Casa De Campo - Our Review
Our Rating:
Casa De Campo is not so much an all-inclusive resort, as a private community and golfers dream. Centred around 3, internationally acclaimed Pete Dye golf courses: Teeth of Dog, Dye fore, Links, the resort has become a mecca for seasoned Golf players looking for a second residence in the sun. Pete Dye declares Teeth of Dog as his best work yet and perhaps this is why it's the only golf course in the Caribbean to be rated in the top 100 by Golf Magazine. Also notable is Town & Country magazine devoting 7 pages of its Fall supplement to a wedding held at St. Stanislaus Church at Altos de Chavon, Casa de Campo.
And the news doesn't end there, Casa De Campo recently announced that the Four Seasons Hotel is to begin construction soon on a $120 million luxury hotel located on 3100 feet of beachfront for opening in winter 2009. The hotel will include family facilities, super suites and a 42,000 square foot spa, sorely missing from Casa De Campo community currently.
If you don't want to wait until then, the resort offers suites in two storey buildings at reasonable rates with all inclusive packages available. Although rooms are a little dated and far from the beach, each has stunning views of the Greens and comes with a golf cart to give you the freedom to explore the grounds at your own pace. 9 restaurants offer you a varied range of dining choices and the daytime/night time nanny service offers the possibility of a romantic dinner or two during your stay.
This residential community is akin to a small town and visitors enjoy the same privileges as home owners with access to the horse riding and equestrian centre, marina, shooting range, golf, tennis, polo and a new movie theatre is scheduled to be built in 2008.
The resort has its own fantastic wedding centre with two full time staff dedicated to ensuring that all of the details of your wedding go according to plan, however there are no packaged deals for weddings, everything is a la carte. Unique to Casa de Campo is the 16th Century replica of a Mediterranean Village at Altos Chavon equipped with the charming St. Stanislaus Catholic Church which offers a stunning ceremony option with breathtaking hilltop views of the Chavon river and valley below.
The beauty of Casa De Campo is the ability to not only utilize hotel rooms, but also to book entire luxury villas which can house wedding parties or families and cut on accommodation costs. On the downside, I found the beach a tad disappointing in comparison to other resorts.
Children won't get bored at Casa De Campo, the age appropriate children's playground caters to under 5's, and for older kids there is horseriding, shooting, beaching, watersports, or sailing lessons.
Before you know it you'll feel like you belong at Casa De Campo. You'll certainly not want to leave.
The Details
Guestrooms start at $178 off season ranging to $345 per night; $375 - $778 peak season per night;
All inclusive supplemental packages are available. A 5 bed villa with a pool will run you around $1790 per night.
Wedding packages are custom priced.
Review By Sonya Alvino
