DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2007 - Part II

Hello again!!
So, next on the review list are a couple of hotels we stayed in the cities of Santiago and Bonao.  Both of these cities are nested within the mountain ranges of the center of the island. 

Hotel: Aquarius Bonao
Length of stay: 2 nights
Rating: **

This one was the least favorite of all the hotels we stayed in.  Its located in the center of Bonao, which is a very small town.  We really weren't expecting much at all.  When we first arrived, the elevator was broken so they  brought up our luggage using the service elevator and we had to go up the stairs.  This was ok since it was only 3 floors.  They advertised a pool, but it was very very small.  The rooms were a decent size, but we didn't feel like it was very clean.  The best part of this hotel was the breakfast. 

Hotel: Hodelpa Gran Almirante, Santiago
Length of stay: 1 night
Rating: ***

We absolutely loved this hotel! and the city as well.  Santiago is referred to as the 2nd capital of Dominican Republic.  It's almost like getting the best of both worlds.  The bustling of the big city mixed in with the relaxed feeling of a small town.  When we first arrived, we were greeted with champagne and cool towel in the

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2007

So, back in 2007, we decided to take a trip back to Dominican Republic! It was what I would call a very 'local' trip.  I'm actually from the island, lived there for about 11 years. It's hard for me to go back as just a tourist but we managed to squeeze in a resort towards the end.  Anyway, we stayed all over the island and saw lots of interesting things while visiting family and such.  Living out of a suitcase is not fun! I figured I'd review all of the places we stayed in as some people like to do a little exploring when visiting a foreign country and it may be of some use. I'll break it up into 2 parts for easier reading.  Overall, we stayed for about 10 days and rented an SUV when we arrived at the airport in Santo Domingo.  Now, unless you're a risk taker or have driven there before, I would not recommend it! To me, its pretty scary or maybe I'm just a 'scaredy cat.'  The traffic in Santo Domingo is insane, but once you get out to some of the other cities its a difference of night and day sometimes.  I will begin with Santo Domingo, then Bonao and finally Santiago.  These are 3 very different cities when it comes to the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Hilton Santo Domingo
Lenght of stay: 1 night
Rating:  ***
We really enjoyed our stay here! It's a fairly new hotel in the Malecon zone of the capital.  Even though, the Malecon is not what it used to be, you can still enjoy a really nice view of the Caribbean from your room.   Like I mentioned, the hotel is new so all of the rooms look very clean and no smell of mold or dampness.  We had dinner at the restaurant, which was