From the cool moist towel at check in to the turn down service with cookies, this is a place to be pampered with the tremendous plus of being in the very heart of the Zona Colonial. You do not even have to walk out the door to be immersed in history, but if you do, there are historic "firsts" in the Americas to your right, left and even at your feet (first paved street). Rooms were clean, quiet and comfortable with numerous amenities including soft robes, large towels and phones and light switches where they should be. Can't get away completely any more? Cable Internet in the room and Wi-Fi in the common areas. We were one of three couples and all had exactly the same experience right down to the wonderful complimentary breakfast buffet. and delightful al fresco lunch.

There is so much to do within a few hundred yards of the hotel that our two days and nights went by in a flash. The hotel is a block from Columbus Square, a great place to people watch and surrounded by nice shops with what looked to be local crafts, some high quality.

Actually booked a room at the Sofitel Frances but it was overbooked and I got moved to Nicolas de Ovando. I had no problem wih this as Nicols de Ovando is supposed to be the more upscale of the 2 and is only a few blocks away.

Staff was as friendly and helpful as could be though our room did have a mosquito problem and my wife and I suffered more than a few mosquito bites.

Outsid eof the mosquito issue, the hoel is beautiful and in a wonderful location in the colonial zone. We had breakfast on day and it was pretty good.

Overall, this hotel occupies the coolest building of all hotels in Santo Domingo. The Hilton ay be new and sleek but I doubtit can match the charm of Nicolas de Ovando

Beautiful hotel. We checked in late - - 11pm and had no problems whatsoever. The room was beautiful - - bed was comfortable, gorgeous marble bathroom, wonderful view from the window. The hotel grounds are stunning - - plants and paths and communal areas are kept beautifully. There is a reading area with books and lounging areas. The pool is fantastic. The restaurant is fine, although when we were there the exchange was bad so we were paying Los Angeles prices. The hotel is walking distance to the square and around the city. The hotel was not too crowded and not at all noisy.

My husband I just got back from a fabulous weekend at this hotel in Santo Domingo.Although the rate per night was US $139.00 , with taxes it came to $179.00, still a bargain.I speak very little Spanish and my husband none.Not a problem! The reception and concierge spoke English fluently and were very helpful with all our questions. Check in was very smooth and we were quickly escorted to our room.I took a lot of small bills for tips, and that really came in handy.You want to give them something for such gracious service. At first I thought our room smelled funny. but we did request a smoking room, and they had a lot of rain prior to our arrival. After a few hours of use, I never noticed it again.The rooms are very modern and kind of bare compared to what I,m used to.The mini bar and safe are behind the large closet doors .I really grew to appreciate how serene the lack of clutter can be. The bathroom had everything you could possibly want-bathrobes, Frech shampoo, conditioner ,lotion, even q-tips. There was a huge walk in shower and separate tub. It made me feel like a queen.We had doors that opened to a small balcony overlooking the river.There were traffic noises early in the evening, but they subsided by bedtime.The bed and pillows were the most comfortable and luxurious ever.Breakfast is included in the rate and it was quite good. I have to buy my husband a french press for making coffee.We loved the- knock your socks off-coffee in the morning.When we ventured out the front door on Calle las Damas, you are surrounded with history. The French embassy is directly across the street and if you go left a half a block you are on the begining of El Conde, some of the best shopping in the whole country.There's fine art ,jewelry, cigars and on to the typical souvenir stuff. I spent two hours shopping by myself the day we left and was never bothered by anyone. Knowing a little Spanish helps though ,because noone in the shops or restaurants knows English, although all the menus in the restaurants were in both Spanish and English. Look at the menu before you sit down or you might have a problem.We were approached by a man in front of our hotel who offered to give us a tour of all the historical sights for US $20.00. Although he was not an official tour guide, we agreed , and it was well worth it .We had to pay a couple more dollars for admissions but if we had gone by ourselves we would have been clueless what we were looking at. Nelson was very informative and we thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent. The restaurants in this part of town are very good but not great. It's not San Francisco or even Cabo. That,s not the reason to visit. We greatly enjoyed cocktails at Art Cafe listening to Spanish Jazz or a couple of beers at El conde restaurant in front of Parque Colon watching all the international visitors and locals alike. The Sofitel hotel is a fabulous choice in a very charming and historical city.One last note. We were able to watch the NFL playoff games from our room. We are big Bear fans, so that was a concern.If you don't mind the broadcast being in Spanish, I'm sure the Superbowl will be no problem.