Five local hotels included in list of Small luxury hotels

frank12

Gold
Sep 6, 2011
11,847
29
48
The hotels in the Dominican Republic can be easily described as intimate, cozy and unconventional.

However, five distinct hotels stand out among many in the country. These are five boutique hotels that have made it to the exclusive list of “Small Luxury Hotels.”

Currently 520 boutique hotels, in 70 countries, make up this important list. All on the list feature the utmost in quality service and facilities, and all are frequently monitored by experts.

The hotels on the list have made a name for themselves for their cleanliness, luxurious facilities, and outstanding and very personalized customer service. The “Small Luxury Hotels” organization encourages its members to deal responsibly with environmental, social and economic issues, and to provide each guest with a rewarding experience.

Hotels
In the Dominican Republic the hotels that have made it into this exclusive list have something special to offer their unique guests, such as:

Casa Bonita
Situated near the Bahoruco National park, in the southwest city of Barahona – some three hours west of Santo Domingo, the capital city – the hotel is surrounded by pristine forests and majestic mountains.

According to the French magazine Hotel & Lodge, Casa Bonita is considered to be one of the four best Lodges in the world.

The facility has successfully brought in the beautiful surrounding rainforest with the breathtaking views of the nearby Caribbean Sea.

Casa Bonita consists of 12 fully equipped cottages and, on the grounds, visitors will be able to relax and enjoy an infinity pool, a health spa situated in the nearby woods with a small river running near it.

Also available: energizing bike or walking trails in the nearby mountains. For more information, please visit: Dominican Republic Hotels | Travel to Dominican | Hotels Barahona Dominican Republic - casabonitadr.com.

Casa Colonial Beach & Spa
The elegance and beauty of the golden sands that characterize the beaches in the country’s north coast, specifically in the city of Puerto Plata, come together to provide the ultimate ambience for guests visiting the “Casa Colonial Beach & Spa.”

The 50-suite facility also features special rooms for small meeting. It is a perfect destination for golf lovers, due to its proximity to the Playa Dorada Golf Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones.

All this is complemented with a beautiful rooftop pool, charming restaurants, beautifully landscaped tranquil gardens and a nearby beach. All these amenities come together to provide guests with an intimate destination for their vacation. More information in: Casa Colonial Beach Resort & Spa, Dominican Republic Luxury Hotel.

Sivory Punta Cana Boutique Hotel
The 55-suite facility is surrounded by lush tropical gardens. This particular boutique hotel, situated in the country’s easternmost region, has managed to maintain a Four-Diamond category status for the fifth year in a row, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).

The Sivory boasts an impressive wine cellar, pool, a full-service spa, three gourmet restaurants, two bars, a cigar bar and two halls that can be used for large social and entrepreneurial events. It is the perfect destination to enjoy a relaxing and glamorous vacation. Please visit: Punta Cana Hotel | Sivory Punta Cana | Dominican Republic Resort, for more information.

Sublime Saman? Hotel & Residence
The Sublime Saman? Hotel & Residence is a luxury boutique hotel situated in a quiet and relaxing environment.

The facility consists of 20 (one, two and three-bedroom) villas and suites.

Situated in the Bay of Cos?n, in the northeast province of Saman?, the hotel is located alongside one of the country’s most beautiful beaches. Guests will enjoy a relaxing pool, and the amenities provided by the hotel’s two restaurants, spa, excellent room service, airport transfers, a professional wedding/events coordinator, laundry, gymnasium, multilingual nannies and the possibility of hiring your very own private chef.

In the hotel’s casual beachfront restaurant, the chef presents visiting guests with the catch-of-the-day. The restaurant chef/staff will also give guests advice on what to prepare for a private lunch in their particular seaside terrace. More information available: Welcome - Luxury hotel in the Dominican Republic, Boutique Hotels Las Terrenas - Sublime Samana Hotel republica dominicana.

The Bannister Hotel
Nestled between a nearby mountain chain and the majestic Atlantic Ocean, The Bannister Hotel is situated in the exclusive residential complex of “Puerto Bahia,” with exquisite views to the Bay of Saman?, on the country’s northeast section, and featuring 48 ocean-view suites, a full-service marina, a spa, gymnasium, pool, tennis court, the “Caf? del Mar in America,” and a 1500-meter boardwalk featuring elegant bars, boutiques and restaurants specializing in Spanish, Japanese, Italian, and contemporary cuisine. More information in: www.thebannisterhotel.com; Small Luxury Hotels of the World | Luxury Boutique Hotels & Resorts | slh.com /destinations /caribbean /dominican-republic.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
you see? this is what i am talking about! this sort of news should be on the first pages of all dominican newspapers so i could report something positive!
 

