I have stayed at the Duke 6 times, yes the hotel is dated, its not a prefabricated super hotel, it has been built with sweat by the owners and staff, so reviews should reflect that family hotels are not going to be hilton style. the rooms are comfortable but best to take a suite, only a few dollars extra but worth it. they have balconys overlooking the steet. the TV could be updated but why travel to watch TV when you have a rich culture of people and country to explore. bringing back a guest is no problem, ID is taken and a small nominal charge, the security call your room when they leave to check all is in order before giving the ID back.
there are a few local restaurants very close by serving hot or cold tasty local or international dishes. the clubs and bars are in walking distance. once in the bars you are targeted by the rent boys/girls. most are straight trying to earn money for their family,s so they willpromise more than they are willing to provide. just be respectfull if not intersted and they will leave you alone. the hotel has a tourist shop, good trips to explore, i love Boca Chica beach, so beautifull and relaxing. i last went in november 06 and am returning in febuary for carnival this year (07). the hotel staff remember you and welcome you, a taxi will collect you from the airport and the airport is all refurbished.
this is a great country , just go with an open mind, relax and enjoy.

Good points:
Excellent location, many restaurants close by, convenience stores, bank, street flower seller around the corner can make nice bouquets at reasonable price - splurge on personalizing your room, get your hair done close by - prices are great.
Front desk staff is polite, helpful.
Gay friendly, not exclusively gay. English spoken well.
Miguel cabdriver across the street or in front of the hotel
was honest, kind, helpful. Speaks Italian too, as he lived in Italy.
Security is good - visitors are allowed, but must show ID and sign in. No hassles as in 5 star hotels closeby where guests are not allowed.
Rooms are clean, nothing fancy. Hot water ample.
Price is reasonable and emails are responded to promptly - reservation was in order upon arrival.
There's a lot more to do in Santo Domingo than one reads about.
Male escorts I saw were clean, friendly, honest, and reasonable; sometimes the poverty might tempt them to take a belonging, so keep valuables locked or hidden.

Room for improvement:
Some rooms air conditioners are weak.

stayed there for a few nights.... lets just say that if i ever have to visit the terrible country again, id find somewhere else to stay... the neighborhood is really crappy and the nice streets are 10 minute taxi ride away.. .the casinos are close indeed but are crappy.. wouldnt waste any time goin there if youre used to vegas/atlnatic city like casinos.. or indian reservations for that matter....

the room was decent.. had a/c working properly but loud.. the bed was ok comfy.... thats about it... wireless internet DID NOT WORK until the late hours of about 2 a.m.. until 7... then it was super slow the rest of the day.

staff doesnt speak english that well.. except for that one pretty black girl with the green eyes... a cutie.

theres a trave agency in the tiny hotel.. so that helps for those who need to book a flight fast... cant think of anything else positive about the hotel.

i paid 45 per night.. not again though!
id stay again for about 30.. thats all its worth if you ask me.

All three trips to SD I stayed here and couldn't imagine staying anywhere else. They offer personal taxi service with a trusted driver who also makes an excellent tour guide, pointing out the sights along the way and making recommendations as to places to go. The hotel is very convenient to everywhere you would want to be. The security is excellent and the staff is very helpful. This isn't a new hotel, and can appear a bit rustic, but the staff goes out of their way to assure that every guest is satisfied. I'll be back.