The Sunscape Punta Cana is not just getting a new name but a $25 million dollar new look when it becomes the Dreams Palm Beach Punta Cana this year.  Located in the Dominican Republic, this new look resort boasts state of the art amenities and enhancements that will assure the satisfacation of both past and new vacationers.  The Dreams brand is showcasing 500 lush guest rooms with 40 suites, and a 24-hour room service, bars in and outside of the room, and many gourmet dinner options.  The rooms will be equipped with new beds, new furniture, MP3 hook ups, flat screen TVs renovated bathroom and a new look interior design.

The preferred Lounge inside the resort is gone but only to make way for a new more extravagant Lounge and pool area.  In addition to various Jacuzzis and gazebos there will be wireless Internet throughout the hotel for the guests to roam unplugged at all times.  The Palm Beach Punta Cana has also revived and recharged their dinning experience.  There are now four new gourmet resaurants with a menu boasting over 30 invigorating changes.

For even more entertainment the old convention center will be turned into a Desires Nightclub and Music Lounge and Casino and a new Convention Center consisting of over 2,200 square feet will be added.

 The Occidental Grand Punta Cana Sits on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, on Bavaro Beach, in Punta Cana.  This five-star, all-inclusive property offers luxury amenities just feet away from the turquoise waters and white sands of Bavaro Beach. 

 Within the resort, there are 877 rooms, all casually decorated in upscale, Caribbean style.  And all rooms include scenic views, a private terrace or balcony, cable television, large bathrooms with large tubs, and a stocked mini bar.  Also available is the exclusive Royal Club, where you can get all the luxury services you could hope for.  When staying in a Royal Club room or suite, you are given access to a private restaurant, pool, Jacuzzi and reserved beach area, and are given the added extras of a special concierge, bar service, and more.

 The resort offers nonstop, all-day activity and sports schedules, featuring the likes of rifle and target shooting, ping-pong, tennis, kayaking, horseback riding, windsurfing, aerobics, beach football, snorkeling, volleyball, water polo, scuba clinic at the pool, and more.  And all guests can take advantage of the resort’s three pools, the secluded beach (which comes with lounge and towel service), the Kids Club (where children can take part in special, supervised activities), and the resorts convenience amenities (among which are laundry services, safety deposit boxes, money exchange, babysitting services, motor sports, nearby golf, gift shops, photo shops, salon and spa, and more.

 You will have no need to leave the comfort of the resort, even when dining.  With everything included, from meals to snacks to drinks, you won’t have any worries as you take your choice from one of the resort’s eight restaurants, or eight bars and lounges.  Among their restaurants are: La Giralda (which features an international cuisine buffet), D’Oriental (which serves up savory Asian dishes), the Las Reses Grill Steakhouse (which serves grilled specialties), Via Veneto (which specializes in tasty Italian), La Hacienda (where you’ll find more authentic Mexican dishes), and casual dining at: The La Fontana Pizzeria, the Home Rum snack bar and the Oceanside Beach Club.  Their eight bars include: two Giralda bars, Bar Yun Yun, La Bodega Bar, La Bodeguita Bar, El Lago, Bar Hundido, Bar Las Marisimas and Bar La Fontata.  And there is the Mangu Disco Lounge, which serves as a sports bar until 11:00 pm, and then a disco from then on until dawn.

 On the Dominican Republic’s east coast, the small region of La Romana offers an unspoiled, quite area that lacks the commercial elements found in the more popular destinations, which makes it ideal for relaxation and getting away, and is one of the most authentic regions in the country.  La Romana is covered in hidden beaches and miles of natural landscape, making it an extremely beautiful destination. 

 And in La Romana, you will find the 7,00-acre Casa de Campo resort.  Built in 1990, it was designed to resemble a 16th century Mediterranean village.  They achieved this goal with cobblestone streets, stone carvings, fountains, shaded pathways, and arts to celebrate the culture of the Dominican Republic.

 Within this village you will find 300 hotel rooms, 1,600 villas, 10 restaurants, eight bars, 250-slip marina and yacht club, 18 swimming pools, shopping plazas, the private Minitas beach, a 5,000-seat open-air amphitheater, an equestrian center, museums, the luxury Cygalle Healing Spa, the artist’s community of Altos de Chavon, and golf carts provided for free for you to easily commute through the resort.

 All 300 hotel rooms come with patios, large bathrooms and all-inclusive options.  Their Los Altos residence features one, two and three bedroom, luxury units.  And most of their 1,600 villas have their own private pools and butlers, and some come with beachfront locations.  They are looking to add more villas through their renovation.  Celebrities such as Sammy Sosa, Oscar de la Renta and Beyonce, have chose to stay in these rooms and villas in the past.

 Casa de Campo is also known for its three award-winning, 18-hole, Pete Dye designed golf courses.  Top golfers visit here regularly for both tournaments and leisure.  And their legendary “Teeth of the Dog” course is the only known course with seven holes along the Caribbean Sea.

