Just got back from 3 days in Santiago - here are my thoughts

Greg81

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Aug 12, 2012
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I just spent 3 days in <st1:City w:st="on">Santiago</st1:City>. Here are my thoughts: I flew on JetBlue (nice airline) into <st1:City w:st="on">Santiago</st1:City>. The airport in S<st1:City w:st="on">antiago</st1:City> is very nice and I went through customs in 5 minutes. All of the airport personnel were very polite and helpful. There were plenty of english speaking people/employees at the airport and they helped me right away to get a taxi to the hotel.

Next, I stayed at the <st1:placeName w:st="on">Aloha</st1:placeName> <st1:placeName w:st="on">Sol</st1:placeName> <st1:placeName w:st="on">Hotel</st1:placeName>. For $59.00 per night it was very nice. It is not Wynn Resorts in <st1:City w:st="on">Las Vegas</st1:City>, but it was clean, the A/C & free internet worked well and the shower had excellent water pressure and hot water. Also, I was impressed with the free breakfast which included bacon, toast, fruit, orange juice, coffee, eggs and potatoes and other various things. People at the front desk spoke english. The hotel also has a casino where I exchanged dollars for pesos at an exchange rate of either 37:1 or 37.5:1 (I can’t exactly remember). One more thing, I noticed there would often be a Dominican cop standing near the entrance of the hotel which I thought was a good thing.

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I saw many parts of the city with my native <st1:City w:st="on">Santiago</st1:City> friend. The people in S<st1:City w:st="on">antiago</ST1:place</st1:City> were definitely more friendly and had better manners than people in NJ/NY. I plan to go back soon to explore the area more.
 

jrjrth

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Mar 24, 2011
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The hotel also has a casino where I exchanged dollars for pesos at an exchange rate of either 37:1 or 37.5:1 (I can?t exactly remember).


~Oopps....you where taken on the exchange...we are currently exchanging 39+Rd Peso to 1 US dollar.....:ermm:

Happy to hear you will be back!!!! Good for the Tourism...Welcome to DR!!!!
 

yacht chef

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Sep 13, 2009
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Well no one ever said that the dom rep did not have first world amenitys ! And by no means am i saying i don't like santigo ( bleave it or not i am still planing to set up anouther appt where i can hang my hat during my off time ) but you can fly over a dump in a Lear Jet and say what a nice dump . Just the fact that you got taken on the money exchange and you did not care shows that you have more $$$ then sence . For me over time it was not the point of geting taken for 5 cents here or a $ there it boiled down to the principle of it . Happy to here you enjoyed the Baken .
 

VJS

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Sep 19, 2010
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you guys are way too serious - for one or two hundred bucks he probably needed to exchange to cover some minor expense during a 3 day trip, he lost maybe 5-6 bucks due to the crappy rate, who cares. Casino and hotel exchange rates are universally horrible anywhere in the world, you basically pay extra for the convenience.
 

La Rubia

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Jan 1, 2010
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Thanks for sharing a positive experience.

It's always nice to tour a place with a native, and certainly being with a friend adds to the enjoyment.

Lucky you!
 

yacht chef

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Sep 13, 2009
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The point is & and you well never see it nore well you ever care because you only stay for a short time ( 3 day's in Santiago ) . Is that $1 here and $2's thair is stolen from you on a lot of transhaction you make thy see you comming a mile away . Bleave it or not it has a long term efeact on the rest of us . It is not your falt at first i did not see it eather . If you are so happy visiting a place and passing the time with local frends ( real frinds ) you would have seen what i am talking about . The friend would not let people rip you off and put that 40 or 100 Dop back in your hand and explane what just took place . So yes it has a long tern efect in the next person . Not standing up for the principle of it . Makes us all look week in the long run !
 

Jumbo

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Jul 8, 2005
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Chef, i am sure the friend was a young lady not that versed in exchanging dollars into pesos. For if she was they would not have been at Aloha Sol but at the Grande Almirante. For a newbie he did good. My mother has been going to Cancun for 22 years and still gets raped on the exchange rate. Why should she care. It is her money and she enjoys herself. I understand the principle but **** i have taken a peso less on $300US because for the $7.69 it was cheaper than wasting my time and gas going to Cabarette to gt the RD39.5 at Caribe Express.

Greg81, glad you had a good one in Santiago. There are many young friends in need of pampers and formula for their babies so do not jump on the short bus. Learn some spanish and stay away from their families as long as possible. Right Chef.
 

vbrookie

Banned
Jun 26, 2008
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Chef, i am sure the friend was a young lady not that versed in exchanging dollars into pesos. For if she was they would not have been at Aloha Sol but at the Grande Almirante. For a newbie he did good. My mother has been going to Cancun for 22 years and still gets raped on the exchange rate. Why should she care. It is her money and she enjoys herself. I understand the principle but **** i have taken a peso less on $300US because for the $7.69 it was cheaper than wasting my time and gas going to Cabarette to gt the RD39.5 at Caribe Express.

Greg81, glad you had a good one in Santiago. There are many young friends in need of pampers and formula for their babies so do not jump on the short bus. Learn some spanish and stay away from their families as long as possible. Right Chef.

Chef you may not believe this but people purposely gets ripped off everytime and everywhere for safety and conveniences. Why would I go to 7-11 for $1 hot dogs when I can go to BJ's in Bridgeport and buy 50 hot dogs and buns and ketchup for 15 bucks?
 

yacht chef

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Sep 13, 2009
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Point taken rook . & jumbo you got that right . But if you ever want to see my point about how thy try to get you on every transthion . Try this even if you are by your self and don't even have any understanding of the cost of the item. Just stand there and look at the change you are handed back after you by something stand there and stare at it in your hand then look them in the eye's ! It has worked for me more then ounce to my amazement thy handed over the rest of my change . To me it helps all of us in the long run & if we were rich we would be spending are vay kay money in casa de compo not in Santiago . Right ?
 

Patron

Member
Mar 17, 2010
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There is an exchange house one block from Ahola Sol. It is called RUSA. They offer the best rates. Just so you know for next time.
 

DRsantos

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Sep 17, 2012
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I

It is not Wynn Resorts in <st1:city w:st="on">Las Vegas</st1:city>, but it was clean,

I had the pleasure to stay at the Wynn Aswell, and don't think any, any, any hotel in the worl can compete with them. This is just simply the best hotel in North and South America!!
Hence the saying in LV, wynn is only for winners........lol
 

DRsantos

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Sep 17, 2012
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Well no one ever said that the dom rep did not have first world amenitys ! And by no means am i saying i don't like santigo ( bleave it or not i am still planing to set up anouther appt where i can hang my hat during my off time ) but you can fly over a dump in a Lear Jet and say what a nice dump . Just the fact that you got taken on the money exchange and you did not care shows that you have more $$$ then sence . For me over time it was not the point of geting taken for 5 cents here or a $ there it boiled down to the principle of it . Happy to here you enjoyed the Baken .

Please Yacht chef, leave the ATARI, for what it is and please use something with a spelling check, like your posts but for some of us they are just un readible..
 

Koreano

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Jan 18, 2012
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There is an exchange house one block from Ahola Sol. It is called RUSA. They offer the best rates. Just so you know for next time.
Thing about going to exchange place is, when ever you enter those it feels like putting big red stamp and putting big sign saying "I HAVE MONEY." I have changed $100 bill few times on emergency and I felt little uncomfortable doing so. The OP did the right thing by changing at the hotel for few pasos.