All-inclusive holidays are too often still associated with 24/7 free bars and rowdiness and chaviness, chavs and chavettes, not mindful drinking or sipping rather than chugging.
Fans referred to them as UI (Ultra-Intemperate) or OYF (Off Your Face) vacations.
All-inclusive meant hen and stag parties. Not families. It meant having a good time but not for everyone.
From zero-proof cocktail programmes at its all-inclusive resorts to Ayurvedic wellness retreats on its southeast coast, the Dominican Republic now offers vacations to unwind without the Mamajuana (rum and red wine) hangover.
The shift mirrors a wider change in traveller habits. In the UK, a January 2026 survey by the Portman Group and YouGov found that 36% of adults who drink alcohol now consume low and no-alcohol alternatives regularly rising to 43% among 18 to 24-year-olds, while an estimated 17.5 million Britons took part in Dry January 2026.
Now the Dominican Republic is attracting the sober-curious for luxury sea and beach flop vacations with people who like to sunbathe beside a virgin of the Mule or Mojito kind. Something gorgeous and “sans alcohol”.
At the forefront of the trend is W Punta Cana Adult All-Inclusive, the first all-inclusive resort from the W Hotels brand globally. The property has introduced a dedicated Zero Proof Package, allowing guests to enjoy the full all-inclusive experience, including dining, entertainment and activities, alongside unlimited alcohol-free cocktails and a thoughtfully crafted non-alcoholic beverage program at its Chill Pool Bar or 33 1/3 Speakeasy.
The package is available via the website www.wpuntacanahotel.com with variable pricing depending on the booking dates.
For a deeper wellness reset, Ki-Ra, a holistic retreat on the Dominican Republic’s southeastern coast just 20 minutes from the country’s national parks and caves, has launched a four-day Ayurvedic cleanse package.
Yoga never becomes noisy or rowdy!
The programme blends daily yoga and meditation, morning hip baths and a three-day treatment package of Abhyanga (four-hand Ayurvedic oil massage), Shirodhara (oil-pouring therapy) and Swedana (herbal steam therapy), alongside tailored Ayurvedic meals designed to balance the doshas that Ayurvedic practitioners believe govern all physical, mental and emotional functions in the body.
Pricing starts from $1,550 per person for groups sharing rooms, $1,750 per person for groups in private rooms, and $1,850 per person for individual guests, with optional add-ons including boat trips to Saona and Catalina islands, hikes through Padre Nuestro National Park and further spa treatments such as reflexology. For more information visit Ayurvedic Cleanse Package.
Further along the coast, the five-star luxury Eden Roc Cap Cana, the Dominican Republic’s only Relais & Châteaux property, offers its ‘Endless Wellbeing’ package as part of its wider Lifestyle & Wellness programme.
Guests receive a personal wellness concierge, a daily spa treatment, a private class such as yoga or meditation inside the resort’s oceanfront cenote and meals from a redesigned wellness menu across its restaurants.
The resort’s Beach Club and other bars serves mocktails alongside its cocktail list, giving health-conscious, guests a considered, non-alcoholic, zero-proof options which as a P&R (passionfruit juice, lemon juice, soda, mint and cardamom syrup) and a Rosemary Spritz (with rosemary cordial, pineapple juice, angostura bitters and Fever Tree ginger ale). For more information visit Endless Wellbeing.
Havaniets N°1 Original Belgian craft non-alcoholic spirits brand Niets Co, is distilled from Dominican sugar cane molasses and aged for five months in medium-charred oak barrels to produce a verified 0.0% ABV dark spirit with notes of vanilla, coffee, cinnamon and nutmeg and designed to be mixed into classic rum-style serves without the alcohol.
Alongside it ‘morir soñando’, a chilled, creamy blend of orange juice and evaporated milk whose name translates as “to die dreaming”, remains a beloved non-alcoholic staple on the island, alongside fresh tropical juices and the country’s celebrated coffee. Together, they offer visitors an authentic, homegrown complement to the new wave of resort-led wellness programming.
Rest and recalibrate responsibly and own your day, every day and build yourself mindfulness with a Dark & Stormy, for which you will need 50ml Havaniets N°1 0.0%, 15ml Bacanha Falernum Syrup, 15ml Lime Juice and some Premium Ginger beer. Then combine the Havaniets, Falernum syrup and lime juice in a glass, stir gently, top with ginger beer and garnish with a lime slice.
Or how about a Cuban Twist, made with 50ml Havaniets N°1 0.0%, 80ml French Bloom Blanc 20ml Lime Juice and 10ml Organic Mint Syrup. Then simply build it over some ice cubes in a coupe glass, add lime juice, mint syrup and Havaniets, then top up with French Bloom Blanc alcohol-free sparkling wine and garnish with a flower.
Then there is La Flamme (Paris 2024), which is a mocktail made for the J.O Paris 24 by B.Lam. For this you will need 50ml Havaniets, 20ml Lapsang Shouchong tea (smoked), 30ml Clarified orange juice, 10ml Orgeat syrup, 20ml Lime juice and one Egg white.
Havaniets N°1 Original, priced at £30, is available from: www.uk.niets.co and for further information on the Dominican Republic, please visit: www.godominicanrepublic.com.
Author Bio:
Kevin Pilley is a former professional cricketer and chief staff writer of PUNCH magazine. His humour, travel, food and drink work appear worldwide, and he has been published in over 800 titles.
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