Nickelodeon Hotel Review – New Resort in Punta Cana Dominican Republic

There’s a new all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean that is a perfect getaway for families. The new Nickelodeon Hotel & Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic has a lot of features that make it great for traveling families. From gorgeous rooms to amazing activities, it’s a destination resort that will entertain the entire family.

Nickelodeon Hotel Review – New Resort in Punta Cana Dominican Republic

A recent trip led me to checking out the new all-inclusive Nickelodeon Hotel. My 10-year-old daughter and I were flying solo for a mother-daughter vacation. We spent 5 days exploring the resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. We enjoyed time with each other, and filled up on fun and food. Want to know more about the  Nickelodeon hotel? I’ve “been there” and I’ll be happy to share the experience.

Getting There

The first thing to know is that the Nickelodeon Hotel is a shared property. Karisma Hotels & Resorts operates the Nickelodeon Hotel and shares the property with Sensatori. The resorts were built together, so I almost didn’t realize there are two brands on property. There are two separate lobbies, but otherwise all public spaces and restaurants are shared.

To get to the new Nickelodeon Hotel Punta Cana, you’ll want to fly into Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ). Be aware that there is a $10 USD/person tourism charge for entrance to the country.

Next, arrange for transportation from the airport to the resort. The resort has a partnership with Nexus tours, so they’re a good option to use. The van ride will take about 45 minutes.

Room Options

There are a few room options for families. All the layouts are a little different. To me, one of the most attractive parts of the Nickelodeon Hotel rooms is the offer of swim up suites. The five buildings all feature a wrap-around pool, so all first level rooms are swim up suites. If you don’t book a swim up suite, you’ll have a balcony on the second or third floor.

The swim up suite rooms do offer a half door slider. This is great if you have little ones but want the door open.

All rooms are called suites and termed pad, flat, and swank. The Pad Suite is the smallest, but the only basic room option for families with three kids (occupancy is 2 adults & 3 children, or 3 adults, or 2 adults, 1 teen, 1 child).

The Flat room is the next largest and contains a separate master bedroom. Last is the Swank Suite, which has a larger outside space and is found in the corner units of the buildings. For luxury and private accommodations, families can book a Pool Super Villa or The Pineapple ,which can sleep 6. They’re stand-alone “homes” that also have private pools.

Amenities

One of the great features for families traveling with babies is the complimentary “Gotcha Covered” amenities. These include baby food, strollers, cribs, kids’ spa robes and baby bottle warmers for infants and toddlers. You can arrange for the amenities in advance.

Waterpark

One of the biggest draws for families for visiting the Nickelodeon Hotel is the Aqua Nick waterpark. Aqua Nick features a large splash structure that includes waterslides and a dumping bucket. There’s also a lazy river that wraps around the splash zone.

The Aqua Nick waterpark is located in a separated area of the resort called Nickelodeon Place. At Nickelodeon Place families can also find the Just Kiddin’ kids club  (ages 4-12). This was a huge hit with my daughter Mia. She loved going everyday to play with kids her age and make crafts. Characters also make appearances at Nickelodeon Place. Just check the schedule to find out who and when.

For teens who have aged out of the kids club, there’s a Sports Hub near the Aqua Nick waterpark. The Sports Hub features couches and tvs, a game console, plus sports gear for the sports courts they have onsite. They also have a mini snack fridge, perfect for those always hungry teens.

Dining

The Nickelodeon Hotel calls their all-inclusive dining options “Gourmet Inclusive.” Ten feature restaurants areonsite. Most of the restaurants are located in the central area of the resort. Buffets, Italian, seafood, burgers, Asian fusion, and a coffee shop offer something for every palate.

One of the most unique dining experiences for us was at Spacewalker, an interstellar cuisine restaurant where my spaghetti came in a bag. We also enjoyed having breakfast each morning at Sugarcane, their main buffet restaurant. We discovered their upper balcony is decorated nicely and a great spot to eat breakfast.

Character Encounter

If your kids are huge Nickelodeon character fans, then you can make a character dining breakfast reservation. Character meals are available for a surcharge. On Saturdays they offer Ninja Turtle breakfasts, and on Sundays a Pajama Jam featuring most of the other major Nick characters. Mia and I had a lot of fun dancing around and getting photos with Dora & Boots, SpongeBob & Patrick, and the Paw Patrol.

All of the restaurants have a unique theme and great menus. I would say that the food is fairly good for an all-inclusive, not quite gourmet. Some of our favorite spots were the Sugarcane balcony, milkshakes at Doppio, and appetizers at BRGRS.PH. Great options for families. Reservations are required for most restaurants for dinner.

Relax and Have Fun

Our time at the Nickelodeon Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic was relaxing and fun. We loved having lazy days strolling the resort and picking what to do next. One of Mia’s favorite downtime activities was playing in the pool of our swim up suite. As a traveling mom who’s “been there,” I can say that the Nickelodeon Hotel is a great location for your next family vacation!

If you want to see even more photos and a video from our mother and daughter trip visit my own post about our time at the Nickelodeon Resort.