Hi,
My SO and I are planning to go away to the Caribbean in July, as it will be for both of our birthdays. I have been to DR and Mexico although he has never been to the Caribbean. This will be our first trip together so I am a little nervous. My last trip to the DR was to Iberostar Grand Hotel Bávaro. It was 5* and fabulous!! I was very fortunate to use family member's VISA points, which helped tremendously. However, I don't have that luxury anymore but looking for something just as great. It needs to be all inconclusive, adults only,and have some activities like kayaking, hiking, some entertainment in the evenings. I am not looking for a Spring Break type of atmosphere. We are in our late mid-late 30's and want to enjoy everything that an all-inclusive has to offer without it being so busy, loud and packed. We are looking at staying 7-10 days, or longer (14 days) if it's a place that would be worth considering this long.
I would appreciate your input, if you have any suggestions. My SO has never been to DR and would like to go there although he said that it's up to me. He is open to anything. I don't mind going back however, I would be open to other suggestions - St. Lucia, Antiqua (St. James Club - quoted $1444 on red tag for 7 days during our dates), Barbados, Bahamas, etc.
*I checked out St. James Club in Antiqua but there were quite a few complaints. I remember hearing that it was a the "it" place to go but not sure what it's like now. It seems a little outdated.
Thanks.

I just realized something. My SO is currently in Nigeria (work) and I am in Toronto. How do I book it so that we arrive to the same destination but ultimately, arriving from different airports? I have never done this before. Is there a resolution?

Sure, just purchase two separate plane tickets, trying to time them so you arrive at around the same time. Or fly into an airport that is close enough to your hotel/resort that you just meet up there after your separate flights.

Okay. It's been a while since I booked a trip as my last trip was paid by with VISA points but when you generally book a resort, is travel included or separate, or does it depend on who you book through?

If you book your accommodations directly with the resort “travel” is not usually included - you book that separately with the airline(s) of your choice. Or depending on the resort and/or destination you can sometimes purchase “package deals” that include airline and accommodations though travel websites like Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, etc. or from many of the major airlines.

You have to explore the different options.

Since your SO is traveling from a different country you’ll probably find it easier to book your resort and airline tickets separately.

You might be able to get a "package" that includes your airfare from Toronto, but I doubt you will be able to do that for your SO from Nigeria.