Dominican Republic North Coast

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Playa Grande Beach Club

Picks

Utopian, chic, familial

Playa Grande, Rio San Juan 844-589-2070 www.playagrandebeachclub.com

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At a Glance

Boykin Curry and Celerie Kemble’s Dominican Republic passion project, the highly personalized Playa Grande Beach Club, is a love letter to the country, and everything a cool, laid-back family or couple could want from a beach house.

Indagare Loves

  • The shell-encrusted bar in the main building invites guests to hang out and sip homemade, frozen cocktails from hand-painted glasses
  • Breakfast under the eaves is served on block-printed cotton tablecloths and consist of housemade bread, butter, jams and about any dish you could dream up
  • The overall feeling throughout the property is one of affectionate pride, an aspect seen in everything from the décor touches to the warm yet professional service

Playa Grande Beach Club Review

Caribbean detractors will typically argue that the region lacks two key ingredients: refined service and a sense of soul. Playa Grande Beach Club has the white-sand beaches, the towering and leaning coconut palm trees, the soft ocean breezes that have made the region such a vacationers mecca—but it also has a staff composed of truly excellent and caring people and vast amounts of personality and authenticity.

The property, which opened in 2014, is the passion project of New York financier Boykin Curry and his wife Celerie Kemble, a celebrity interior designer. The parents—of young kids—have been coming to the north coast of the Dominican Republic for over a decade and bought the 2,000-acre plot of land that has since been parceled out into a golf club, the Amanera, and miles of virgin, wide beach. With only nine bungalows (6 one-bedroom and 3 three-bedroom stand-alone villas, the property feels less like a hotel and more like a country club, as they are tucked amidst immaculate jungle landscaping and never far from the main buildings.

The predominant structure resembles a plantation house, with gingerbread filigree, hand-painted Dominican tiles, cane and wicker furniture and particularly special burnished copper light fixtures hanging from cathedral ceilings. If there are doors, they are certainly never used, encouraging a breezy indoor-outdoor lifestyle for meals, cocktails, gatherings and lounging moments. Next door, the cozy library is furnished with an antique miniature French carousel, hammered metal palm tree sculptures, overstuffed upholstered furniture and stacks of board games. It’s the kind of place where you admire how the cushions are placed on the throne-like wicker chairs, but also plop down without a second thought in your sandy shorts.

Though there is just one kitchen, guests may chose to dine in the main building, in the second-floor bar, by the pool, on the beach or on their villa’s private terrace. The excellent chef is young and energetic and his excitement for the quality of local ingredients can be tasted in his dishes, particularly the shrimp tacos, octopus salad and grilled parrotfish. The pastry chef is equally inventive, with a fun side that will often lead to such desserts as homemade chocolate chip cookie sandwiches and her take on the chocolate mints, After Eights.

The virgin Playa Grande beach is devoid of developments other than The Beach Club and Amanera, and comfortable chaise lounges under canvas umbrellas with pink tassels are lined up on the beach in front of the property. The beach, however, is open to the public and is one of the country’s most beloved, so you will see day trippers and beach vendors hawking shell necklaces, carved wooden animals and, incongruously, peanut brittle. There are also a handful of stray beach dogs that roam around, though the beach club has vaccinated them all – and even named a few.

There are many stars of the property, but one that shines brightest is its quirky, worldly, thoughtful and utterly beautiful décor. Celerie clearly put her heart into the guest rooms but at all times kept in mind what is most comfortable and appropriate for a beachside property. Floors are painted hardwood, furniture is adorned in light colored fabric, beds are comfortable with crisp, white linens and bathrooms are large and feature beautiful copper bathtubs as well as spacious rain showers. There are multiple seating areas on the wrap-around terrace and in the screened-in porch (which can also be converted into a second bedroom for children on rollaway beds).

Beyond the beach and on-property amenities like a Har-Tru tennis court and fully serviced beachfront lounge chairs, the staff at Playa Grande Beach Club is happy to arrange for golf times, surfing lessons, snorkeling, hiking, horseback riding and boat excursions. Massage therapists are available to come to the property and can set up their tables on the beach, by the pool, in your room or on your terrace. Chances are, however, that your travel-related aches and pains will be gone naturally by day two.

Who Should Stay

The most personalized, special property on the Dominican Republic has its quirks, but is sure to appeal to romantic couples and families alike. Guests of Playa Grande, however, need to be able to survive without a spa or gym onsite and understand that there are no restaurants or shopping options on property or nearby.

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