RGVgal

Bronze
May 26, 2008
1,314
38
0
One of the places on the list is NOT a luxury hotel and anyone going there and expecting luxury will be very dissappointed.
 

frank12

Gold
Sep 6, 2011
11,847
29
48
Casa Bonita is my favorite hotel on the island. There is a very funny story about how me and my friend accidently discovered this hotel, but i will leave it for another day:

1.
DSC06663_zps06b67376.jpg


2.
DSC06639_zpsee8a0369.jpg


3.
DSC06635_zpsf4d4a695.jpg


4.
DSC06631_zps19316ef6.jpg


5.
DSC06630_zps75d41e34.jpg


6.
DSC06629_zps6041db5c.jpg


7.
IMG_0215_zpsfac90779.jpg


8.
DSC05203_zps07ff93d6.jpg


9.
DSC05201_zpsb4923ce5.jpg


10.
IMG_0205_zps72cc25f2.jpg


11.
DSC05190_zpsc181f2d8.jpg


12.
STB_0187_zpsc07e8b93.jpg


13.
DSC02610_zps6962f638.jpg
 

Castellamonte

Bronze
Mar 3, 2005
1,764
50
48
Cabrera
www.villa-castellamonte.com
Luxury is not about liveried waiters with white gloves scurrying about with cosmos. Luxury is a feeling derived from the overall service, the ambiance and vistas...the total effect a destination has on you. I've been to Casa Bonita and found it to be as luxurious as any hotel here or in other countries. So I respectfully disagree because I went there expecting a charming hotel but instead discovered a luxurious paradise perfectly sited with excellent services and a warm, relaxing ambiance. To me, that's luxury!
 

RGVgal

Bronze
May 26, 2008
1,314
38
0
Like I said, it is a nice place with lovely views but everyone's experience and opinions on what luxury is are different.
 

frank12

Gold
Sep 6, 2011
11,847
29
48
How i discovered Casa Bonita,

My friend, Rob--a retired Air Force pilot & Carol Morgan math professor--were traveling on motorcycles across the island. we had been on the road for about 5 hours and were exhausted, dehydrated, and famished...oh, yeah, our butts were chapped from riding all day. We had passed Barahona and were traveling down highway 44--which is, in my opinion, the most beautiful stretch of highway on the whole island. I looked up the side of the mountain and noticed a rather large, odd looking thatched roof set of buildings built along the edge of the cliff, looking out over the ocean.

I stopped to take a picture of it. Rob, who was in front of me, doubled back to see why i stopped. After taking the picture, i suggested we go up and investigate to see what it was up on the cliff. Rob said "ok" let's go," and we doubled back about a quarter of a mile and turned left onto a stretch of dirt road.

The dirt road winded its way up a side of a mountain. there was one 90 degree turn near the top, which turned right onto a steep climb. at the top there was a small parking lot where we parked our bikes. Rob was on his KTM 950SM, and i was on my Honda CBR 1000. We parked the bikes and walked into a glass & dark stained wooden foyer. The foyer was small, built of glass and wood, and possessed the most wonderful feeling A/C that Rob and i had ever felt in our lives. It also possessed some beautiful glass jewelry cases with some of the islands finest examples Larimar and Amber--the country's only Larimar mine is right down the road from Casa Bonita.

Inside, a nicely dressed man approached us and asked if he could help us. I asked, "What is this place?" looking around the room and peering through a glass window which was facing the other side of the foyer; i could see an infinity pool which came right up against the cliff. On the other side of the rabbit hole i saw what looked like a very nicely dressed mocha-colored woman--wearing white linen pants and linen top--walking like a model across the grounds. "It's a hotel," the nicely dressed man answered, glancing up and down at Rob and I--we looked like hobos that just jumped off a coal train--we were covered with highway dirt, we were sweating, possessed helmet hair--i had a dirt covered my military camouflage leather vest; i also had on some dirt covered neon swimming trunks on--i looked like a black leather drag queen. Rob was dressed equally as fashionable. "A hotel?" i screamed. "Can we take a look around? Can we see a room?" i asked.

