Santo Domingo

La Casana Dorada is also in a good location but I don't know what is going on at that hotel. There is a small amount of construction going on now. It would be nice if they would reopen the bar and get new management. A few years ago La Casana Dorada was nice but for some reason the hotel made a turn for the worse.[/QUOTE]Yes, In my opinion, the La Casona Dorada is the best hotel for the money in all of Gascue. It is in the best location, the staff is very nice, always cold AC and hot water, clean rooms, and the colmado is right aross the street. Computers in the lobby and up stairs, free wi-fi in the rooms. Only thing is the rooms do not have a safe, but they have lock boxes in the lobby. Rooms go for around $50 per night and you can bring in the girls three at a time (as I sometimes do). And yes there is some construction going on, but they are making it nicer everytime I go. Most of the work is being done downstairs where the club used to be.

No safes in all the rooms and the metal bars outside the windows/balconies that are old, thin and easily broken, allowing thieves to easily enter a monger's room and steal everything. No cameras outside and no watchieman (security guard) outside patrolling near the street, at night.

Good location.

How much could it cost to install safes in all the rooms?

If a monger travels with anything of value, digital camera, laptop, ipod etc., that monger is taking a chance if he stays at la casona dorada, that his stuff will not be there, when he returns to his room.

If a monger travels only with clothes and nothing of great importance or value, then la casona dorada could be a good choice. Using the hotels lock box located in the office of the hotel is an option. I generally prefer to have my passport, money and credit cards close to me, locked in a safe in my room, where I can have access to them, whenever I want. Having a passport, credit cards or cash locked in a safe in the office of a hotel, could be a problem, maybe the manager on duty late at night doesn't have access to that safe. If numerous people have access to that safe, could be a problem if something goes missing, determening who may have absconded with items of value.

Be aware of the large rats that hang out under the parked cars in the small parking lot of la casona dorada. The restaurant on the second floor at that hotel, a little dirty. The section of the hotel to the left when you enter, has very narrow hallways.

If La Casona Dorada spent some money, it could be a good hotel. Replace the metal bars on the outside of the windows and balconies. Install safes in every room. Install outside lighting for all parts of the exterior of the hotel.

I would like to see La Casona Dorada Hotel do well. In a country with many thieves, a hotel has to do something to protect their guests from getting robbed. At the very least, having in room safes in every room is the minimum. Think about it, labor is cheap in DR, an in room safe maybe costs a few hundred dollars, if a medium sized hotel in a popular neighborhood in a big city can't afford a few hundred dollars, that is a major red flag.

[QUOTE=Joe Roma]Yes, In my opinion, the La Casona Dorada is the best hotel for the money in all of Gascue. It is in the best location, the staff is very nice, always cold AC and hot water, clean rooms, and the colmado is right aross the street. Computers in the lobby and up stairs, free wi-fi in the rooms. Only thing is the rooms do not have a safe, but they have lock boxes in the lobby. Rooms go for around $50 per night and you can bring in the girls three at a time (as I sometimes do). And yes there is some construction going on, but they are making it nicer everytime I go. Most of the work is being done downstairs where the club used to be.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Joe Roma]La Casana Dorada is also in a good location but I don't know what is going on at that hotel. There is a small amount of construction going on now. It would be nice if they would reopen the bar and get new management. A few years ago La Casana Dorada was nice but for some reason the hotel made a turn for the worse.[/QUOTE]Yes, In my opinion, the La Casona Dorada is the best hotel for the money in all of Gascue. It is in the best location, the staff is very nice, always cold AC and hot water, clean rooms, and the colmado is right aross the street.computers in the lobby and up stairs, free wi-fi in the rooms. Only thing is the rooms do not have a safe, but they have lock boxes in the lobby. Rooms go for around $50 per night and you can bring in the girls three at a time (as I sometimes do). And yes there is some construction going on, but they are making it nicer everytime I go. Most of the work is being done downstairs where the club used to be.[/QUOTE]The Casaona Dorada (Big Golden House) is on one of the noisiest and busiest streets in the city (be very careful crossing because very few drivers will be careful to avoid you). The construction project is creating retail space on the lower floor. The hotel is a magnet for street hookers and touts (both of which use the grossly overpriced colmado west of the hotel as a sort of green room or employee's lounge). I mention these things to inform rather than criticize. My advice about valuables is you should be aware that burglaries are not unusual. I would be surprised if a search of this forum's history didn't produce a hit for several at this and other hotels. So, you should keep your valuable with you or hide them very very well at all times. The downside to a what some describe as a "good location" is your comings and goings are obvious to the ne'er do wells who are drawn to places like Casaona Dorada the way flies are drawn to shit. You have been informed.

