My company booked me into Melia for corporate business in Santo Domingo in February, 2007. Okay, I know this is not Puerta Plata or Punto Cano, where at least a lousy hotel can be offset by a nice beach. But, come on. First off, the service is fair, when you can get it. But it is given reluctantly at best. I stood at the poolside bar for uncomfortable minutes while the staff chatted away behind the counter, aware of my presence, but just not quite ready to stop their discussion to ask my order. Maid service was attentive, sort of. They never quite got it all right at the same time. One day they'd forget the coffee packet for the in room coffee maker. So I'd call for one and they would quickly bring it. Then the next day they wouldn't replace the sugar packets. So I'd call for some and they'd quickly bring it. You get the picture. I do have to compliment Carlos the breakfast attendant and Santo the evening bartender on the club level. I can truly say they always had a smile and a kind word.

Santo Domingo itself doesn't have the nice redeeming qualities of a nice beach or a safe downtown area. The front of the Melia faces what's best described as a Monte Carlo grand prix race-a-rama of a highway where cars, trucks, motorcycles and emergency vehicles with sirens go racing by all day and into the evening. I considered walking or running on the wide sidewalk that tops the seawall on the other side. The one time I did make it across, I felt like I was playing a game of Frogger with my life on the line. And once across, the dirty ocean water and trash lined sidewalk quickly sent me back. You'd think if Santo Domingo wanted tourists, they'd clean it up a bit and maybe put in a few pedestrian overpasses.

Again, the pool area was nice, nothing special. No hot tub, just a pool. It wasn't staffed sufficiently and there were no wandering wait staff to take orders so you had to saunter over to the poolside bar and beg for attention. Beers were like $5 and cold, sandwiches about $9 and I thought better quality than the restaurant inside.

The rooms were adquate, again nothing special. Internet connection in the room was fast (another review said their's was dial-up...maybe club level was DSL or maybe the hotel has upgraded the whole system since that review was written).

All in all, I hope I never have to go back to Santo Domingo. But if I do, I'll defenitely have to steer my HR department towards booking at the Jaragua or Sofitel because they look so much nicer from the street. And the Jaragua's main level restaurant was nicer than the Melias.