Last week I was in the Dominican Republic with a group of people from Costa Rica for the Punta Cana Poker Classic 2011. I didn’t play it but I did live it up in the Hard Rock suite – all inclusive. It was literally one of the best places I have ever been in my life.

Jacuzzi in the centre of every room!

We weren’t on a direct flight to Punta Cana. We actually flew from San Jose to Panama City and then from Panama to Santo Domingo, Dom Rep before catching a 3hour shuttle and arriving at the hotel at around 1am. It then took them around 2hours to check us in under the right name and get us to our rooms. Moral to this story is to never rely on other people to book your travel for you!

Hello Caribbean!

The rest of the week however was filled with fabulous people, great sun (mostly!) and an open bar (ALWAYS the way to go!). I may not have taken part in the poker tournament, but I did play blackjack in the casino, partook in a little roulette (6 came in! My birthday is 6/6!) and I also absolutely dominated a particularly serious game of mini golf against the boys where we bet $20 a hole. I came out $190 on top! Also, Mark and I celebrated our 4th anniversary here – I have no idea how the time has passed so quickly!

Standing between Shakira and Elton John’s outfits!

One thing this holiday did give me time to do was reflect. If you follow me on Twitter, then you’ll know that I have decided to make some changes are throw myself back into writing and blogging. There will be big changes here and also big changes in my life, but I’m ready for them!  

I would definitely recommend this place as a place to chill and enjoy the fabulous surroundings.

For more info visit: http://www.hardrockhotelpuntacana.com/