So I just got back from PP and the Mountain View Hotel. I went there to celebrate my friend Ewod's 27th bday. I've known him and his family for about 13 or 14 years. His dad died way before I met him. I remember literally wading thru ankle deep trash to visit his home where they paid $50/year (yes, per year) back in 2009 or 10. He's got a grandma that's just a few years older than me and is almost totally blind. He also has a mom, younger bro, and sis.
In any case I didn't want to stay in an AI and I can't stay with him for obvious reasons so we found the Mountain View Hotel for $1700 DOP a night. It's rated at 2 stars which is completely fair. I had AC all the time and almost hot water. The bed was comfortable EXCEPT for the pillows made of iron ore. I had to use a wadded up shirt for a pillow for 3 nights. One really nice thing was complementary coffee in the morning. I'm a coffeeholic so that was really a plus for me.
The pillow thing though was the only issue with the hotel. So I paid about $93 USD for 3 nights. If you're wanting a budget place, it's functional. It's not the Hard Rock by any stretch. But it was quiet and peaceful. I was a bit taken aback by the 3 condoms in the room instead of shampoo, but they didn't cause a problem.
For those not in the know like me, Sunday night is pizza night in Puerta Plata. We went to San Jorge, waited for about 80 minutes and left. There had to have been 500 people there. We did get a full refund. Then we went to Pizza Hut, it was not quite as crowded but the service was orders of magnitude better. I happily tipped the lady who was working the table area. The pizza was of course pizza hut quality, but it made us happy and me decidedly less grumpy.
We ate a couple meals and had Ewod's bday party at Aquacero on the malecon. I would grade the food between 2 and 3 stars and the service 5 stars. Lovely ladies taking care of us. Very considerate and nice.
Coming from Boca Chica and prior to that San Pedro, I really appreciate the cleanliness of Puerta Plata. The difference is extremely noticeable. The roads are nice and everything is lit up at night. If the water issue is ever resolved, I would happily consider moving there if I could talk Kenson (my adopted kid) into it, which I can't. We also never had a problem with electric, which is another plus.
In any case I didn't want to stay in an AI and I can't stay with him for obvious reasons so we found the Mountain View Hotel for $1700 DOP a night. It's rated at 2 stars which is completely fair. I had AC all the time and almost hot water. The bed was comfortable EXCEPT for the pillows made of iron ore. I had to use a wadded up shirt for a pillow for 3 nights. One really nice thing was complementary coffee in the morning. I'm a coffeeholic so that was really a plus for me.
The pillow thing though was the only issue with the hotel. So I paid about $93 USD for 3 nights. If you're wanting a budget place, it's functional. It's not the Hard Rock by any stretch. But it was quiet and peaceful. I was a bit taken aback by the 3 condoms in the room instead of shampoo, but they didn't cause a problem.
For those not in the know like me, Sunday night is pizza night in Puerta Plata. We went to San Jorge, waited for about 80 minutes and left. There had to have been 500 people there. We did get a full refund. Then we went to Pizza Hut, it was not quite as crowded but the service was orders of magnitude better. I happily tipped the lady who was working the table area. The pizza was of course pizza hut quality, but it made us happy and me decidedly less grumpy.
We ate a couple meals and had Ewod's bday party at Aquacero on the malecon. I would grade the food between 2 and 3 stars and the service 5 stars. Lovely ladies taking care of us. Very considerate and nice.
Coming from Boca Chica and prior to that San Pedro, I really appreciate the cleanliness of Puerta Plata. The difference is extremely noticeable. The roads are nice and everything is lit up at night. If the water issue is ever resolved, I would happily consider moving there if I could talk Kenson (my adopted kid) into it, which I can't. We also never had a problem with electric, which is another plus.
