Hodelpa Nicolas de Ovando

I wouldn't usually call such a revered and elegant building as this - the home of the first mayor of the first colonial city in the Western Hemisphere, Santo Domingo, homey but it actually was! We spent the first two nights and last two nights of our recent trip to the Dominican Republic here and would do so again in a heartbeat. Our room was in the ancient part of the hotel, where the Colonial Rooms are located. We loved our rooms, we loved the arched galleries, the cool of the smooth old floor tiles and masonry walls, brick ceilings with massive beams. The galleries overlook lush gardens with many places to perch and stone steps and walkways to explore. The bar looks out on the pool area from which patio you can wend your way through palm trees to the restaurant. Or you can approach the restaurant via the galleries - good for a rainy day. You will see from my photos how meticulous and thoughtful the historic rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of this property is. Not only did we enjoy the beauty of our surroundings, we were most comfortable there. The staff was very gracious and accommodating, notable given the fact that neither of us can speak much Spanish! The restaurant provided delicious and interesting meals in lovely surroundings and the breakfast was a large buffet with everything you might want, including Dominican specialties. It was wonderfully quiet in the historic wing with the colonial rooms. Twice the restaurant had a function going on, but you could hear nothing in our wing with its gardens; and when there was no function, the entire property was quiet and peaceful. You will have already noticed how reasonable the prices are. You should also know that the hotel is in a perfect spot within the old city. A perfect home base for exploring.

I have never written a review like this before, but parents deserve to know what happened to my family at this hotel. The room was constantly wet, muggy, and humid, no matter how cold we set the A/C. Our clothes felt damp, the air felt heavy, and it was obvious that moisture and insects were coming through the ventilation system. This unsafe environment attracted mosquitos and other bugs. While sleeping in this room, our 10-month-old baby was bitten multiple times. We woke up to see his body covered in bites on his face, arm, and hands. We were terrified. We had to rush our infant to emergency pediatric care, where the doctor told us the bites were likely from a spider or similar insect and prescribed anti-inflammatory and allergy medications. No parent should ever experience this, especially while staying at a hotel that claims to be safe and reputable. This was a completely preventable medical emergency caused by lack of proper fumigation, sanitation, and room maintenance. After returning to the hotel, the manager Ana Cepedes personally apologized and promised in front of multiple staff members that we would be refunded one night’s stay to our credit card. We trusted her. That trust was misplaced. After relocating to Hodelpa Santiago and staying there for over 10 days, we followed up repeatedly. Ms. Cepedes continued to assure us she was “working on the refund.” Despite numerous WhatsApp messages, the refund was never processed, and eventually she stopped responding altogether. This experience showed a complete lack of accountability, honesty, and care, especially after a child was harmed. The physical conditions were unsafe, and the management’s response afterward was deeply disappointing. Families deserve better. Based on what happened to us, I cannot recommend this hotel, especially to anyone traveling with children.

Beautiful historic hotel in a great location. Easy to walk to many good restaurants. We were there for 4 nights and had a lovely time. All of the hotel staff was very welcoming and accommodating. Felix was exceptionally helpful with arranging a driving tour to see Tres Ojos and several other nearby sites. The room was nice, clean and historic. Great safe location with plenty to do nearby.

Great experience! Excellent service From Ada! Breakfast was super!! I highly recommend the hotel for anything Dominican!

We enjoyed a very nice breakfast. The whole staff were terrific! Our server Evelyn was very prompt. The rooms at the hotel were very nice as well as the pool area. The front desk staff gave good advice and the gentleman bringing our suitcases up to our room knew a lot about the history of the hotel. I would 10/10 recommend a stay here.