GuaiGüí Bayahibe Ecolodge — Hotel in La Hispaniola

This was literally the worst experience of any hotel/lodge in my life. I don't understand how it has so many good reviews. Let's start with the fact that there is no hot water, but there's a bathtub. Who takes a bath in cold water?? The room we were in had no walls and no door so there was no safe place to leave our belongings. The cold water stopped for hours so we couldn't wash our hands or flush the toilet. The bugs were so bad we were getting eaten alive so I had to buy Off spray in town which I normally never use and sleep with it on. The bug nets around our beds were FILLED with holes. The night was so cold and we only had a tiny thin throw blanket to keep warm. I shivered the entire night. On top of being cold there were dogs barking the entire night and when they stopped the roosters started. I told them the previous night I needed to check out early mostly because my daughter is allergic to the cold and she can't bathe in that water. I waited for a response to get my money back and leave but the owner was ignoring me. I finally made it VERY clear in the morning I needed to leave because of all the reasons above and they still refused to give me my money back. I left anyway because it was such a miserable experience. Please stay away. The owners are awful selfish people. The workers there were all very nice but the owners weren't on site. Also to mention, the way the joists were put together is extremely unsafe and wrong, any builder would be appalled to see it. It's only a matter of time before the place collapses.

Also the road leading to the place is terrible. It's in a very bad area. I felt unsafe leaving the car...

Tranquil little place in the middle of nowhere (but not too far from the beach). We enjoyed a fine Dominican-style breakfast and afternoon coffee in a beautiful and peaceful tropical garden setting. Our 4-year-old loved the plunge pool and made good use of the toys and games in the open-air pavilion. We were quite comfortable sleeping in our clean, thatched-roof hut with fans and mosquito netting (although I'd imagine it could get quite hot depending on the season).

GuaiGui is located in a modest settlement several miles from the town of Bayahibe and its public beach. People who are not used to rural Caribbean poverty (for lack of a better term) might be put off by the location -- to get there, you have to navigate a maze of bumpy dirt roads with an eye out for lethargic dogs and darting children. We were given no reason to believe there might be safety/security concerns, and the lodge has dedicated parking and is well secured. But other than a colmado and possibly a pizza restaurant (we saw signs but not the restaurant itself), there are no amenities in walking distance and you should expect to rely on your car for any outside needs.

Please note that the overall 5-star review recognizes the fact that GuaiGui faithfully reflects what it advertises itself as -- a simple and economical lodging option in a lovely...

Joel has done an astonishing job of building such an incredible oasis of peace. Each lodge has its own charm. The real highlight is the outdoor pool. The staff is great, Joel was attentive to all details and answered any questions we had to ensure we had the best stay in Bayahibe. If you can close your eyes and picture yourself in a hammock sipping a coconut that has been cut fresh from a tree, then this is the place for you. The place is very peaceful although you have to be aware that at night and early in the morning the dogs and roosters can get more active... It’s a 7 minutes drive to the town but if you don’t have a car you can easily get a mototaxi for around 3 dollars. Just be aware that in this neighborhood you don't easily find shops or restaurants so you need to go to Bayahibe. But the short ride is worth the while, and so it's this oasis of peace and nature. We’ll...