We just got back yesterday from a great weekend at Las Terrenas. We chose Alisei thanks to Trip Advisor reviews and decided to write a review myself as appreciation.

We live in Santo Domingo and wanted to get away for the weekend. Las Terrenas itself was the perfect place and Alisei was the icing on the cake. We wish we could live there! It is true that people at the hotel are very helpful and friendly. We went with our puppy and it couldn't have been a more perfect place for her as well! There were other guests with dogs too, but if you are not a dog lover, don't worry, its not like there are dogs running around everywhere in the hotel. The hotel was full to capacity but at no time did it seem overcrowded at all!

I appreciate whoever recommended in their review the croissants at the hotel... they were delicious, and boy do I miss them! The staff at the hotel's restaurant are pleased to take your order anywhere in the hotel. We had breakfast at the tables they have right on the beach and that was certainly a delight!!

We are dying to go back and will definately stay at the Alisei again! The only turn off we might have had was the foul smell that came from the shower when turned on the first time, but after letting it run for a while it surely went away... so just a tip if it happens to future guests: leave the water running, there is no need to shower with stinky water!

We stayed two weeks in April 2008; this time of year is apparently off-season, so especially during the week there were few guests in the hotel. On the weekends the place filled with especially Dominicans. The guests were an international mix of French, Americans, Italians and Argentians.

We were travelling with two children aged 4 years and 11 months and enjoyed especially the space, the comfort, the location and the friendly people. The people at the reception speak Spanish, French, Italian, English and German, and they really try to read your wishes off your lips!

We stayed in the 1-bedroom appartment and found it perfectly adequate for a family with 2 small children - one kid on the couch and the baby in the provided cot. The appartement was very modern and clean, we had 2 TVs and borrowed a DVD player from the reception for the entire period. The best thing about the appartment was the terrasse, it's big and with a cosy lounge-couch - a wonderful place for a glas of wine. Even though we stayed in a groundfloor app we had a great view of the sea. While we were there, mosquito nets were installed - made the the evenings a lot more comfortable, when you can leave the doors open.

Ask for a discount if you stay longer - we got 20% off the listed price.

Although the poolarea does not have a separete kids' pool, our children had a great time. There are enough shallow places for smaller children to play. This might be different when the place is more crowded. We often shared the pool with only 2 or 3 other couples/families. We missed a little bit more shadowy spaces, the shadow-spending palmtrees are still too small.

The restaurant (Baraonda) has a lounge-like atmosphere and a varied menu. Admittedly we only ate there once, that is we had the food taken to our nice terrasse. The food was good, but we found other restaurants better.

We tried the spa a few times - the simple 4-hands massage was divine! Prices range about 50 US$.

As posted in other reviewers the beach is not hte greatest in front af Alisei. Coming out of Alisei, we walked left and found the beach by Colibri and beyond a lot better. It's just a short walk and there are a few beach-bars on the way.

Have to-do's in Alisei and around Las Terrenas:
- "Good Morning coffee" in the restaurant with delicius croissant
- Mix your Cocktail, there's a mixer in the kitchen and you get all kinds of fruits in town
- Buy camarones on the beach and prepare them your own way
- Walk on the beach to the Fisher's Village, La Terrasse was by far our favourite restaurant
- Take a quad and have lunch on the Playa Coson at Restaurant Luis, which is just a palapa with a big barbeque and great seafood. The view of the ocean is great!
- Playa Bonita with lunch in Acaya or Atlantis

When going to Las Terrenas the next time, we will definitely return to Alisei!

Getting to Las Terrenas from England, outside May-October when there are flights to El Catey, is pretty painful. We booked a charter flight direct to Puerto Plata with Thomas Cook Airlines (fast becoming the Ryanair of long haul). We'd originally booked with MyTravel but they were then bought out by Thomas Cook who slipped in one of their tatty jets for the outgoing flight. After a cramped 8-9 hour flight (even though we'd upgraded to Premier Class) we were faced with a 4 hour taxi ride to the hotel along one of the worst stretches of road in the civilised world. We arrived totally exhausted at around 9 pm, had a quick shower and an even quicker dinner at the hotel's Baraonda restaurant and then slept like logs until 6am (wide awake thanks to jet lag) the next day.
If our journey had been a nightmare then our apartment at the Alisei was the exact opposite. Set on the third floor, overlooking a stunnng bean-shaped pool, our apartment ticked every box you could think of. The bedroom was big and airy with acres of storage space, quiet and efficient a/c, satellite TV, free safe and a generously sized bed. The kitchen was also sized up and equipped to a good standard - including a vast fridge/freezer, water tower (constantly refilled) and TV. We cooked in-house lunches quite often, the most memorable being a lobster we bought (live) from a fishmonger who appeared daily just 50 yards away from the hotel entrance.
The highlight of the apartment was the terrace, the size of 4 snooker tables, furnished with table, chairs and a sofa and cooled by a ceiling fan. You won't find a better place to sip a sundowner.
Eating is probably what Las Terrenas was invented for. You can get breakfast, lunch or dinner at La Baraonda (think Italian with a dash of merengue). Or you could hang a right, stroll halfway to town and take your pick of a group of 10 or so restaurants, located by the sea and offering classy French, Spanish and Italian dishes (our recommendation would be La Terrasse with a couple of drinks in the Indiana Cafe beforehand).Carry on into town and you've a huge choice of bars and restaurants - our picks here would be the Paco Cabana Beach Club (dine on sand under palm trees) and El Mambo Social Club (the sexiest place on the Samana pennsula). But first pop into Bar July for an aperitif.
If there's one downside it's the beach outside the hotel - despite some quite nice sunbeds the whole area's scruffy and very un-Alisei. Management is on the case however and a total makeover is in the offing.
The thing that will stick most in our memories of the Alisei hotel will be the people who run it and the way that they run it. They all seem to be having such a great time - and they go out of their way to make sure you do too.

We've spent two wonderful vacations at Hotel Alisei, which is much more than just a beach front hotel. Its amenities, style, and high level of service (especially considering its low price!!) makes Alisei truly one-of-a-kind.

Its location in Las Terrenas is ideal-- it's close to the town's restaurants and nightlife, but is only steps from the ocean, and a few minutes' walk to one of the loveliest stretches of beach. Having explored the rest of the area, we found this beach to be our favorite, with lots of space to lay out and calm waters to swim.

The hotel itself is gorgeous, with a modern, bright style that sets it apart from the other hotels in the area. The pool area and grounds are impeccably maintained. Palm trees and lush tropical flowers give the impression of seclusion. We stayed in a two-bedroom/ two-bath apartment with two floors, a cute kitchen, and a very large terrace.

As other reviewers have mentioned, the staff is incredibly friendly and provide fantastic, individualized service.

We will definitely return!