The nicely dressed man escorted us across the grounds, pointing to the masseuse who was giving massages at pool side, the Jacuzzi, the infinity pool, the french restaurant, the small bar, and then he took us down some coral steps to one of the only 12 rooms on the grounds. inside the rooms was spectacular--the bathrooms were all hard wood with coral walls. the rooms were beautiful with twin beds, a balcony, and glorious A/C. Rob and I were heaven but, we knew instantly this must cost an absolute fuc*^ing fortune, and we were trying to travel across the island with an idea of roughing it "old style"...we had a strict budget in mind--something along the cost of a run down Cabana. The man looked at Rob and i and said, "It's only $80 a night." "$80! Really?" Rob and i were shocked! Shocked i tell you. That was only $40 a piece to stay in this beautiful, amazing, spectacular hotel with what must be the most amazing view i ever seen from a hotel on this island. You had to see the look on Rob and my face. We said we'll take it, right now! Chop, chop! Take us to your leader!"

Rob and i went back to the foyer and paid, and then we grabbed our stuff and ran to the pool. i jumped into the pool with my swim trunks on---the same swim trunks that i had been riding on highways and side roads for 5 hours. the pool immediately turned dirt brown around me and it looked as if i had an attack of diarrhea. Rob is more civil, he took his dirty pants off and came into the pool in his dirty underwear.

I seldom drink but, we both ordered Mojitos and sat in the jacuzzi laughing and ordered food, cappuccinos, appetizers...you name it, we ordered everything...we told them, "keep bringing the food and drinks until we pass out!" We ordered a massage as well and took turns getting a massage at poolside...we were both beat from driving motorcycles for 5 hours!

Later, we had dinner and spoke of our plans. the plan would be leave all our stuff here at the hotel and just drive around this part of island, using the hotel as our home base. after all, it was only $40 each a night. We would drive to the Haitian border, go up and down the coast, visit the Larimar mine, go into town and find some classy girls to bring back to the hotel with us--you know--for research purposes--to see how the natives live. Anyway, these were the plans. "But first," i said, "let's go into town (Barahona) and sit in the park and look at girls.

We went back to the rooms and dressed into the finest threads we had. I wore my only other swimming trunks that i brought with me, and paired it with a clean, white t-shirt that said, "Ass, Grass, or Gas...no one rides for Free!" I think Rob--being much more well traveled during his 20 years in the US Air Force--put on a dress shirt and paired it with classy looking under-sized beach shorts. He looked like a fat Freddy Mercury. We went into town and canvassed the park, canvassed the side streets, canvasses the gas stations, and generally came to the conclusion that all the beautiful girls were either out of town or unavailable. Shame. This would mean that Rob and i would have to go back to the hotel room together alone and then stare at each other from across the room and have fart contests. Not pretty. We ate a lot of rich food alongside the pool earlier in the day--which meant there would be a lot farting throughout the night. Still, Rob did look cute in his dirt underwear, and i must admit, if rob was 150lbs lighter, 30 years younger, and had hair, i would have considered sharing the same bed.

The next morning, Rob woke up before me and was perusing the hotel magazine, which included the prices of the hotel during off-season and on-season. the prices were something like $180 a night on-season, and $160 off-season--or something to that effect. I was still sleeping, dreaming of what Rob might have looked like if he had dropped 200lbs. Suddenly, i heard this scream. No, it was more a screech that two cats make while they're fighting. It was terrifying! i jumped out of bed, and screamed "What happened?" He was looking at the hotel bill that we paid when we checked in yesterday. He said, "Oh my god, grab your shiiit, hurry, we got get out of here, now!" and then added, "You're not going to believe how much it costs here a night!"

1.
DSC05191_zpse53cf298.jpg


2.
IMG_0198_zpsb3c352b4.jpg


3.
IMG_0227_zps4b1bbcab.jpg


4.
DSC05207_zps4965d7ed.jpg


5.
DSC05208_zps1dab1ee3.jpg


6.
DSC05209_zps42c65f1f.jpg


7.
DSC05214_zpse6f6ada7.jpg


8.
DSC05226_zps742e6273.jpg


to be continued...
 

frank12

Gold
Sep 6, 2011
11,847
29
48
Continue...

I was terrified by Rob's scream. I jumped out of bed and walked over to his bed in my underwear. i had on a full erection. i couldn't help it. i need to pee. Urgently. it was 930am. I grabbed the receipt out of Rob's hand and held it up to my face. I looked at it in several different angles but couldn't decipher it. The receipt was in pesos. I turned to Rob and said, "Here, math genius, do the math: they charged us $6900 pesos. divide that by 31; what is that genius?" He stared at my erection and said, "man, you're small! No, small would be a compliment right now. No, you're not quite a fully developed man, are you? You're pathetic! You're a poor excuse for a man. I'm ashamed."

