Skip to main content

Two new luxury all-inclusive resorts are coming to Playa Esmeralda

The new nature-connected dupe to Punta Cana

By Emily Caldwell Jun 3, 2025 3:44 AM

SecretsDreams-Playa-Esmeralda — Secrets Playa Esmeralda

All-inclusive resort travelers now have another two luxury all-inclusive resorts to add to their bucket lists: Secrets Playa Esmeralda and Dreams Playa Esmeralda, opening August 1 and September 1, respectively. Located on a once-roadless stretch of pristine coastline, Playa Esmeralda is emerging as the luxe, nature-connected dupe to Punta Cana, offering visitors an untouched paradise rich in biodiversity, natural beauty, and eco-preservation.

Secrets Playa Esmeralda and Dreams Playa Esmeralda, sister properties, are the very first resorts to open in this emerging destination, bringing a high-end, all-inclusive escape to a beautiful new beach-front setting. Both resorts also feature the Preferred Club, an elevated booking tier offering exclusive amenities, upgraded suites, and premium experiences.

Secrets Playa Esmeralda

The first of the sister resorts, Secrets Playa Esmeralda, offers an adults-only setting designed for peaceful escapes. This 500-room resort has private balconies or terraces, ocean and garden views, and boasts an elevated all-inclusive experience. With 10 restaurants and six bars spanning French, Mediterranean, and Dominican flavors, foodies can also escape to this paradise expecting some delicious eats. This resort also caters to the tranquil traveler who seeks a unique spa experience, offering a retreat with 12 treatment rooms that provide massages, facials, and a hydrotherapy circuit.

Dreams Playa Esmeralda

Opening just one month later is Dreams Playa Esmeralda, a resort for the entire family to enjoy. This family-friendly getaway is designed for multigenerational travelers, featuring three pools, a water park, and entertainment for all ages. Once open, guests of Dreams Playa Esmeralda can dine at nine restaurants, swim in three pools, and immerse themselves in a variety of included outdoor and beach activities such as kayaking and beach volleyball. Dreams hopes to set itself apart from the crowd with its addition of eco-conscious activities available, such as learning about the destination’s endangered species at the turtle sanctuary on the property.

Emily is a Features Writer at The Manual, where she specializes in food, beverage, and travel content. She focuses on weaving… Read Full Bio

Topics

Destinations

Cafe Charmant, The Corner Store Crew’s Latest, Puts Food Ahead of the Scene

Clothing, Long Sleeve, Sleeve

I’ll be honest. If I weren’t a writer, there is no way in hell I could have landed a 7:15 Saturday night reservation at Cafe Charmant just a mere four weeks after its opening. The most recent jewel in the buzzy Catch Hospitality Group’s crown, the glitzy eatery is the newest IT restaurant to hit the downtown scene, so chalk it up to one of the perks of the job that I could walk in, order a drink, and be ushered to a corner table for two in under 10 minutes.

Though the state of making prime reservations in New York City may not come as a surprise to many, I’m still not able to reconcile with the current velvet rope of so many of this city’s restaurants. Sure, the 90s and early 2000’s had their Indochine, Moomba (if you remember that one, we need to grab a drink). The Waverly Inn, but for the most part, you could easily make a reservation or even walk in and wait for a table with a cocktail in hand at most popular establishments. And, let’s be honest, half the people weren’t even eating, if you know what I mean.

A tasting guide to Livermore Valley, California’s friendliest wine country

Adult, Male, Man

Livermore Valley sits in Northern California’s East Bay, where the hustle and bustle of neighboring Oakland and San Francisco give way to grassy rolling hills, big open skies, and over 40 tasting rooms. The region is home to some of the best wines I’ve tasted in the state, without the pretense and rigidity I’ve come to expect from other tasting rooms in the region.

And thanks to the valley’s marine-influenced winds, varied climate, and diverse soils, I tasted an unusually broad range of wines. Crisp whites, structured reds, and everything in between seem to be able to find their footing here.

High Society, Low Alcohol: A Trip to the Hamptons with Heineken 0.0

Ball, Sport, Tennis

After a multi-year bender of back-to-back press trips, I decided to swear off travel this past summer. The old dog was tired, and I desperately wanted to reconnect with old friends, visit family, and continue wooing a lovely lady in New York. Oh, and I needed to find time to actually write the stories I had promised publicists in exchange for gallivanting around the globe on their dime. I am, after all, a professional.

As summer raced by, my inbox swelled with tantalizing invitations. I turned them down one after the next with Spartan fortitude. A junket to the Loire Valley to review wineries? Thank you for considering me, but for the next few weeks, I’m committed to rekindling my relationship with my bed. A sailboat cruise on the Amalfi Coast? I hear it’s beautiful this time of year, but sadly, I’m in the weeds bingeing Landman.