Yanuna, a luxury development near Punta Cana, expects to open the Dominican Republic’s first Ritz-Carlton in 2029, the developer said on November 9.
The first stage represents an investment of more than $1bn and includes two all-inclusive Marriott International hotels with 548 rooms. Total investment across all stages is estimated at about $2.4bn, financed entirely by Dominican capital.
The 2.7mn square metre site, about 667 acres, sits at Punta Macao on the country’s eastern coast, 35 minutes from Punta Cana International Airport, according to the Yanuna press release.
The project expects to create 2,500 jobs during construction and 1,600 once it is operating. Dominican President Luis Abinader led a presentation of the project on October 30.
The Ritz-Carlton Yanuna will have 250 rooms. Casa Mirayá, a Luxury Collection Hotel, will have 298 rooms. Both are expected to open in 2029.
“Yanuna was born from a deep conviction in what the Dominican Republic can offer the world. We are more than sun and beach,” said Yamil E. Isaías, chairman of the board of Yanuna. He represents Pioneer Corporate Development Fund II, managed by Pioneer Investment Funds.
Javier Tejada, chairman of the board of The Ritz-Carlton Yanuna and Casa Mirayá, said the project would help diversify the country’s tourism offering.
The master plan uses existing infrastructure and previously developed areas to limit earthmoving. It pays special attention to preserving coastal dunes, mangroves, wetlands and sea-turtle nesting areas.
A second stage, now in design, would add a third hotel and a village centre with dining, retail and wellness.
The second phase of the first stage includes 25 Ritz-Carlton-branded residences in three collections, named Caicú, Bayacú and Jiva. Residence sales are expected to begin in mid-2027.