[QUOTE=Knowledge]......... The construction project is creating retail space on the lower floor. The hotel is a magnet for street hookers and touts (both of which use the grossly overpriced colmado west of the hotel as a sort of green room or employee's lounge). I mention these things to inform rather than criticize............[/QUOTE]
So Casana Dorada will not have the bar anymore? I remember a short while back they were trying to have entertainment there but I don't think it went over well. I stayed there twice a few years ago and it was OK. Some of the rooms were so tiny you could lay in bed and touch all four walls. Maybe after the renovations they will get their shit back together cause I really like the location.

The colmado may be grossly overpriced as you put it but if you just buying Presidentes and Brugal it doesn't matter. I paid 55 pesos for a small Presidente last trip which is pretty much standard price. The colmado is a good spot to just sit and wait for the chicas to come and go. The guys who work at the colmado are a decent bunch of guys so I have no problem with the place.

I once asked a SDQ Dominicana about prices. She told me that being a Gringo, I would pay three times the normal price, when buying stuff in Colmados.

55 pesos for a large presidentes seems about right.

La Despensa is a supermarket one block up from Ave. Independencia and one block west from Ave. Pasteur. Nice thing about shopping in the Supermarket is that the prices are all visible, no mystery gringo tax as may happen in a colmado.

[QUOTE=Bq Ribs]So Casana Dorada will not have the bar anymore? I remember a short while back they were trying to have entertainment there but I don't think it went over well. I stayed there twice a few years ago and it was OK. Some of the rooms were so tiny you could lay in bed and touch all four walls. Maybe after the renovations they will get their shit back together cause I really like the location.

The colmado may be grossly overpriced as you put it but if you just buying Presidentes and Brugal it doesn't matter. I paid 55 pesos for a small Presidente last trip which is pretty much standard price. The colmado is a good spot to just sit and wait for the chicas to come and go. The guys who work at the colmado are a decent bunch of guys so I have no problem with the place.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Knowledge]The Casaona Dorada (Big Golden House) is on one of the noisiest and busiest streets in the city (be very careful crossing because very few drivers will be careful to avoid you). The construction project is creating retail space on the lower floor. The hotel is a magnet for street hookers and touts (both of which use the grossly overpriced colmado west of the hotel as a sort of green room or employee's lounge). I mention these things to inform rather than criticize. My advice about valuables is you should be aware that burglaries are not unusual. I would be surprised if a search of this forum's history didn't produce a hit for several at this and other hotels. So, you should keep your valuable with you or hide them very very well at all times. The downside to a what some describe as a "good location" is your comings and goings are obvious to the ne'er do wells who are drawn to places like Casaona Dorada the way flies are drawn to shit. You have been informed.[/QUOTE]Good Post, you know Santo Domingo. As you have said in the past, even in room safes are not 100% secure. Best not to travel with very expensive items when going to the DR.

[QUOTE=Jaosousa].....Nice thing about shopping in the Supermarket is that the prices are all visible, no mystery gringo tax as may happen in a colmado.[/QUOTE]
When I want to stock the frig and cabinets there are three places I will go. The first, and easiest, is La Cadena on Cervantes. One block up from Independencia where the purple PLD building is. It is a very small supermarket but pretty well stocked. This place is good to walk to.

