How to plan a corporate retreat in the Dominican Republic

Step 1: choose the region by airport

Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) serves Bávaro, Cap Cana and the wider Punta Cana area, which is where most resort meeting space is. Las Américas (SDQ) is Santo Domingo's main international gateway and suits city-based programs with business hotels and coworking. La Romana Casa de Campo International Airport (LRM) sits beside the resort, about 109 km from Santo Domingo. Samaná El Catey (AZS) is about 30 minutes from Las Terrenas, and Puerto Plata's Gregorio Luperón airport (POP) is in Sosúa on the north coast.

If attendees come from several cities, compare the number of direct routes into each airport for your origin markets before you fall in love with a venue. A two-hour transfer after a long flight eats into the first afternoon of a three-day retreat.

Step 2: size the venue from published capacities

For small leadership groups, private villas remove the hotel noise. Villa Espada in Cap Cana describes itself as a 15,000 sq ft estate for up to 22 executives, with a boardroom-style dining table seating 14 or more, breakout spaces and high-speed Wi-Fi; its rate page lists US$3,000 a night from May to October and US$4,500 from November to April, with a chef, butler, housekeeping and airport transfers included. In Las Terrenas, Casa Rosabaya has 12 ocean-view bedrooms for up to 26 participants, plus Wi-Fi, air conditioning and a backup generator.

Mid-size groups of 50 to 400 fit resort and city hotels. The Westin Puntacana lists a renovated conference center for up to 400 guests, and the JW Marriott Santo Domingo's Piantini Grand Ballroom holds 350 theater-style with seven breakout rooms. Large groups should look at the convention centers in our conference venues guide. For a resort that can do everything on one property, Casa de Campo publishes 24,000+ sq ft across two conference centers, a largest room for 800 and villas with up to ten bedrooms.

Samaná · Photo: José Manuel Ramírez Brenis / Pexels

Step 3: decide whether you need a DMC

A DMC handles what a hotel does not: airport arrivals for staggered flights, coaches between venues, off-site dinners, activities, permits and on-site staff. AF DMC Travel, based in Bávaro, lists groups from 10 to 7,000+ guests and publishes structured programs, including an Executive Retreat for 8 to 40 executives. Dominican Expert has offices in Santo Domingo and Punta Cana and organizes incentive trips, team building, events and catering. If your retreat is a single resort with no off-site moves, the hotel's events team may be enough; once you add excursions, a second venue or a gala outside the resort, a DMC usually saves more than it costs.

Ask each DMC for an itemized proposal, its tourism license number, the on-site staff ratio and how it handles weather changes. AF DMC publishes its Ministry of Tourism license on its contact page, which is a useful benchmark.

Step 4: budget for taxes, service and the extras

Dominican quotes are often given before tax. The DGII lists an 18% ITBIS rate on taxable services, and Pro Consumidor confirms that the 10% legal tip applies when food and drink are consumed on the premises. On a catered program, those two lines change the total meaningfully, so ask every supplier to show them separately. Add transfers, activity fees, AV rental, a contingency line for weather, and any entertainment or content you want: ExperiencesDR's in-house Event DJ starts from US$1,000, and event video, photo and conference recap videos are priced on request.

Finally, check entry rules early. The U.S. State Department says passports must be valid for six months from arrival, the US$10 tourist card is included in airline charges, and every traveler must complete the free e-Ticket for entry and exit.

Step 5: build an agenda that leaves room to recharge

A common three-day pattern is: arrival and welcome dinner on day one; morning sessions, an afternoon activity and a group dinner on day two; a closing session and free afternoon on day three. Casa de Campo publishes a sample conference day that mixes a plenary, breakout workshops, free time for golf or the spa and a resort scavenger hunt before dinner, which is a useful template. Keep sessions in the morning when it is cooler, protect at least one unstructured block, and send the agenda with the e-Ticket link and packing notes two weeks before departure.

Where ExperiencesDR fits

Use the corporate directory to shortlist, then send one brief through our Plan Your Retreat form with company, group size, dates, budget range, destination and needs. We can point you to the venues and DMCs whose published capacity fits, and add our own services: Event DJ from US$1,000, plus event video, photo and conference recap videos on request.