DR1 Travel News - 7 February 2017

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Billini Hotel receives AAA Four Diamond Hotel for 2017
It’s Carnival time
National Arts & Crafts Fair at Fortaleza Ozama
Polo Challenge 2017 continues in La Romana
5K run in Cabeza de Toro, Punta Cana



Billini Hotel receives AAA Four Diamond Hotel for 2017
The Billini Hotel on Calle Billini in the Colonial City has made the AAA Four Diamond hotel list. The 2017 list was released on 2 February 2017. 

This is the second time Billini Hotel receives the award, a repeat of its first time in 2016. In Santo Domingo, only the JW Marriott in Santo Domingo has received the award (in 2015). 

The Four Diamond Award rating acknowledges the Billini Hotel as refined, stylish with upscale physical attributes, offers extensive amenities and has a high degree of hospitality, service and attention to detail.

AAA's Diamond Rating is one of the few hotel appraisal systems that rely on physical on-site evaluations. The company's team of inspectors assesses each of the nearly 28,000 eligible properties based on comfort, cleanliness, security and available services and amenities. Each hotel is then awarded a Diamond Rating between one and five, with five being the best. Just 5.9% of the nearly 28,000 hotels received the Four Diamond Award rating in 2017.

http://www.aaa.biz/Travel_Information/Diamonds/Awards/2017/January 2017 - 4D Hotels.pdf
http://dr1.com/directories/Billini-Hotel.html


It’s Carnival time
It’s carnival time in the Dominican Republic with parades on Sundays all throughout February. One of the most outstanding of all carnivals is that held in La Vega, in the center of the Dominican Republic. 

New for La Vega in 2017 is an area off-limits to the pranks of the traditional diablo cojuelo carnival characters in their devilishly looking masks and costumes. In this area, people will be kept from the revelers blasting their pig bladders on the legs of fans that may be in their way. The off-limits area runs from Calle Manlio Bobadilla (zona Presidente) near the Parque Las Palmas to Calle Comandante Jiménez Moya (Cueva Las Panitas). Fans lined up in this area can watch the diablos cojuelos, the floats and carnival characters without fear of a black and blue from a pig bladder beating. 

This year, the La Vega Carnival includes live shows on Saturday evenings as of 9pm. 

On Sundays, after the parade, the live concerts will be on the stages located at Avenida del Carnaval (Calle José Horacio Rodríguez). Six artists have been booked per Sunday and will be performing simultaneously from the home bases of the diablo cojuelos. The shows start at 3pm and end at 6:30pm with the last one at the Parque Las Flores with an international artist. 

Other outstanding February carnivals in the Cibao take place in the nearby cities of Santiago and Bonao also during the afternoons.

Those interested in participating in the La Vega Carnival can also consider overnighting in the mountain area of Jarabacoa, about half an hour away. See lodging options at: http://dr1.com/directories/Central.Jarabacoa.html

http://carnavalvegano.do/


National Arts & Crafts Fair at Fortaleza Ozama
This Wednesday, 8 February 2017 the National Arts & Crafts Fair (FENART) opens at the Fortaleza Ozama in the Colonial City. The event will remain open through Sunday, 12 February from 10am to 8pm. 

It is organized with the backing of the Ministry of Culture and the Office of the Vice President Margarita Cedeño. More than 300 artisans from all around the country will be participating. 

This is an exceptional opportunity to see unique crafts and talk to the artisans themselves. The fair will be open from 10am to 8pm. The Fortaleza Ozama is located on Calle Las Damas. 


Polo Challenge 2017 continues in La Romana
The World Polo Tour continues in Casa de Campo, La Romana with the participation of Casa de Campo Resort & Villas and Lechuzas Caracas teams. In its second year, the three-month polo tournament (14 January to 15 April 2017) continues with the Silver Cup (12 & 22 goal handicap) from 9 to 25 February. On Saturday, 11 February the Polo Charity Cup will be held, followed by a concert with Los Ilegales.

For more information on the tournament, contact Fernando Arata, Casa de Campo polo director at f.arata@ccampo.com.do 

http://www.polochallenge.net


5K run in Punta Cana
Participate in the Catalonia 5K marathon, a benefit for children with cancer set for Sunday, 12 February, starting at 7:30am from the Pearl Beach Club in the Cabeza de Toro area of Punta Cana. Registration is RD$400 or US$10. For more information, call Tel 809 412-0000 or write to bavaro.adireccion@hoteles-catalonia.es