I have been traveling to Santo Domingo for over 20 years. The Jaragua hotel is one of my favorites. There are many other good hotels in the capital city as well, but for the price, location and for my personal likes, the Jaragua is the best for the value. The hotel has a nice casino, a great Merengue bar with a live merengue band 6 nights a week and it also has a Champions sports bar to watch all the games and have some burgers, pizza or whatever if you want to feel like your back in the states. The hotel also has its own restaurant, a outdoor bar and a poolside bar. Location is perfect, right on the Malecon with spectacular water views. Close to all Government buildings, shopping malls and the Colonial city as well. If you are to choose a room, I would recommend spending a few extra dollars and get a room in the Tower opposed to the Garden rooms which are in a separate building. Beds are far more comfortable in the tower rooms. I travel to the country often on business and I opt for the Club level on top level floors which cost on average about $30 more a night, but it comes with breakfast and access to the private lounge area where you can hold meetings while having lunch, coffee etc... Overall, as I mentioned, there are other hotels I have stayed at in the area such as the Hiltion Malecon Centre, the Embajador, Melia and Intercontinental (both next door) but I always go back to the Jaragua, for the price, nicest staff, clean and comfortable rooms and it's locale.

Good value and good location. The casino is a plus and the grounds offer many places to lounge around or read a book. Rooms are nice enough, though we usually get relegated to the back building because we travel with a dog. Understandable. The large grassy area also lets our pooch stretch her legs and management doesn't seem to mind as long as you clean up your mess. Rooms are comfortable. Sports restaurant could use a little help. Service seemed slow and food was average. Front desk was helpful and accommodating. They also help with directions and local info.

I visited this hotel upon returning from a ten days Caribbean Cruise back to Finland. Our flight was delayed overnight and so we, some 300 Finnish cruise passengers onboard M/S Kristina Katarina were booked to hotels at Santo Domingo. My lot was the Renaissance, capable of taking 150 of us with a short notice. Lucky me, though travelling single I got a ninth floor, ocean facing executive suite where mere bed was larger than my economy cabin on the ship. The suite size must have been well over 1000 sq feet.

I must say that I should not have minded even further delays as the service was very friendly and swift, I felt especially to me. Perhaps it helped to show a happy, instead of a grim face like most of my co-cruisers. The atmosphere in the garden bar after dark was closest to heaven I have been this far. We were served dinner, breakfast and lunch before departure, all inclusive except alcohol. Another con side was that the kitchen was not prepared to take such a sudden rush of unexpected customers and some early diners had to wait more than an hour for their main course. Yes, I admit that some details are in need of renovation but not badly and some slight noise was occasionally heard from suites connecting doors. Still for a relatively unspoiled traveler this remains the best hotel experience ever, especially when one needs not to pay for it.

if you pay around 100$ for a room in a hotel on the Malecón , main sea shore avenue of Santo Domingo, capital of Dominican Republic, you can imagine that something is not right. The kind attention of the staff and the good service, cannot offset the aged bedrooms, bathrooms,... The spa was nice and the massage given, excellent and worth the money. The breakfast was average. Conclusion, go for business and use the bedroom for what you need, a good sleep, nothing more.