"Thanks, you're a true friend!" i answered.

Then i did the math in my head and came up with well over $200 for one night. Rob and i started going over the whole conversation the day before with $80 dollars we were repeatedly quoted. I went over my rendition of the conversation that i remembered, then Rob went over his version. we kept coming to the same conclusion. We were definitively quoted $80 a night. it was clear, it was concise, and it was repeated to us numerous times over and over in clear, easy to understand Spanglish.

I thought, Ok, maybe we got a legal case here. I was thinking something along the lines of "False advertisement" from the front desk. No, wait...we're in the DR, right? There is no such thing as "False advertisement," idiot. the whole island is false advertisement...including my erection right now. "Ok, let's get dressed and head to breakfast....its included in the price." i shouted. Then I jumped in the shower and bathed as fast as i could. Breakfast was ending at 10pm and i wanted to make sure i ate as much as possible before it ended.

After showering, i only had 15 minutes before breakfast ended. i grabbed all the soaps i could find in the bathroom. then i grabbed the small shampoo bottles, the conditioner bottle, the body lotion bottle, and then i washed my shorts and shoes in the shower--clogging the shower drain with old, crusted highway dirt from my motorcycle shoes. I left the shower in a terrible state. it was nearly flooded in there. it looked like Noah's Ark with small insects scrambling for dry ground.

I grabbed my few belongings and ran up to breakfast. At breakfast, i emptied the buffet onto 3 of the largest plates i could find. i went and sat down in the corner, far away from any prying eyes. i squatted down to where my face was eye level with the table, then i proceeded to scoop in a shovel-like manner all of the food directly into my waiting mouth. I've never been one to chew food. it's wasted energy. it takes too much oxygen and precious time. I swallowed as much food as possible. At this stage, at $200 a night, it's every man for himself. Now, here at a buffet, i'm in my zone. I'm in my squat position. i'm ready for war. i'm relaxed. I'm comfortable. I'm consuming as much food as is humanly possible and controlling my breathing. I can eat food without the need to chew, without the need to breath oxygen. without the need to think. Here, in my squat, i'm in my zen like state.

Rob came up to my table huffing and puffing. he wasn't happy. i could see it in his stroll. he took long, purposeful strides, as if he was on the football field, on his way back to the huddle. i knew this walk. He was not happy. "What's wrong?" i asked. "What's wrong?!" he asked, looking down at me. I was still in my squat position, ready to shovel some more food into my mouth. "I'll tell you what's wrong, you left no soap or shampoo in the fu&*king bathroom, man!" Then he looked over at the buffet table, and turned to me and said, "And you ate all the fu*&king bacon, dude!"

I knew that rob could forgive me for about anything in this world, it was his nature. But consuming all of the bacon at the buffet table...this was unforgivable. I knew i screwed up instantly. I apologized and said, "I love you, man....I can regurgitate the bacon for you if you want," and then went to stick my finger down my throat in order to vomit onto my plate. He stopped me instantly. I think just the thought of me vomiting bacon onto my plate in a gesture of goodwill for my best friend was enough for him to forgive me. I saw it in his eyes. There was true love & friendship there.

While Rob and i ate everything in sight, I glanced around the room to see if anyone had taken notice of us. There were no other hotel guests in the restaurant, but the kitchen crew were in the kitchen doorway staring at us in horror, in shock! the women had looks of disgust on their faces. the men were laughing. Rob and i were both in our squat positions--shoveling food into our mouths as fast as possible. we were eye level with the buffet table. we were now shoveling the food into our mouths as rapidly as possible.

We ate all the eggs, the sausages the tomatoes the pancakes, the fruit, the carved watermelon. when there was nothing left to eat, we split the stick of butter in half and ate that as well. We ate everything in site. and when there wasn't anything more to eat, we ate our napkins. nothing was sacred. nothing was going to escape our wrath. we were on a mission. and the mission wouldn't be complete until everything in sight had been devoured, consumed, digested. Anyone who has seen Rob or me eat before knows there is nothing personal in this. This is just business.

to be continued...
 

Luperon

Who empowered China's crime against humanity?
Jun 28, 2004
4,510
294
83
But they were not driving Harleys!
 

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
11,747
1,343
113
You will only find "Luxury" in Sosua by renting a private home, I am afraid.