Santo Domingo Travel Guide

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Movie Set Hotel: The Godfather II

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Av. Sarasota 65, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
December 5, 2006 at 3:17 PM | by | Comment (1)

In most circles, The Godfather Part II is considered the shining jewel in the Godfather trilogy. The film's director, Francis Ford Coppola, no stranger to exotic locations (like using the Phillippines as a stand-in for Vietnam for Apocalypse Now), had the foresight to use the Dominican Republic as a suitable replacement for Cuba during the filming of the movie, which released in 1974, well before the onslaught of all-inclusives and hotel strips.

So why Cuba? Wikipedia says:

Michael (Corleone) and (Hyman) Roth traveled to Cuba under Fulgencio Batista in order to forge a partnership with the Cuban government, allowing them to be free to conduct their operations in Cuba without interference from the authorities, in return for generous payments to Batista.

These nefarious underworld schemes take place at The Occidental El Embajador Hotel situated in Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic, and an ideal location to stand in for the grandeur and splendor of Cuba in the 1950s.

While the hotel bills itself as "the most emblematic hotel in Santo Domingo," reviews on Expedia show opinions split firmly down the middle, from raves to complaints of mildew and a new one, even for us jaded hotel chatterers: A "terrible amount of birds that were loud outside of the hotel on the car park side throughout the night and morning."

Movie lovers will appreciate the irony of the situation.  In the film, Roth attempts to control the mob's gambling circuit in pre-revolutionary Cuba, but the whole gang has to flee once Fidel Castro and his rebels overtake the government. Fast-forward to today: While you can't (legally) go to Cuba, you can (legally) gamble your heart away in The El Embajador Hotel.  The hotel boasts a casino, open daily from 4pm to 6am.  It's 7,500 square feet of slots and tables, so you can place your bets and give the waiter an offer he can't refuse:  A banana daiquiri.

Related Stories:
· El Embajador reviews [Expedia]
· El Embajador reviews [TripAdvisor]

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Oscar de la Renta Works His Magic on Tortuga Bay

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Ave. Abraham Lincoln #960, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
October 11, 2006 at 1:25 PM | by | Comments (0)

Admittance into the elite Leading Small Hotels of the World status is the equivalent of being offered a bid by the swankiest sorority, where hazing, if there were such a thing, would involve sleeping on zero thread count sheets, once daily maid service and Pier One decor. Thankfully for Torguga Bay in Punta Cana, they've got Oscar de la Renta as a guaranteed "in."

The hotel has 15 "casually elegant" beachfront villas encompassing 50 rooms decorated by the famed couturier (who also has a home nearby) and is now the first Dominican hotel to be accepted into the famed luxury hotel collection.

Tortuga Bay is also the latest in a series of new developments at the PUNTACANA Resort & Club, the 15,000-acre resort located on the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic. A new oceanfront Tom Fazio-designed golf course is under construction, complementing the acclaimed La Cana seaside course designed by P.B. Dye, and just opening is the new Six Senses Spa, recognized as the number one spa chain in the world.

More on what it's like to stay at Tortuga Bay post-click

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Flooding Donations at the Clarion Hotel, Santo Domingo

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Avenida Tiradentes, esquina Presidente Gonzalez, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 30228
May 28, 2004 at 7:46 AM | by | Comments (0)

Nearly 2000 people have died as a result of flooding and landslides on the island of Hispanola in the Caribbean.

According to the Dominican Republic Daily News, "The National Association of Hotels and Restaurants opened a donation collection center at the Clarion Hotel in Santo Domingo."

There are links to Dominican Republic hotels on DominicanRepublic.com. While most of the devastation is in the border town of Jimani, those traveling to Haiti and the DR should double check accommodation and weather conditions before heading over. Local news is available on CaribbeanPost.com

Details
Clarion Hotel Santo Domingo
Avenida Tiradentes, esquina Presidente Gonzalez
NACO , Santo Domingo, DO
Phone: (809) 541-6226
Fax: (809) 549-7743

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