Some good suggestions have already been posted, but I like the combo of Lifestyles Resort, in Puerto Plata, with a smash room at Blackbeards, which is about 15 minutes away. There are nice beaches at Lifestyles. The key to booking Lifestyles is to book through the resort or through someone who is a "member" of Lifestyles. Sure, there are heavily discounted rooms on sites like Hotels.com, but they are all crap. The other issue is the cost of cab rides back and forth from Lifestyles to BB. One roundtrip could cost you $40 US, although there are some cheaper workarounds. Whatever you decide, good luck!