Tortuga Bay, Dominican Republic

Fifteen gorgeous villas—decorated by none other than D.R. native son Oscar de la Renta—are spread along the beachfront of this posh gated community. De la Renta, Julio Iglesias, and Mikhail Baryshnikov are among the somebodies who own homes here, and when you're ushered through the Punta Cana airport to a waiting car, whisked to your villa, and handed the keys to your own golf cart, you'll start to feel like a big deal, too. Together, the villas comprise 30 one- to four-bedroom suites, each decorated in fresh, Caribbean-meets-Hamptons style, with cream upholstery, dark wood furniture, coralline stone baths, and French doors that open to a private patio or balcony. If there's anything you need (not likely), you can use your hotel-provided mobile phone to ring up your villa manager. The poolside Bamboo restaurant and bar is Tortuga Bay's congenial hub, but you'll also have access to the two golf courses, restaurants, and Six Senses spa of the surrounding parent property, Puntacana Resort & Club, as well as the mineral-rich, spring-fed pools in the resort's 600-acre forest preserve.

What to pack: White cotton for the heat and some sparkle for the glam factor.

Tortuga Bay
Punta Cana
Dominican Republic
Tel: 888 442 2262

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