Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Quaint
Languages Spoken
English, French, Spanish, German
Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Pool
Outdoor pool
Non-smoking hotel
Room features
Air conditioning
Housekeeping
Private balcony
Kitchenette
Refrigerator
Bath / shower
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Location
Calle Del Cementerio No. 3, Cabarete 57000 Dominican Republic
Hotel El Magnifico
96 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Although it was for only one night, I enjoyed my stay at Hotel El Magnifico. It is a condo hotel. My room was sectioned off from a two-bedroom condo. The room faced the beach. The sound of the water from the beach was soothing. Directly below the room was a jacuzzi, only steps away from the beach. This is an ideal location for relaxation. The hotel location is right off the main street where you can walk to shops, bars and restaurants. The staff was so friendly and helpful with information. A special thanks to Michelle, the Front Desk receptionist for her assistance. I plan on coming back on my next trip to Cabarete.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed a week at El Magnifico in April 2022. We stayed in a 3 story building (2nd floor) beside the pool. Beautiful landscaped property. Very private and quiet but only a very short distance from the main Cabarete beach and restaurants. Michele and Vanessa at the front desk were very helpful. Highly recommended!!
Read more
Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tremendous location, safe, helpful and friendly staff, beach front, pool and jacuzzi, the rooms are beautiful, quiet, great view and well appointed. Near bars, clubs and restaurants. Plenty of outdoors activities, like kite surfing. I've stayed at this location twice. I'll return.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip:Â Great for couples!!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Having stayed at Magnifico over 15 times in the past 5 years, I am confident in stating that I am well-versed in the pros & cons of this place.
Cabarete has changed from 5 years ago. It was a sleepy kite boarding center of primarily Dutch, German & French ex-pats along with the locals. Never saw Americans there. Cabarete continues to change & rapidly so. The Americans have landed & their wallets have jacked up the prices of just about everything. Magnifico's prices, long a bargain, have begun to ratchet upwards. And this price increase will continue.
Condos are being slapped up at every turn. The government has just installed a large new sewer line along the main road through the town. This means only one thing: development in the form of large hotels. In several year's time, the funky & fun little beach restaurants along Cabarete Bay will be gone & replaced by Marriotts & Euro-chain hotels.
Development: that's what the government wants. Tourism brings hard dollars to a poverty-inclined population. The new airport up the line is bringing in tens of thousands of people to the Samana Peninsula, located about two hours from Cabarete. Businesses are receiving massive tax breaks to locate in the DR.
On balance, Magnifico is a very good place to stay, BUT you must choose the building in which to stay quite carefully. You enhance the chanves of enjoying your stay at Magnifico if you stay in building 6 (brand new in 2007), building 5, or building 4. Buildings 6 & 5 are oceanfront.
Any penthouse in Building 4, 5 or 6 is well worth the money. Great views, ocean breezes, very roomy, full kitchen & 3 bathrooms. Any unit above ground level is not wheelchair accessible. The units above ground level are accessible only by spiral staircases.
Although the beach in front of Magnifico is not for swimming (very rough rip currents), the calm Cabarete beach is literally only a 5-minute walk down the sands. Buildings 6 & 5 will be quieter than the rest of the properties. Building 4 is also quieter & has ocean views on levels 2 & 3.
Ground floor units at Magnifico are oftentimes plagued by mosquitoes, whereas the second & third floor units are swept by the refreshing Cabarete breezes & thus have less of the mosquitoes.
Buildings 3, 1 & 2 are the Magnifico buildings that are subject to sometimes extremely high levels of noise from the main road, the garbage trucks grinding away in back of Janet's Supermarket or the ever-present merengue music that just booms through the masonry walls at all hours.
I would discourage you from staying in any unit in Building 3. It backs up to Janet's Market, which opens early & in back of which there is constant, noisy activity of all sorts.
Wherever you stay at Magnifico, use the safe in your room. Petty theft is not unknown. I have friends who have had electronic items & cash lifted from their rooms with no forced entries. The housekeepers are generally friendly & trustworthy. In fact, one ran after me when I was checking out to give me my ipod which I had left in my room. Sweet people for the most part.
