Mexico’s Largest Hotel Company Bets Big On Travel’s Return With Its First International Resort In Punta Cana

The Dominican Republic has added another luxury property to its stable of world-class resorts with the opening of Live Aqua Beach Resort Punta Cana this month. The debut marks the first foray outside of Mexico for Grupo Posadas, the country’s largest hotel company, which counts eight brands, 180 hotels, and over 28,000 rooms in its expanding portfolio.

With 347 suites in eight different categories, including many with swim-up access or plunge pools, the property presides over a private beach in the Uvero Alto district of Punta Cana. The low-lit lobby bar, which surrounds a striking water feature, sets a sultry, sophisticated tone for the all-inclusive, adults-only hotel, while the sprawling infinity pool takes center stage and offers sweeping ocean views. (Pools comprise nearly 97,000 square feet of the resort.) As for dining and cocktails, guests are spoiled for choice with seven restaurants and eight bars onsite, including a cevicheria and Japanese, French, and Italian eateries. In addition to Live Aqua’s signature Feel Harmony Spa and a state-of-the-art fitness center, the resort boasts some 10,000 square feet of flexible function space for meetings and events.

While some might question the decision to open a hotel during the unprecedented tourism crisis posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Mexico’s leading hotelier is confident in travel’s imminent return.

“I believe the need to travel is an inherent part of being human,” says Enrique Calderón, chief operating officer of Posadas. “We think there’s potential for tourism to bounce back at a very high level by the end of this year.” He points to advance bookings of Posadas properties by incentive groups for 2022 as evidence of the travel industry’s coming rebound.

In the meantime, Live Aqua Beach Resort Punta Cana opens with Posadas’ Travel with Confidence program in place—extensive elevated safety and hygiene protocols developed in partnership with the acclaimed ABC Medical Center in Mexico City and 3M, whose hospital-grade cleaning products are used throughout the company’s hotels. For guests who require COVID-19 testing before departure, the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic (MITUR) has extended its free travel assistance program until April 30, 2021, to all visitors arriving by air and staying in a hotel. The program includes antigen tests provided by Hospiten, a local hospital network, and provides travel insurance from the moment you check in to cover all types of medical emergencies, including Covid-19.

Posadas also offers Travel with Confidence Protection, its own insurance program that covers accidents or illnesses (also including Covid-19) during stays for $4/night. If you test positive for Covid-19 while a guest, you’ll be entitled to a special rate of $10 per night (plus taxes) per person at any of its beach resorts while you quarantine. The company is also offering free antigen tests at all of its beach resorts.

In its home market, Posadas is charging ahead with two new openings planned for the second half of 2021: Live Aqua Beach Resort Riviera Maya Tulkal in July and Fiesta Americana Riviera Maya Tulkal in November. Located just 35 minutes south of Playa del Carmen and 20 minutes from Tulum, the two properties will offer premium rooms, exceptional experiences, and access to the new Tulkal Convention Center, which features a 3,000-capacity ballroom and a 400-person theater. Posadas also plans to break ground on two more Live Aqua projects in the vicinity—one near Cancún International Airport and the other on Playa Mujeres—by year’s end.