We just returned from Samana and our stay at the Aligio Beach Hotel. We would have loved more reviews of this hotel before we left but we are going to fix that for future visitors.

HOTEL - Lots of different languages spoken. Spanish is the first language, then German, Italian & French; English is rare. The staff is friendly and does try hard. The food was excellent; lots of variety every day and no we never got sick. They keep a carafe in your room and there is bottled water at the bar and restaurant. They serve everything buffet style so you will be helping yourself. We never had to line up for meals and didn't need a reservation. They don't serve wine with meals but it can be purchased. The grounds are beautiful and there are two pools, one is near the bar and the other is at the back and it is so quiet we fell asleep a few times. The rooms are average but they have lots of screened windows with louvers so they can be left open and the breeze blows through the room or use the air conditioner (which turns itself off in the night???) or ceiling fan. There is a safe in the room but you have to rent a lock (75 pesos) a day from reception. Every room gets a patio to relax on with chairs. If you want lots of peace and quiet, stay at the back of the hotel. The main transportation in the DR is motorcyles so they can be heard in our room near the front. There is an entertainment board near the restaurant entrance with the hotel's scheduled activities but they never happened and no one shows up, so you will have to entertain yourselves.

The hotel was going through some problems with the sports/beach equipment. It took a few days to get it sorted out. Great Job Robert from Nolitours!! The hotel is in an area with other hotels on either side. To get to the beach you have to cross a road with traffic. There are beach chairs and kayaks at the beach. The beach goes on for miles and is public so we could take long walks everyday. You can sit on the beach and watch the busy activity of the town; there is lots going on. There will be a few entrepeneurs selling crafts, T-shirts, massages, hair braiding on the beach but they aren't aggressive. There are taxis nearby for tours or a ride into town at night (strongly recommended). DON'T WALK at NIGHT, there has been some crime. Better to be safe than sorry and the taxi with take a car load for $10. If you do take a stroll along the beach don't wear jewellery, visible cameras, etc. there have been a few incidents of theft, but other than that the local people wave and say hello.

NEARBY - To get to town, go out of the hotel and make a left and it is right there. A tiny place, orginally a fishing village so there are still fishing boats on the shore. The main road branches in to two different roads. The left will take you past shops selling souvenirs, a mini market (great for rum, cinnamon, chocolate, coffee buyers), painting sellers, two banks (32pesos to $1 USD), a bakery, etc. The right road takes you past other hotels, restaurants and fishing boats. Wonderful walk. Everything closes at 1pm and reopens at 4pm. It's a siesta thing and everyone seems to take advantage of it. At 4pm everyone reappears and they have a cappaccino at the outdoor bar.

TOURS - We took 2 tours (booked through the hotel), a safari adventure, which was lots of fun. A great way to see the beautiful countryside, go for a swim, have a lunch served to you and play in a waterfall. Take some school supplies and candy to give to the children who come out to wave at the jeep. Please don't throw it at them (as some people did), hand them their gifts and get a smile and a gracias. In the DR, children have to pay for their own uniform and school supplies. The second trip was the Whale Watching, an expensive tour to see a few minutes of a whale. Decide for yourself if it is worth it.

RECOMMENDATION - This is a 3 star hotel for people who want lots of peace and quiet. There is little in the way of intertainment at night. Great for someone who wants to eat well, read a pile of books, get lots of sun and relax. We loved the European feel of the place and the unspoiled town. Learn a little Spanish, it helps.

AIRPORT - New, clean, uncrowded and air conditioned. Once through security there is a snack bar and a duty free shop. It is a 1hour + ride to the hotel.