It’s All Inclusive
Resort head-to-head

Two of Punta Cana's best-known adults-only all-inclusives, separated by a meaningful geography lesson. Excellence Punta Cana sits up in Uvero Alto, a 40-plus-minute transfer from the airport into genuinely secluded palm forest. Secrets Royal Beach sits in the middle of Bávaro, closer to the airport and to everything else: restaurants, nightlife, and neighboring resorts. Guest scores tilt toward Excellence; convenience tilts toward Secrets.

Excellence Punta Cana · Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana · How we score · Last reviewed July 2026

Head to head

Excellence Punta CanavsSecrets Royal Beach Punta Cana

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Excellence Punta Cana
Excellence Punta Cana
Five-Star·★ 4.9·Adults Only
Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana
Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana
Five-Star·★ 4.4·Adults Only

Scores at a Glance

Excellence Punta CanaSecrets Royal Beach Punta Cana
Overall
8.8
8.9
Beach
7.8
9.2
Food
8.0
8.4
Service
9.0
8.7
Rooms
8.2
8.5
Luxury
8.6
8.7
Value
8.1
8.2
Romance
9.1
9.3
Scores out of 10 · higher is better

Quick Stats

Excellence Punta CanaMeasureSecrets Royal Beach Punta Cana
8.8Overall Score8.9 (better)
5-starStar Rating5-star
(better)4.9 (24,267)Google Rating4.4 (4,590)
(better)From $152Price / Night (pp)From $159
YesAdults OnlyYes
–Kids' Club–
Near coastBeachfrontNear coast
Mid-sizeResort SizeMid-size
45 minAirport Transfer25 min (better)

All Scores

Excellence Punta CanaMeasureSecrets Royal Beach Punta Cana
7.8Beach9.2 (better)
8.0Food8.4 (better)
(better)9.0Service8.7
8.2Rooms8.5 (better)
8.8Pools9.1 (better)
8.6Luxury8.7 (better)
8.1Value8.2 (better)
9.1Romance9.3 (better)
6.8Nightlife8.1 (better)
8.3Quiet8.6 (better)
7.5Adventure–
8.7Wellness8.7
–Remote work6.9
7.5Accessibility7.6 (better)

Of the 15 measures we call, Excellence Punta Cana leads on 3 and Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana leads on 12.

Vibes

Excellence Punta CanaMeasureSecrets Royal Beach Punta Cana
YesRomanceYes
YesQuietYes
YesAdventure–
–LivelyYes

Activities

Excellence Punta CanaMeasureSecrets Royal Beach Punta Cana
YesSpaYes
YesWater sportsYes
–NightlifeYes

Excellence Punta Cana

  • Adults-only all-inclusive
  • 4 pools
  • 10 restaurants & bars
  • Full-service spa
  • Swim-up suites
  • 45 min from PUJ

Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana

  • Adults-only all-inclusive
  • 4 pools
  • 8 restaurants & bars
  • Full-service spa
  • 25 min from PUJ

Pros · Excellence Punta Cana

  • Strong adults-only romantic atmosphere.
  • Large tropical grounds with four pools and direct beach access.
  • Broad dining plan with ten restaurants, included room service, and premium drinks.
  • Service and staff receive consistently strong guest feedback.

Pros · Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana

  • Excellent adults-only beachfront setting on more than 700 yards of Bávaro Beach.
  • Strong review footprint and high recent sentiment across Hyatt, Tripadvisor-fed sources, Expedia, Booking.com, WestJet, and Reddit.
  • Four pools, Preferred Club areas, Secrets Spa, casino access, rooftop dance club, gourmet dining, and 24-hour room service.
  • A strong romance fit for couples, honeymoons, anniversaries, and adults-only beach vacations.

Cons · Excellence Punta Cana

  • Ocean conditions can be rough, with seaweed and red-flag days.
  • Food is liked by many guests but can feel uneven for a premium adults-only resort.
  • Recent feedback includes some inconsistency in room condition and housekeeping.
  • Nightlife is more relaxed than party-oriented.

Cons · Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana

  • Preferred Club can materially change the experience, which may make standard rooms feel less special by comparison.
  • Room-count and restaurant-count sources vary depending on whether dining venues, café/grill venues, or current post-renovation inventory are counted.
  • Beach experience can still be affected by sargassum season.
  • Some recent guests describe the resort as excellent but not always fully luxury-level during peak service periods.
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Round by round

Location & transfer

Secrets Royal Beach wins on logistics: a shorter airport run and Bávaro on the doorstep. Excellence trades transfer time for seclusion; Uvero Alto is quiet by design.

Guest sentiment

Excellence Punta Cana carries one of the strongest guest-rating records in the Dominican Republic across a very large review base. Compare the score breakdowns below.

Beach

Both are wide, palm-lined Atlantic beaches. Uvero Alto's surf runs livelier; Bávaro is generally calmer for swimming; check the beach scores for how guests weigh it.

Vibe

Excellence leans romantic-quiet with a big swim-up pool scene; Secrets runs the Unlimited-Luxury social playbook with more crossover energy from its Bávaro neighbors.

Modern lounge area with white seating, hanging chairs, and infinity pool overlooking palm trees and tropical beach at Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana.
Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana, null
The referee's call

The verdict

Clear win, Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana

If the trip is about the resort itself (staying put, pool-to-beach days, dinner on property every night), Excellence Punta Cana's guest record is hard to argue with. If you want to leave the property, keep the transfer short, or bar-hop beyond your own lobby, Secrets Royal Beach's Bávaro address earns its keep.

Frequently asked questions

Which is closer to the Punta Cana airport?

Secrets Royal Beach, in Bávaro, is meaningfully closer. Excellence Punta Cana is up in Uvero Alto, typically 40+ minutes by transfer. Exact transfer times are listed on each resort page.

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