Hotel Playita

We fell for the Dominican Republic, especially Las Galeras. The hosts were great, the food was good, and you can walk to two beaches. It's been over a year since our stay, and we're ready to get back as soon as we can.

The place is filthy and seems to have been left to fall apart. It's even for sale, in case some crazy guy happens by. You can't see a sign from the street. Parking is tiny, with cars lined up one behind another, so people have to move their vehicles for others to get out. At 8:30 pm, people were asleep and our car was blocking them, so we walked to get breakfast. The same hassle affected going for dinner or driving to the beach. The pool was dirty, with electrical light wires floating in the water and dead roaches in it. The chaise longues were dirty and their fabric was torn. It's small, which could normally mean warmer water, but they apparently can't even clean a pool that's 6 or 8 meters long. It's around 1.70 meters deep and has no child-friendly exit, just a very rusty metal ladder. Our room didn't smell or have obvious stains, but underneath the bed was scary enough to make you think there was a monster. The shower was rusty, and the handmade setup used the cheapest materials. Hot water worked, and our air conditioning worked too, though only half the rooms have AC. You couldn't really direct the water where you wanted. The TV showed a blue line on a black screen for hours, unless that's your thing. The fridge had more mold than French blue cheese, and its broken trays had been patched with the kind of tape kids use at school. When we asked the only woman working there if there was a clean fridge for our food, she pointed us to the one in our room. I said I'd rather leave the food out, where bacteria might grow less, and she agreed to put it in her fridge. I didn't see her fridge, and she never offered to clean ours. There was a two-meter mirror leaning against the wall with just two little bits of paper underneath it. Don't get too close or bring a child near it, unless you want it to fall on someone unlucky enough to touch it. The employee was the worst part. She greeted me by asking if I had a reservation. I said yes, and she told me she couldn't check because there was no computer. I asked about checking on her phone, but was told I'd have to wait for the owner, who never came. In the morning we asked how much breakfast cost, since Expedia said it was available for an extra charge. She said she wouldn't bother making any because she was alone and it would take too long. We apologized and walked out because of the parking issue. We've slept in filthy hotels around the world, so that part alone might have been a shrug. The problem is that this place charges $60-70. Worst hotel we've had in the country, and we travel around the DR all the time.

The rooms were clean and airy, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The pool and patio are excellent, with a great location between Playa Grande and La Playita. I'd happily stay again.

Love it!!!! A chilled-out place by the ocean with a pool, one street from the heart of Las Galeras, and a great deal $$$ if that's what you're after.