Punta Cana
 

I would like to go to Punta Cana and have never been there. Can you tell me the best time (month) of the year to go? Also, where is the best beach to be on to stay at an all inclusive?

Bavaro is said to be the best beach area.
I've been to PC in June, July, October, January.
January is my favorite time as it is still temps in the 80s but the humidity is much lower than the other months when I've been there.

Do you have a favorite hotel there? (Punta Cana), especially an "all inclusive?" thank you

There are many to choose from.
We have only visited two, not the most expensive ones. But we've enjoyed our weeks at Bavaro Princess All Suites Resort and a week at Iberostar Punta Cana/Dominica.
Princess is a larger property with gorgeous grounds, IB PC/D is more compact, standard rooms but nice with a balcony and small sitting area, but still a nice beach.
There are pricier places with additional services.
And lower cost ones with less.
A good source to check out is Debbie's Dominican
Just type that into Google and you'll go to Debbie's site. It has tons of info about the whole island, the east coast (Punta Cana) area, and reviews of many hotels. And all sorts of other helpful stuff when planning a trip to PC.
We're in the process of booking our 5th trip there. For January. :)
If you are traveling from the US, check out applevacations for prices for all inclusives including air. From many places there are charter flights on USA3000 or AirTran as part of the package, saves a LOT of travel time.
No baggage fees for first bag with these charters.
Apple clients get preferred room locations in many cases, and often other 'extras' that those who book on their own don't get without paying for some upgrade.
Plus they have their own rep at the resort every day who is very helpful with anything and everything you could want to know while you are there.

thank you. where are you staying in January? Also, is there a town close by to all the inclusives? How is snorkeling?

Punta Cana is the center or tourism in the Dominican Republic; although it features the longest coral reef on the island, the snorkeling isn't optimal here. Sosua was the original hotbed of tourism in the Dominican Republic, when the industry took off in the 1970's. Since then, other areas have eclipsed Sosua, but it's still a good spot for visitors. There's good snorkeling here, both from the beach and among the reef reachable by boat. For the serious snorkeler, a better base of operations might be Bayahibe, where you'll find great snorkeling right off the beach. Bayahibe is a small fishing village with a good supply of restaurants, hotels and guest houses - along with a few big resort hotels - that support a growing tourist trade.

Bayahibe is also a good gateway to the Parque Nacional del Este, and it's just a short boat ride away from spectacular snorkeling around Saona Island and Catalina Island. The Wall and The Aquarium are two snorkeling destinations off the coast of Catalina Island that are not to be missed. Other great snorkeling spots include Catalinita Island and Canto de la Playa on Saona Island.
The Punta Cana area lends itself more to those looking for the type of vacation where the resort has everything and one never has to go outside the gates. Note the nearest city, Higuey, is about a 40 minute drive away. Beyond the resorts is mostly empty countryside. You can literally walk for miles along the beach without seeing anything but an occasional unfinished construction project or the next hotel.

El Cortecito, located between Punta Cana-Bavaro and Macao, is the closest thing to a little beach town in the area. Nearby is Manatee Park, a wildlife ecological/adventure site and the Ponce de Leon house is near Boca de Yuma, a choice for fresh fish lunches by the seaside. Handicraft vendors rotate offering market day at the different hotels. There are several souvenir shops located right on the different beach stretches.

Try this site, as well as those previously mentioned to find out much about the DR, and to help you select the resort that would be best for you.
http://www.puntacana-information-guide.com/