Hotel Rancho Don Cesar — Hotel in La Hispaniola

This hotel is hard to find. I'll make it easy. Maybe take a street map photo before arriving. Going south out of Barahona on the coastal road (the Malicon), you'll cross 3 long orange bridges (100 yards), so we'll use them to navigate. Two of the bridges are short in height, about 1 yard. We will call them SHORT-ht. One is about 10 yards tall, we'll call it TALL. You will cross in this order, SHORT-ht...TALL...SHORT-ht.||The hotel is 30 km from the last building in Barahona, an Isla Gas Station on the right (it will be obvious).||At 15 km...cross first SMALL-ht bridge, quickly there will be a FORK in road...veer right, slight uphill the rest of the way. ||20 km...cross TALL bridge. Turns will get a little tighter now.||26 km (I think)....road gradually straightens and widens.||29.7 km...last SMALL-ht bridge. ||30 km...on right is light-blue-n-white Police Station with many flags, turn right (before station), then IMMEDIATE right again, (now 1 minute to hotel) up dirt road through 2 gates and you're there.||No hot water first night, good after that. Low water pressure at times. Great service. Beautiful scenery. No TV. 2 Hammocks, pool, outdoor restaurant, great food!! Clean...spotless. Maid makes up bed differently every day. Firm mattress, I like soft, but slept well. You get a small balcony. Plan on paying 30% more than price you clicked for a hotel (taxes). ||I drove to Barahona from SD, over 200 km. You must pay liability coverage in addition to your rent-a-car rate. I recommend paying for the max auto insurance coverage. If there's one that says "You can drive off a cliff on purpose and not be charged a single peso", get it! When you get caught in traffic you'll feel like a mosquito at a vampire convention. Or worse, a vampire at a mosquito convention. Not only dead, but dying. On every street, motorcycles will pass on your left OR RIGHT!!!...yes, in either direction!!! Most roads are well paved. Some people will get frustrated with you if you don't run a red light when...

We stayed in this lovely spot just east of Paraiso in the DR for a few days during Semana Santa. Don Cesar and his family and staff are gracious and attentive hosts. This small (8 rooms) and secluded hotel is a few miles from the San Rafael Beach and 2 1/2 to 3 hours from Bahia de las Aguilas, which is definitely worth a day trip. My family had a large room in its own building with a front porch, equipped with comfortable rocking chairs--great for just sitting, rocking, reading and gazing on the tropical vegetation, avocado and other fruit trees. The beds were very comfortable and it was so quiet for a good night's sleep. (Don Cesar could add window screens and we would have dispensed with the AC at night). There is a nice, oval-shaped pool, an open-air restaurant, and several nice covered, open-air seating areas on the premises. Breakfast is provided--we had eggs, toast, fresh fruit and juice, and coffee. As an example of their gracious attentiveness, one morning I was sitting on our porch reading and a staff person came with a thermos full of coffee, which I hadn't even ordered, but very much appreciated! Don Cesar seems keen on continuous improvement and making sure his guests are happy and have what they want. I would...

I had the opportunity to spent 8 days in this wonderful beauty. My family and I stayed in the Bronze Room, which was very modern and had free wi-fi available with great signal strength. I was pleasantly surprised by the hospitality we received during our stay. It was nice to wake up to fresh coffee under the gazebo listening to the birds and watching the butterflies flying around the garden. It was my first time visiting the Dominican Republic, and I was blown away by the amazing landscape and gardens that went on and on. My family enjoyed the pool, which was pristine and cool with a continuous stream of fresh water. The meals were always fresh and delicious, with a variety of fruits each day. Our room had a balcony which offered a great view of the sun rising on the mountain. It was just a quick drive to the ocean nearby. The staff were always friendly and were quick to help if we had any needs. I hope to be back for another week in...