SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- If vanity isn't enough to
inspire your clients to exercise while traveling, perhaps a great
ocean view will be.
That's one of the selling points of the V Centenario
InterContinental here in the capital of the Dominican Republic.
The business-oriented property is in the midst of a $5 million
upgrade that will introduce a rooftop gym and spa and a renovated
rooftop pool -- as well as updated guest rooms -- all with a view
of the main waterfront thoroughfare, the Malecon.
All renovations and upgrades will be completed by August of next
year, according to Exmin Carvajal, the hotel's director of
marketing and sales.
"We are working on every part of the hotel," Carvajal said,
adding that the renovations won't inconvenience guests because
they're being done in stages.
The exterior of the hotel already has been repainted, and
refurbishment of the lobby, the hotel's 15 meetings rooms (which
accommodate up to 1,200) and other public areas and the
construction of the spa were completed in August.
The pool, which already enjoys a view of the sea, was slated to
receive the necessary overhaul by mid-September.
The first renovated guest rooms will be ready in November, with
the remainder to be finished by next August.
"We've already gotten very positive reactions from our guests,"
Carvajal said.
By November, the hotel also will inaugurate an executive club on
the 14th floor, which will feature a lounge with a private check-in
area that serves complimentary breakfast and cocktails.
Guests who are part of Inter-Continental Hotels' priority club
already have a separate check-in on the ground level.
Business travelers also will be able to use the services of a
renovated business center. Eighty percent of the hotel's visitors
are corporate travelers, Carvajal said. Overall, 65% of its
visitors are from the U.S.
The V Centenario -- pronounced "Quinto Centenario" -- was named
for the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in
the Americas. Opened in 1989, the hotel has been managed by
InterContinental since 1992.
Room key: V Centenario Inter-Continental
Address: Avenida George Washington 218, PO Box
2890, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Phone: (809) 221-0000
Fax: (809) 221-2020
Reservations: (800) 327-0200, general; (800)
214-1024, direct travel agent line
E-mail: [email protected] Web:www.santo-domingo.intercontinental.comGeneral Manager: Zuonko Siroki
Rates: From $85, double occupancy in standard room
on weekends and $115, weekdays.
Commission: 10%
Location: On the Malecon, Santo Domingo's
waterfront boulevard
Built: Opened in 1989
Review: Pronounced the "Quinto Centenario", the
hotel offers wonderful waterfront views from every room, attentive
service, complimentary English-language International Herald
Tribune newspaper, 24-hour room service. A bit of worn decor, but
the ongoing renovation this year should bring that up to speed. The
hotel's lack of gym and spa will also be resolved by renovations.