President Leonel Fernández also inaugurated yesterday the 516-room Costa Dorada Iberostar (Marapica beach next door to Playa Dorada. The hotel has been receiving tourists since July 1999. Speaking for the Costa Dorada project, businessman Alberto Jana Tactuk said that a second hotel would open in this new beach area in October 2000, bringing the total number of rooms to 916. Two more are in planning stage and would be built by Spanish investors. This would bring Costa Dorada’s room total to 2,000. Costa Dorada is located on Marapicá beach, next door to Playa Dorada beach hotel complex and its near 5,000 hotel rooms. During his visit to Puerto Plata, President Fernández also received the dredging of Puerto Plata Port. Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Tourism Felix Jiménez highlighted that Puerto Plata receives one of every three tourists that visit the DR. He said the dredging of the port will permit the arrival of new cruiseships, and that two are expected to start coming as of November.
