Romantic Oasis in Heart of Zona Colonial

Stayed in this quaint hotel for four days last week; as it was my first trip into Dominican Republic, followed Trip Advisor's reviews. This hotel has 19 intimate rooms on two floors surrounding a tropical restaurant-garden. Service is superior, food is first-class and reasonable to US standards. Excellent breakfast buffet served until 11AM (which is great with the Santa Domingo nitelife). Rooms are compact and have best circulation system I have ever encountered -- no blasts of freezing air with 12 foot ceilings, bathrooms are huge. Hotel is listed as gay-friendly and there were several gay couples in hotel. (Note: there is an $18 surcharge for guests in room). Access to pool, gym and internet several blocks away at sister hotel Nicholas. Only annoying issues (and they were minor): we had to ask several times for towels, lighting in room for closet area was insufficient, tv remote did not work well, and sink clogged-up; mini bar and phone call prices are based on last years inflation-related prices and are way, way out-of-line even by US standards. All-in-all a very pleasant experience.

Absolutely Perfect!

I stayed at this hotel for 5 days in October. This had been my first trip to Santo Domingo, so I checked several sources before booking a hotel. This one unanimously appeared on everyone's top list, and I see why.

The hotel itself is absolutely stunning. It's small size, with a very large ornate wooden balcony which makes up the 2nd floor. The rooms are small, but very nice, with gorgeous furniture, and very high colonial style ceilings. My bathroom was also fabulous, immaculately clean, and larger than my entire apt. back in NYC. The bed is heavenly. (which can often be a problem when staying in a hotel.) It was a very large king size plush mattress, with ample down filled pillows. I am really particular about this sort of thing and was not disappointed at all. The lighting is great, the decor, everything about this place rocks!

In addition to being a beautiful hotel, the staff goes out of the way to accomodate their guests. I was treated like royalty the entire time I was there. The hotel offered a driver for any place I wanted to go. They sent a bodyguard with me to the ATM machine, which wasn't really necessary, but a nice gesture on their part. On my first night there, the concierge gave me very thorough directions for a bar that I was headed to around the corner as well as a thorough explanation of a small pedestrian map I had so I would not get lost.

They have a sister resort, Sofitel Nicolas, which is right around the corner. That hotel is also stunning, guests of the Frances can use the grounds there as well. They have a very nice pool and sun deck, as well as a small size gym. It's a great place to swim and relax, smack in the middle of the city. This was hands down one of my favorite hotel experiences.

The best part about it, despite the luxury the price is very reasonable, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my tab for the entire trip including mini-bar, phone bill, and guest charges was under 400 USD for 4 nights. Well worth it, and I cannot wait to go back.

Just do it!

My girlfriend and I stayed at The sofitel for 12 night the room was great, the service is excellent,

The breakfasts are served in the open-air courtyard and are delicious (always the same breakfasts but was not a problem for me)

the staff very very friendly.

A small paradise in a big city

My boyfriend and I stayed at The sofitel for 1 night only 06-01-04 (santo domingo was part of the first leg of our DR trip) and everything was perfection. The room impeccable, grounds although small were beautiful..no pool but they let us use the pool of the Sofitel Nicloas 3 minutes away that was great. 24 hour room service....Dinner that night was absolutely magical , ther service , the food was good but you have to have a taste for...i wias we would have known we would have stayed another nite...It is centrally located in the heart of La Zona Colonial, historic ruins, museums, cathedrals are literally not even 5 minutes away...its a busy city .... dont recommend to walk during the night w/o knowing where your going. This place is was awesome

Loved It!!

Stayed there New Years eve and New Years day, 2004. Very clean, centrally located and beautiful grounds. Staff are very friendly and rooms are spacious, clean and well maintained. The bar and outside courtyard are lovely. The bartender makes excellent cocktails. The breakfast outside the courtyard is wonderful and the fact that you can also use the pool at the Hotel Nicolas down the street is an added bonus. Highly recommended.

A beautiful hotel

My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Frances for a week when we were in Santo Domingo on business and it is a beautiful hotel. It's a small, quiet, peaceful oasis in the sometimes chaotic city. The service was excellent and everyone was very friendly and helpful. The breakfasts are served in the open-air courtyard and are delicious and at night you can relax with a drink at the outdoor bar. And guests can enjoy the health club and pool at the city's other Sofitel which is a very short (two-block) walk, for no fee. Having been all over the city, I wouldn't stay outside the colonial zone and this is definitely the place to stay.

Wonderful

Small luxury hotel. Great service- everybody tried so hard to make us happy. Very friendly, personable, extended themselves each time to go beyond what was neded to what was perfect. Very lovely. Sister Sofitel has a pool elevated over the port. Just about perfect.

The most romantic hotel ever existed in a tropical island.

We stayed at this absolutely romantic hotel while visited the Caribbean Island for our honeymoon. The service is superb, the staff very friendly, polite and they give you the feeling of "being the one and only guest in the hotel". The perfect place to fall in love. I love my husband even more for taking me there since it was the most romantic surprise he made and an excellent choice for both of us. It is a "must" for newlyweds. Stathis and Ioanna from Athens - Greece

Beautiful Small Hotel in Old Colonial District

We had just arrived trying to find places to stay downtown on a Carribean sweltering day, but I had to reject two other hotels after inspecting the rooms and finding them run-down and maybe not so clean.

Then we stumbled upon this lovely small hotel with Spanish style courtyard in the old colonial district. It was like finding the oasis after a parching journey!

Amazing experience!

In Cartagena i visited something similar. It's a transportation to the 16th Century. Nothing becomes more romantic than this one.

What a sensation.

I'm lucking forward to visite it on my h.m. next dicember.

Alexis