CARIBBEAN

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – His presence is tangible in the generous, sunny rooms at PUNTACANA Resort & Club’s Tortuga Bay: world-renowned fashion designer Oscar de la Renta may be famous for his chic and dazzling designs in the world of fashion, but his influence at the most luxurious resort in the Caribbean is centered around simplicity, open spaces and beautifully crafted furniture.

Tortuga Bay is a new community of distinguished villas within the exclusive PUNTACANA Resort & Club, situated on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. Located in a private enclave of the 23 square mile Caribbean resort, where de la Renta and Julio Iglesias keep homes, Tortuga Bay includes 15 luxurious beachfront villas offering unrivalled luxury, privacy, security and five-star service for “people who expect the exceptional.”

All one, two, three and four bedroom villas have been designed by de la Renta and are perched along five miles of immaculate private beach with every convenience at arms length.

With respect to the raw beauty of the resort’s setting, the villas are brought to life with a palette of natural island colors, along with an authentic combination of wicker and wood furnishings and luxurious linens to create a look that is at once luminous, serene and utterly elegant.

Each villa boasts a wealth of lavish amenities, including Frette linens, plasma TV’s in both the bedrooms and living areas, DVD players, Jacuzzi bath tubs and separate showers, private outdoor dining areas, and a mini-bar stocked with a plethora of decadent necessities such as Fiji water, fine wine and chocolate chip cookies.

Delivering the level of service the resort’s most exclusive guests have come to expect, Villa Managers are always on hand to assist guests of Tortuga Bay with a wide variety of services.

One Villa Manager is appointed for every two residences and may be reached via a complimentary mobile phone to arrange for anything from nanny services to VIP transportation to private dinner parties. Guests of Tortuga Bay are also each provided with a private golf cart for exploring the breathtaking grounds of the property.

“We pride ourselves on offering the highest level of service and discretion to our guests by an international staff that are inherently gracious, affable and spirited,” says Vincenzo Calcerano, General Manager of Tortuga Bay.

The Six Senses Spa at the resort offers a wide range of holistic wellness, rejuvenation and beauty treatments to balance the senses - all administered under the guidance of expert therapists from around the world. With eight indoor private treatment rooms and four outdoor palapas built upon a breathtaking deck overlooking the expansive beach and sea, the Spa is a contemporary sanctuary set amidst natural surroundings designed to rejuvenate and revitalize mind, body and soul.

Tortuga Bay’s private pool area is set amongst lush gardens backing onto the Caribbean and offers wireless Internet access for those who find it hard to unplug. A laptop rental service is also available. Guests may choose to dine at the resorts’ eight international restaurants, including Bamboo, which is within Tortuga Bay and has also been decorated by de la Renta.

With an atmosphere that is at once intimate, cozy and refined, Bamboo offers an array of light fare such as sushi, and salad and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Room service is also available from 7 a.m.-11p.m. Tortuga Bay is located within a unique complex offering a variety of facilities that can only be found in a property conceived, constructed and managed with a strong ecological consciousness.

The property was the recipient of the Leading Hotels of The World prestigious Commitment to Excellence Awards in December of 2007.

In addition to the a Six Senses Spa, the resort also boasts a golf course designed by P.B. Dye, a full service marina, a horse ranch, several gated residential communities, a private nature reserve, and an international biodiversity center (The PUNTACANA Ecological Foundation) where scholar groups from prestigious universities such as Harvard, Columbia and Cornell are regularly hosted to conduct research and educational programs on eco issues.

Whether arriving by private plane or by one of the numerous carriers flying daily to Punta Cana, guests of Tortuga Bay are greeted as VIPs at Punta Cana International Airport (owned and operated by Grupo Punta Cana, the resort’s developers), where they are met upon arrival and swiftly escorted through both immigration and customs, and then whisked to the resort, just 10 minutes away.