 Among the Dominican Republic’s many popular destinations, Cap Cana has been rising in the ranks to one of the most popular.  And due to Cap Cana’s new found popularity, they have been upgrading and adding to make this hotspot even more of an accepted destination.

 Many hotels are going through renovations this year, such as Sanctuary Cap Cana Golf & Spa and the Golden Bear Lodge, two of Cap Cana’s most popular hotels.  Five-star Sanctuary Cap Cana Golf & Spa will have 176 suites after the renovation.  The Golden Bear Lodge will run as a hotel-boutique and will feature gold, wine, fishing, tennis, and spa.  Also renovated will be; the Altabella Fishing Lodge, a five star hotel consisting of 130 suites and 290 luxury apartments, Trump at Cap Cana, which will include a golf course, condo-hotels, beach club, and golf villas.  The NH Group from Spain is developing Sotogrande at Cap cana, a boutique style beach hotel with 428 luxury apartments.  And to add to the luxury of Cap Cana, Ritz-Carlton is developing “The Ritz-Carlton, Cap Cana,” which will feature 220 bedrooms, a residential beach and golf project, and a variety of luxury amenities.

No one likes layovers, that’s why we’ve compiled a list of islands you can reach nonstop from the mainland U.S. and Canada.

Antigua - has many white sand beaches and is a popular destination for boaters.  When in Antigua, stay at Siboney Beach Club; a homey, 12-suite inn on Dickenson Bay.

Aruba – 18 miles north of Venezuela, sits just outside the hurricane belt and usually has sunny skies all year-round.  When in Aruba, stay at Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort on Eagle Beach’s white sands.

Bahamas – just a 30-minute flight from the mainland U.S., with mellow beaches and beautiful water.  When in the Bahamas, stay at the Orange Hill Beach Inn, a 30-room inn located on a Nassau snorkeling beach.  You can also try the Paradise Harbour Club & Marina, which has a pool, a Jacuzzi, and free beach shuttles.

Barbados – When in Barbados stay at the Dover Beach Hotel, the rooms are only steps from Turtle Beach and the hotel is only a 15 minute drive from the airport and is within walking distance from St. Lawrence Gap.  Also you can stay at the Sea Breeze Beach Hotel, where all of the beachfront rooms have a balcony or patio.

Cayman Islands – the largest and most populated of the three Cayman Islands is Grand Cayman, where many a diver has fled to look at the Cayman Trench (an underwater canyon that plunges nearly 25,000 feet deep.  When here stay at the Turtle Nest Inn, with has 10 two-bedroom condos and seven one-bedroom apartments, and you can see the ocean from your bed.

Dominican Republic – a main entry point is Santo Domingo, the Republic’s capital, other popular points are La Romana, Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, and Santiago.  When there you can stay at the all-inclusive, adults-only, BlueBay Villas Doradas in Puerto Plata, where romance is easy to rekindle.  Or at Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach near La Romana, this all-inclusive hotel features 530 rooms, three pools, four restaurants and four bars.

Grenada – You can find a laid back atmosphere at Grenada, and can never fear it booming from tourism, as this island has a law stating that buildings cannot be taller than a coconut palm tree.  When here stay at the beachside Coral Cove Cottages located on five acres of hillside gardens.  Or at the La Sagesse, which is found on a secluded beach.

Jamiaca – the main entry points for U.S travelers are Kingston and Montego Bay.  Here you can stay at the all-inclusive Starfish Trelawny Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, which houses five pools, waterslides, a beach, water sports and activities.

 Yes, we all know the Dominican Republic is well-known for their breathtaking scenery and beautiful beaches, but now everyone is going there for their spa needs.  The Dominican Republic offers many spas, many of which are located in their hotel or resort of choice, that offer beautiful décor, a relaxing environment and an attentive staff for all their clients.

 When going to a spa within your hotel or resort, many perks come with the package.  You are given the choice of where you would like your treatments, be it in a treatment room, cabana, on the beach underneath a thatched-roof hut, in your room, or on your patio or terrace.  These spas in the Dominican Republic offer everything from massages to salon services.  They offer massages such as Swedish, deep tissue, head and scalp, and “four hands” massages that involve two masseurs.  They also offer other amenities such as scrubs, facials, exfoliation, clay therapy, mud wraps, along with treatments designed to prevent aging, jet lag, or soothe a sunburn.  And many of the spas feature natural ingredients-including name-brand skin care products-from Europe, North America, Asia, and around the world.

 And when your not receiving treatments on your terrace or on the beach, you can relax in the hotel or resort’s hot tub, or Jacuzzi, or the steam room or sauna.  You can also take advantage of the hotels’ guided classes in yoga and meditation, their fully equipped gyms, or their salon services that offer manicures, pedicures and beauty treatments. 

No matter what your looking for when it comes to relaxation, be it the beaches, or the spas, Dominican Republic has it all.