Exhausted and burnt out, I headed to an all inclusive resort in Punta Cana and fully embraced the luxe life

When it comes to my personality, I wouldn’t call myself an explorer. My goal is to squeeze in as much relaxation as possible as often as possible — I aspire to be the single, rich aunt who only comes home to regale her family about her latest escape. On a recent trip to Punta Cana's Riu Palace Macao with Sunwing Vacations, I lived out my vacation fantasy with even more luxurious touches than I could have hoped for.

After five days floating through the adults only, all inclusive resort, I felt recharged and like myself again. Riu Macao's lobby bar. Everything at the newly renovated Riu Palace Macao is designed to make guests feel at ease. My room featured chic neutral tones, soothing aromatherapy infusions and a king sized bed with crisp white sheets.

When I opened the sliding glass doors to my patio and saw the swim up pool overlooking soaring palm trees, my switch to vacation mode was complete. At the nearby beach, palm trees dot the gorgeous landscape, offering shade to guests snoozing on loungers. In the private Elite Club area, I read on a Bali bed, surrounded by lush vegetation.

As someone who doesn’t drink alcohol, I appreciated the lengthy menu of mocktails on offer; one particularly refreshing concoction I tried combined pineapple with mint. Since I’m an all day grazer, I was thrilled that room service is offered 24/7, so I could grab a club sandwich in the middle of the night if I wanted.

A beachfront pool at Riu Palace Macao. But breakfast quickly became the meal I looked forward to the most. At the buffet, the croissant French toast with fresh watermelon juice became my go to. If buffets aren’t your thing, there’s a quieter exclusive area on the patio where Elite Club guests can order dishes like eggs benedict à la carte.

On the third day of my stay, I headed to the Splash World Water Park. The park, which features five different water slides, is open to all Riu guests and features a kiddie park (the Riu Palace Macao is adults only, but there are other nearby Riu resorts for families). I laughed hysterically at my travel companions screaming their heads off on the water slides, but I stuck with my relaxation policy and chilled underneath the water cascading from a fake palm tree in the splash pad area.

Later, my friends set off in search of more adventure with NexusTours. The tour provider offers myriad excursions: sand buggy tours, a catamaran cruise, and more. They came back raving about how much fun they had, but I wouldn’t have traded my afternoon for anything: I had booked a massage at the Renova Spa.

I didn’t give myself quite enough time for the hydrotherapy circuit (which features two hot plunge pools, a cold plunge pool and a pool with jet showers), but lying on a plush massage table while a therapist gently worked over my tired muscles took my getaway to a whole new level of luxury. The pool at Riu Macao's Renova Spa.

On the last evening, my group met for a dinner of fusion cuisine at Krystal, an open air restaurant overlooking the beach. Our first course was an avocado and lobster dish I still dream about. Altogether, we dined at four different restaurants during our stay (there are six on the property, including one exclusive to Elite Club guests), but Krystal was my favourite.

There’s nothing like enjoying an amazing meal while watching crashing waves under the stars. Before I got ready for bed, I put on my bikini and slipped into my pool one last time, filled with peace and gratitude. I kept thinking about a quote I saw on the wall of the lounge in the spa: “Keep taking time for yourself until you are you again.” I’ll carry that spirit with me on all future vacations..