Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Celebrates Grand Opening In Dominican Republic

Karisma Hotels & Resorts and Viacom, Inc. executives with SpongeBob SquarePants at The Pineapple Villa at Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana. Photo: Karisma Hotels & Resorts

The highly-anticipated Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana held its grand opening last week, following its soft opening in June. Karisma Hotels & Resorts partnered with Viacom International Media Networks to bring the world of Nickelodeon to life at the five-star property located on Uvero Alto Beach in the Dominican Republic.

The three-day celebration highlighted all the Nickelodeon-themed resort has to offer. Families watched character performances during breakfast and took pictures with SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  Kids hung out at the Just Kiddin’ club house and Aqua Nick waterpark, while adults enjoyed gourmet cuisine and wine pairings by Jackson Family Wines.

It was also the debut of The Pineapple, a villa designed after Sponge Bob SquarePants’ home in Bikini Bottom, which is now officially open and available for stays. These presidential suites feature two bedrooms, three bathrooms, loft-style living rooms and private butlers. The main living room features a pull-out sofa bed, dining room, TV, play area, storage space, and access to the suite’s private gardens, patio, infinity pool and sun-bathing beds.

Of course, all of the resort’s 208 suites are geared toward families. The “Jacuzzi Pads” have either one king bed or two doubles, as well as a pull-out sleeper sofa, a dining rooms, play area, and—as the name would suggest— a jetted Jacuzzi tub. For larger families, the “Jacuzzi Flats” has a master suite, living room with a pull-out sofa bed, and separate room for kids.

Karisma and Viacom already have plans for other Nickelodeon resorts; construction on a 288-room property in Mexico is already underway.  The Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya is expected to open in December 2017, and will begin accepting reservations early next year.