Tropical Casa Laguna

This was the worst of the five complexes I've stayed in around Cabarete. I rented a condo through a local realtor, and the shower smelled so bad when I first turned it on that I gagged. The unit seemed to have been empty for a long time; I had to run the water for 20 minutes and pour bleach down the drain to clear the stagnant smell. I also had two items stolen from my scooter while it was parked there. There are cameras in the lot, but the space where I left it was out of view. Who knew that? Maybe staff? Electricity is charged separately, which is fine, but I wasn't told that my meter was shared with the neighboring place. I tried to conserve power and still had to cover half of a neighbor's usage while they ran the air conditioning around the clock. They also charged more per watt than the electric company charges them. When I asked why, I was told the extra money helps pay for the property's generator. That only came up after I received the bill, not when I booked.

I had a restful stay. The rooms were cleaned very well, and nights were quiet. The hotel is conveniently close to both the sea and restaurants. I also really enjoyed the bar service, the bartenders always brought drinks at just the right time. If you're after a peaceful vacation in Dominican, this is definitely a place to consider.

The staff were polite, attentive, and knew their stuff. Jose at the pool even made great drinks for our group after curfew. The gate security was friendly too, and helped us all feel safe and comfortable. We booked through a polite German person on Airbnb who was very responsive. We'll definitely return, and won't bother looking for somewhere else to stay.

The service was great from check-in at reception through housekeeping and cocktails at the bar. A guard is on duty all night, and there are two parking lots with plenty of room to maneuver a big car. The ocean is just across the road, about 50 meters away, with restaurants, supermarkets, and souvenir shops all within walking distance. My friends and I really liked this place and will definitely come back. I recommend it to everyone.