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 [...]
Fans of poetry might enjoy staying at this bed and breakfast that pays homage to the 16th century poet Elvira de Mendoza. The doña, whose religious verse is lauded throughout Latin American, wrote some of her most loved poems from the nearby convent of the Regina Angelorum, where she was cloistered with another renowned contemporary, Sor [...]