We recently returned from our stay in the DR. At the Hotel Europa, we were not given the room we have paid for in advance (a junior suite). We questioned this as the form we received and showed them distinctly stated a Junior suite. We were given the "run around" for two days. The manager was never in or available, even though we went back to the hotel several times during the day in order to contact her. Our room (which was very dark and small) was never changed and no attempt was made whatsoever to correct the situation. We also found the breakfast to be less than satisfactory--the eggs the first morning were just a mushy mess and the pancakes the second morning were burned to a crisp. I would not recommend this hotel because of their unwillingness to correct errors on their part.

I've been in this hotel twice the same year. While the balcony rooms could be a bit small and noise, the back rooms (no window) are large and very comfortable. The rooms have simple but nice decorations, they are very clean, and overall quite nice. We had problems with the safe in a few rooms and had to change rooms several times until we found one with a working safe. But that's all we can complain about this hotel. Breakfast is included in the price (not a great breakfast, but....) We chose this hotel because most hotels on this price range in Santo Domingo either don't have good A/C or don't have parking, and we wanted both. Parking was not a problem; there are a few parking spaces reserved for the hotel right in front of the main door. At night, the hotel has an agreement with Banco Reserva to park there. This old building has been renovated and A/C is central; not like in other hotels we were with old window style A/C terrible noise (we actually moved to this hotel from another $10 cheaper but absolutely terrible). The location is fantastic (there is a lot to do in ciudad colonial).

One traveler commented on being asked for a copy of his passport, an addition $10 for his girlfriend, and for the ID of her girlfriend. While the traveler claims to have been living in the DR for three years, I submit that this person doesn't actually stay in hotels very often there. I've been traveling in Latin America for many years, stayed at very expensive five-star hotels, and they have always asked for a copy of my passport as well as for an open credit card voucher (examples, Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, etc.) This is not unusual at all. Hotels do it to be able to contact your Embassy in case of emergency as well as to protect themselves from non-paying customers. I now live in the DR and this is a quite common practice in this country too. The more expensive the hotel, the more likely you are to have to provide a copy of your passport as well as a copy of the ID of any guests that you bring in. There are many men travelers who come to the DR, hire prostitutes, bring them back to their hotel, and are robbed while sleeping. To protect their guests, hotels ask for IDs. This is common practice. Those hotels who don't, are not really taking good care of their guests. And obviously, they can't discriminate on the look of the woman who their guests bring in; thus, IDs are required from everyone. On the $10 additional, yes, I'm surprised as most hotels do charge on double occupancy, but it is quite common that they charge $10 for any additional guests (over 2) in a room.

We had a lovely room with a balcony that overlooked the San Franciscan ruins. Very clean and comfortable. The staff was very friendly, but weirdly would not suggest a "regular" place to eat...only the ridiculously overpriced tourist spots. We tried in several ways, like "where doYOU like to eat?" or "we want to eat somewhere cheap and authentic, where local people like to eat" but still only got recommendations for italian restaurants and tapas restaurants that quite frankly charge more than I would pay in the US. We perceived this as a potential directive to only suggest the very "best" and most safely touristy places.

The daily breakfast was a bit of a disappointment, with only fruit, bread and coffee. We were able to order eggs, but had to pay extra. No beans or rice, but we were told that the restaurant had recently been bought and would reopen under new management at a later date.

Overall, this location was very central and the staff kind. I would stay there again, and recommend to friends.

As a person living in the DR for nearly thee years, I have had a lot of experiences in hotels of all shapes and sizes, but have never been angered more than my recent stay in this hotel.
After paying cash, 78US, for my room for the night, and allowing a copy of my passport to be made, I went out to pick up my fiance of three years. After dinner we returned to the hotel, where we were informed that in order for her to enter my pricey room, a copy of her cedula would be neccesary, along with an additionalo ten dollars. Having no where else to go, i paid. But how insulting to my wallet and my Dominican better half.
In the morning they returned her cedula, and as I checked out was told that they would keep the copy of my passport for their archives. Only after some very tough talk was this copy returned to me. What nerve. I will never, ever stay here again, and I would urge any other visitor to utilize another hotel in this area, either the Conde across for the church and park, or the Hotel Holdelphi.