What it’s like visiting the Nickelodeon hotel in Punta Cana
Did you know there’s a Nickelodeon hotel in Punta Cana? As someone who didn’t know this family beach resort existed until earlier this year, I was thoroughly impressed.
I recently had the opportunity to visit Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. I enjoyed my experience traveling in a group of three without children.
Airport Transportation
My travel party arrived at Punta Cana International Airport at about 10 a.m. on the first day of our visit. We had arranged bus transportation with Beyond Remarkable Experiences in advance, leading to a seamless transition from the time we picked up our luggage to the time we arrived at Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon works with Beyond Remarkable, and even has a spot in the lobby where you can confirm your departure ride back to the airport at the end of your stay. I’d highly recommend using this transportation service or booking another before landing, as the room at the arrivals section of the airport is filled with multiple transportation vendors, which can feel overwhelming when trying to make it to your final destination.
Resort Check-In
Although we arrived at the resort around 11:30 a.m., our room was not ready until around 4 p.m. However, we were able to enjoy complimentary non-alcoholic beverages in the lobby (while checking in, acquiring our room-key wristbands, and tagging our luggage to be kept with bell services).
All-Inclusive Dining
One of the highlights of Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana is its all-inclusive dining. The resort contains several restaurants that can be visited throughout your stay. However, many of the restaurants require advance dining reservations, so make sure to plan if there’s anywhere particular you’d like to dine. Also, make sure to note that many of the quick-serve dining locations close early before dinnertime. That said, it is a best practice to ensure you place all of your food orders ahead of time to make the most of the dining opportunities.
Sugarcane
We visited the Sugarcane restaurant for lunch on the first day of our visit. The restaurant offers an extensive buffet with offerings from pasta salad and pizza to charcuterie and dessert. I thought the food quality at Sugarcane was better than some of the other restaurants we dined at during our visit and I appreciated the options. However, this restaurant does not have air conditioning, so the room temperature was very hot.
Space Walker
As far as theming goes, Space Walker, a table-service restaurant, is out of this world. From the moment you walk into this restaurant to the moment you leave, you feel completely immersed and as though you’re in outer space. My favorite dishes we tried were the cauliflower and ravioli. Since this restaurant is all-inclusive, the portions are very small. That said, you can order as much as you’d like.
Verdello
My favorite restaurant my party dined at during our stay was Verdello. This Italian eatery offered the highest-quality food and service of any restaurant we experienced. My party chose to share several menu items amongst ourselves. I’d recommend the arancini and the risotto.
The Sweetery
There was no shortage of desserts to satisfy my sweet tooth during my visit thanks to The Sweetery. This dessert-based eatery is divided into three sections containing donuts and baked goods, ice cream, and some sandwiches. My favorite items were the doughnuts and ice cream. I’d recommend enjoying your sweet treats in the Garfield-inspired room for a true Nickelodeon feel.
Character Encounters
There is no shortage of character meet and greets at Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana. (Did you know the Nickelodeon hotels have the most characters in the Caribbean?) We met 15 Nickelodeon characters during our one-and-a-half-day stay.
I found it imperative to download the Karisma Hotels & Resorts app (which was recommended by the team members at the front desk) to stay up-to-date on where and when the characters meet, as their schedule changes daily. The main locations where my party saw characters appear were at the Nickelodeon Lobby and Nickelodeon Place. However, characters were also listed on the app at Fresco and Zest Restaurant.
We met a variety of characters, including:
- Blue (“Blues Clues”)
- SpongeBob SquarePants (“SpongeBob SquarePants”)
- Patrick Star (SpongeBob SquarePants”)
- Squidward (“SpongeBob SquarePants”)
- Wanda (“The Fairly OddParents”)
- Cosmo (“The Fairly OddParents”)
- Dora (“Dora the Explorer”)
- Boots (“Dora the Explorer”)
- Digger (“Paw Patrol”)
- Marshall (“Paw Patrol”)
- Chase (“Paw Patrol”)
- Santiago (“Santiago of the Seas”)
- Donatello (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”)
- Raphael (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”)
- Michelangelo (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”)
- Leonardo (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”)
I was impressed by the amount of character offerings at the resort and the frequency with which they occurred each day. As someone who wanted to prioritize meeting the characters on the trip, I was left feeling satisfied with the character interactions. Although the resort does have a team member who takes professional photos which can be purchased, personal photos are permitted as well.
Character Dining
If you’d rather spend more time enjoying the resort’s pools, beaches, and Aqua Nick (the water park) than searching for characters, I’d recommend character dining. The resort hosts the Pajama Jam Breakfast and the Turtle Power Dinner (at an additional cost). By participating in character dining, you’ll get to meet characters without having to repeatedly run across (or ride the included golf carts around) the property.
