New hotels for Puerto Plata?

[JD Jones]

They study project 300 hotel rooms and 100 branded residences in Puerto Plata​

Drafting CDNFebruary 1, 2024 4 minutes of reading

They study 300 hotel rooms and 100 branded residences in Bergatín, Puerto Plata

The Spanish hotel group, Meliá Hotels International, and the Puntacana Group of the Dominican Republic signed an agreement of intentions with the Bergantín Trust for the construction of the third hotel in the tourism project that is being developed in Puerto Plata. This establishes the intention that the hotel operation of the complex be carried out by Meliá Hotels International, having one of its distinguished brands as a flag.
They reported that the Puntacana Group, a pioneer and promoter of the tourist impulse in Punta Cana, and Meliá Hotels International, with significant investments in destination, where 6 hotels already operate, agreed to develop 300 hotel rooms plus the management of about 100 branded residences.

It was estimated that the initial investment among all project partners would exceed $70 million. And the start of construction hopes to begin as soon as possible once the final lace of the project has been determined.
Meliá Hotels International is one of the leading hotel chains in the world. With more than 400 hotels open or in the process of opening in more than 40 countries. Specifically in Punta Cana, the hotel has a solid hotel offer from its brands Paradisus by Meliá and Meliá Hotels & Resorts. Offering luxury and premium hotels at the destination, adding more than 3000 rooms in operation. Bergantín is an initiative of the Government promoted by the Reserve Bank, several of its subsidiary companies and the Ministry of Tourism. To develop a tourist complex in Puerto Plata, the first tourist region in the country.

Included in the agreement​

It was reported that as part of this joint effort, a comprehensive development has been planned in the destination of at least 4500 new hotel rooms. In addition, 2000 residential and mixed-use tourist units, in addition to an additional 2500. Also a golf club, publicly accessible beach clubs and the creation of a unique theme town in the region.

 

[tee]

Hopefully this will mean that we get more flights into POP from Europe, a market that we have been missing for many years as the majority of European flights got to Punta Cana..

 

[XQT]

Indeed, it would be nice to have renewed EU interest and arrivals in POP.
This would be the first new high end development in the area.

Playa Dorada and Gran Ventana are ok three star with a lot of East Coast Canadian arrivals.

Let's see how Bergantin translates into reality and when.

 

[Fulano2]

Hopefully this will mean that we get more flights into POP from Europe, a market that we have been missing for many years as the majority of European flights got to Punta Cana..

I hope so too. I will go this month to the DR. The flight is oké almost ten hours but then 5 hours from PC to RSJ is a pain in the ….

 

[keepcoming]

It would be nice to see Puerto Plata get some newer hotels.

 

[jfk-tampa]

it would help if the flights into puerto plata were less than any other airport on the island. this would greatly help tourism to the north coast and induce more investment

 

[NanSanPedro]

I guess hotels for 1 or 2 week tourists are needed. I've been up there 3 or 4 times and have found the hotels adequate. Two or 3 star at best, but adequate for my needs.

 

[NALs]

Puerto Plata was mentioned here (video from today) as one of the places getting new resorts. By what he says, Melía is only one of them. There are two others slated for Bergartín. For now, all hotels are Spaniards (what would DR tourism be like without the Spaniards?), though the first two will be managed by Hyatt.

0:36 for the Puerto Plata stuff.

 

[windeguy]

Going back to the Playa Bergantin thread, a few hotels were mentioned, but I thought a Hard Rock, or was it a Marriott, was also in there.
Two being Spanish and Hyatt, OK. Whatever works for the investors as the significant project unfolds.

The map shows the Vin Diesel Movie studio, golf course and alleged hundreds of condos and villas,,,, to be built based upon the photo op with Diesel and Abinader also in that video.

Eventually

Hope they build another power plant and create a dam for all the water needed.

Maybe.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

Going back to the Playa Bergantin thread, a few hotels were mentioned, but I thought a Hard Rock, or was it a Marriott, was also in there.
Two being Spanish and Hyatt, OK. Whatever works for the investors as the significant project unfolds.

The map shows the Vin Diesel Movie studio, golf course and alleged hundreds of condos and villas,,,, to be built based upon the photo op with Diesel and Abinader also in that video.

Eventually

Hope they build another power plant and create a dam for all the water needed.

Maybe.

Wasn't it Planet Hollywood?

 

[Ecoman1949]

The North Coast, the Bastard child in Windy’s insightful words, appears to be finally getting the attention many think it deserves. The question is, is it the right attention? Playa Dorada and the Bergantin area were my stomping grounds for many winters. I’ve seen the rise and fall of AI resorts, condo complexes, and now we have the latest aberration, villas. Villas are now being marketed in Playa Dorada in the $450K to $500K price range. If the new projects go ahead, the Playa Dorada-Bergantin area will be Punta Cana on a smaller scale but it will never compete with Punta Cana.

