Rain, Rum, and Toddler Chaos: Our Punta Cana Adventure

Lucy Jones @lucy.jones.travel

There’s nothing quite like stepping off a plane into a wall of tropical heat. It’s like being hugged by the sun, except the sun doesn’t have sweaty armpits. And after not having a beach holiday in over a year, I was desperate for this feeling again. However, since becoming a mum, holidays have changed and instead of dragging my overstuffed suitcase I was dragging my toddler, Albie, on his Trunkie through the airport and at three years old, he has more energy than a squirrel on espresso.

So off we went—me, my husband Adam, and Albie—to Dreams Royal Beach in Punta Cana, where I planned to spend my afternoons sipping cocktails in peace while Albie was entertained at the kids’ club. 

Why the Dominican Republic? (AKA: Justifying My Holiday Like a Responsible Adult)

We settled on the Dominican Republic for three very sensible reasons:

1.  We wanted winter sun. (Because nothing makes you question your life choices quite like scraping ice off your car at 7 AM.)

2.  We wanted an all-inclusive, family-friendly hotel where we could eat and drink like royalty without worrying about the bill at the end.

3.  We had a boatload of British Airways Avios points and a companion voucher which we wanted to use to bring down the cost of our flights, which we also didn't want to waste on a short haul flight. 

Now, when booking a trip to the D.R., timing is everything. The dry season runs from December to April, while the rainy/hurricane season is May to November—and if you think I was paying peak December prices just for guaranteed sunshine, you’d be mistaken. So, we rolled the dice and booked for the end of November, fully prepared for the possibility of 11 days of torrential rain. And guess what? We only had one afternoon of rain the entire trip.

Choosing the Hotel: Because Parents Deserve a Break

Picking a hotel in the Dominican Republic is like choosing a favourite child—impossible (and someone will judge you for it). Punta Cana is packed with five-star resorts, each one boasting beautiful beaches, inviting pools, and more food than a medieval feast. But we finally settled on Dreams Royal Beach because (a) it had amazing reviews and (b) it had a kids’ club that accepted three-year-olds (rare!), because I needed at least one afternoon on a sun lounger without someone demanding a snack.

And let me tell you, this place did not disappoint. From the moment we arrived, we were treated like royalty. Champagne for us, a juice box for Albie and the biggest room I’ve ever seen in a hotel. 

The Preferred Club: AKA “A Bit of Fancy”

Because we believe in treating ourselves, we booked a Preferred Club room, which came with:

✔️ A butler, ours was called Martin, who was meant to cater to our every whim—but since we’re pretty low-maintenance, he mostly kept our fridge stocked with our favourite drinks and snacks and politely ignored the trail of destruction Albie left behind.

✔️ An à la carte restaurant for breakfast (where I didn’t have to wrestle over the last sad-looking croissant at the buffet).

✔️ Two à la carte restaurants for lunch. Because variety is key when you have a toddler who changes his food preferences every 30 seconds.

✔️ A private bar, which turned out to be an absolute lifesaver in the evenings when the main bar was busier than a Zara sale on Black Friday.

And let’s talk about the food—because wow!! Five à la carte restaurants were available to all guests in the evenings: Italian, Mexican, Seafood, Grill, and Asian (the only one that required a reservation). Plus, once a week, they threw a beach BBQ, because nothing says holiday quite like eating ribs with your toes in the sand.

Now, let me tell you, the food was next-level good. So good, in fact, that we went to the Mexican restaurant three times—because when you find tacos that make you question every life decision you’ve ever made, you don’t just eat them once. And the staff? Absolutely incredible. Every single person made such an effort with Albie, chatting to him, bringing him colouring books, and generally making him feel super special! 

And if, at any point, we fancied a mid-afternoon treat, there were little cafes and ice cream parlours dotted around the hotel—which was fantastic because nothing keeps a toddler entertained quite like the promise of an ice cream bribe.

Sun, Sand, and… a Biblical Downpour?

One of my favourite moments of the trip was completely unplanned. We were lounging by the pool, basking in the 30-degree heat, when—out of nowhere—the sky opened. And not in a cute, “Oh look, a little drizzle” way. No, this was torrential, the kind of rain that makes you question if you accidentally booked a monsoon retreat.

