http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2012-02-14T19:34:21Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/ http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2006/12/5/113159/369 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/godfather_2.jpg"><p>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. <p> So why Cuba? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Corleone">Wikipedia</a> says:<blockquote><p> 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 annie0007 2006-12-05T15:17:01-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2006/10/11/12422/669 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/tortuga_bayroom.jpg"><p>Admittance into the elite <a href="http://www.leadingsmallhotelsoftheworld.com/">Leading Small Hotels of the World</a> 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 <a href="http://www.puntacana.com"><b>Torguga Bay in Punta Cana,</b></a> they've got Oscar de la Renta as a guaranteed "in."<p>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. <p>Tortuga Bay is also the latest in a series of new developments at the PUNTACANA Resort LesleyinMiami 2006-10-11T13:25:49-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2004/5/27/185211/583 <![CDATA[<p>Nearly 2000 people <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1225768,00.html">have died</a> as a result of flooding and landslides on the island of Hispanola in the Caribbean. </p><p> According to the <a href="http://www.dominicanrepublic.com/dailynews.shtml">Dominican Republic Daily News,</a> "The National Association of Hotels and Restaurants opened a donation collection center at the <a href="http://www2.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?sid=HnMfi.2VV8Ol_pgO.2&amp;hotel=DO003">Clarion Hotel</a> in Santo Domingo." </p><p> There are links to Dominican Republic<a href="http://www.dominicanrepublic.com/frameset2.php3?url=<em>travel/hotels.htm"> hotels</a> 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 <a href="http://www.caribbeanpost.com</em>">CaribbeanPost.com</a></p> <p> <b>Details</b><br> <a href="http://www2.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?sid=HnMfi.2VV8Ol_pgO.2&amp;hotel=DO003">Clarion Hotel Santo Domingo</a><br> Avenida Tiradentes, esquina Presidente Gonzalez<br> NACO , Santo Domingo, DO<br> Phone: (809) 541-6226<br>Fax: (809) 549-7743<br> <p></p></p> jenleo 2004-05-28T07:46:24-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/