Need help finding hotel

Bsyler

New member
Nov 24, 2008
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I am traveling to the Dominican in January and am having trouble finding a place to stay in the south. A few years ago, I went on a trip through the southwestern coast, but it was with a tour group. My boyfriend and I would love to stay at a hotel that has a pool and beach access. I have read mixed reviews about Costa Larimar hotel, and cannot find a nightly rate. I would like to avoid the southeastern coast, because of all the tourist there. Can anyone give me any suggestions? Thanks!
 

Bsyler

New member
Nov 24, 2008
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I really do not have a preference of city. I will be flying in and out of the airport in Santo Domingo. I want to be at a hotel with beach access and food available either at the hotel or nearby. I basically just want a nice place to stay, while I relax and enjoy the Dominican culture and beautiful beaches. I would like to pay US$100 or less for the hotel. Having traveled many places in the DR, I believe that the beaches of the southwest coast are absolutely the most beautiful part of the island. For this reason, I wanted to travel there again. I just need somewhere to stay.
 

BPL888

Active member
Sep 7, 2004
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Hotel Selection

You can just take a look at the recent posts in this ( South West Coast) forum and you will see some good information on hotels outside Barahona. I have stayed at the Costa Larimar, and though it was comfortable it was isolated from downtown Barahona (a long walk or a short drive) was not particularly scenic. The beach was not swimmable. It cost me $1700 pesos and included breakfast. I stayed in the Hotel Gran Barahona downtown and that was very central to the malecon and the bars and restaurants but was a bare bones type place for about $900 pesos. I also stayed at the Hotel Pontevedra and thought the value was great for $1100 peso(per person) including breakfast and dinner. It is about 8 miles outside Barahona and has a great pool, view, bar and beach, though the description given in this forum by destinationbarahona was mostly accurate except my room didn't smell and I had plenty of hot water. This place is owned by a Dominican family and someone from the family is always there. While there,try the beaches at San Rafael and Los Patos. Outstanding with typical Dominican food available. For a larger list of hotels take a look at this web site: GoBarahona.com - Come and Enjoy this Adventurous Place!!! - Home . Also search DR1 forums and you can find lots of info. You have picked a beautiful part of the country. I have done the trip your taking several times by bus so if I can help just ask. I will be back there in January myself. Enjoy !!
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
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I stayed in Casa Blanca near Quemaito beach a few km past Barahona a year or two ago and it was quite good. Swiss-run. Nice clifftop setting, good food, but no hot water and they don't run the planta at night so it got pretty hot without fans. I'd still recommend it as a less expensive alternative to Casa Bonita, if it's still there.
 

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
13,470
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Playazul Hotel Restaurant east of Barahona before Hotel Pontevedra would be my choice. Brand new, owned by a French man. View is spectacular, no beach to swim at though. Pool overlooking the ocean, probably the best restaurant in Barahona.

2,000 rd for a small room and 2,500rd for a large room.

809-424-5375 809-204-8010 Breakfast is included.
 

destinationbarahona

New member
Nov 22, 2008
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www.destinationbarahona.com
The prices for Larimar is not more 1700, must be long time ago.

To recommend a hotel now with nice view, good accomodation, good food, beach access and things you named:
Hotel El Quemaito
Hotel el Quemaito - Barahona Dominican Republic
The Hotel is remodelated since February 2008, will have the re-openening on 6th of december 2008.
You will have rooms with aircondition (all new split equiped), a relax area, huge pool, kid pool, restaurant. 3mins wlak to the small private beach.
5 mins walk to the famous Quemaito beach, during weekends a hotspot for dominicans. In the hotel you can rent a motorcycle for 20 USD
and visit all other nice places around like Los Patos, San Rafael and more. Price for Singleroom is 55 USD+tax (16%) including a good breakfast (eggs, cheese, salami, marmelade, butter, natural juice, coffe or tea.

The money you save at this place (you like to pay up to 100 USD) you can spend for one extra day in Casa Bonita. Here you pay during week 130 USD + tax, weekends the price is up to 170 USD + tax.

