Hello friends! I am so excited to share with you my thoughts on my recent #TeachingVacation to Hilton La Romana (Dominican Republic).

If you are anything like me, then you do homework in preparation for travels or other big decisions in life. Heck, that is probably why you are here reading this review!!!

So, let’s get to it:

First and foremost, the process of scheduling at this beautiful location was such an easy process, thanks to FitBodies. If you are not yet a member, sign-up is easy peasy and you have multiple levels of membership to best serve your needs (Personally, I am a planner and like to be able to plan further out (with the Medallion membership) as my schedule permits me to do that). But really, you can’t go wrong with any level of membership.

Something that I learned is important is that you have a complete and accurate bio in your Fit Bodies account. When I spoke with Dari (Asst. Manager), she said that they do look at the FIt Pro profiles (here’s my basic, public profile) for the instructors who have signed up and that does influence their intentions and schedules. For instance, I had mentioned kid’s yoga, which I came to find out was really welcomes and desired, and yes, it did influence my schedule.

Let’s get to the schedule part:

Now, I have already mentioned this, but I am a planner. I like to know what is going on so that I can be prepared. The element of not knowing my schedule prior to the trip was probably the most stressful part of the whole trip (and really, the trip was amazing and NOT stressful). When my husband and I arrived on Sunday afternoon to check in, I did let them know that I was the yoga teaching professional for the next week. They attempted to call for the manager (Maria) or assistant manager (Dari), but neither were available at that time and then said to meet in the adult side lobby at 8:30pm. Fast forward to 8:30pm, my husband and I are sitting in the hotel lobby sipping on a tropical beverage but no one arrives. Now I am starting to feel a bit anxious. In my head I am thinking “Ummm, what am I supposed to do tomorrow? Where am I supposed to go?” So I let the front desk know that I was waiting for Dari. They let me know she was still unavailable and tending to some of the evening events taking place on the property. They told me “Just be ready at 8:30am in front of the spa in the grassy area. In all honesty, this is not the way I would prefer to start my week, BUT I remained full of gratitude for this unique opportunity and had full confidence that I would gain more clarity in my expectations. And in fact I did, after my first class. I learned that my scheduled would “generally be” the following:

✅ Monday: 9:30 yoga by the spa (8); 11am kids yoga (7)

✅ Tuesday: 9:30 yoga by the spa 10); 4:30pm meditation near gazebo on the beach 14)

✅ Wednesday: 9:30 yoga by the spa (9); 10:30am kids yoga (0)

✅ Thursday: 9:30 yoga by the spa (10); 4:30pm meditation near gazebo on the beach (8)

✅ Friday: 9:30 yoga by the spa [detoured to another area due to the cement truck nearby] (24); 11am kids yoga (5)

✅ Saturday: 9:30 yoga by the spa (16); 4:30pm meditation near gazebo on the beach (0)

(in parenthesis is the number of people that showed up for each class)

I did feel better knowing a general schedule. But as the week went on, I did learn more about the importance of patience and flexibility. At Wednesday’s AM class, I learned that kid’s yoga was going to be at 10:30 am instead of the typical 11am. NO BIGGIE, just take myself and my water bottle to walk from one location to another. The E-team took care of everything regarding yoga mats, towels, water stations, etc..

Speaking of the E-team, Dari, the assistant manager is OM-MAZING. She is literally everywhere across the property. Throughout the week, I would see her power walking from here to there, probably accruing like 20,000 steps a day. On 2 different occasions, she ran into me at one of the pools on the adult side, and chatting with my husband and I. It was probably her only 10-15 break for the day, so we appreciated the quality time with her. Seeing ALL that she is responsible for also gave me insight and appreciation for her role and helped me understand more about scheduling/coordinating. Think about this: If there is a special event like a wedding, they get priority on spaces, so that can impact the schedule. If there’s a storm, that might impact the schedule. If the resort is hosting high profile guests, that may influence the schedule. And, If the instructor has any specialties, that can also influence the schedule. So yes, there’s a LOT to consider. Now I know some of you reading this are probably thinking “well that’s annoying or frustrating” to not know your schedule or have it change, but I strongly encourage you to take the consistent perspective of gratitude on this trip. They are SO happy to have you there and being a part of the E-team. Also, some of you might be thinking that having a split schedule puts a damper on your own personal plans. For me, I had ZERO desire to leave the resort as this was meant to be a wellness-focused vacation for my husband and I. So, we basked in the sun and simply focused on melting away our stressors and serving in the capacity that I was brought there for.

Now, let’s give some much needed acknowledgement to the e-Team:

just think that at any given day/time, there’s at least more than a dozen of E-team members prepping or facilitating events and activities. They all work very hard and try to make a joyful experience for everyone. Of course with that being said, I did have a few favorites that made my yoga teaching experience OM-MAZING:

Yuliana: She was so friendly and helpful throughout the week. I was able to have some amazing conversations with her and see the dedication and drive she has. She was telling me that she wants to improve her English and Dutch, but ultimately wants to learn 5 different languages.

