Albachiara Hotel Residence

The vibe at Albachiara Hotel is lively, yet relatively calm and relaxed. From the rooms to the common areas, the decor is clean, bright, and slightly upmarket with simple white furniture topped with gray cushions, tribal art, and stone floors in the lobby. Palm trees and ferns add green to the outdoor grounds. Rooms are housed in three-story buildings with green shutters that are clustered around the pool. Without a full-service, on-site restaurant or proper bar, the pool becomes the hotel’s sole social hub which winds down quickly after dark. While a beach across the street fills this gap, guests will need to look elsewhere for anything resembling resort activities, like spa treatments, watersport excursions, or additional nightlife.

Albachiara Hotel is situated on a bustling, well-traveled road that runs along the Atlantic Ocean through Las Terrenas. Numerous restaurants, bars, and hotels line the street immediately adjacent to, and within walking distance of, the hotel. The downtown core of Las Terrenas and several other beaches are less than 10 minutes away on foot.

Samana El Catey International is 35 minutes away by car or taxi. The hotel can coordinate private shuttle service to and from the airport, which is often a better option as rates are typically determined on a per-vehicle basis. Taxi service is also readily available between the hotel and airport, however, rates can be quite high. Tourists should be cautious of private cab drivers, particularly at the airports, and always agree on a fixed fare in advance.

For travelers landing in Santo Domingo’s Las Americas International Airport, renting a car is likely the best option to make the two-hour drive to Albachiara Hotel. The connecting tourist highway is clean and modern with numerous gas and service stations along the way. However, note that tolls must be paid in pesos and the total cost will run in excess of $50 round trip.

Room decor is basic with pine furniture and beige walls, floors, and countertops throughout. Small splashes of Caribbean and Latin American color creep in through patterned pillows and original artwork. The look and feel is clean and vibrant though ultimately mid-range and uninspiring. However, a long list of in-room amenities make the Hotel Albachiara a bargain, particularly compared to similar area hotels.

All room categories offer spacious, apartment-style floor plans with full kitchens (including glassware, cookware, basic utensils, and small appliances) and private outdoor terraces or balconies. The 60 square meter, entry-level One-Bedroom is the only single guest room on the property and provides plenty of space. The square footage increases quickly from there, with every other room category offering two or three bedrooms that sleep four to six people. Larger A, B, and C layout apartments provide between 100 and 152 square meters, some with a split-level design for increased privacy.

The bathrooms in all room categories are clean and above average size for a hotel of this category. The overall decor of inexpensive pine and beige surfaces is carried through to the bathrooms creating a plain, uninspired look and feel. All bathrooms provide bidets, hairdryers, and stand-up shower stalls.

In addition, each room offers free Wi-Fi, multiple ceiling fans, air-conditioning, and bottled spring water -- the latter is particularly nice in the Dominican Republic where tap water is not potable.

The hotel advertises ocean views in some rooms pending availability. This is technically true, however, the surrounding landscape and location across the street from the water mean such views from every room are obstructed and quite limited.

Relative to other hotels in the area, Albachiara Hotel offers a comparably short list of public features and amenities.

Although not exclusive to the hotel, the nearby beach across the street offers tables and lounge chairs for guests. The public road dividing the beach and hotel is well-trafficked and the steady stream of motorbikes and trucks may prove too loud and distracting for some guests.

The hotel is centered around a large, clean pool that serves as the sole hub of social activity throughout the day. There are ample chairs and loungers even when the property is at capacity. Unfortunately, there is no on-site restaurant, proper bar, or live music so guests will need to look elsewhere for any semblance of nightlife. A bar counter adjacent to the lobby serves beer, wine, and basic liquor.

A tiny, upstairs breakfast nook above the lobby serves a free continental breakfast buffet with hot and cold items, including coffee, yogurt, cereal, eggs, and fresh fruit. A hot station provides additional made-to-order items like pancakes and waffles. While the interior seats only a dozen guests, the outdoor, wraparound balcony is sizable and offers relatively good views of the ocean.

The property does offer additional nice-to-have amenities, including free Wi-Fi property-wide, free self-parking in a private lot, and self-service laundry.