You contact me via PM and I can do a reservation for you for free.
If you need pictures - just let me know your mail adress.

Casablanca: as said, a nice place, right behind Hotel Quemaito. No warm water, no planta (inverter), vans no airconditioning. No pool. Private and nice, good stay for people who need no comfort. Prices: 40 USD per room, plus breakfast 7 USD I can do the reservation their also, no problem. Name the hotel - done.
 

Bsyler

New member
Nov 24, 2008
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Hotel el Quemaito or Aparta Hotel Pontevedra?

Thank you all for the help. I think I have narrowed it down to Hotel el Quemaito or Aparta Hotel Pontevedra. Both seem to have similar accomodations. Any recommendations or opinions? I would love any advice! Thanks!
 

destinationbarahona

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Nov 22, 2008
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@Bsyler
If you like to compare Quemaito, please do it with Playazul. This hotel is not new, but far away to a need of renovation.
Pontevedra is surviving as "Cabana" and that means, couples go in / out for quickies. Beside that you have the old aircondition (window model), noisy and not effective any more. If nobody maitain this equipments, how could they work? You have a huge unit with Kitchen (not equiped) -not useful either.
You have a living area and a bedroom.
Warm water maybe, smell of humidity all over, black spots in the bathroom.
Maybe the best thing is:
Just come, take a taxi and have a look. To go for 10 USS from Quemaito to Pontevedra is a better spending than making the wrong decission.
If you are alone, Playazul is comfortable. For two adults it is a problem with the small queen size beds and a very hard matress. Better choice there: the room with two beds. But all depends on personal needs.
After re-opening in Quemaito you will get more pics. And before it goes to Pontevedra, let me send you pics from Playazul.
 

BPL888

Active member
Sep 7, 2004
468
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Ponte Vedre

I stayed at Hotel Pontevedra for 3 nights in October. I found the employees very, very helpful. When we asked about local places to buy larimar ( a gemstone mined in Barahona) one of the employees (Youcandie (SP?)) took us to the next village to a small gift shop to look at some. There was no pressure to buy and all the jewelry was marked with prices. When we returned, Youcandie(SP?) refused to accept any money for the ride. The breakfast and dinner was prompt and made to order, though not very varied. My room was clean and nice and included a living room and couch. It had a working mini-fridge that worked fine and a stove that I did not use. My experience with this sort of place is if you need pans etc, you ask. My bathroom was very clean and there was plenty of hot water. The TV had limited stations, but I am not very fond of watching TV. The air conditioning was built into the wall with the actual unit outside. It was very noisy but I rarely used it instead relying on the breeze from the ocean. There was no "cabana" type activity of comming and going while I was there, and I stayed up late every night sipping beer and watching the nearby ocean. There was security there all night and I had interesting conversations with them with the varied customers at the open air bar, also next to the ocean. Due to a problem with the phone line we had trouble calling a cab to leave ( they have to come out from Barahona) with the hotel phone. One of the owners drove home to call from where she could get cell service (cell service is not great out there). The nearby colmado was well stocked and a good place to get supplies or a late (9-10 Pm) beer and listen to some music. Considering where I was I found it a great value for the money. It's not the Ritz, but for $1100 pesos per person I did not expect the Ritz. I have no knowledge of the Quemaito.
 

Marilyn

Bronze
May 7, 2002
728
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I agree with BPL188 that Pontevedra is not a "cabana" style motel, first of all is too expensive ($2,300 pesos per room/2 persons) for that and they don't rent by the hour. I have been there with my family many times after being "driven away" from Quemaito hotel because of poor customer service an bad structure, including the pool (we had made reservations and we didn't like what we found when we got there so we went to Pontevedra). My last stay at Pontevedra was 1 year ago and it was very satisfying and I travel to Barahona/Bahoruco area at least once a mont and never heard of Pontevedra referred to as a "cabana" hotel.
 

