Ria Aparta Hotel

The staff make you feel at home and are extra friendly. Esther, the manager, went above and beyond expectations. Ría Hotel is an excellent place to stay, with apartment-like rooms that work well for any kind of trip.

A hidden gem for the price and location. You can walk to the water park, beaches, and restaurants. It also gives you a better chance to hang out with locals compared with staying at the resorts.

The staff made us feel welcome and looked after, and customer service was easily 5/5. They even took our dinner order in town and brought it to our room. Our room was clean and spacious, more like a studio, with two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, and living room. The pool and hot tub were delightful, with lights and music that made the place feel lively and fancy at once. There was AC too. The location was somewhat close to the beach, but it felt a little unsafe and the surroundings seemed rough. There was no coffee pot, and the shower head wasn’t very strong. The kitchen back door opened straight down to an unfinished construction area, so we were glad we found it before the kids did. We also had two little geckos come inside, but they weren’t too creepy. I was too tired to take pictures of the whole room. It would be okay for a one-night or one-day stay, but I wouldn’t spend more days there.

The two-bedroom apartment was spacious, clean, and nicely decorated, with modern rooms and a well-equipped kitchen. The AC kept the living room cool, and there’s a large pool, a bar, and plenty of parking. Elizabeth, the manager, was especially sweet and helpful. The hotel is close to Cofresi beach, Ocean World, and El Centro of Puerto Plata. For the price, I’d suggest including breakfast, which might bring in more guests. Also, the parking entrance is quite bumpy. I’d definitely stay again if breakfast were included.