Second spot you need to take a publico on Avenida Bolivar to Maximo Gomez. On Gomez is a medium sized Supermercado Nacional. This store is a decent size with a little better variety than La Cadena. Once finished shopping walk a couple of blocks to Avenida Independencia and take a publico back to your hotel.

Third place, but you need a car, is Supermercado Nacional on Avenida Lincoln at 27 de Febrero. This supermarket is huge and has everything you could ever need. They also have a very nice hot buffet food section where you can eat on premises. This by far is my favorite. Another good thing about this market is you can stop by GBP on the way back to your hotel. Provided you didn't buy any frozen goods.

La Cadena is the name of the small Super Market on Cervantes Street up the block from Independencia, I said La Despensa, my bad.

The Super Mercado Nacional on Lincoln and ave 27 de febrero is a very nice large super market. I saw the hot buffet section near the cash registers, food smelled good.

When it is really hot and you buy an ice cream cone to eat outside, you have eat it fast, it will melt rapidly.

Super Markets in DR sell beer, wine, rum and other bottles of alcohol.

[QUOTE=Bq Ribs]When I want to stock the frig and cabinets there are three places I will go. The first, and easiest, is La Cadena on Cervantes. One block up from Independencia where the purple PLD building is. It is a very small supermarket but pretty well stocked. This place is good to walk to.

Second spot you need to take a publico on Avenida Bolivar to Maximo Gomez. On Gomez is a medium sized Supermercado Nacional. This store is a decent size with a little better variety than La Cadena. Once finished shopping walk a couple of blocks to Avenida Independencia and take a publico back to your hotel.

Third place, but you need a car, is Supermercado Nacional on Avenida Lincoln at 27 de Febrero. This supermarket is huge and has everything you could ever need. They also have a very nice hot buffet food section where you can eat on premises. This by far is my favorite. Another good thing about this market is you can stop by GBP on the way back to your hotel. Provided you didn't buy any frozen goods.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Bq Ribs]When I want to stock the frig and cabinets there are three places I will go. The first, and easiest, is La Cadena on Cervantes. [/QUOTE]

The first thing I do after check in is going to La Cadena. I buy some munchies and items that stock the minibar. A small 12 0z. Presidente can cost from 100 (Riazor) to near 200 pesos (Jaragua) on minibars, I usually buy a six pack and substitute minibar beer with Supermarket beer which cost approx 40 pesos per unit, a savings of 60 pesos. At check out there is no minibar charges. I also hide items hard to substitute as for example the liquor mini bottles, chicas love to drink them.

[QUOTE=BoricuaOnline]The first thing I do after check in is going to La Cadena. I buy some munchies and items that stock the minibar. A small 12 0z. Presidente can cost from 100 (Riazor) to near 200 pesos (Jaragua) on minibars, I usually buy a six pack and substitute minibar beer with Supermarket beer which cost approx 40 pesos per unit, a savings of 60 pesos. At check out there is no minibar charges. I also hide items hard to substitute as for example the liquor mini bottles, chicas love to drink them.[/QUOTE]
You are a very smart man. Them chicas will hit the frig and open shit before you can blink your eye. A minibar charge can send you straight to the poor house. I don't remember the hotel but the minibar charge for a 8 pesos bottle of water was 100 pesos.

[QUOTE=Jaosousa].....The Super Mercado Nacional on Lincoln and ave 27 de febrero is a very nice large super market. I saw the hot buffet section near the cash registers, food smelled good........

Super Markets in DR sell beer, wine, rum and other bottles of alcohol.[/QUOTE]
Next time you are in there give the food buffet a try. The food is pretty good. When I see a bunch of locals lined up for food I take it for granted it must be good.

They also have a good booze section. There is a good selection of red wines which can be hard to find in the DR.

