The Royal Suites at Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Resort
The Royal Suites is the suite-only tier of the Lifestyle Holidays complex on Cofresi Beach, just west of Puerto Plata on the Dominican Republic's north coast. It is six low-rise Mediterranean-style buildings around a private pool, a short walk from the sand, inside a sprawling campus whose other sections include Lifestyle Tropical, Cofresi Palm, Crown & Residence Suites and Presidential Suites. That context shapes everything. You get more space and quiet than the Tropical side, all-inclusive food and drink, and the run of a campus that works like a small resort town. You are also staying at a timeshare operation that saves its best venues for members.
Things to Know
- Timeshare Property
- Timeshare Pressure
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +Suite-only accommodation in six low-rise Mediterranean-style buildings wrapped around their own pool, a much quieter corner than the big Lifestyle Tropical side of the complex
- +One- and two-bedroom suites both sleep four and come with a king bed, private balcony, fridge and coffee machine, so a family of four is not squeezed into one hotel room
- +Trapiche Paradise, the complex's Tex-Mex restaurant, sits inside the Royal Suites section itself, so one dinner option is a stroll from your door
- +Non-member guests can still pick from a long a la carte list across the campus: Rodizio Brazilian churrascaria and El Pilón Dominican at Cofresi Palm, Bellini Italian at Residence Suites, Indochine Asian fusion, Blue Lagoon Caribbean grill and Moomtaz Thai
- +Included activities are generous for the price tier: two gyms, tennis, basketball and pickleball courts, bicycles, non-motorized water sports, pool games and evening shows
- +Real kids' programming: a supervised kids club (9am to noon and 2pm to 5pm), three children's pools, a mini disco before the nightly show and a teen club for 13 to 17 year olds
- +Puerto Plata puts real sights within reach: Ocean World is a five-minute walk, the cable car up Isabel de Torres is about ten minutes by car, and the Victorian old town and Amber Museum about twenty
Cons
- −Lifestyle Holidays is a timeshare operation first, and guest accounts consistently describe persistent, sometimes misleading sales pitches aimed at non-member guests
- −The two-tier setup is official, not just a feeling: the operator's own dining page marks more than a dozen venues members only, including Jazz French bistro, Blues, Intimates, ZEN, Tapas Lounge and VIP Simply Gourmet
- −Maintenance is inconsistent by guest accounts, with some suites praised and others reported with odors, mold or broken fixtures in the same weeks
- −Both buffets, Casablanca and The Pearl, are over at The Tropical, a real walk from the Royal Suites, and guest opinion on their variety and quality is mixed at best
- −Most a la carte dinners need a reservation (Rodizio, Indochine, Blue Lagoon, Moomtaz, and dinner at El Pilón and Bellini), and prime slots go quickly
- −You are a short walk from Cofresi Beach rather than on it, and the campus is large enough that the first day or two goes on working out where everything is
- −Getting problems fixed can mean long waits, and guests say the result depends heavily on which staff member you reach
The suites come in one- and two-bedroom layouts that both sleep four, with a king bed, balcony, fridge and coffee machine. Dining runs on two levels. Non-members get the Casablanca and The Pearl buffets at The Tropical plus reservation-only a la carte dinners at Rodizio, Indochine, Blue Lagoon, Moomtaz, El Pilón and Bellini, with Trapiche Paradise right in the Royal Suites section. More than a dozen other venues, from the Jazz French bistro to the VIP beach grills, are marked members only. Included activities cover two gyms, tennis, basketball and pickleball, bikes, non-motorized water sports and evening shows, and the Yin Yang Spa is on site. Guest accounts praise the rooms when they are in good shape but report uneven maintenance and frequent timeshare approaches.
This suits families and budget-minded couples who want suite space and plenty of dinner variety, and who will say no to sales presentations firmly and early. Inside the complex the Royal Suites is a top tier: its published starting rate is about three times what Lifestyle Tropical's is. Against the wider Dominican market it remains cheap for a suite and nowhere near Zoetry or Sublime Samaná on polish. Kids get a proper club, three children's pools and a teen club. Ocean World is a five-minute walk away, and the Isabel de Torres cable car, Fort San Felipe and the Amber Museum are a short drive.
Common Questions
How do I avoid the timeshare sales pitch?
Which restaurants can non-members actually use?
What makes the Royal Suites different from the rest of the Lifestyle complex?
Is it good for families?
How reliable is the room quality?
What is worth doing in Puerto Plata?
What's nearby
Macao Beach25 min drive · 7.6 mi
More things to do (19)
- Bávaro Beach · beach50 min drive · 20 mi
- Playa Blanca · beach55 min drive · 29 mi
- Juanillo Beach · beach60 min drive · 32 mi
- Cap Cana Marina · marina60 min drive · 32 mi
- Higüey · town55 min drive · 22 mi
- Arena Gorda Beach · beach40 min drive · 15 mi
- Los Corales · town40 min drive · 17 mi
- Cana Bay Golf Club · golf35 min drive · 12 mi
- Iberostar Bávaro Golf Club · golf35 min drive · 15 mi
- White Sands Golf Course · golf35 min drive · 15 mi
- Cocotal Golf & Country Club · golf40 min drive · 19 mi
- Vista Cana Golf Club · golf45 min drive · 21 mi
- Catalonia Caribe Golf Club · golf45 min drive · 23 mi
- Dolphin Explorer · adventure park50 min drive · 25 mi
- Barceló Bávaro Golf · golf55 min drive · 21 mi
- Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia, Higüey · historic site55 min drive · 22 mi
- Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park · nature60 min drive · 30 mi
- Dolphin Island Park · adventure park60 min drive · 21 mi
- Deep-sea fishing charter · excursion60 min drive · 32 mi
Amenities
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Seaweed & sargassum
Punta Cana gets sargassum, typically worst May through August.See the month-by-month guide →Google Reviews★ 4.3 · 31 reviews
“The 1 BR was absolutely amazing! Full kitchen, dining room, living room, keeping room off the kitchen, large patio, nice bedroom and huge bathroom with access from the foyer and the bedroom. Additionally, the room was so wonderfully decorated! My f...”
“Great hotel, no waste.”
“The food is good.”