Front desk personnel are primarily from Quebec. The owner, Gerard Hebert, is also originally from Canada (many years ago). Everyone at Magnifico speaks several languages. You will be well-looked-after. Sometimes the front desk jefa, Lisa, can be tempestuous & brittle. Her moods usually pass like the sudden torrential rains that hit this island.
Step down the crushed stone path to the little restaurant run by Elvis (in front of Valero Resort). Elvis makes good classic Dominican fare in the form of chicken, rice & beans served with cold Presidentes. Elvis can get you a good meal for about 5 or 6 usd & he can also arrange female companionship if that's what you want, for about 30 usd. Quite a place, that Elvis Restaurant, but typical of a Dominican neighborhood bar / restaurant.
Resataurants & Bars, et. al.: LAX is a good beach bar for food & for night-time hanging out. So is OHNO. Bambu gets cranking after 11pm.
La Vaca Loca is a GREAT & INEXPENSIVE restaurant on the main road in town, on the non-beach side of the road opposite the beaches. Bliss is another excellent restaurant, very cool decor, very cool place to have drinks, located on the road going off the main road near the radio tower (just ask anyone, it's a small town). The little steakhouse located next to Bliss (don't recall name) is run by some Euro folks & serves up superb steak. Get there early, they run out of steaks & then that's it for the night.
Have a great stay. Enjoy Cabarete for what it is. It will be a massively changed place in only a few more years. Not all for the better......
Read more
Date of stay: November 2007
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check in / front desk
Service
Business service (e.g., internet access)
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dangerous location for tourist. My friend and I stayed here in September. He met a girl and had her over for a day. The young lady then went home. The next day we went to dinner alone and came back home, heres where it gets crazy. My friend went to his room and came running out saying someone was in his bed! The girl from the day before was in his bed. The girl told us that security let her in. This was wrong on so many levels; we could have been robbed with our money and passports taken; no way to get out of this country or back into ours; rapped or killed for that matter. The manager called the security guy who stated he let her in. When asked why, he stated she was with with us the day before, oh my gosh! We then asked for the owner, who listened to our story. We stated that security is very important for tourist and there is no way this is acceptable. You would think a manager and owner might give a comp day or show some type of empathy. The management made excuses and never acknowledged the security breach. We had to pack our bags and find another hotel.There is no way I would recommend this place for friends or family. I haved traveled the world for years and this by far is the worst thing that has ever happened!
Read more
Date of stay: September 2014
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:Â If your life is important dont stay here.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had looked at different places for a relaxing vacation, and we got one in Cabarete! We didn't want to stay at an all inclusive as we wanted more freedom and the ability to connect with the locals. I was googling and found Magnifico, and it really delivered. They were booked except for one of their older units in the Caribbean themed building (forget which one, but it's right next to the pool.) I was a little worried as the room is directly placed next to the pool on the first floor, just because of any noise etc. but it ended up being relatively quite the entire 10 days! Very reasonable prices, about 100 per night. Room was extremely large, with a huge bed and massive bathroom (complimentary safe in room). It did feel a little older, but it was so spacious and inviting that I didn't care! It was spotlessly clean, and it was nice to make our breakfast ourselves one morning in the kitchenette. We didn't know how to turn on the stove, and in seconds someone came to turn it on for us. I've heard that the woman at the front desk is surly, but I really enjoyed her company. She was very knowledgable, friendly and usually was up for a little conversation. There were no amenities here (besides for the relaxing small pool) but it was great to go out on our own for everything. There's a grocery store nearby where we bought all our food and drinks, and a wonderful place to have breakfast 1 minute down the driveway from our room. Claro's is the best, and we tried to eat here as much as we could. The owners, esp. the wife, is super sweet and we really enjoyed her food and company. It's a small place, reasonably priced, great food but they are only open for breakfast and lunch. Lots of great places in town for dinner, just walk down on the main street and there's so much to choose from, most of them located right on the sandy beach! As for the beach itself, you have to walk to it from Magnifico but it was never a bad walk. You can walk down the beach when the tide is low, and on the street if it's too dangerous. Either way, you'll get to pick a spot to yourselves as the beach goes on for quite a while, and it was fun watching all the kite surfers do amazing tricks! We didn't try while we were there but maybe next time. Everyday we had ice cream off the main street, and loved the lively atmosphere of all the locals and street traffic. Nice blend of tourists and locals. We always felt pretty safe, but we didn't stay out all night either. Everything was great at Magnifico, next time we'll stay in the new building 6. Highly recommend it, you'll have a nice, relaxing and more private stay here. I plan on heading back this or next winter!
