Hotel El Reloj

The renovations started at 8 a.m. and made it impossible to sleep properly. They didn’t warn us, just left us to deal with it. They know no one would book if they mentioned the early work, so it feels misleading to customers. The restroom is cramped, and the place was hard to find. It also took them a very long time to answer the phone. Staff weren’t helpful, only saying “good morning,” “good night,” and “sorry.” Just terrible. I’ll never come back.

The staff were friendly and courteous, and the air conditioning and wifi worked fine. Rooms are small, but if you only need somewhere to sleep, it does the job. It’s a simple, clean hotel at a decent price, in a really good location near the central park and sea. Just be aware they don’t take credit cards.

The roof lounge is excellent, and the evening bar comes with exceptional views of the city and Atlantic Ocean. This is a quiet, clean, very secure place, around 7 minutes’ walk from San Felipe and 3 from the “Málecon” coast road. Rooms have good air-conditioning, WiFi, and walk-in shower bathrooms. You can walk to everything, including the Serena supermarket and the cafés and restaurants on the Málecon and in San Felipe. There’s parking if you’ve rented a car, just ask reception. It’s called a 2-star budget hotel, but it’s better than that. I’d recommend it as a good budget option.

The location was the main reason we chose it, close to everything in the touristy area, and it was cheap, so we didn’t expect much. It turned out better than expected, though still not great. They don’t take cards, which seems common in Puerto Plata. The room was small, but the bathroom was great. In the morning we saw mysterious spots on sheets that weren’t clean at all, and the bed was uncomfortable. The location worked for us, but I wouldn’t stay again. Cleanliness matters.