue with massive pool parties 4 times a week.
Quality-wise (especially when it comes to the room and the food), Riu Bambu is below the Riu Palace hotel, which also affects the price. Riu Bambu is a more affordable resort than the Riu Palace options. On the other hand, Riu Bambu is a more active and social hotel, which means you have more games and fun going on throughout the day and in general a more lively vibe – compared for example to the very quiet atmosphere at Riu Palace Macao.
Compared to the many adults-only party resorts in Punta Cana, Riu Bambu doesn’t have any age restrictions, hence if you are traveling as a group of friends or a big family where the adults want to party (obviously the kids can’t access the Riu Party events), Riu Bambu is the perfect selection for you. Also in case you want to stay close to the Riu pool parties but the Riu Palace options are too expensive for you, Riu Bambu is a great choice. For all other cases, you probably make the better choice with one of the Punta Cana party resorts mentioned above, particularly considering that you have access from Riu Palace to the day and night-time activities of Riu Bambu as well.
The Top 3 features making this hotel one of the best Punta Cana party resorts:
– party resort with free access to the massive Riu pool parties
– lively and social atmosphere throughout the hotel
– affordable option if you want to have fun without breaking the bank
Chic Mansion Villa
Chic Mansion is the best Punta Cana party mansion you can find in the Dominican Republic – particularly when looking for an all-inclusive resort respectively service. It is not necessarily a party resort, but the great (and unique) combination here is that you have your luxurious 6-bedroom villa with 100% privacy, but you still can use all the services (and parties!) of Royalton Chic, which is explained above as the No. 3 of the best party resorts in Punta Cana.
The Chic Punta Cana Party Mansion Villa is located right at Chic Royalton but in a particularly quiet and non-frequented section. You’ll have 100% privacy here thanks to the spectacular amenities, your huge private pool and the exclusive services you’ll enjoy as a mansion guest.
The Royalton Chic Mansion Villa comes with its own pool, several lounge areas and a professional private chef. Furthermore, you can enjoy exclusive services which are otherwise not included when staying at Royalton Chic only, such as a pool cabana for the day (1 per stay), complimentary SUV airport transfers from Punta Cana Airport, a day pass to Royalton Splash water park in Punta Cana and a complimentary C/X Culinary Experience dinner.
As mentioned, you also have full access to Royalton Chic, which means you can participate in all the pool parties and nighttime events at the main resort by just walking for 2-3 minutes. This way you can decide on your own if you want to have a blast just exclusively with your group in your villa or want to socialize and mingle with other guests. Not only because of this unique combination – according to my knowledge it is the only 5-6 bedroom villa in an all-inclusive resort with all the resort services included – it is the most unique Punta Cana party mansion.
The Top 3 features making this hotel one of the best Punta Cana party resorts:
– the only 6-bedroom-villa located in an all-inclusive resort
– free access to all activities, parties, restaurants and bars at party hotel Royalton Chic
– decide on your own if you want to party in your exclusive private pool with your friends or head to the resorts’ activities
In case you’re looking for a villa but don’t want the villa to be located within a resort (for example because you want you own private chef and don’t like the resort entertainment), you can check out the article further below for some suggestion about party villas in Punta Cana.
Hotels that are not a party resort
All the hotels in this list of the best party resorts in Punta Cana are thoroughly hand-picked and chosen with our first-hand experiences. That’s what differentiates Punta Cana Travel Blog from other websites offering the same content, but different hotels.
I don’t want to do any kind of bashing against some of the big travel websites out there, but knowing most of the hotels in Punta Cana, my hair stands on end when I am seeing some of the (computer-generated) recommendations on those pages.
For example, Tripadvisor lists Tortuga Bay Resort as one of the best party resorts in Punta Cana. This is one of the quietest and most exclusive hotels in Punta Cana (and not an all-inclusive resort). You’ll find definitely everything here, everything except a party.
Oyster is listing – among others – Secrets Royal Beach, HM Bavaro Beach and Iberostar Dominicana as some of the best party hotels in Punta Cana. I hope you don’t follow these recommendations. Secrets Royal Beach is an awesome adults-only resort, as you can see in our extensive Secrets Royal Beach review, but besides some drinking on the pool bar during the day and the typical nightly show, there are not many parties going on. HM Bavaro Beach is the cheapest all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana (not bad at all), but they don’t have any space to host any kind of party. And Iberostar Dominicana is more of a family resort in Punta Cana instead of a Punta Cana Party Resort.
Trip101 also has a list of the best party all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. You should be careful here as well because they include Royalton Bavaro, Vista Sol and Luxury Bahía Ambar among their recommendations, which are definitely no party resorts in Punta Cana. Royalton Bavaro is a great hotel, but mainly for families, couples and all kinds of travelers who want to relax during their holiday in Punta Cana. Luxury Bahía Ambar is more social and active, but it would be better to mention the Bahía Aquamarine as a Punta Cana party hotel, as this focuses on a similar clientele than at Breathless or Royalton Chic. And Vista Sol is an easy-going affordable all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, but they don’t have any parties as long as you don’t leave the resort
As you can see, when choosing the best party resorts in Punta Cana, read some personal experiences so you can be sure that it is indeed a hotel that matches your needs.
The best party villas in Punta Cana (ideal for groups)
In case you prefer a vacation rental or a villa for your party vacation in Punta Cana, you can find several options as well. The advantage here is that you can absolutely go according to your own pace and have usually your private housekeeping staff and private chefs included (or for an extra fee, depending on the listing). Furthermore, you enjoy personalized service and a lot of further options for customization
Here are some of the best party villas in Punta Cana we can recommend:
– Stunning and super modern 12-bedroom high-end luxury villa with tropical views, max. 24 people: check details here*
– 8-bedroom luxury villa 5 minutes walking away from the beach, max. 16 people: check details here*
– 7-bedroom property 1 minute away from the beach, max. 15 people: check details here*
What else to know when looking for the best party resort in Punta Cana?
When you plan your party vacation to Punta Cana, there are a few things you should know respectively you shouldn’t miss.
First of all, it is recommendable to pre-book your airport transfer in Punta Cana. This is because this is the easiest and in most cases also the cheapest option for getting from the airport to your hotel. You can find everything about Punta Cana airport transportation here.
Second, think about your holiday plans before you are departing for Punta Cana. For example, if you know you want to do 1 or 2 activities and tours, it makes sense to check before your trip which tours you want to do. Like this, you can get the most attractive prices and the best tours, as you can compare reviews. You’ll find a list with explanations of the best Punta Cana excursions here. One of the most famous excursions among travelers to Punta Canas’ party resorts is a trip on the Punta Cana party boat.
Third, if you’re looking to party in Punta Cana outside of your resort at night, there are two options. You can explore the local nightlife (which is a bit difficult as you need to know where to go and be a little bit cautious – check out the Punta Cana nightlife guide here to learn more) or head to Coco Bongo, the most exciting nightlife show and disco in Punta Cana. It is definitely worth the trip, especially if you have more than 2 full days in your resort and want to experience something different than just your resort pool party. Check out the extensive Coco Bongo Punta Cana review for further information.
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CHRIS
Author, Travel Coach & Punta Cana based digital nomad
Hey, I am Chris, a born and raised German, travel-addictive and Caribbean Soul. Since 2011 I have been living in the Caribbean, among them 5 years in the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana is my home-base here in the country and I’d love to tell you more about how to experience Punta Cana off-the-beaten-track and give you all the advice you want to know for your vacation in Punta Cana.
