Hodelpa Nicolás de Ovando

Exceptional place highly recommend it!

Wait staffers were superb! Kudos

The room was very good, facing the waterfront, with a view of the park below, in a quiet location with a large space, working table and the bathroom was very spacious. It has a soaking tub (though I try not to use it due to the water issues in the country), the shower had very good water pressure, so you can shower quick, rinse very well and feel clean. They offered a variety of Dominican dishes not just random food like refried beans and honeydew melon chunks, something so gross about continental breakfast found throughout the US and Europe. Instead I was surprised and so happy to have found mashed pumpkin, mashed plantains, mashed yautía (taro/malanga), multiple vegetables consumed in Dominican breakfast drinking avena (oat breakfast drink) and many vegetables, tubers and vegetarian/vegan dishes that made the breakfast, which could be included in the fee, a worthy payment as part of the room. I'm also very glad to NOT have been given the typical fried dish that most people associate with Dominican Breakfast also known as "La Bandera" or "Los Tres Golpes" which is something I don't consume at all and don't associate with breakfast. The staff was very professional and hospitable, very knowledgable and always willing to assist with navigating the Colonial area. Everyone was trained and employed exceptional hospitality that you only find in countries that are used to catering to visitors to their land such as Japan and Kenya, where the same hospitality is found throughout their merchants and local industries serving the locals and the visitors alike. The hotel is a walking museum. Everything on the walls, the furniture and the entire aesthetic is a place to enjoy for its history and learning.

I wish we had a bidet hose for cleansing. This is not only important for women's hygiene but for everyone used to having good toilet hygiene, it reduces water use and helps with flushing a water toilet that already needs to be moderated. Drinking water should be included in the room and the entire hotel. They should invest in having filtration station and water specifically for drinking and so the guests can refill their own personal water bottle and for enjoyment while at the hotel. This is something that I understand is costly and is an issue with the entire island managing their water resources, but not having drinking water and having to pay for bottled water is environmentally unfriendly and only benefits the companies selling water. If they can install fountains and refilling stations that would make the hotel a perfect hotel besides every other thing that they thought about. If this is a fee they need to add to their business model, then it is a worthy investment to have their own water filtration system and fountain for drinking. Guests are allowed to smoke in the open areas. There should be no smoking allowed anywhere the hotel including the areas where guests sit to eat or enjoy a drink in the patio. I went for breakfast and sat in the area next to the entrance to the dining area and there were a mob of smokers and all of the smoke coming into the area where we ate. That's a sacrifice made for people who can simply go and smoke outside of the hotel. Why should guest be subjected to tobacco smoke while they eat or relax in any area of the hotel that we are paying for comfort for? Smoking should not be allowed anywhere where other guests will be exposed to smoke, especially since permission was not asked. I don't smoke and I don't inhale anything. That was a turnoff and made my breakfast experience horrible.

Location

Nothing

Hotel is centrally located if you want to be in the Capital. One of the reasons we have come here over the years is the antique authentic cultural touches all throughout the hotel and the safety. The beds were comfortable and the doormen were very nice and helpful.

I was traveling with my elderly mother, and unfortunately, the layout of the room was not suitable for her. There were three steps leading to the bathroom with no railing to hold on to, which posed a safety risk. On our last day, she fell on those stairs. Additionally, we paid for breakfast in advance, but the experience was very disappointing. The food was cold, lacked variety, and was not of acceptable quality. When we raised our concerns to the waitress and to the front desk, we were told the charges would be waived; however, at checkout, we discovered that they had not been removed. Furthermore, our room was not cleaned for two days despite having the sign displayed and making direct requests to the housekeeping staff. It was not until we got management involved that our room was finally cleaned. We checked out around 4:30 AM, and the front desk attendant was asleep behind the desk and initially reluctant to provide us with a printed statement. After insisting, I received a copy and noticed charges for the in-room bar, which we were previously told by staff and housekeeping was included (DO NOT CONSUME ANYTHING IN THE ROOM). We were unable to resolve the issues of the breakfast and mini bar charges before departure with the front desk since one the man that was working seemed bothered we woke him up from his sleep and was being short with us, and two because we had to leave for the airport and were told the manager would not be available until 9:00 AM. Overall, the number of inconveniences we experienced significantly impacted our stay. Unfortunately, based on this experience, I would not choose to stay here again.