Axiom2020 Posted January 28, 2016 Posted January 28, 2016 Before year's end I am seriously thinking about traveling to Santo Domingo for a few days. ...am aware of Adams Suite and Hotel Duque De Wellington as being two gay, gay-friendly hotels, but after reading the material/the reviews at www.TripAdvisor.com, I'm having second and third thoughts about staying at either place. I would like to stay in the Zona Colonial. Are there other hotels available which allow the guests to have company? I'd appreciate additional information, pro favor! (...am aware of and have read extensively the blog at www.monaga.net. Quote
Members SolaceSoul Posted January 28, 2016 Members Posted January 28, 2016 The Discovery Hotel, Mercure and Roma I and II all allow guests with ID. Mercure may charge a fee for guests (not sure, the policy changes every now and then) but last I checked it was $20 USD. One way to try to sidestep that charge is to book the room for 2 but that has had mixed results. The good thing about the Mercure is that hotel guests get the great free breakfast in the downstairs patio while everyone else pays, so it somewhat evens out. The Romas and Discovery are well-known in the straight sex tourism community as hotels that are friendly to male tourists there to pick up women discreetly, and gays that are discreet can easily use the place and check in their Dominican guests for a visit as long as they have their cedela (ID) which is left at the front desk and/or copied there. These three places are no frills and very simple but the Roma 1 and 2 do have rooms with kitchens available and every room has a TV and small refrigerator. I would describe all of these places as "friendly to single travelers" instead of "gay friendly", because some more culturally naive posters might get the wrong idea about the establishments or about the DR in general. All of these places are along the Conde, either the exception of Discovery which is one short corner off the Conde but adjacent from Grand's / Paco's, the 24-hour restaurant / pick-up spot. Axiom2020 1 Quote
Badboy81 Posted January 29, 2016 Posted January 29, 2016 Before year's end I am seriously thinking about traveling to Santo Domingo for a few days. ...am aware of Adams Suite and Hotel Duque De Wellington as being two gay, gay-friendly hotels, but after reading the material/the reviews at www.TripAdvisor.com, I'm having second and third thoughts about staying at either place. I would like to stay in the Zona Colonial. Are there other hotels available which allow the guests to have company? I'd appreciate additional information, pro favor! (...am aware of and have read extensively the blog at www.monaga.net. I strongly suggest Casa Conde Hotel Boutique.... Calle el Conde # 511 Santo Domingo Distrito Nacional 10210 Dominican Republic 1-866-599-6674 Excellent location, on the conde, the main strip in the tourist area....secure, they have a security door, the owner speaks excellent English from living in the states and you can have guests...I had a Dominican guest for my entire stay and was not charged extra It's newer as well, very nicely decorated and affordable....definitely check around for other hotels but this one as far as location and cleanliness can't be beat compared to some of the other hotels.... I was told to check out the Roma hotels and went to both of them and did not like either of them....to me, they were old and outdated and not kept up at all...A friend of mine told me that one location was robbed with the guests in the lobby as well as the hotel front desk robbed.... Axiom2020 1 Quote
Members SolaceSoul Posted January 29, 2016 Members Posted January 29, 2016 I strongly suggest Casa Conde Hotel Boutique.... Calle el Conde # 511 Santo Domingo Distrito Nacional 10210 Dominican Republic 1-866-599-6674 Excellent location, on the conde, the main strip in the tourist area....secure, they have a security door, the owner speaks excellent English from living in the states and you can have guests...I had a Dominican guest for my entire stay and was not charged extra It's newer as well, very nicely decorated and affordable....definitely check around for other hotels but this one as far as location and cleanliness can't be beat compared to some of the other hotels.... I was told to check out the Roma hotels and went to both of them and did not like either of them....to me, they were old and outdated and not kept up at all...A friend of mine told me that one location was robbed with the guests in the lobby as well as the hotel front desk robbed.... I haven't stayed at Casa Conde Hotel Boutique, but earlier this month, the management responded to a TripAdvisor customer complaint about their guest policy at the Trip Advisor website with this quote: " Visits. Even though you made a reservation for a room with capacity for 2 persons, if you do not register that person at the check in it is considered as a guest and we charge USD$5.00 per visit, as many other hotel of the area." So it seems if you have the same person as your extra guest and that name/ID is registered at the beginning of your stay, it is no cost. However, any other new guest would be $5 per visit. I don't think $5 per visit is unreasonable, but others might. The two Romas and the Discovery, I think, do not charge for guests, while the Mercure may charge $20 (but not per visit, I think that's per day). Quote
Members firecat691614502759 Posted January 29, 2016 Members Posted January 29, 2016 Anyone have photos of boys met in SD? Quote
