This review title is carefully chosen. You cannot go to Santo Domingo and expect Paris, London, or even Los Angeles quality, much less Swiss quality. The DR is not there yet, at least in the Capital, and very likely never will be. The DR has its charms, it's own "personality", which many have fallen in love with. But the highest level of service in the hospitality industry is unknown. It is undoubtedly a challenge for a "quality" hotel chain to meet its normal standards in the DR, and the Jaragua is no exception. All that said, if the location suits you, it is hard to beat this hotel in Santo Domingo, and if you are flexible with your stay-dates, the Jaragua can also be an excellent value-for-money proposition.

On our recent trip to Santo Domingo we stayed at hotel Jaragua and were very grateful to have chosen it. We loved returning to our air conditioning, soft white beds and peace and quiet. We signed up for the "club" room too, which gave us access to a plentiful breakfast buffet, snacks during the day and a light dinner in the evening as well as a nice assortment of desserts from 8 to 10. All of this for just an extra $30 US Dollars a day for three people. Definitely worth it! We ate lunch out each day, and as that is usually the largest meal of the day there, it worked out great. We used the pool several times as well, which was a welcome relief from walking through the hot streets. The staff was friendly, spoke excellent English, and very helpful with all our questions regarding transportation, money exchange, and advice on things to do. I found the city to be a little challenging, but we were visiting my daughter who speaks Spanish, so we had it pretty easy for the most part. The hotel could use some minor updates in a few areas, but compared to what you saw walking around town, it was like going back to paradise. The location is great, as it is close to the safest part of town, the cutest restaurants, a movie theater, and shopping. It looked like there were a few large conventions happening there as well, and we even got to see the most beautiful wedding take place in the garden. We popped into the Hilton, which was down the street one morning to look around, and even though it was more modern, it didn't have the beautiful grounds, water features and overall spaciousness of the Jaragua. My daughter, originally recommended it as she found the staff very helpful when she had questions when first arriving in Santo Domingo as a student, and she wasn't even staying there as a guest. Now that is a sign of a great hotel!

Spent three nights at this location. When I arrived, the drive up to the main entrance gave a positive impression of the property. The lobby area was clean and checkin quick. However, as you enter the elevator, you can see the wear and tear in the doors and floor. I was on the sixth floor. The hallway carpet had signs of age with visible stains. Entering the room, it definitely shown signs of age and required a face lift. The bathroom floor tiles was old and need regrouting. The hair dryer wires appeared to be severed and then reattached with the electrical insulation covers visible. Not the usual Renaissance one would expect.

However, the beds were comfortable, towels and linens clean. Bathroom amenities were not fully replaced daily. Air conditioning and hot water supply had no issues. Called for room service one of the nights and meal came within 15 minutes, breakfast on mornings adequate for about USD20.00 buffet option. The landscaping was maintained and also the pool area. It costs about USD5.00 or 200Pesos to go one-way to Colonial Zone from that hotel. So, careful as the taxis try to overcharge you as a tourist.

You can tell as soon as you see the Jaragua that it was once a very nice hotel. The lobby and restaurants have been kept up to date, but our room needed updating, particularly the bathroom. The tiles were old and needed regrouting, etc. Bed was super comfy. A+ on the bed and bedding.

The service was some of the best I've ever experienced. From the moment we stepped in the door, all of the staff memebers we encountered couldn't have been more gracious and helpful. Staff spoke both spanish and english. We were greeted by everyone.

Chocolates every evening. We had a problem with the key in the minibar. We had a replacement within 15 minutes. We ate at the hotel restaurant for the lunch buffet and the food was delicious. Well prepared from soup through dessert. Pool not deep or huge, but well maintained.