Ensconce yourself among aristocrats (and their ghosts) in one of the most historic buildings in Santo Domingo, now a five-star hotel that attracts a cosmopolitan crowd of international guests. This former home of the once Spanish colony’s earliest governor is situated on the first street in what was then the New World. Back in the early [...]
This multi-story hotel is located in the center of the busiest street in the city, with a well-placed veranda providing a great stoop for people-watching. The lobby attempts to make the best of what it has by packing a restaurant, bar, open-grill kitchen, reception desk, and seating area into one long, wide room. Overlooking the obvious [...]
This gracious hotel was home to the Dominican President during the mid- 1800’s and provides an excellent starting point for exploring the city’s history. Centrally located, the mansion is well maintained and palatial guestrooms are well appointed. Period furnishings and red velvet drapes characterize the formal décor while portraits of Spanish aristocracy lining the walls solidify [...]
Until mid-2004, the Hotel Europa had deteriorated over the course of decades, a mere shell of its former splendor. Its location, an avenue off the Colonial Zone’s more traveled path, nearly rendered it out of sight, out of mind. Then Spanish developers showed up with money to burn and within six months took the hotel from [...]
The name of this hotel honors a Count who defeated the English during a 17th century invasion. Located at the crossroads of the city’s main pedestrian thoroughfare on busy Parque Colon, the hotel’s international restaurant and café is a magnet for sightseers as well as a favorite hangout among locals living and working nearby. The rooms [...]
This one-time conquistadors’ home dates from 1502 and is an extraordinary example of 16th-century colonial architecture. It has since served as the home of two famous Dominican poets and even a 19th-century dictator, before it was renovated into a hotel in the 1970s. A colossal 30-foot portal leads to a beautiful alcove where guests check in, [...]
The architecture and interior design exhibit the ambitious attempt of a group of young homegrown entrepreneurs to bring the art deco flavor of Miami Beach to the Old City. Translucent panels in the lobby and all-white suites are some of the obvious influences from Miami Beach's famed Delano hotel (the rooms here are small, too). The [...]
Debuting in 2005, the Hilton Santo Domingo is the newest addition to the group of high-rise hotels on the city’s seaside boulevard. This 21–story tower stands out among its neighbors for its sleek and modern design. Inside the atrium lobby, a glass elevator whisks guests off to contemporary-styled rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows; most have superb views [...]
Sofitel’s first hotel in the Colonial Zone may have been overshadowed by the addition of swankier little brother Nicolás de Ovando's addition two years ago, but this long-standing favorite still stands out. At about an eighth of the size of the Ovando, the intimacy of this 16th century stone manor is what makes it a top [...]
In the late 16th century, a group of women cloistered themselves in this coral stone structure, living as nuns of a mystical religion until the influence of the Church nudged them on. Today this charmingly restored structure with two-foot-thick walls, iron-railed balconies, and tiled stairways provides modern-day travelers a relaxing base for exploring the Colonial Zone’s [...]