Members msclelovr Posted January 29, 2016 Members Posted January 29, 2016 I've read the blog Ed/Axiom referred to in his original post. I'm interested as I may go on vacation to Punta Cana. I don't want to divert the thread but I wonder if visitors to the DR can expand on the safety/crime-related issues of the areas around these hotels (and restaurants) in Santo Domingo. Is it safe in daylight and after dark? I'm savvy and well-travelled but I would be alone so would I be at more risk of casual robbery? Quote
Members mvan1 Posted January 29, 2016 Members Posted January 29, 2016 I don't want to divert the thread but I wonder if visitors to the DR can expand on the safety/crime-related issues of the areas around these hotels (and restaurants) in Santo Domingo. Is it safe in daylight and after dark? I'm savvy and well-travelled but I would be alone so would I be at more risk of casual robbery? You are not diverting the thread by asking questions relative to safety and hotels recommended for stays. I have been to the DR only three times. The first time was with friends and the last two times I traveled alone. My last trip was this past October of 2015. While the DR is not as exciting as Brazil and the DM has no rent-boy saunas, the DR can be a lot of fun. The hustlers are in great abundance and are of all types and shapes. Most are quite charming because they want you to choose them over other hustlers in the area. I don't know the type of guy you desire. Most of the hustlers are Blacks and/or Mulatos. The hustlers are usually masculine but there are a few skinny feminine twink hustlers found among the guys offering their services. As to your question of safety, I never had a problem or even an issue of being concerned about safety. The hustlers are quite aware that many gay tourists come to the DM for tourism and to meet with hustlers. The hustlers do not want to scare away a source of income - (money made from hustling - selling sex to tourists). Therefore, there is an understanding that tourists located in the hustler area, be treated friendly and made to feel non threatened. Of course, there is the expected language issue but that is easily overcome by keeping the conversation brief and to the point with poignant expressions and questions. The hustlers know why you are there. You do not have to know Spanish fluently to communicate your interests. Just make sure that you have the hustler write down on a piece of paper, the amount of agreed fee he wants for his services. Although there are nicer hotels available, I recommend only one hotel because I like it and because it is owned by two gay guys who do not hassle guests when a visitor is brought back to the hotel. The hotel is not exclusively gay. There are even families with children in the hotel. The name of the hotel is Hotel Duque De Wellington. The hotel is clean and well run. The location of the hotel is great for meeting hustlers. It is not far from the Malecon where hustlers are in great abundance. Often you will find hustlers on the street near the hotel. If you are out late at night and/or are wandering around the Malecon alone, you could be inviting a robbery or worse. However, the hustler area is usually fairly busy with lots of hustlers and tourists and non gay tourists. I, personally, would not go the the hustler area late at night. As to restaurants, there are many in the area of the hotel. Depending on your food preference, you will find a restaurant to your liking. There is no danger around the restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel I recommended. Bottom line - don't be concerned about safety provided you use common sense, although common sense is not common, nowadays. - Quote
Members SolaceSoul Posted January 29, 2016 Members Posted January 29, 2016 I've read the blog Ed/Axiom referred to in his original post. I'm interested as I may go on vacation to Punta Cana. I don't want to divert the thread but I wonder if visitors to the DR can expand on the safety/crime-related issues of the areas around these hotels (and restaurants) in Santo Domingo. Is it safe in daylight and after dark? I'm savvy and well-travelled but I would be alone so would I be at more risk of casual robbery? If you're staying at s resort in Punta Cana or another resort town like Puerto Plata, you will be very safe. The down side is that no locals outside the resort will be allowed on the premises. Your best bet for messing around will be with a staffer -- which is possible, with complete discretion. I am sure there are local places to go outside the resorts in those towns, but I am not too knowledgeable about them. It end to avoid resort towns like the plague, because they aren't my speed. As for Santo Domingo, you are relatively safe at night along El Conde pedestrian walkway and less safe on the streets that intersect it and surround it. If you are traveling by yourself and don't "look the part", you're strongly advised to take taxis or drivers anywhere else. If you are staying at a hotel on the Malecon shoreline and traveling to a bar in Colonial Zone, that's a 15 minute walk that is not advised for the uninitiated, especially after dark. Quote
Members endlessdream Posted September 18, 2016 Members Posted September 18, 2016 Thx guys for the useful info. Any idea what's the guest policy in hotels like JW Marriott and Hilton? Quote
Members axiom2001 Posted September 22, 2016 Members Posted September 22, 2016 On 9/17/2016 at 8:02 PM, endlessdream said: Thx guys for the useful info. Any idea what's the guest policy in hotels like JW Marriott and Hilton? Read what's written at Anthony's blog http://www.monaga.net regarding the hotels in Santo Domingo. I do think that your query will be answered. Quote