destinationbarahona

New member
Nov 22, 2008
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www.destinationbarahona.com
We used for our workers the Pontevedra for more than one month.
Special rate was 800 RDS, we got 3 rooms. All the time it was problems with the flush, neverbreakfast on time (they say from 7am on) and other problems like told before. During this time we had the experience that many dominicans go there for "short stay". And sure they do not pay 2.300 RDS. Never heard about "specials"? It is always a question of dealing. You can accept a price, you can try to get it cheaper. And you will be surprised what is possible! And there is a reason when someone make a "cheapy offer".
Try this in serious hotels and you will not get far down with prices.
16 rooms are available, if you are lucky, you get warm water. I just want to welcome visitors and make a insection of the "solarheaters". Than you will understand that warm water is not in all rooms.
Everybody is free to make his decission, I try to give the best hints - and there are plenty. Good advises you get also in other hotels. Dominicans are well known to be kind. And look to the guestbook from Casablanca. Many good recommandations also!
This region is for individual tourists, they get individual guidelines. Tourism is needed here and everybody try to satisfy the guests. No matter if you are in Costa Larimar, Caribe, Gazique, Playazul, Quemaito or Oasi Italiana. Fine caribbean lodging (promotion) you get really in Casa Bonita.
 

destinationbarahona

New member
Nov 22, 2008
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www.destinationbarahona.com
New Hotel in Barahona

Last night I get the information that we will have very soon the inauguration of
HOTEL LORO TUERTO
Owned by a spanish young couple, this hotel offers 9 rooms. Typical dominican style, private good service and for those who go in vacation with Laptop: WIFI available!
More about the hotel and prices you can find here:
Hotel Loro Tuerto - Bienvenido al Caribe autentico - El Hotel
I will go soon to this place and make some photos.
The website gives good infos about he region and what to do.
Finally another opotunity for our tourists who like to visit
La Perla del Sur - Barahona!
 

destinationbarahona

New member
Nov 22, 2008
61
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www.destinationbarahona.com
Forgive me please

:surprised
I get told a nice way that my comments are bad in grammar and my written english is bad.
I agree on that and like to introduce myself:
I am German, more than 30 years ago I learned english in school and on that time I was not thinking about moving from Germany and to be in the need of other languages.
Communication verbally is no problem at all, but if I write bad or the grammar is horrible, please forgive me! That will not change my service or the nice location we are settled here!
By the way:
10% discount for all clients who pass by our Rent a Car until 31.12.2008!
Just mention: DR1!
(I think this is something everybody like, even with mistakes ;)
 
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Bsyler

New member
Nov 24, 2008
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Thanks for all the help. So far I plan to stay at either Hotel Pontevedra or el Quemaito. However I have contacted Pontevedra and Hotel Quemaito to see if they have rooms available on the dates I will be in the area, and neither have responded to me.
 

Marilyn

Bronze
May 7, 2002
728
22
18
We used for our workers the Pontevedra for more than one month.
Special rate was 800 RDS, we got 3 rooms. All the time it was problems with the flush, neverbreakfast on time (they say from 7am on) and other problems like told before. During this time we had the experience that many dominicans go there for "short stay". And sure they do not pay 2.300 RDS. Never heard about "specials"? It is always a question of dealing. You can accept a price, you can try to get it cheaper. And you will be surprised what is possible! And there is a reason when someone make a "cheapy offer".
Try this in serious hotels and you will not get far down with prices.
16 rooms are available, if you are lucky, you get warm water. I just want to welcome visitors and make a insection of the "solarheaters". Than you will understand that warm water is not in all rooms.
Everybody is free to make his decission, I try to give the best hints - and there are plenty. Good advises you get also in other hotels. Dominicans are well known to be kind. And look to the guestbook from Casablanca. Many good recommandations also!
This region is for individual tourists, they get individual guidelines. Tourism is needed here and everybody try to satisfy the guests. No matter if you are in Costa Larimar, Caribe, Gazique, Playazul, Quemaito or Oasi Italiana. Fine caribbean lodging (promotion) you get really in Casa Bonita.

Hi, as I said I never heard of this but if this is true then that is really bad, this is a very nice hotel and many families use it for their vacation to the Southwest. I will definitely investigate this further. Thanks for the info.