Charming small hotel in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: the best alternative accommodation in Santo Domingo. Good choice for businessmen and for who want to avoid the larger overcrowded hotels of the Dominican Republic. http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/hotels/Dominican_Republic/atabeyrahotel/hotel/905/22/ en-us Copyright 1998 e-TravelMedia.com/CaribbeanMag.com Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:46:49 EST The Atabeyra Hotel offers the combination of all typical hotel facilities and, at the same time, gives you the pleasant sensation of feeling at home. What is more, it has to be said that Atabeyra Hotel is also chosen by those tourists who are not only looking for wonderful but often isolated beaches, but want to live as well the nightlife of a bursting city like Santo Domingo, which offers a rich variety of restaurants, discos and casinos. Our clientele is international but we also host local guests who, for any reason, especially during the week-ends, need to stay in the capital for a few days. The hotel name derives from one of the many Tainian words that have remained in the Spanish lexicon and means "water's queen". The definition that fits better to depict our hotel is certainly a "charming small hotel", which probably renders the idea of the familiar atmosphere which can be perceived here. This was exactly the management goal when they started restoring this villa of the beginning of XIXth century. The entrance walls are made of white stone of sea type, the same used for the buildings of the XVI century, like the Casa de Colon, the Iglesia de Santa Barbara, etc., or more modern structure like Altos de Chavon, a village in the nearby of La Romana. The reception and the lobby are finely decorated with wrought iron accessories and with sculptures and paintings realised by various artists, among whom it is worth mentioning the Italian painter Antonio Zago (who took care of the architecture and decoration in general), the artist Jean Philippe Moiseau, of Haitian origins and two Cuban painters, Gilfredo Torres and Josè Fuster. The famous Italian taste, mixed to the tropical influences, can be fully appreciated in what is, probably, the most relaxing part of Atabeyra Hotel: the garden. A swimming pool, surrounded by tropical vegetation, lies near the breakfast area which is protected by a palm roof. Rooms are very confortable and spacious and the overall sensation is very relaxing. The Atabeyra Hotel is situeted in Calle Santiago, in one of the more central and quiet zones Santo Domingo, the university area, next the to the Palacio de las Bellas Artes in Avenida Maximo Gomez. Thanks to its central location, Atabeyra Hotel allows to reach the most pretigious casinos, best discos, night clubs, and restaurants of the capital. In twenty minutes you can reach "Las Americas" international airport ; in half an hour Boca Chica beach, and in forty minutes Juan Dolio beach. AMENITIES: 16 rooms (of which 3 are suites) with private bathroom, air conditioning, TV cable, telephone, safety box. -garden with swimming pool -bar service -computer service and internet-point. -laundry service -languages spoken: Italian, English, Spanish. ACTIVITIES: Duty-free at Centro de los Héroes, La Atarazana, departure lounge at airport; all purchases must be in US dollars. The Mercado Modelo, on Avenida Mella esquina Santomé, includes gift shops and is the best place in the city for handicrafts; you must bargain to get a good price. Guides appointed to assist tourists in fact get a 5-10 percent commission from the vendor. Calle El Conde, now reserved to pedestrians, is the oldest shopping sector in Santo Domingo; Avenida Mella at Duarte is a good spot for discount shopping and local colour. A flea market, Mercado de las Pulgas, operates on Sunday in the Centro de los Héroes and at the Mercado de Oportunidades, 27 de Febrero. In contrast are the modern complexes at Plaza Naco and the new US style Unicentro shopping mall at the corner of Av 27 de Febrero and Av Abraham Lincoln; also Plaza Caribe, at 27 de Febrero y Leopoldo Navarro, the new Multicentro Churchill on Av Winston Churchill esq Gustavo Mejía Ricart (with La Sirena, the supermarket Pola and other shops) and up to 10 other Plazas Comerciales offering a variety of shops, food halls, banks and offices. The native amber is sold throughout the country. Do not buy amber on the street, it will as likely as not be plastic. Real amber fluoresces under ultra violet light, it floats in saltwater; if rubbed it produces static electricity; except for the very best pieces it is not absolutely pure, streaks, bits of dirt, etc., are common. Larimar, a sea-blue stone, and red and black coral are also available (remember that coral is protected). Other items which make good souvenirs are leather goods, basketware, weavings and onyx jewellery. The ceramic muñeca sin rostro (faceless doll) has become a sort of symbol of the Dominican