A worldly renowned and exclusive gated village: PuntaCana Resort

Back in 1969 a group of American investors, headed by Ted Kheel, bought 30 square miles of undeveloped land stretching along five miles of the east coast of the Dominican Republic in the province of La Altagracia. The land was mostly impenetrable jungle and bush with no access roads and only a handful of small fishing villages dotted along the coast. But the beaches were among the most beautiful on the island with their white sand, coconut palms, crystal-clear waters and protective coral reefs.

A few years later, Dominican entrepreneur Frank R. Rainieri joined them with his vision to create a resort community that respects the natural habitat while providing visitors with a world-class vacation experience. At the time the area was called Punta Borrachón (Drunkard’s Point), Frank Rainieri wisely decided to rename it Punta Cana, after the fan-shaped Cana palm leaf that flourishes in the area.

Managed by Dominican Frank R. Rainieri and American Theodore W. Kheel, the Compañía de Desarrollo Turístico Residencial e Industrial S.A. (CODDETREISA), known today as Grupo Puntacana S.A., began development of the lot in 1971, with the opening of a small hotel known as the Punta Cana Club. It had 10 two-room villas, a clubhouse, a small town for employees, a power plant and a basic aircraft runway. At full capacity this hotel could accommodate 40 guests. Although it was never at full capacity, Punta Cana Club confirmed that the property had great potential and in 1978 French hotel company Club Mediterranée bought some land from CODDETREISA and started the construction of the first 350-room hotel.

The area, nonetheless, was still pretty isolated. The nearest town, Higuey, took six hours to reach so a new road was needed. The Colgate-Palmolive Company, which was required to repatriate its local entities’ export earnings, became involved and the new highway was built, thus connecting Punta Cana to the rest of the country’s road network. That same year, Ted, Frank and Club Med representatives discovered the inconvenience of having to travel four hours to reach the nearest airport, located in Santo Domingo.