dominican AI more expensive than in other countries

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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a short article from today's hoy:
Todo incluido: m?s caro que en otros pa?ses

when i was in poland few weeks ago i checked holiday prices and DR was more expensive that cuba, jamaica and mexico. i thought it was due to airport charges but it looks like the hotels may also be more expensive...
 

Castle

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Sep 1, 2012
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He does say it has something to do with jet fuel prices.

However, he says "it's more expensive than Mexico". But where in Mexico?. It's not more expensive (nor better) than Cancun. It could be more expensive than other less popular destinations in Mexico. And the price range in DR is very wide, so again, where in DR is more expensive than where in Mexico?
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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the problem with you, castle, is that you make sense. don't you know that conferences like this are not supposed to make sense? the purpose is to cause panic and outrage.
 

Castle

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the problem with you, castle, is that you make sense. don't you know that conferences like this are not supposed to make sense? the purpose is to cause panic and outrage.

I guess that's the purpose, and they have all the right to hold them. However, when a national newspaper fails to put things into perspective or just prints biased opinion, then you need to call BS.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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I find the Dominican AI resorts slightly less expensive then their Cancun/Maya counterparts (same hotel groups/comparable accommodations e.g. Dreams Punta Cana vs Dream Cancun, Barcelo Palace Punta Cana vs Barcelo Palace Maya etc.)
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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out of curiosity i did a quick check on neckerman (germans may recognize this agency).
the sites are in polish with prices in polish zloty (1 dollar = 3.2 zloty) but you can see how the prices look. all prices per person, in all inclusive hotels, for 14 days.
DR: Dominikana wczasy. Tanie wakacje Dominikana - Neckermann Biuro Podr??y
jamaica: Jamajka wczasy. Tanie wakacje Jamajka - Neckermann Biuro Podr??y
cuba: Kuba wczasy. Tanie wakacje Kuba - Neckermann Biuro Podr??y
mexico: Meksyk wczasy. Tanie wakacje Meksyk - Neckermann Biuro Podr??y
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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I can't say if "AIs" in the DR are more expensive, or not!
But they can't compare with the quality of "AIs" in other countries.
Rooms here are dirty, bathrooms and "AC" don't work well, if at all,and, you should be very happy if you only booked one week, and not two, how many days can you eat the same bad, "Pasta", and "Chicken Sahara", you know, "Dry As The Sahara"!
"Free Drinks"??????????????????????????????
How you tried their "Penis Colladas"???????????
DON't bother!
Want to have a few "Presidentes"???
They give you a tiny cup, then you can get in line behind the drunk, smelly,"Eastern Europeans" and get another cup in only 10 minutes.
The ABSOLUTE WORST THING about Dominican "AIs" is that they let in "Dominicanos"!!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
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According to friends in the US the AI's are cheaper in the DR as opposed to Mexico (Cancun, etc..). Comparing some chains such as Barcel?, Secrets, etc..prices in the DR (Punta Cana) are less expensive than they are in Mexico. Not sure about the European market but in the US those in the West will find package deals more to Mexico as opposed to those in the East who will find more package deals to the DR. Makes sense I suppose. Our friends enjoy coming to Punta Cana however they do feel like the service in Mexico is a bit better than here. And depending on which resort your at here, they do have specials for the "locals" on the weekends.
 

Castle

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Sep 1, 2012
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I think the differences are in life beyond the hotels. Cancun has a very active nightlife. Public transportation 24/7 (I think it's free for tourists if I remember correctly) take tourists back and forth to a lot of different world class bars and restaurants that you just don't find in Punta Cana. I'm not saying that's better, but it certainly adds value.
 

keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
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When visiting Punta Cana for a week as a "tourist" I can see not really leaving the resort and being content with that. However coming to Punta Cana for 10+ days personally I would need to "get off" the resort and stroll around town which Punta Cana is really not made for. There a few things to do (tours, excursions, etc..) but not like in Mexico (Cancun area, Puerto Vallarta, etc...) and I agree that does add value to a vacation.
 

jeanchris

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Feb 27, 2012
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The only resort i would ever go, is Hard Rock cafe. Such an amazing resort, good food, real alcool. Amazing suite.

I HOPE!!! Its 450$/night
 

Luperon

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In addition to the high fuel taxes, there are other airport / airline taxes. Do the DR resorts pay the 18% sales tax too?

One day the DR fuel tax is going to lead to death. I was at JFK to pick someone from the DR but the flight got diverted, why?? because the flight had so little fuel it could not due a holding pattern so it landed in Boston to refuel. That was due to a minor thunderstorm. If there had been a real emergency of a larger area the planes from the DR would be the first ones falling form the skies! Thank the DR Government.


Avianca Flight 52 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
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keepcoming

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Stayed at the Hard Rock back when it first opened as Moon Palace. Got a good price because it was newly opened and not quite finished so to speak. Huge resort but I see now it is quite costly. We have had decent stays at the Barcel? chain and the Majestic Resorts. I know for example on the Barcel? chain website the price quoted is the price including taxes as opposed to for example the Hilton Santo Domingo. I booked a room last week for family coming next month and by the time I was done the price was almost double due to the taxes.
 

Castle

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I stayed 2 nights at hard rock hotel earlier this year. Double room. 32K DOP. That's about US$800, or $200 per person per night. You were very unlucky if they charged you $450. Maybe a very high season?
 
Feb 7, 2007
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In addition to the high fuel taxes, there are other airport / airline taxes. Do the DR resorts pay the 18% sales tax too?

You mean ITBIS? On local sales, yes. International sales, no, but no international resort group in the Caribbean pays VAT/sales tax on international sales. All sales to foreign tour operators are made through offshore companies registered in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Panama etc. with bank accounts in Switzerland and Miami (principally Banco Sadabell). Sadabell holds like 70% of all accounts of sales entities related to resort groups and incoming tour operators / dmc companies in the Caribbean. That's the going case for DR, Cuba, Mexico, and Jamaica, at least.

The model is like this:

Barcelo Hotel Group owns local company XYZ Trade SRL that operates Barcelo Resort in the DR. For local market, XYZ Trade SRL makes the sales. Proceeds from these sales get to cover about 50% of resort's operating costs. Barcelo Hotel Group owns through a myriard of subsidiaries an entity ABC Commercial Sales SA registered in panama and bank account in Miami. ABC CS SA signs contract with a host of international tour operators who pay to ABC CS SA for rooms and services they sell to their local clients. (For each market, e.g. European, North American, Latin, etc.) there is a different ABC CS SA #1, #2, etc. Once the money hits Miami, ABC CS SA pays to the local Barcelo Resort (XYZ Trade SRL) the remained of money that needs to be transferred to cover the rest of operating costs (not covered by local sales) and to make a very very tiny profit.

This model repeats throughout the world of all international resort groups, you name it.
 
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