Weddings with Caribbean views, corporate gatherings, and wellness experiences all find a home at Vivace. We spoke with CEO Marielle Hazoury about the concept behind the venue and how its clients are helping shape what comes next.
For Marielle Hazoury, Vivace’s identity is rooted in what happens when people come together. Its name means “vivacious” or “full of life,” taking on meaning with every celebration. “Our clients have also been part of Vivace’s development and evolution,” she explains.
Located within Golden Bear Lodge, the project emerged from a specific need: to offer Cap Cana an indoor, air-conditioned venue with the facilities needed to produce an event and views that preserve a connection to its surroundings. The concept allows each client to transform the space around the experience they want to create.
Creative freedom
The ability to transform the space was a priority from the start. Hazoury describes it as a blank canvas, where décor, furniture, and layout can reflect the concept of each occasion.
That freedom gives each wedding its own identity, allows companies to bring their brand into a corporate gathering, and offers fresh ways to arrange the rooms for wellness experiences. Working with Angie Casasnovas of ICC helped bring that versatility to life.
Over time, clients have expanded those possibilities. “They come to Vivace, see the space, and imagine things that perhaps had never occurred to us,” Hazoury says. Their ideas have helped uncover new uses and opportunities for growth.
The landscape is part of the design
Views of Las Iguanas Golf Course and the Caribbean Sea are among the attractions of Mare, one of the two main event rooms. Yet the connection to the surroundings extends beyond the scenery.
Golden Bear’s Spanish Colonial architecture informed the design. Arches, coral stone, and other materials were chosen to integrate Vivace naturally into the property.
The Patio Español and pool area also offer additional settings for events. This allows different moments of the same celebration to unfold across several spaces without leaving Golden Bear Lodge.
Mare and Terra adapt to every occasion
Vivace’s two main event rooms can be rented together or separately. Capacity depends on the layout, furniture, and production requirements.
Mare accommodates approximately 200 guests for a cocktail reception or around 120 for a seated event. Terra, meanwhile, can welcome about 300 guests for a cocktail reception.
For a seated dinner with a dance floor and stage, Terra accommodates around 170 guests. Without those elements, it can seat approximately 200. When both rooms are used, the maximum capacity is 500 guests for safety reasons.
The offering also extends to smaller gatherings. The new rooms within Villa Scala accommodate groups of approximately 20 to 40 people, providing an option for intimate gatherings, small corporate events, and personalized experiences.
Bringing an idea to life
Behind every event’s décor are the facilities that make production possible. Vivace offers its own basic furniture, air-conditioned spaces, a commercial kitchen, restrooms, parking, and support areas.
On the technical side, it works with Vialx for lighting, sound, trussing, stages, and audiovisual production. It also recommends a network of trusted vendors, with no additional charge for those recommendations.
The venue does not charge outside vendor fees. However, choosing a lighting and sound company other than Vialx does involve a supervision fee for installation and technical oversight.
This approach helps streamline planning, both for clients who arrive with a production team and for those who need recommendations to develop their concept.
Clients help shape the next chapter
Vivace’s development plan includes five phases, and the project is currently in its second. While Hazoury prefers to keep upcoming details under wraps, she shares that some future offerings respond to requests from clients who have already used the venue.
Some were planned from the beginning. Others have emerged through a better understanding of clients’ needs and observations of how events unfold.
Her goal is for Vivace to become a preferred venue for celebrations in Cap Cana, with an offering that spans weddings, social gatherings, corporate activities, and new event formats.
“We want people to think of Vivace as a place where they can create the experience they have in mind,” she says. That vision guides both what happens in its event rooms today and the phases still to come.
