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Tags: Hotel Renovations / Dominican Republic Hotels / Hotel Deals / Hotel Refurbs / → All Tags

Puntacana Celebrates 40th Anniversary With A Spruce-Up

Where: Punta Cana, Higüey, Dominican Republic

We haven't quite reached our 40th birthday yet, but when we do, a bit of a renovation will probably be just what we need. That was the same thought the Puntacana Resort and Club in the Dominican Republic had. They're celebrating their 40th anniversary this year and have been having some major refurbishments done, which are due to be all tidied up by the end of this week.

The Puntacana Hotel has spruced up all of its 186 rooms. There are now flat screen TVs throughout, new paint and bedding, and it's looking nice and fresh.

Refurbished doesn't mean more expensive: they've still got some good deals going. If you book online at their website, you can pay from $96 for the "new" rooms including breakfast. There seem to be plenty of rooms available at the $96 rate, right through until December 18.

Tags: Hotel Restaurants / Hotel Refurbs / London Hotels / → All Tags

Do Soho House 'Lite' At The Hoxton Grill

Where: 81 Great Eastern Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2A 3HU

Soho House and Shoreditch House in London: nice places once you’re in them, shame about the hundreds of pounds and membership forms you have to throw at them to get there (or the chatting up of member-y types if you can’t afford the fees yourself).

Tired of buttering up the members pretty much after our first visit (and not having a spare few hundred quid up our sleeves), we decided our relationship with the Soho House group was not meant to be. But right now, we might just rethink things a little, because the Hoxton Grill restaurant has just joined the group.

The restaurant is part of the trendy Hoxton Hotel (that of the famous £1 sales). To cut the mustard in the Soho House family, it’s been put through a refurb and brought out a new menu: a three course lunch will set you back just £15.

Sounds like it’s going to be one to check out. And not just for snobbo reasons — Soho House does excellent comfort food, so hopefully the Grill will follow suit. Plus, you can rest smug in the knowledge that you’re getting a Soho House experience (let’s call it Soho-lite) without shelling out for the membership like the other suckers. That’s our feel-good thought for the day.

[Photo: Daily Telegraph]