Santo Domingo hotel needed for Business and Nice Pool
 

My dh is going to Santo Domingo for 6 nights for business and I am trying to
find him a hotel.

Criteria: He is paying for the room, so we want to keep the cost reasonable. He need Internet connection, convenient to restaurants and he would like a place to relax after work with a drink and a swim.
A view of the ocean if possible.

If anyone has suggestions, I need to book something A.S.A.P. for next week!

ttt

Hi, beachkomer. The most likely sea views would be hotels located on the Malecon (ave. George Washington.) You may want to check for reviews (try Travel Advisor) of the Jaragua, the Hilton or the Intercontinental. I have not stayed at any of those, but I can offer a few other suggestions based on personal experience.

For nice view, great pool (just repainted and retiled in March)& rockbottom price, check out Hotel Napolitano. I paid US$68 last month for a double with Caribbean Sea view. Breakfast included, and the terrace restaurant is lovely. There is also nightly entertainment, which could mean noise until 1100pm or so. But the local color here is excellent. CAVEAT: not sure about internet access, and I have seen reviews citing the hotel as being a little 'rough.' IMO, it's an excellent value, though not what anyone would classify as a hotal that typically attracts business people.

My best business-hotel recommendation would be Hotel Santo Domingo. This time last year we paid US$125 for a huge room that had both pool and sea view. Excellent breakfast included, and a nice poolside cafe.

You may also see recommendations for Hotel Delta, in the Bella Vista neighborhood and therefore, having no real sea view. I recently paid US$135 for a single, so, for me, not as good a value as the Hotel SD was a year ago. The Delta's pool is on the roof, so the city views are spectacular.

The Occidental Embajador is in the same neighborhood, quite nice, pretty pool, lots of business clientele, but no views. My recollection is that breakfast was not included, though we did have a good room rate (US$80 )18 months ago through Expedia.

If your DH is comfortable paying a bit more, I can absolutely recommend the Sofitel Nicolas de Ovando. This property is on the oldest street in the city (Calle las Damas), so he would be right in the heart of the Colonial Zone with all its history & sightseeing potential. Right around the corner is the famous pedestrian-only shopping area, El Conde. We have stayed here 2 times, both times getting a good deal on Expedia, approx. US$168 for a double. The rooms/bathrooms are gorgeous, excellent breakfast buffet, charming pool.

Again, I refer you to Trip Advisor for reviews, but these choices represent my 2 cents. All but the Napolitano would definitely meet most of your criteria.

Good luck with your booking--you should think about going along, beachkomer......Santo Domingo is a beautiful, vibrant city filled with history and color.

Keep us posted on your booking progress !

Those were all excellent choices and I reviewed them all.

Balancing all the criteria (and cost)
I went with the Jaragua. I booked it
thru the Marriott site at $95 per night in the smaller building. Larger building was $125 I think. It DOES include breakfast, which will be great for him for 6 days! I saw that taxes are about 26% !!

He grew up in Haiti (next door!) so he is used to "rough" but I thought it would be nice for him to enjoy the ammenities of the Jaragua. Thanks for your help! I looked at that Sofitel but it was pretty pricy. The Hilton looks nice too, but was $180.

It's business, but hotel is out of his pocket.

Thanks!

The Jaraagua looks really nice, so I think you did an excellent job, beachkomer. You are so right, the 26% add-on can be a dealbreaker.

Glad you got your booking done so quickly---from all I have read, it's a very well-run property. Casino might be fun, too. Here's to a great trip back to Hispaniola for your DH.

Thanks Lifes2short, you have reminded me why this board is so great. I've been coming here for years to get advice and to offer my own and the Fodorites never let me down!

We should have a Fodorite convention!
Except~ WOW, can you imagine trying to
get everyone to agree on a great place?! :) It could take years of discussion!

I wish I was going on the trip too, to explore and lay by the pool!

beachkomer--I love your 'convention' idea. It wouldn't have to be so difficult to decide on a venue---we would just need to make it an annual event, in order to please everyone !

I agree with you about the helpfulness of Fodorites--what a terrific resource we have for travel tips, recommendations and advice.

Let us know how your hubby's business trip turns out and whether he likes SD. Yes, you must accompany him the next time !