Dominican Republic to gain new Four Seasons resort

Four Seasons has partnered with Cisneros Real Estate to open a new resort in the Dominican Republic.

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Dominic Republic at Tropicalia will be located on a 24-hectare site along the beachfront of Playa Esmeralda in northeastern Dominican Republic, along the southern shores of Samaná Bay.

The development, scheduled to be completed by 2026, will feature a 95-key hotel and 25 private, three and four-bedroom residential units – all within steps of the beach.

Four Seasons billed the property as a “sustainable luxury destination”, adding it would “set a new standard of natural, sustainable elegance for the sophisticated traveller”.

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Dominic Republic at Tropicalia will boast a “tropical modernist design” by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld and is slated to qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification – making it the first hotel of its kind in the Dominican Republic.

The low-density resort is expected to feature open spaces, passive cooling, and lush landscaping using curated, non-invasive native species.

Amenities will include a kids’ club, spa and fitness and wellness facilities, including a yoga pavilion. There will be a variety of beach activities and watersports as well as racquet sports such as tennis, paddle and pickleball.

Onsite culinary experiences will include a speciality restaurant, beachside grill, poolside bar, ceviche bar, juice bar, marketplace and sundry shop, coffee shop and rum bar.

Nearby aquatic activities include scuba diving, catamaran tours, sailing, helping to protect sea turtles in their natural habitat, and seasonal whale-watching excursions around Samaná Bay.

Land excursions include Los Haitises National Park, which features limestone hill formations (mogotes), mangrove forests, ancient caverns with Taíno pictographs and petroglyphs, and abundant wildlife.

For golf lovers, Tropicalia’s Tom Doak golf course is expected to open after the completion of the new Four Seasons resort.

Tropicalia is the private estate of the Cisneros family, featuring a diverse ecosystem of white-sand beaches, aquamarine water and coral reefs, mountains, forests, mangroves, lagoons and rivers, a working coconut plantation, and an organic farm.

The resort is owned by Cisneros Real Estate, the development arm of Cisneros, whose portfolio spans media, real estate, consumer products and social leadership.

Cisneros said it was “committed to long-term ownership of Tropicalia as a legacy project and is dedicated to the new Four Seasons Resort and Residences as well as to the socioeconomic sustainability of the community, region and country”.

The company’s non-profit Fundación Tropicalia has dedicated more than a decade to the region’s wellbeing through an array of educational, socioeconomic and community programmes.

“We are thrilled to expand Four Seasons global portfolio in the Dominican Republic, a market that we have long been focused on as a luxury travel destination,” said Four Seasons president and chief executive Alejandro Reynal.

“We are proud to bring this project to life with our partners at Cisneros, who share our values of supporting the environments and communities in which we operate, and who we deeply admire for their work with Fundación Tropicalia. Together, we will remain focused on these values as we welcome guests and residents alike in 2026 and become stewards of this beautiful destination.”

Cisneros chief executive Adriana Cisneros added: “Tropicalia reflects our family’s cultural values. More than 10 years ago, we embarked on a journey to support social sustainability through innovative projects in agriculture, gender equality, education, environment, entrepreneurship and microfinance. Our goal was to create a new kind of luxury destination that is in balance both with nature and with the local community. We’re pleased that Four Seasons shares our vision, both for Tropicalia and the future of tourism.”