Falcon's Resort by Meliá | All Suites Punta Cana Has Every Family Member Covered

Every family who wants to travel together needs to find that sweet spot: A way for the kids to have fun and parents to actually relax. It’s a tough set of priorities and let’s be honest, it almost never happens. As a single mom of four I’ve tried it all: Beach trips that were more for me than for them, theme park visits that were more for them than for me. Hotels that didn’t fit us all, road trips that weren’t for anyone.

But now I have found the sweet spot — not just for my family but I’m guessing for most families. After five days at Falcon’s Resort By Meliá|All Suites Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, I finally learned that you should just go find a place where they’ve figured it all out for you.

Where is the Falcon’s Resort?

Falcon's Resort by Meliá | All Suites Punta Cana is a city on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic jutting out between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Bavaro Beach is just a 10-minute walk or a 5-minute golf cart ride down gorgeous garden paths, where people take advantage of the gorgeous weather to try kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, or maybe just napping on the daybeds lining the sand for Falcon’s Resort guests.

There is an international airport in Punta Cana with direct flights daily from many major American cities, and there is a shuttle to take you from the airport to Falcon’s Resort in about 30 minutes. Easy as pie.

How much does the Falcon's Resort by Meliá cost?

Falcon's Resort by Meliá | All Suites Punta Cana is a true all-inclusive, with food and drinks included in your price to make life easier for a relaxing holiday. Your price also includes at least one visit to Katmandu Park, and if you upgrade to a BeyondMe visit, your family will get a multi-day pass to the bespoke theme park just five minutes from the resort. A seven-night stay for a family of four starts at around $2,500 without flight, and there are plenty of opportunities for discounted rates on the Falcon’s Resort website.

The rooms at Falcon's Resort by Meliá are all-suites and all-incredible.

One of the most frustrating things about traveling with families is the one-size-fits-all hotel room. A room with two queen beds, a small bathroom, and if you’re super lucky, a mini fridge. Which is fine if you’re a family of parents with one or two kids, I guess, but what about families with more than two kids or kids who don’t want to share a bed or — here’s a thought — families who want a little privacy?

Falcon's Resort by Meliá | All Suites Punta Cana is a 5-star resort featuring Beyond suites where every room features a king-sized bed in the bedroom, a rain shower and huge separate tub in the bathroom, a living room with a Smart TV, dining area that will fit the entire family and oh yes, a huge sun deck complete with hot tub.

These Beyond Suites, which you can access by the coolest little waterproof bracelet you receive on arrival, range in size from 800 to 2290 square feet, plenty of room for families, especially if you decide to go for the connected room option. The decor is warm and tasteful, the beds are genuinely so comfortable that you won’t want to wake up in the morning, and because this is an all-inclusive experience, your kitchen is always stocked with cold drinks and tasty snacks.

Falcon's Resort by Meliá | All Suites Punta Cana amenities

Katmandu Park Punta Cana

Katmandu Park Punta Cana isn’t the only reason to visit Falcon's Resort by Meliá | All Suites Punta Cana for parents, but it’s definitely up there. It’s a bespoke theme park just a five-minute shuttle ride away with state of the art rides like the Voyage of the Fathom Wanderer, Challenge of the Mad Mage, and the interactive experience game Etherquest. Your kids will tire themselves out (and you will too) by testing your courage on High Point Adventure, a challenging rope obstacle course complete with bridges and cargo nets to cross. A little too adventurous for you? Check out the magical Expedition mini golf or test your agility by taking a run through the Quadago, an indoor obstacle course with rope swings, spider walls, and crawl tubes. Guests who upgrade to the Beyond Me package get a multi-day pass, while standard guests of Falcon’s Resort receive a complimentary one day pass to visit Katmandu Park with the family. All of your favorite theme park snacks are on site including delicious churros and amazing tacos from on-site Fire & Spice food truck.

9 resort-site restaurants with *actual* good food

Before my visit to Falcon's Resort by Meliá | All Suites Punta Cana, every friend I have told me not to expect much from the food at an all-inclusive. “It’s not about the food,” one friend said, which was terrible news because for me it’s always about the food. They could not have been more wrong. Every hour of every day there are multiple delicious options available for even the pickiest of eaters. I ate amazing fresh sushi at Tori, dined on Peruvian specialties at Machu, spent most of my mornings eating churros and donuts (with fresh-pressed green juices for balance) from the enormous all-day buffet restaurant Origen, and perhaps best of all, took a quick shuttle to the beach to enjoy a mimosa and some brunch at Alula. For sports fans there’s Rubi Rocks, where kids can play pool and table tennis and snack on yummy appetizers. There was even a sweet little cafe in the lounge called Nest where they served lattes and cookies all day.

For parents, definitely hit up Nube for a delicious, individualized cocktail invented on the spot by the friendliest bartenders ever.

“Resortainment” at the resort and on the beach

Beyond spending fun-filled days at Katmandu Park, there is so much going on at Falcon's Resort by Meliá | All Suites Punta Cana you would be hard-pressed to get it all in. I wandered down to Bavaro Beach, either a 10 minute walk past lush gardens and beautiful scenery or a quick golf cart ride, to try a little yoga on the beach. There was also a full-blown foam party on the beach I sadly missed because I was getting a sumptuous hour-long massage, but I understand it was incredible. You could spend long, relaxing days at the beach, or head on back to get in a little resortainment by taking part in tennis, painting workshops, aqua aerobics, or something called water jumping that looked like fun. At night, there’s salsa dancing, mermaids swimming around the pool, live music, roller skate night, and I even experienced my first ever silent disco with dueling deejays. Watching the kids dance around with their headphones on under the stars… it was enchanting. The entertainment rotates every night, so you’ll never be bored.

BLAST! Water park is fun for every age, even old moms

BLAST! Water park is a quick walk from pretty much any suite at the resort, and it’s kind of a perfect way to spend an afternoon. Again, the staff here makes it so much easier for parents to enjoy time with their kids. I watched one staff member play catch with a little boy for ages, and this was sort of the way it was everywhere. Even when this old mom right here decided to take a few turns on the water slides after a Presidente beer or two, everyone who worked there was just lovely.

Maia Signature Spa

After an afternoon pretending you are a kid again at BLAST!, you are going to want to head over to the Maia Signature Spa for some much-deserved pampering. I went in for the full massage and came out a different woman. Nicer, funnier. Prettier too probably. You can hang out in the private spa pool afterwards, drink a tea or a cocktail, and bask in the sunshine, and plan the next day’s spa visits. There’s a full spa menu available.

The Habitat Club for kids

As for what your kids will do while you’re pampering, they’ll have the time of their lives when you drop them off at the Habitat Club. This is basically like an amazing summer camp for kids, complete with ping pong tables, crafts, games, an art zone, cooking area, and video games. Best of all, there’s a pint-sized ring light set up to capture those perfect kid vacation selfies with all the new friends they’ll be making.

After my visit to Falcon's Resort by Meliá | All Suites Punta Cana, I’m sold on the concept. A bit of luxury, a bit of theme park, and best of all… more good food than I can ever eat in this lifetime. Without me having to plan a thing. It’s a mom’s dream.