My sister and I spent a week at this great hotel in December 2006. We got a very cheap rate booking through Expedia and, given that the hotel was never full, it is probably a waste of money to book through anything other than a clearinghouse. The room was very comfortable and clean, although housecleaning took its sweet time in cleaning (some days the maids were still in our room at 3PM!). The pool is very nice, with views of the sea and the bar area is a comfortable place to spend an evening if you don't want to go into town. The only problem is the surrounding area, as the casinos attract hustlers, drug dealers and prostitutes at night. Also, eating at the hotel is way too expensive - $25 for brunch compared to $5 a person for a hearty meal at the sandwich shop around the corner.
The pool area is great fun and you can enjoy the sun with a piña colada in a hollowed out pinapple ($7). The exercise room is also a great way to relax, as jogging in the very polluted and humid air is likely to cause more damage than good.
The Melia Santo Domingo Hotel & Casino is located at the malecon (the waterfront boulevard) in Santo Domingo and is absolute recommendable.
After been travelling around the Dominican Republic for nearly three weeks, we wanted a little luxury the last days before going back to Europe – and we were happy with The Melia Santo Domingo Hotel & Casino.
The room was large and clean, and the hotel had a fine pool area (with pool bar), fantastic breakfast buffet (included in the price for the room), fitness center, business center with internet access and a friendly and professional staff. Next to the hotel a casino is located, but we didn’t go.
Think the other guests were mostly businesspeople. Lots of suit and ties – not many in shorts and t-shirts…