From Frank Sinatra to Arnold Palmer to Oscar De la Renta, A Legendary Dominican Republic Resort Celebrates 50 Years of History

It began five decades ago as an island retreat for the leadership of the Gulf + Western Industries, which owned Paramount Pictures. 

It has since become not just the premier resort in the Dominican Republic, but one of the most legendary places in the Caribbean: Casa de Campo, the 7,000-acre retreat in La Romana. 

From Frank Sinatra’s opening performance at its Altos de Chavon amphitheater in 1982 to Arnold Palmer’s 1974 trip to the creative contributions of Oscar de la Renta to the world-famous golf course designs by Pete Dye (three of them, to be exact) to the myriad motion pictures that have filmed there, it’s a hotel that’s been making history for a half century. 

Now, Casa de Campo is celebrating its 50th birthday with a series of events and packages. 

It all begins with a 50th Anniversary Weekend from Oct. 24-27, including a “Generation Concert of the Century” with Grammy-award winners on hand; there’s also a concert party right on the beach at Minitas Beach; and a special golf celebration that includes a $50,000 hole-in-one competition. 

Casa de Campo has “consistently established itself as the epitome of luxury hospitality in the Dominican Republic and has continued to evolve into the world-renowned resort community that it is today,” Jason Kycek, senior VP of sales and marketing at the resort, told Caribbean Journal. “We are immensely honored to commemorate this 50-year milestone, and are excited to share the historical past, present, and future of Casa de Campo with the world. “Casa de Campo is a special place, and we are grateful to the ownership for their ongoing commitment to continue to make it even more special in the years to come.”

In the last few years, when the resort has surged even more in popularity (becoming one of the hottest destinations in the wider region in the post-pandemic period), it’s been making some significant additions. 

That includes a brand-new, 18,000-square-foot wellness destination; and the opening of the Premier Club, a luxe, 58-suite resort-within-a-resort concept in the heart of the property. The birthday festivities will also include a tribute to Sinatra, who helped turn the resort’s amphitheater (set in a replica 16th-century Mediterranean village) into a premier destination for music stars. 

Whether you come for the celebrations or not, you can experience the property’s “Golden Anniversary Package,” which features a host of inclusions from a spa treatment at the new spa to a room in the Premier Club. 

You can learn more or book now at Casa de Campo.