Dominican Republic Triumphs in 2011 Luxury Rankings

The Dominican Republic isfast becoming one of the most luxurious holiday destinations in the Caribbean with several accolades that honour the island nation's hotels and resorts, golf courses and breathtaking natural scenery.

The list of awards has led to an increase in the number of travellers taking Dominican Republic holidays in recent years and the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism has shared the annual list of honours in 2011 that makes the island such a dream destination.

Image by: Matthew Bradford Photography, on Flickr.

The Caribbean island has an array of luxurious Dominican Republic hotels and resorts, from romantic beachfront villas to family-friendly all inclusive properties within lush tropical gardens.

The Tortuga Bay Hotel is located within the PUNTACANA Resort & Club complex and was honoured with the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award 2011. The property was designed by Oscar de la Renta and offers luxury holidays in the Dominican Republic for tourists.

Image by: Press Imperial.mack, on Flickr.

A number of properties were awarded at the TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice 2011 including the Iberostar Grand Hotel Bavaro, honoured as the 9th best all-inclusive resort in the world and the best hotel in Punta Cana; the Zoetry Agua Punta Cana as the second best hotel for relaxation in the Caribbean and Mexico, as well as the 8th most romantic resort in the region; while the Dominican Fiesta Hotel & Casino in Santo Domingo received the "Certificate of Excellence 2011".

TripAdvisor also ranked Punta Cana in 8th place on its list of 2011 "Top 10 World Beach Destinations", while Punta Cana's Bavaro Beach was named as a "Top Beach in the Caribbean" by About.com this year.

Image by : dx_surplus, on Flickr.

Golfing enthusiasts will find plenty of award-winning facilities during Dominican Republic holidays as GolfWeek listed nine of the country's golf courses in its "2011 Best Courses of the Caribbean and Mexico". These included the Teeth of the Dog Golf Course, Dye Fore Golf Course, Playa Grande Golf Course, Roco Ki Faldo Legacy Golf Course, La Romana Country Club, Guavaberry Golf & Country Club, Punta Espada Golf Club and Corales Golf Club.

Punta Cana is a popular destination for luxury holidays to the Dominican Republic and it has received awards from Cheapflights.ca as one of their "Top 20 Winter Break Destinations" in 2011 with Cheapflights.com also naming named Punta Cana as the "Top Spring Break Destination" in 2011.

The island nation is also a popular spot for romantic breaks, weddings and honeymoons, and Bridal Guide's "Honeymoon & Destination Wedding Survey for 2010-2011" ranked the Dominican Republic as the number one choice for honeymoons and the second choice for destination weddings, while Destination Weddings and Honeymoon magazine named Dominican Republic as one of the 20 "Best Honeymoon Destinations 2011."

About the Author

Orlando Consuegra has worked on the Cuba holiday industry from its very begining, initially as a Tour Guide for Saga and Kuoni, he travelled the island helping thousands of holiday makers to make the most for their holiday in Cuba.

Praised by many as one of the best tour guides in Cuba, both for his impeccable knowledge and his very correct manners, Orlando got promoted to Guides Coordinator in the Cubanacan Travel Agency. During this period Orlando helped organise fam trips for European tour operators as part of the insertion of Cuba in the world's holiday industry.

Promoted again as General Supervisor of The Holiday Place in Cuba, Orlando helped build very strong relationships with all the hotels in Cuba while enforcing a very high level of service and attention to all company's clients.

Orlando writes a blog "Know Cuba holidays like Us" at The Cuba Experience website where he shares his deep knowledge in Cuba and its holiday industry.