Few destinations do an over-the-top beach vacation like the Dominican Republic. As all-inclusive travel grows in popularity even with the youngest generation of travelers, this Caribbean nation is drawing record-breaking numbers of travelers year-round, many of whom head straight to the island’s oversized resorts.

Beachfront development has long since pushed past the sugar-fine sands of Punta Cana and into new regions, with big-name hotels and resorts sprouting up in spots that were once known mostly to locals. Notably, the country’s first luxury wellness resort, Cayo Levantado Resort, debuted two years ago on a private island in the less-visited region of Samaná.

Meanwhile, the once tiny beach town of Miches is buzzing; Viva Miches by Wyndham, A Trademark All-Inclusive debuted in January, while Zemi Miches Punta Cana All-Inclusive Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton opening its doors less than a month ago.

Now On the North Shore

A mere blip on the map of the Dominican Republic, the area surrounding the small town of Rio San Juan is nearly untouched, even when compared to still growing destinations like Samaná or Miches. But zoom in on Google Maps and you’ll start to see the appeal of this less-visited region: brilliantly white stretches of sand stretch right up to the lush foliage of the tropical jungle. This couldn’t feel further from Punta Cana, but with beaches that are just as nice.

Amidst the larger-than-life developments of other coastlines, the properties here are tiny in comparison. Small, serene, and supremely exclusive, properties like the Aman-branded Amanera and ÀNI Dominican Republic, are quietly rewriting the narrative of the travel to the Dominican Republic as being limited to the oversized and overwhelming.

Even more special still is nearby Playa Grande Beach Club, a boutique property the likes of which there are few in the country, let alone the Caribbean. Home to just nine standalone bungalows spread across a spacious swath of beachfront property carved out of the jungle, its one-of-a-kind design and down-to-earth luxury make it a world all its own.

Inside Playa Grande Beach Club

Stepping off the golden sands of one of the country’s most beautiful beaches and onto the manicured grounds of Playa Grande Beach Club, it’s immediately clear that this is a destination all its own. Even from the beachfront, it’s visible: the property’s meticulously maintained grounds are packed with details to delight visitors. Fringed umbrellas shade beach chairs; vintage furniture fills spaces coated with colorful, handmade tiles; candy-colored drinking glasses for afternoon piña coladas by the pool look like they’re straight out of a doll house.

Playa Grande Beach Club’s praiseworthy design comes as no surprise to those who know its founding story. Among the property’s owners is Celerie Kemble, a renowned designer who had a hand in every detail of its creation and design.

Her distinctly island-inspired, Palm Beach-informed design touches every corner of the property. Each bungalow evokes its own unique spirit, with colorful pastel palettes paired with one-of-a-kind textiles and art collected from remote corners of the world, including from Kemble’s personal travels. The Dominican inspiration of the property is undeniable, calling on classic, colonial-era design in architectural details throughout.

To step inside your private bungalow, available in one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom layouts, feels like stepping inside a gingerbread house with a tropical twist. Mine mixed a rose and lime green color scheme, that started with the handpicked textiles on pillows and continue to the tiles spread across the bathroom floor. My bungalow had its own kitchen, with a vintage-inspired refrigerator stocked with goodies like Dominican beer, local mangoes and freshly-ground coffee should I want to wake for sunrise on the sand.

The bathroom was its own separate sanctuary, complete with a massive copper soaking tub as the centerpiece of its design. I marveled at its size: how could the floor hold its weight? Did the house have to be built around its oversized port? It was one of a number of supremely special touches that wove together the visceral visual journey at this one-of-a-kind property.

Home Away From Home

The intentionality of every design detail is Kemble’s love for the property made manifest, giving it lived-in, well-loved quality that makes it comfortable rather than imposing. Perhaps it’s the small size of the property, apt for less than thirty guests at a time, that enhances its homey feel. However, the family-and-friends-first founding of the property is even more likely the source of its welcoming vibe.

While Kemble was the creative mind behind the property’s design, she was just one of a close-knit group of owners who initially intentioned Playa Grande Beach Club to be a private destination reserved just for friends and family. Now, guests can book bungalows for their own home-away-from-home feel.

In addition to just nine bungalows, Playa Grande Beach Club has a main house with a restaurant and bar, a two-story library and lounge, a beachfront pool with a covered lounge area for lazing, and a small gym.

Rio San Juan and Beyond

For such a set-apart property far from the tourist crowds, there’s surprisingly plenty to do just outside the bounds of the resort. One morning I ventured out with a guide who led me up a mountainside that stands between the coastline and the expanses of the island, cracking open fresh coconuts, pointing out tropical fruit laden trees, and explaining the rich vegetation along our trek.

At the end of the path was an incredible viewpoint overlooking the island’s north coast, from which he pointed out the area’s best beaches and departures for the area’s other popular excursions: horseback riding, tours through the forest to swim in millennia-old sinkholes and boat rides through the mangroves.

“Why would anyone want to leave such a precious property?” I had thought, until I realized that I would need to plan a return trip to experience everything there is to do in this still largely untouched region of the country.

The Playa Grande Secret

There is plenty to do during a stay at Playa Grande Beach Club, but noticeable absent is the laundry list of amenities that often feel like a to-do list to modern travelers. Here, the luxury is in the space, the solitude, the stretch of sand that feels almost all your own. It is the serenity of dining in the grand, romantic main house, chatting with friends and family over farm-fresh food highlighting island-inspired flavors.

“The biggest benefit of staying at Playa Grande Beach Club is that you feel like you are in a family,” says Alexandra Jeronimo, General Manager of Playa Grande Beach Club.

“The hotel is a timeless place from yesteryear where generational stories are made,” she says, referencing both the intimate feel of the property and high return rate of guests. At this boutique property, bungalows sometimes book up to a year in advance by guests who don’t want to skip a season at Playa Grande.

It’s a destination to be shared with friends and family, but carefully. “A lot of visitors tend to say things like ‘I don’t know if I should tell anyone about this place, so I’ve decided to tell no one so I can keep it for myself,'” says Jeronimo. After all, what started as a hideaway for a group of close friends and family never lost its essence. Now, it that same sublime peace and welcoming spirit that makes Playa Grande Beach Club such a singular slice of paradise.