I know change is a constant but I wonder If resort development in the DR is close to reaching its saturation point. Will there be a surplus of resort rooms and condos? The DR doesn’t have control over the main drivers of tourism. Good economic times, something that tourists from a lot of countries aren't experiencing and won’t for quite a while according to the World Economic Forum. Paying the mortgage and keeping food on the table is priority number one for a lot of North Americans these days. The results of a recent economic survey in Canada indicated that a large percentage of mortgage carrying and renting Canadians between the ages of 45 and 55 don't have the financial resources to cope with an unplanned expenditure of $1000 and are worried about the future of their jobs. That’s just Canada but the same thing is happening in the EU, the UK, and the US. Current interest rates and extremely high rental rates in these countries are crippling people and the rates won’t decline anytime soon.

The cruise ship industry has rebounded extremely well post Covid. They are subtly changing the complexion of AI tourism, drawing older resort customers away from resorts with cheaper prices and the promised security of cruising. The DR can make the place interesting for cruise ship passengers but the revenue generated is nothing compared to the revenue generated from AI resort customers.

The family unit has changed in developed countries. Fewer marriages, less children or no children, are the norm. The newer cruise ships cater to couples. No kids, no casinos, upscale cruising to exotic locations like Antarctica, the Galapagos. Cruise ship lines plan ahead for market changes and easily adapt to them. I wonder if DR resort developers have the same foresight.

Over saturation of resorts, condos, and villas on the North Coast will put a lot more pressure on already strained DR power and water infrastructure. Something that will take years to plan for and correct. The reality is the resorts generate most of their revenue for the owners and the government. The average Dominican employee is paid a relatively low wage. The poor stay poor and the rich get richer.

 

[JD Jones]

2024 is going to be an interesting year, that's for sure.

 

[Big]

maybe this is s spin-off of the massive transformation of Sosua. The beach casitas destruction and the new Ritz Carlton.

 

[XQT]

it would help if the flights into puerto plata were less than any other airport on the island. this would greatly help tourism to the north coast and induce more investment

If you are in Florida and US East coast you already get many choices of cheap POP flights.

Canadians from the E. Coast have a 4 hr. flight but nothing cheap.
Zero direct flights from US and CAN W.Coast or Prairies.
EU has reduced flights to POP they are long and not cheap.

Airlines are working on payloads/volume to fill planes and make money.
The majority does fly to P.C. which results into better profit margins for airlines.

 

[CristoRey]

maybe this is s spin-off of the massive transformation of Sosua. The beach casitas destruction and the new Ritz Carlton.

I took Metro Tours up from Santiago on Wednesday to Sosua. Couldn't help but notice how much new construction is taking place. Coldwell, Remax and Century21 signs up and down the coast.
There's a lot going on up there right now.

We'll probably never see the unicorn you speak of however I do think we'll start seeing more independent hotels being built in addition to the larger resort type properties.

 

[windeguy]

If you are in Florida and US East coast you already get many choices of cheap POP flights.

What is cheap for you? How much $$$?

Canadians from the E. Coast have a 4 hr. flight but nothing cheap.
Zero direct flights from US and CAN W.Coast or Prairies.
EU has reduced flights to POP they are long and not cheap.

Airlines are working on payloads/volume to fill planes and make money.
The majority does fly to P.C. which results into better profit margins for airlines.

Most of the flights have DR taxes and fees that are more than the flight costs.

 

[Ecoman1949]

What is cheap for you? How much $$$?

Most of the flights have DR taxes and fees that are more than the flight costs.

PreCovid I could get down and back for $450-$500 Canadian on Air Canada, and West Jet. Now $800-$900 with an overnight in Toronto each way due to less flights.

Last year, the DR government went through the expense of extending the Gregorio Luperon airport runway to accommodate the newer bigger aircraft carrying more people and using less fuel. They killed the initiative by hiking airport fees. Despite the new and proposed tourism development on the North Coast, it appears the government still favours Punta Cana.

 

[windeguy]

No doubt there is a game afoot keeping the ludicrous prices at POP.

 

[Big]

No doubt there is a game afoot keeping the ludicrous prices at POP.

Why do you say the prices are "ludicrous". Round trip from the D.C N.Y area are 1,1000.00 round trip, 1st class. It seems reasonable.

 

[keepcoming]

New York (JFK) is around $300.00 RT to Puerto Plata in economy. First class around $950.00. Out of Newark about the same, with Philadelphia about the same for economy, slightly higher for first class. Miami however is around $400.00 RT in economy and around $1200.00 for first class. Of course these are just random dates.