Review: Villa Serena | Dominican Republic
The trouble with booking trips on a whim is that you don’t have time to thoroughly research your destination. When I arrived in the Dominican Republic, I had only five days planned out in Santo Domingo and from there — the world was my oyster.
I knew I would need to see the beach at some point and the most famous beach destination in the DR is of course, Punta Cana. However, after talking to a few people that knew the island well, I was convinced to check out Samana Province instead. Specifically, Las Galeras which is on a peninsula up north. To get there, I took an air conditioned Caribe Tours bus and it took about three and a half hours.
No filter on this image of Villa Serena
I booked Villa Serena in a haste. It had good reviews and was decently priced, though those that frequented the area recommended some cheaper options. Overall, I had a great stay and I would recommend this place in general, but it might not be for everyone. I’ll explain why…
I have to say that the hotel manager, Marina, was a life saver. I don’t speak any Spanish and finding my way to Samana by bus was a struggle. I was exhausted and stressed, and honestly a bit scared as I never quite knew if I was going to make it. I emailed the hotel in advance to ask how I would get from Samana to Las Galeras as it was a ways away. I received a prompt reply and a WhatsApp number which ended up connecting me to Marina. It’s my fault I don’t speak Spanish but nonetheless, navigating the DR alone was hard so realizing Marina spoke English and could help me get to the hotel just lifted so much stress off of me. There were two options to get to the hotel: 1) A guagua for 100 pesos or 2) a taxi for $30USD. Since I saved on the bus to Samana, I splurged on a taxi. The driver met me at my bus with my name on a sign and I was off to Villa Serena!
Breakfast with a view — not the best food but love the atmosphere
The ride took a little over 30 minutes but it was so beautiful. Coconuts and water and street vendors… The roads were mostly paved but there were some deep gutters which we had to slowly roll over. The hotel is right on the water just a bit away from the “town” and down a few backroads. I was a little nervous but as soon as I walked up to the hotel my jaw dropped. Through the doors you could see into the lobby and then right into the blue water. The grounds were well kept, reminding me of a hotel I had loved in Bali, and there was a small blue lagoon that was private for any guests that wanted a quick dip.
The staff continued to help me and I made my way up to my room. The decor was quaint, reminding me of a country cottage. I had a balcony that looked onto the grounds and the ocean and I often sat on the chair outside. For the price, this hotel offered a view that was well worth it.
Though the views were beautiful, some of the hotel technology was a bit faulty and requires some patience. For me, I was mostly okay with things like turning on the water heater 15 minutes before a shower (some places I’ve been to simply don’t have hot water) but I actually work from abroad and the internet was not strong enough to handle the massive files I needed to work with. It also wasn’t strong enough for Netflix womp womp.
Adorable room at Villa Serena
I took it as a blessing in disguise as it gave me a chance to be offline though if I were to visit again while on a deadline, I probably wouldn’t stay here simply due to the internet. Everyone else in the hotel seemed super happy since they were with their families or significant others and definitely on vacation. The hotel restaurant was decent, though I would probably skip the creme brulee, and the drinks are served all daylong. I spent the next few days sipping fresh passion fruit juice from the hotel restaurant and getting massages on the beach (Maria gives a good massage!) and even went to the beach.
View from the balcony
There are many beaches around the hotel but the one I decided to go to was just about a 12 minute walk on down a back road and over a wall. You can get a key for the beach from the front desk but they never seemed to have one so I chose to climb. If exiting the hotel,simply turn right and follow the path, open the gate (or climb the wall on the side without the barbed wire) and keep walking down the hill until you see the blue through the trees. This beach was simply stunning and it was convenient so I went from sipping drinks at the hotel to moseying down to the beach —lather, rinse, repeat.
Garlic Shrimp and many drinks — decent!
One thing is that the back roads aren’t lit so I did have a few nervous moments walking at night but the upside is that there were more stars in the sky that I have seen in a while and they were oh so bright. If you know how to drive moto, rent one in town and use it to get around so you don’t have to walk in the pitch black (as I did, alone).
The hotel offers everything you need to have a great time, though it is all offered for a price. There is, however, yoga and zumba for people looking to make their time at Villa Serena a wellness retreat. There’s also events (such as dance lessons) which can be fun and it really makes it seem like a SUUUUPER upscale hostel in terms of bringing people together.
View from the “spa” where you can get your massage — not for the shy!
As I mentioned before, I would definitely go back and recommend this hotel to anyone looking to get away from it all and if you’re willing to pay a tad more than market price. However, if you’re still on the clock like I was, I would maybe find a hotel with better wifi.
TOTAL COST: $477.90 USD for three nights (food and drink not included)
Near Calle Jimi Hendrix
Las Galeras
Samana Provice