Esteban: Where to begin? Esteban is such a fun, kind soul with a BIG sassy personality. He too, is sooo dedicated to making sure everyone is having a good experience.

Peety Pablo & Superman (Hector): Both of these guys were so helpful in getting yoga set-up in the morning, including having cucumber-infused water ready to go, even moving the table (what felt like a quarter mile away) one day when we were interrupted by a cement machine starting up 2 minutes before class started. Thankfully, we moved into a secluded area in the spa, which was a great opportunity for the 20+ attendees that day to also check out that part of the property, which truly is a tropical oasis.

Now, let’s get into the food/dining/room experience:

I would definitely consider my husband and I to be foodies, and we were not disappointed. There was not one bad meal there; in fact, all of our meals were flavorful, right size portions, and so fresh/healthy. In fact, I felt healthier, even when I had 4 course dinners, than when I was back home. How awesome is that, being able to indulge in fresh and healthy food while on vacation. Also, worthy to note is that at every dining experience, we were asked about any food allergies, which I know may cause some pause for those of you with significant allergies and considering a #Teaching Vacation. Rest assured, I was asked and it was noted at every meal; I happen to have an allergy to carrots (in any form/derivative).

Our favorite restaurants were: Noor, Mare, The Grill (Emilio & Severina), and Azzuri (Christian G, he also works lunch at The Grill). I am positive that you can find great meal options. I tend to like salmon and shrimp and there were plenty of choices every day at multiple locations.

When it comes to service at the pool, my husband and I decided to upgrade to Premium status in our room, so we spent most of our time at the Premium adults pool located between building 1 and 2 (our room was on the first floor of building 2, one of the swim-up pool rooms). We had the most OM-MAZING service all week from Mildred and Alex. They are always appreciative of any gratitude/tips that you offer to them. Towards the latter part of the week, they knew where to find us at the pool and started bringing our beverages regularly without us even asking. A common question is about how much. Obviously, this is a personal decision, but here are some general parameters:

✅$1-2/beverage served at the pool/beach

✅$5/breakfast

✅$5-10/lunch

✅$10-20/dinner

✅$10-20/maid service at end of week

We upgraded our room to a swim up and we’re very pleased with it. We tended to spend much of the day at the pool or beach, but then come back to the room for some rest or TV. We could easily walk out the door into our own personal pool for some more rest and relaxation. Will I splurge every time on this, no, but then again, I might… as I thoroughly enjoyed the room, location, etc.

Other helpful recommendations:

✅ We purchased transfers directly from Fit Bodies, had impeccable service, which ended up being just us in the van to/from airport. It was about a 45 minute drive from Punta Cana airport through the countryside before arriving in La Romana.

✅ I tend to attract bug bites, as such everyday, I wore these Deet-free bug repellent bands on my ankles and they really helped to cut down on insect bites. They say the work for 5-7 days, but I think 3 days is a bit more accurate.

✅ If you are not used to the humidity, especially when teaching, it can really impact your body. I made sure to always be drinking my electrolyte-infused water to stay hydrated from the elements. I prefer the orange, but they come in other flavors too. Also, I prefer using a tumbler containers with a straw rather than a lid. This is one of my faves (ocean-inspired) that keeps your beverage cool too.

✅ Some of you may want to use music, if so I suggest this JBL 4 speaker, which is excellent for outdoors, as it projects to the sides rather than forward. This is the speaker I use when I am teaching at home (beaches/parks/breweries) too. It is important to remember that you should only be using music that you own the rights to or royalty-free music. Otherwise, you dealing with copyright issues, as yoga classes are considered “public performance” and as such, you should could be fined for using music in ways that are not simply for personal use (like Spotify). I highly recommend affordable yoga music by Fred Westra or DJ Taz Rashid; both of them offer great selections of royalty-free music. Here you can access a sample of DJ Taz Rashid’s music.

As I write this, it has been less than two weeks since this incredible experience and I am already looking at flights and considering my next #TeachingVacation, which very well could be back to the beautiful Hilton La Romana. As evidenced by this hat, you could definitely say I am a fan of this resort!

If you are reading this Dari/Yuliana/Esteban/Peetey Pablo/Superman, I can wait to work with you all again soon.

Take care and remember to breathe,

~Dr. Sandi

PS-If you have yet to have earned your 200 or 500 hours yoga teacher certification, consider MyVinyasaPractice as an excellent, affordable, self-paced online opportunity. They offer options for specialized training in Yin, Restorative, Trauma-informed, Yoga Therapy, Meditation, and more.

As a note, my website/blog contains affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but it does allow me to keep operations afloat and bring you my favorite ocean-inspired content.