Unless you are part of what was a couple of years ago branded the ‘global one per cent’ - and, if you are, welcome - then you’re unlikely to have seen anything like Casa de Campo before.

This is more than a resort – it’s a different world, one where lawns are faultlessly manicured, thousands of dedicated staff are on hand to meet every need and any indulgence can be accommodated for the right price.

Cut from a vast swathe of oceanfront country on the south coast of Dominican Republic, this is at heart a gated community - but also, a great deal more.

While the Casa de Campo hotel sits at the centre of the community, the location sprawls off in every direction, home to around two thousand villas, each individually created to the tastes of some of the wealthiest people in the world.

These range from the merely opulent to the scarcely believable, dotted around the three golf courses like tiny – or not so tiny – castles, homes for the globally wealthy.

The sort of place that can have three polo fields nestled among the accommodations and still seem spacious.

Casa de Campo even has its own a fire station, cruise ship terminal, helipad and airport.

The latter has commercial flights to Miami and Puerto Rico, but is mainly for private jets, ferrying guests in for the weekend before returning to cities across the Americas.

Casa de Campo is unique, explains Jason Kycek, senior vice president, sales and marketing, for Casa de Campo Resort & Villas.

“We describe Casa de Campo as its own small little city, but one that happens to have a resort within it.

“However, hotel guests are very much part of the community when they visit, alongside our property owners.

“I am not sure we ever set out to achieve what we have, but it has evolved over the decades into what we have today – it has been a natural, organic process,” Kycek adds.

“At heart, we are a golf development, that is where we started, but it has grown into this 7,000-acre gated community.

“We have amazing security, which is not important because we are in the Dominican Republic, but because of some of the people who live here, we are talking among the richest in the world and they need that reassurance.

“The facilities have driven the attractiveness of the real estate investment – everything is accessible in five-to-ten minutes in a golf cart, be that the spa, restaurants or other options.

“Our 2,000 villas are also not cookie-cutter, there is a lot of variety, which adds to the patina of the location.”

Those golf carts are the secret weapon of Casa de Campo – I felt as though I was on a movie set, whizzing about in a personal buggy.

It can be a little intimidating at first - but the roads and calm and polite and all with the confines of the resort, so you’re unlikely to take a wrong turn and end up on the freeway.

We stayed in the new Premier Club during our visit this autumn – a sort of resort-within-a-resort. 

There are a total of 58 luxurious suites: 26 premier junior suites, 27 premier junior suites, four premier one-bedroom suites and one overly spacious premier presidential suite.

Each offers luxurious amenities not found in other parts of the hotel, such as a private concierge service and nightly turndown.

There is a customised pillow and aromatherapy menu, should guests need it.

These are spacious properties, with more than enough room for two, while views over the golf course and surrounding manicured gardens give the place a relaxed feeling.

Privacy is naturally very important to the kind of guests Casa de Campo is trying to attract and as a result the resort is very quiet. 

Guests live their lives independently, driving to the various restaurants and amenities.

So, what do people actually do at Casa de Campo?

Well, essentially whatever they like!

There are the famous golf courses, for a start.

Golfers find their rhythm on three masterfully designed courses crafted by the legendary Pete Dye, including the number one ranked golf course in the Caribbean, Teeth of the Dog.

There is also a chance to train with the pros at the world-class Golf Learning Centre, where golfers can unleash their potential with clinics and camps offered by leading golf instructors, or opt to practice with the TrackMan Simulator.

Before visiting I had never swung a golf club in anger, but after an hour or so practice I feel I could at least play a round without embarrassing my partners.

Away from the golf, the facilities include a 245 acre Shooting Centre, with over 200 stations for trap, skeet and sporting clays and pigeon rings.

The location also includes a 110-foot tower that projects sporting clays, apparently one of the largest in the world.

This is not an added extra for tourists, but a world-class centre where professionals can train to the highest standards.

Similarly, tennis aficionados can practice under the warm sun at the largest tennis centre in the Caribbean.

There are 13 immaculate fast-dry Har-Tru tennis courts, the perfect place for players of all levels.

With over 25 pros and junior professionals on staff, beginners can learn from the best while more advanced players can brush up on their skills through private and group lessons.

Again, this is a comprehensive facility, one that would stand on its own anywhere in the world, that is just one of the many attractions located within Casa de Campo.

Across the way, the Dude Range is home 200 horses.

Third parties can stable their precious studs here, while there are also gentler horse-riding options for guests.

The offering has also recently been elevated with the addition of a new spa.

Of course, this being the Caribbean, there is also a fabulous beach.

When you close your eyes and dream of the perfect Caribbean beach, chances are it looks a lot like the one here.

It has those crystal-clear turquoise blue waters gently lapping on pristine white sand dotted with comfortable chaise loungers with a backdrop of palm-trees softly swaying in the breeze.

For those with more time, the secluded Catalina and Saona Islands await with even more hidden beaches and lush surroundings to explore.

Close by, the marina, packed with superyachts from around the world, is where the action is.

Inspired by the quaint seaside villages that dot the Mediterranean coastline, the location is styles itself as a community for sport fishermen, yachting enthusiasts and landlubbers alike.

Chase the horizon by sailboat, catamaran, or charter boat, or dine at one of the seafront restaurants – this is where the true global elite hangout.

Finally, there is Altos de Chavón.

A place like no other, this replica 16th century Mediterranean village sits in the heart of the Dominican countryside.

Meticulously designed by Dominican architect, Jose Antonio Caro, and Italian master designer and cinematographer, Roberto Coppa, every detail of Altos de Chavón was handcrafted by local artisans.

The village is a cultural centre for residents, tourists, and working artists from all over the world.

Active studios for artists of every medium from pottery to weaving, silk screening, and everything in between line the cobblestone streets alongside shops and boutiques showcasing their unique creations.

Other sites include an archaeological museum, offering a glimpse into the fascinating history of the area, the St. Stanislaus Church, 5,000-seat amphitheatre and sweeping views of the Chavón River and the Caribbean Sea.

Casa de Campo has to be seen to be believed.

This is more than a resort.

It’s a chance to live a different life.

More Information

Casa de Campo Resort & Villas - honoured with a number of top titles at the World Travel Awards - offers unforgettable experiences, spread across 7,000 acres of adventure. 

There are a total of 63 holes of exceptional golf on three courses, including the top-rated course in the Caribbean, Teeth of the Dog. Also included are the Dye Fore and Links courses, each designed by the legendary architect, Pete Dye.

The resort also includes a world-class Golf Learning Centre highlighted by Trackman technology.

These amenities are complemented by spacious hotel rooms, suites and luxury villas.

Expertly prepared cuisine from around the world, a 370-slip Marina & Yacht Club, Polo & Equestrian Club, the La Terraza Tennis Centre, 245-acre Shooting Club and Altos de Chavon – an artisan village modelled after a sixteenth century Mediterranean city – are other on-property highlights.

Find out more on the official website.

Chris O’Toole