Read more
Date of stay: January 2007
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check in / front desk
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This Hotel has grounds that are simply magical. The stone work (paths, steps, and walls) are simply beautiful and the lush gardens that surround the walk ways and encompass the grounds of the hotel are meticulously cared for and give the whole area a very tropical feel. There is a small pool, a hot tub with a secluded feel and a cold tub with an amazing view of the ocean. The rooms are in very good condition and we got a room with two 3/4 bathrooms, a large bedroom, large living room, full kitchen (oven included), a large balcony with a nice table and four chairs, and an upstairs loft that led to a large rooftop patio (table, 4 chairs & two lounges) for $117.00 a night. The balcony and rooftop patio had amazing views of the ocean and were perfect for morning coffee and evening cocktails. The location was perfect as well. It was situated right behind the largest grocery store in town (Janet's Grocery) and was a 5 minute walk to Mojitos (the first or last, depending upon what side of town you are on, of the dozen or so beach restaurant/bars that sits 50 feet from the ocean. The Hotel has no restaurant or bar on site. But two hotels sit between Magnifico and the main street and they both have places to eat or drink and the main strip has many choices as well. The hotel is geared more towards a family type of atmosphere than a party hotel - but you can party in town or on the beach and then come back and chill at the hotel.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2014
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â We stayed in room 14 and it was AMAZING the view from the 3rd floor was awesome and the rooftop...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent 24 beautiful days at the El Magnifico Bldge 6 second floor. The accomodations are great with balconies on each bedroom and a spacious covered front balcony where we were able to sit every day. The hot tube was just down the path and we used it every nite. All the staff; Lisa, Olga, Carlos were more than accomodating and worked hard to make our stay wonderful. All the local people are friendly and you feel very safe on or off the property.Maid service prompt and wonderful smiling staff every day!This being our 4th stay; we were familiar with all the great places - Janet's supermarket which has really expanded and offers everything you could possibly want. Claro; still the best breakfast place in Cabarete. Dick's Bakery - fabulous cafe latte, breads and pastries; plus breakfast. The gardens of El Magnifico are amazing and still immacuately kept by the elderly gardener on staff. They can be very proud of this little oasis by the sea and we will return.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:Â Best rooms are on the second or penthouse levels but that is a personal perference. Great views.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in Cabarete for two weeks in November 2006. The first week we stayed at Olas de Oro (apt.22) which is in the other end (the end where all the kitesurfing is at) of Cabarete Bay. We all (4 adults, 3 children)liked both accomondations very much, some of us voted for week 1 and some week 2. Both very nice, and very different from eachother. I do agree that Magnifico is a very stylish hotel, the building we stayed in ( # 4 ) and the hotel grounds are not the ordinary hotel thing, they are very special. I still think that I can also find some things that made it not perfect in my opinion. Bare in mind that we traveled with children, I guess an adult couple would find these things not so important. Here goes:
- there is no swimmable beach here
- our apartment was told to have an oceanview, which it also did. Nobody told us what was between the ocean and the hotel (see picture)
- the sound level in the apartment was pretty high as there are no "normal" windows there. Nighttime I woke up of this as I am used too an quiet bedroom
Despite these things it is a beautiful place, and my greetings to Lisa at the frontdesk, she was very nice and natural to deal with.
Will be glad to answer any questions.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2006
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check in / front desk
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very nice place! A lot of privacy. Quiet, good design. On second floor the ocean breeze is making feel very comfortable. Good, polite stuff. Near is supermarket. Good wifi at whole area of hotel. Hot comfortable jacuzzi, nice swimming pool. And Michelle is so responsive! Thanks for making our Holiday so romantic
Read more
Date of stay: November 2019Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It depends on the time of year you go. I went in October so the beach access was closed for safety but the security guard helped me down the rocks onto the beach. Once down, I walked down the beach & was able to swim a few feet away. The staff there is extremely helpful.
The staff here is extremely friendly to the guests & most helpful. When I went, there were not alot of guests checked in so it was very quiet. The few guests I saw were very friendly.
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