My party attended the Pajama Jam Character Breakfast at Zest Restaurant. Don’t be late for your seating time, as the interactive element with the characters only happens one time.
Throughout this character breakfast, my party snapped photos with eight characters: SpongeBob, Patrick, Wanda, Cosmo, Dora, Boots, Marshall, and Chase, which is the most characters I’ve ever had the opportunity to meet at a character-dining encounter.
I liked that each set of characters danced before meeting guests. However, the interactions were a bit quicker than I expected. The conga line portion of the experience had the guests interacting which was a bonus and allowed people to mingle.
The food at this character-dining experience ranged from waffles to various cheeses and fruits. It is a best practice to make your plate before the show portion begins. If you plan on attending this character dining experience, it is not included and is an extra charge per person.
The Room
We stayed in a Pad Suite, which was the perfect amount of space to sleep my party of three adults, as it had a king bed and a sofa bed. I appreciated the Nickelodeon décor touches in the room, such as the character photos and hints of orange without being too overwhelming.
My favorite part of this room was the fact that it had a pool attached to our patio area that we could swim in. We spent most of our time in the pool attached to our room as opposed to the aquatic areas at Aqua Nick and the beach area featuring an infinity pool.
Slime
Personal Slime Session
For $59 for up to six people, a Personal Slime Session is a great way to enhance your stay with some extra Nickelodeon magic. Once you reserve your session, you’ll be provided with a designated time to return to Aqua Nick. When it’s your time for slime, team members will gather around the slime seat and perform a short dance routine before announcing the group name. Although you can take your own photos if you’d like while getting slimed, there is also a team member on-site to snap professional photos.
The Super Sliming
If you’re on a tighter budget, have no fear. The Super Sliming takes place every day at 3 p.m. During this activity, a huge bucket of slime drops from above the aquatic unit onto guests standing underneath. Aim to stand directly underneath the bucket if you’re looking for a hearty amount of slime to make its way onto you.
Slime Drink
A visit to a Nickelodeon resort would not be complete without trying the slime drink. This non-alcoholic beverage is suitable for families and those looking for a refreshing drink. I found this drink at Aqua Bite, the concession stand near Aqua Nick. I thought the slime drink tasted like a banana-strawberry smoothie. As part of the all-inclusive food, slime drinks are unlimited!
Aqua Nick Water Park
Aqua Nick is the resort’s aquatic area. This area is suitable for relaxing and cooling off from the sun, as it consists of a lazy river and several pool areas and slides for the family. Just make sure to note that Aqua Nick closes early and promptly around 4 p.m. My party was not aware of the early close time, so were disappointed we didn’t have the time to utilize the lazy river and other pool elements.
Snick Lounge
When it comes to nightlife, Snick Lounge — named after Snick, Nickelodeon’s defunct Saturday-night programming block — is where you’ll want to be. This family-friendly area fills you with nostalgia from the moment you walk into the moment you leave.
In addition to the bar area, this club also has arcade games and couches facing digital displays of characters from popular Nickelodeon properties. I’d recommend spending the day enjoying the resort’s pool and beach offerings and then taking advantage of this themed lounge during the evening (or if there happens to be any rain during the daytime).
Nick Knacks
I’d recommend popping in the resort’s gift shop, Nick Knacks, before your stay ends. This store is filled with Nickelodeon-themed headbands, hats, pins, bags, pillows, magnets, and more that you can purchase to remember your trip to the resort.
Overall Thoughts on Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana
As an adult traveling in a party without any children, I had a considerably good time at Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana. My favorite part of my stay was the entertainment and character offerings. It was interesting to see characters that are not as easily found in the United States.
Although I enjoyed the all-inclusive aspect of the hotel, I wish the food was a bit higher in quality. However, I did thoroughly enjoy the offerings in The Sweetery and Verdello.
It was nice having a pool attached to the outdoor component of our room so my party could swim without being surrounded by too many other guests. If you’re into slime, I’d recommend booking a personal slime session. From the color scheme to the slime throughout the resort, this property is an oasis for Nickelodeon fans of all ages.
Nickelodeon Returning to Orlando
Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts will expand with an Orlando location, opening by 2026 at Everest Place, a new development property near Walt Disney World. This future project is not to be confused with the former Nickelodeon Suites Resort (aka Nick Hotel), also in Orlando, which removed its Nickelodeon branding in 2016 and is now a standard Holiday Inn.
Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts also operates a location in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
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