First, we stayed in this hotel based on some obviously fake reviews here in trip advisor.
In our case, the experience is real: three young students trying to find a relaxing vacation in beautiful surroundings. The hotel's proximity to the secret paradise of Playa Rincon was beautiful, and the garden was Ok, but the rest was subpar if not awful.
Smelly refers to the mattress. I spent a lot of extra cash ($210/night for 3, no food) to try this hotel because I hoped there would be no tropical mold odor in the room. On the phone, I was assured the room was odor free. In reality, I couldn't have found a more unhealthy asthma trigger if I tried. We stayed in a first floor room with a view of a bush.

Compared with any other hotel in the DR, the food was skimpy and not varied. You have one choice of sugar-diluted juice in the morning with two or three items you can find in any US diner. Breakfast was the best meal, because anyone not of retirement age wll need at least two of the $22 dinners to get their minimum calorie requirement. Forget lunch. We were so happy to find the Club Bonito restaurant we almost cried for joy.

The view from the entry door was nice but there is really no beach, just a few feet of sand and no snorkeling areas near the property. (You can go to other nearby areas of course, but a review had stated that it was on the premise.)

Considering the price/value ratio this is a hotel to avoid at all costs if you want to eat and enjoy the country. If you bring your own entertainment (ie couples) and some snacks, and don't mind overpricing you can get by but I believe there are many better options.

Lastly, I wholeheartedly believe that many posted reviews are false to draw customers. I may even have contributed to this fact by noting at the hotel that I relied on this site for info. If you want the truth, I'm being nice with 2 stars

My Wife and I just got back from a honeymoon in Galeras we stayed at Villa Serena. We both agreed it was the best vacation we ever had. If you like to sit back and enjoy life on a slow pace with no noise this is the place for you. if you like to sleep to wave crashing on a beach this is for you. if you want beautiful scenery, romance, candle lit dinner and good food this is the place. If you are a party animal, you got the wrong place!
The first day we arrived at the Hotel we found a heart shape in our room made with rose petals and a nice bottle of wine waiting for us. This welcome set the mood for the rest of the vacation. The room was always clean. I don't know how many times a day they come in and fix the bed and leave us some ice and water. The Service at the restaurant was awesome to say the least. These ladies aim to please. The gentlemen at the gate are very polite. We spent 10 days at Serena when it was time to leave I told my wife that I was not quite ready. We are looking forward to another vacation in villa Serena.

Greetings from the Laguerres
Groton, Connecticut

We had a great stay in March 2005. Our room was clean and bright with a balcony (like all rooms) that overlooked the grounds and the ocean. The grounds have a variety of flowing plants and palm trees that cast shade over the chaise lounges provided for sunbathing and relaxing. The medium sized pool provides a great view out to the bay in Las Galeras. There's a small beach with turquoise water among a rocky coast line and a sandy swimming area. The bay is sheltered by a reef and a small island a couple of hundred yards off shore. We swam to the island, but you can also use the hotel's kayaks. The restaurant was nice and served three meals daily with a menu that changed from day to day. Though we didn't do it, another guest had a special fish dish prepared so the kitchen will work with you if you've got something special you want.

The tranquility of the place is really special. I can't remember being at a more relaxing hotel and Las Galeras is a great place to unwind. The staff was very helpful. They'll serve your favorite drinks to you pool side or by the beach, and the office staff will arrange trips for you. We had a boat pick us up at the hotel to take us to Playa Rincon, an unspoiled beach near by that is a pristine 4km strech of sand with no buildings except a couple of informal restaurants at each end. That alone is worth the trip to Las Galeras. The staff also arranged a cab and our flight back to Santo Domingo for us. When an impromptu local strike blocked the road to one airport -- and knowing that the alternate route would not get us there in time -- the cabbie and hotel staff arranged for a charter flight for us from another, non-commercial airport. We arrived in Santo Domingo on time with a very pleasant flight that gave us great views of Las Haitses from above. The staff took care of us even after we deparated. Without them, we would have been stuck, but their exceptional service saved our day.

I highly recommend Villa Serena. If you want peace and relaxation, there is no better spot.

We visited Villa Serena in January 2004: it is a dream! A very peaceful, quit and most beautiful small hotel at "the end of the world" [not even a bank!], with palm-trees and gras(!) close to the ocean; with big rooms all facing the ocean; with a big beautiful garden around a small pool. The rooms are very clean, all of them have fan and most of them have air-conditioning. The staff at the reception is very helpful in everything you need, specially Verena. Breakfast is o.k., specially the choice of fruit, however, we did not like lunch and dinner so much - but there are alternatives in the village.