Actually booked a room at the Sofitel Frances but it was overbooked and I got moved to Nicolas de Ovando. I had no problem wih this as Nicols de Ovando is supposed to be the more upscale of the 2 and is only a few blocks away.

Staff was as friendly and helpful as could be though our room did have a mosquito problem and my wife and I suffered more than a few mosquito bites.

Outsid eof the mosquito issue, the hoel is beautiful and in a wonderful location in the colonial zone. We had breakfast on day and it was pretty good.

Overall, this hotel occupies the coolest building of all hotels in Santo Domingo. The Hilton ay be new and sleek but I doubtit can match the charm of Nicolas de Ovando

Beautiful hotel. We checked in late - - 11pm and had no problems whatsoever. The room was beautiful - - bed was comfortable, gorgeous marble bathroom, wonderful view from the window. The hotel grounds are stunning - - plants and paths and communal areas are kept beautifully. There is a reading area with books and lounging areas. The pool is fantastic. The restaurant is fine, although when we were there the exchange was bad so we were paying Los Angeles prices. The hotel is walking distance to the square and around the city. The hotel was not too crowded and not at all noisy.

My husband I just got back from a fabulous weekend at this hotel in Santo Domingo.Although the rate per night was US $139.00 , with taxes it came to $179.00, still a bargain.I speak very little Spanish and my husband none.Not a problem! The reception and concierge spoke English fluently and were very helpful with all our questions. Check in was very smooth and we were quickly escorted to our room.I took a lot of small bills for tips, and that really came in handy.You want to give them something for such gracious service. At first I thought our room smelled funny. but we did request a smoking room, and they had a lot of rain prior to our arrival. After a few hours of use, I never noticed it again.The rooms are very modern and kind of bare compared to what I,m used to.The mini bar and safe are behind the large closet doors .I really grew to appreciate how serene the lack of clutter can be. The bathroom had everything you could possibly want-bathrobes, Frech shampoo, conditioner ,lotion, even q-tips. There was a huge walk in shower and separate tub. It made me feel like a queen.We had doors that opened to a small balcony overlooking the river.There were traffic noises early in the evening, but they subsided by bedtime.The bed and pillows were the most comfortable and luxurious ever.Breakfast is included in the rate and it was quite good. I have to buy my husband a french press for making coffee.We loved the- knock your socks off-coffee in the morning.When we ventured out the front door on Calle las Damas, you are surrounded with history. The French embassy is directly across the street and if you go left a half a block you are on the begining of El Conde, some of the best shopping in the whole country.There's fine art ,jewelry, cigars and on to the typical souvenir stuff. I spent two hours shopping by myself the day we left and was never bothered by anyone. Knowing a little Spanish helps though ,because noone in the shops or restaurants knows English, although all the menus in the restaurants were in both Spanish and English. Look at the menu before you sit down or you might have a problem.We were approached by a man in front of our hotel who offered to give us a tour of all the historical sights for US $20.00. Although he was not an official tour guide, we agreed , and it was well worth it .We had to pay a couple more dollars for admissions but if we had gone by ourselves we would have been clueless what we were looking at. Nelson was very informative and we thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent. The restaurants in this part of town are very good but not great. It's not San Francisco or even Cabo. That,s not the reason to visit. We greatly enjoyed cocktails at Art Cafe listening to Spanish Jazz or a couple of beers at El conde restaurant in front of Parque Colon watching all the international visitors and locals alike. The Sofitel hotel is a fabulous choice in a very charming and historical city.One last note. We were able to watch the NFL playoff games from our room. We are big Bear fans, so that was a concern.If you don't mind the broadcast being in Spanish, I'm sure the Superbowl will be no problem.

I stayed in this hotel for three nights in July 2006. The hotel is really beautiful. It is located in the historic district and is within walking distance of all the main attractions in Santo Domingo. It was previously the Spanish governor's residence and has been sensitively and elegantly transformed into a hotel.

The rooms are simple and uncluttered (if you are looking for shag-pile carpet and velvet curtains this isn't a hotel for you) but it does have all the luxuries you would expect of a five star hotel.

After a tiring trip from Ireland, we were greeted by very pleasant and professional check in staff, offered a cold hand towel and a cool drink - a very nice touch.

An excellent breakfast was included in the room rate in one of the courtyards in the hotel. I found the staff to be helpful and courteous particularly Carmen, the concierge who helped with a problem unrelated to the hotel (our Thrifty hire car broke down and took 6 hours to get a replacement car. Needless to say, don't use Thrifty).

The pool area was clean and the pool itself was well maintained, and the bar staff tending the pool area were very attentive.

This is a nice, peaceful hotel which makes a very pleasant start to, or finish of a vacation in the Dominican Republic.