Hi,
Yes we were there in January...in fact we are going back again this December to the same resort, Melia Tropical. We really enjoy it. The beaches are amazing...white sand...blueist water. But as for a town nearby...we didn't hear of one. There are plenty of markets along the beach, which you can walk along forever. The people were so friendly, and the markets were full of great things, from boozes to paintings and everything in between. The Melia Tropical is a 5 star resort. I recommend visiting
www.debbiesdominicantravel.com this site will offer a resort review for just about everyone and all the info you need to know.
Hope this helped!