In the verdant embrace of the Dominican Republic’s Cap Cana enclave, a singular expression of luxury hospitality has taken root. The newly unveiled St. Regis Cap Cana – the brand’s first venture into the country—is not merely a hotel. It is, in the words of its designer, Tatiana Sheveleva, a “soulful portrait” of the nation itself. And with its interiors meticulously conceived by Sheveleva’s studio, CHAPI Design, the resort stands as a powerful case study in how place, culture and design can intertwine to tell a story.
“This is not about ornament for ornament’s sake,” Sheveleva tells Design News Hub. “It’s about honouring a landscape and a legacy – designing from the land outward.”
Image credit: Marriott International
She is not speaking metaphorically. Across the 200-key resort and branded residences, her team has imbued every surface and space with a tactile narrative drawn from the country’s multifaceted heritage: Taino roots, Spanish and African influences, and a fierce pride in local craftsmanship. It’s a project that asserts a new Caribbean design language – one rooted in cultural fluency and sculptural restraint.
At the heart of CHAPI Design’s approach lies a profound symbol: the faceless doll, a handmade Dominican artefact long celebrated for its representation of unity across diversity. This quiet, compelling figure appears throughout the hotel as a design philosophy.
“The faceless doll is inclusive,” Sheveleva says. “She represents everyone and no one at once. We took that ethos and translated it into a spatial experience that’s intentionally universal in feeling, but deeply local in spirit.”
From a distance, the property emerges like a mirage between cliff and coast—its forms carved by the forces of nature, its interiors choreographed with a poetic sense of motion. Enter the lobby, and one is greeted by an elemental symphony: a sculptural staircase spirals beside a cascading waterfall, both grounded in materials that speak to island geology. Dubbed The Meeting of All Palms, the space is a masterclass in visual tension – angular stone softened by curving timber, bold textures juxtaposed with fleeting light.
It is here that CHAPI Design sets the tone for the entire property: a commitment to harmony, contrast, and narrative depth.
Image credit: Marriott International
Rooms that breathe
Within the guestrooms – described by Sheveleva as “private observatories” – the experience becomes more introspective. Generously proportioned and intentionally elemental, these spaces are designed less as temporary accommodations and more as ritualistic sanctuaries. A freestanding, sculpted bath anchors the open-plan suite, evoking a tidepool worn smooth by time. The horizon line – etched literally into the headboard – serves as both visual anchor and poetic gesture, echoing the eternal meeting of sky and sea.
Even the minibar is treated with ceremony: a bespoke cocktail trolley invites sunset rituals, blending utility with theatre. As Sheveleva puts it, “Every object here has a job – and a soul.”
Image credit: Marriott International
Public spaces read like chapters in a design novel. The St. Regis Bar distils the energy of Dominican culture into a space that feels both timeless and contemporary, with bold architectural lines softened by artisanal finishes. Meanwhile, the ballroom and meeting rooms pulse with the lively rhythm of merengue, their sweeping forms and tactile walls inviting motion, music and memory.
Dining venues continue the narrative. The Steakhouse Restaurant offers a textured homage to Taino and Spanish heritage, while the Three-Meal Restaurant draws inspiration from the poetic concept of “desde adentro hacia afuera” – from the inside out – anchored by an interior waterfall that spills into the surrounding nature. The Cigar Club, with its sweeping lines and moody palette, evokes the ephemeral grace of rising smoke. And the Pool Grill captures the island’s joyful heartbeat with raw materials and rhythmic lines that echo barefoot dance on sun-warmed stone.
Each space is a sensory experience – more than functional, they are acts of cultural storytelling.
Material as memory
Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of CHAPI Design’s work at St. Regis Cap Cana is its unwavering material intentionality. From handcrafted tiles to carved stone, every surface is imbued with geographic and emotional weight.
“In a world increasingly driven by global sameness,” Sheveleva says, “we’ve chosen to slow down, to design with purpose. We’re not interested in replicating trends—we want to root every detail in context.”
That context, in Cap Cana, is lush and layered: the salt air, the flicker of palm shadows, the whisper of ancestral presence. All find form in a resort that is both a destination and a design manifesto.
Image credit: Marriott International
In this project, CHAPI Design has rewritten the rules of tropical luxury. Gone are the clichés of rattan excess and seashell decor. In their place: a refined, resonant environment where material honesty meets cultural reverence.
St. Regis Cap Cana does not shout its luxury. It whispers it—through the cool heft of stone, the arc of a carved ceiling, the hush of light filtering through slatted screens. It is luxury as legacy, not spectacle.
And as the Caribbean continues to evolve as a design frontier, Sheveleva’s work here may well prove seminal – offering a new template for what it means to be both rooted and rarefied.
> Since you’re here, why not read about the design scheme inside St. Regis Shenzhen Bao’an?
Main image credit: Marriott International