Good pastry shop and deli, I am telling you that supermarket got everything.

Red wine can get me whacked (especially at a good all inclusive hotel in DR, where it is all you can drink). Chilean reds are good and are available in DR, Casillero del diablo, Frontera.

The guy I was sharing the apartment with ordered booze from some liquor store in Gazcue. On the receipt among the items, one 1000ml bottle of Baileys for something like 750 pesos. I looked at the bottle he received and it was a 750ml bottle. I told him that I bought a 750ml bottle of Baileys at La Cadena Super Market (calle cervantes one block up from Independencia) for around 480 pesos.

When I went to the Super Mercado Nacional on Lincoln and ave 27 de Febrero, I parked my car on the street using one of the perpendicular parking spots they have there. Does that Super Market have underground parking and would the entrance for that parking garage be on Lincoln?

Thanks

[QUOTE=Bq Ribs]Next time you are in there give the food buffet a try. The food is pretty good. When I see a bunch of locals lined up for food I take it for granted it must be good.

They also have a good booze section. There is a good selection of red wines which can be hard to find in the DR.

Good pastry shop and deli, I am telling you that supermarket got everything.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=BoricuaOnline]The first thing I do after check in is going to La Cadena. I buy some munchies and items that stock the minibar. A small 12 0z. Presidente can cost from 100 (Riazor) to near 200 pesos (Jaragua) on minibars, I usually buy a six pack and substitute minibar beer with Supermarket beer which cost approx 40 pesos per unit, a savings of 60 pesos. At check out there is no minibar charges. I also hide items hard to substitute as for example the liquor mini bottles, chicas love to drink them.[/QUOTE]Excellent idea. My last trip a chica helped herself to a very small can of Pringles potato chips, from the mini bar, price was around 7 dollars. I just about never use any mini bar items, guests who come to my room often will ask for something from the mini bar. Following your advice, will save a guy some money.

[QUOTE=Jaosousa]......When I went to the Super Mercado Nacional on Lincoln and ave 27 de Febrero, I parked my car on the street using one of the perpendicular parking spots they have there. Does that Super Market have underground parking and would the entrance for that parking garage be on Lincoln?

Thanks[/QUOTE]
I usually park in the same area where you did. I know as you come up Lincoln there is an entrance to a parking area but don't know if it is underground or not.

Recently Pacos (Grands) opened a liquor store with a wine selection a few stores to the right of Pacos. I have never been inside buy maybe you might want to check it out next time you are in town. The liquor store is across from the park.

The hotel is a magnet for street hookers and touts (both of which use the grossly overpriced colmado west of the hotel as a sort of green room or employee's lounge). I mention these things to inform rather than criticize. My advice about valuables is you should be aware that burglaries are not unusual. I would be surprised if a search of this forum's history didn't produce a hit for several at this and other hotels. So, you should keep your valuable with you or hide them very very well at all times. The downside to a what some describe as a "good location" is your comings and goings are obvious to the ne'er do wells who are drawn to places like Casaona Dorada the way flies are drawn to shit. You have been informed.

You just stated all the reasons why I stay at La Casona Dorada every trip for the last 3 years. I like hanging at that colmado where the beer is priced just about the same as everywhere else in that area. I like being in the middle of hookers and touts. I like being able to walk the street girls right across the street to my hotel and give them a clean dress to wear. I like when the shoe shine boys come running when they see me because they know they are going to get a new pair of sandals, a clean t-shirt and a baseball cap. I am good to the people that are drawn to the Casona Dorada because they are good to me.

As for the safety of the hotel, yes of course they should have safes. I have stayed there about 8 or 9 times now and have never had any type of problem. The rooms are always clean and I have never seen and bugs or rats. I do not bring anything of value with me because crime can happen anywhere in the DR.

And by the way, some of the street girls that use the colmado as a green room are some of the very best lays I have ever had in my life. I am just a fly and I can't wait to get back in the shit. "Long live girls that fuck for money".