We did what any sane family would do: built a towel fort under our umbrella and laughed hysterically. Albie thought this was the best thing ever, shrieking with joy while we huddled together, wrapped in soggy towels. (Check out the video on my Instagram @lucy.jones.travel—you’ve never seen a child so thrilled about getting drenched.) After about ten minutes, we finally gave up and made a mad, slippery dash back to our room. We may have almost faceplanted several times, but honestly? It was one of my favourite travel memories ever.

Kids’ Club: My Ticket to a Cocktail

Now, let’s talk about the Kids’ Club. Because as much as I love my child, I also love reading a book in silence. And this place was A game-changer.

The staff—Miss Candy, Genesis, Liz, and Nicole—were amazing. They ran various activities including Spanish classes, pirate parties, bracelet-making, and even took the kids to the beach to build sandcastles. The best part? They gave us a mobile phone when we dropped Albie off, so we could be contacted if he wanted to leave. Spoiler alert: He never did.

Meanwhile, Adam and I made full use of the swim-up bar, where we became friends with Sebastian and Obispo, the bartenders. These guys were hilarious, charming, and had an almost psychic ability to know when I needed another strawberry daiquiri. We met some lovely people from Canada and—before we knew it—we were all friends doing shots at the bar like some uni students on a night out! Albie, of course, was not left out—Obispo gave him apple juice in a shot glass so he could join in, which led to him proudly yelling, “Arriba, Abajo, Al Centro!” at every mealtime.

The “Fun” Part: A Hospital Visit

Now, no family trip is complete without at least one disaster. Ours came in the form of a very sick toddler.

Typically my child who has seasonal asthma had been perfectly healthy all autumn and winter....not a single sniffle!!! And just our luck, he developed a barking cough the night before our flight which continued to get worse over the next few days. A quick visit to the on-site doctor turned into a full-blown emergency, and within 20 minutes, we were in an ambulance, blue lights flashing, speeding to a local children’s hospital.

Now, let me paint you a picture: I’m holding my sick, wheezing toddler, surrounded by Spanish-speaking doctors, trying to hold back tears and thinking the worst, while also silently panicking about the fact he was going to pee everywhere because he didn't have a bedtime nappy on and creating one big makeshift nappy from 2 x size 9-12 months that the kind nurses gave to us. 

Jokes aside, the care was phenomenal. No waiting, no nonsense—just straight to treatment, x-rays, antibiotics, and a diagnosis of bronchitis. Within three hours, we were back at the hotel, a little shaken but hugely relieved and $2,000 lighter! THANK GOD FOR TRAVEL INSURANCE. And within a day, Albie was back at the swim-up bar, taking shots of apple juice.

Would I Go Back? In a Heartbeat.

Despite the unexpected hospital visit, I can honestly say this was the best hotel I’ve ever stayed at. The service, the food, the staff—everything was top-notch. I’m very picky, but I would 100% return (which is saying a lot, because I never go to the same place twice).

So, if you’re looking for a winter sun getaway with stunning beaches, great food, and staff that will treat you and your toddler like the main character in a five-star movie, Dreams Royal Beach is the place to go. 

Finally, here are my survival tips for Flying with a feral Toddler, because no one wants to be that parent with the screaming child at 35,000 feet.

1.  Pick the right flight times. Afternoon flights = a tired toddler who’ll (hopefully) nap mid-flight and can adjust to their new time zone on arrival. Night flights home mean they sleep through most of the journeys and wake up refreshed back on UK time.

2.  Window seats are king. Albie likes to curl up in the corner, which makes dozing off easier. 

3.  Snacks are life. Plane food is hit-or-miss, so bring their favourites. Also, pre-order a kid’s meal with the airline in advance.

4.  Bring new activities. Surprise them with a new toy, book, or activity set—it keeps them occupied longer.

5. Download their favourite shows. Despite the novelty of having an inbuilt tv on long haul flights, airline headphones are awful, and sometimes the cables to your own headphones don’t fit. Bring a tablet with their favourite shows downloaded as a back-up (because WiFi at 35,000 feet is a scam).

6.  Take a pram that fits in the overhead locker. Trust me, you don’t want to be carrying a half-asleep toddler and your bags through an endless airport terminal until you reach baggage claim!

Final Thoughts

Travelling with kids isn’t always smooth sailing. There will be meltdowns, messes, and unexpected hospital bills. But there will also be unforgettable moments, like giggling under a towel fort in a tropical storm, watching your toddler charm an entire hotel, and—most importantly—showing them the world.

Follow Lucy on Instagram