Republic, at least, as something to take home. There are excellent cigars and very good rum at very reasonable prices. Golf is one of the Dominican Republic's top attractions, and is well known among the golf tourism. What makes golf so popular is the combination of outstanding year round summer and the varied terrain. Caribbean weather allows to play even during rainy days, when brief showers are shortly replaced by a blue shiny sky. Course architects have incorporated hills and coastline into the design in order to double the challenge of the golfers. CAYACOA COUNTRY CLUB: km. 20 Duarte Highway YEAR OPENED: 1989 DESIGN CONSULTANT: Pete Dye and Jack Corrie GOLF DIRECTOR: Jack Corrie COURSE DESCRIPTION: widely spread over hilly terrain with exuberant vegetation reflected in small lake throughout. PLAYING HOURS: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. LEAST TRAFFIC: mornings NUMBER OF HOLES: 18 MOST CHALLENGE HOLE: No. 3 LENGTH OF COURSE: 6,800 yards COURSE PAR: 72 ISABEL VILLAS COUNTRY CLUB: Avenida Belice, Urb. Isabel Villas, Cuesta Hermosa III, Arroyo Hondo YEAR OPENED: 1997 DESIGN CONSULTANT: Riccardo Orellana GOLF DIRECTOR: Glenna Edhart COURSE DESCRIPTION: 9 holes par three with illumination for night play. PLAYING HOURS: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. LEAST TRAFFIC: mornings NUMBER OF HOLES: 9 MOST CHALLENGE HOLE: No. 4 LENGTH OF COURSE: 1,047 yards COURSE PAR: 27 SANTO DOMINGO COUNTRY CLUB: Calle Isabel Aguiar YEAR OPENED: 1920 DESIGN CONSULTANT: Robert Trent Jones GOLF DIRECTOR: Andrès Malenciano COURSE DESCRIPTION: sloping hills and scenic views, PLAYING HOURS: 6.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. LEAST TRAFFIC: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings NUMBER OF HOLES: 18 MOST CHALLENGE HOLE: No. 14 LENGTH OF COURSE: 6,273 yards COURSE PAR: 36 DINING/RESTARUANTS: Local dishes include sancocho or salcocho prieto (a type of stew made of six local meats and vegetables, often including plátanos, ñame and yautia), mondongo (a tripe stew), mofongo, ground plátano with garlic and chicharrón de cerdo (pork crackling), usually served with a soup, a side dish of meat and avocado (very filling), chicharrón de pollo is small pieces of chicken prepared with lime and oregano, locrio de cerdo or pollo (meat and rice), cocido (a soup of chickpeas, meat and vegetables), asopao de pollo or de camarones, chivo (goat). Also try pipián, goats' offal served as a stew. Fish and seafood are good; lobster can be found for as little as US$12. Fish cooked with coconut (eg pescado con coco) is popular around Samaná. The salads are often good; another good side dish is tostones (fried and flattened plátanos), fritos verdes are the same thing. Plátano mashed with oil is called mangú, often served with rice and beans. Sweet bananas are often called guineo. Moro is rice and lentils. Gandules are pigeon peas, very good when cooked with coconut. Quipes (made of flour and meat) and pastelitos (fried dough with meat or cheese inside) can be bought from street vendors; can be risky. Casabe is a cassava bread, flat and round, best toasted. Catibias are cassava flour fritters with meat. The most common dish is called bandera dominicana, white rice, beans, meat/chicken, plátano or yuca and, in season, avocado. The traveler should be warned that Dominican food is rather on the greasy side; most of the dishes are fried. Local food can often be obtained from private houses, which act as comedores. Basic prices, US$ 3-6. Juices, or jugos, are good; orange is usually called china, papaya is lechosa, passion fruit is chinola. Agua de coco is coconut milk, often served cold, straight from the coconut, chilled in an ice box. Local beers are Presidente (the most popular, not more than six percent), Quisqueya and Heineken. There are many rums (the most popular brands are Barceló, Brugal, Bermúdez, Macorix and Carta Vieja). Light rum (blanco) is the driest and has the highest proof, usually mixed with fruit juice or other soft drink (refresco). Amber (amarillo) is aged at least a year in an oak barrel and has a lower proof and more flavour, while dark rum (añejo) is aged for several years and is smooth enough, like a brandy, to be drunk neat or with ice and lime. Brugal allows visitors to tour its factory in Puerto Plata, on Avenida Luis Genebra, just before the entrance to the town, and offers free daiquiris. In a discothèque, un servicio is a 1/3 litre bottle of rum with a bucket of ice and refrescos. In rural areas this costs US$3-4, but in cities rises to US$15. Imported drinks are very expensive. Many of the main bars have a ‘Happy Hour' from 1700-1900, on a ‘two for one' basis, that is two drinks for the price of one with free snacks. Type: Hotel No. of Rooms: 16 Beach Location: Off Beach (Urban Setting) http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/hotels/Dominican_Republic/atabeyrahotel/hotel/905/22/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:46:49 EST