The cleaning lady and the waitress were very good. WiFi in your room very good. but that was it.
The room: the TV was broken. The shower did not drain properly (very disgusting)
The Hotel: the front desk person and the security guard were asleep on the couch and chair by 1am. it felt awkward waking them up every time i needed to go out and come back in. and it took a lot to wake them up. once i was tapping and yelling for 5 minutes.
and this is why i will never go back!!! when i was checking out they used the oppurtunity to try and claim i owed them more money. first they claimed it was for a 5th day then they said i was charged the wrong rate. I'm trying to leave to catch my flight and they hold me up for 20 minutes in an attempt to rip me off. finally a lady comes out of the back and says there was no problem that their computer was wrong. no apology!
And that story about the computer being wrong was BS!! 2 days earlier i asked how much did i owe because i ordered some room service previously and i wanted to pay up. at that time the computer was correct! do not do business with people who will try and rip you off

I stayed in Maison Gautreaux for one night. The staff and the owner went out of their ways to make my stay comfortable. The included breakfast was very good too. The only problem I had was the door kept banging loudly till late and night and started early in the morning. I told the owner and he said he will fix that. Great place to stay if you are on a budget and want to stay in a very safe, clean and friendly place.

Shortly:
1. We are backpacking pair travelling on our own, age about 50 each (100 together (!)), Denmark.
2. Spent 3 nights in the hotel 22-25 of October 2008.
3. Staff friendly and nice, smiling, and trying be helpful.
4. Room clean, some details broken (windows closing, bathroom equipment, etc.)
5. Great location, Colonial Zone starts about 10 minutes walk from the hotel, the sea visible from the top terrace.
6. Fast check-in and check-out.
7. Relatively expensive breakfast and acceptable price for dinner or drinks.
8. Staff acting in Latin American way - they promissed get to work top situated 'public' Jacuzzi but it never happened during our stay. They are also lovely hopeless if asking for small room improvement as missing toilet paper - of course, finally we have got it from main reception man (probably secondary director).

Summary - strongly recommended however some cheaper options available if you f.e. ask about a room in tourist information in Santo Domingo - then unregister room costs 8 USD per night (we could not be so lucky booking from Europe).
Our payment was 10USD for booking, 2 USD internet transaction and 120 USD with check-out for 3 nights - gives about 44 USD per night, tax including.

I am writing this becuase of all of the mixed reviews I've read about this hotel.

First, I made reservations by calling the hotel directly. When I arrived the staff saw no record of my reservation and I was irritated. So my suggestion is to reconfirm your reservation just before you intend to go. A gentleman by the name of Pablo was the manager (I believe he still is.) Pablo fixed the problem with my reservations and went out of his way to make sure I was o.k. For example, he walked with me around the block to convert my money to make sure I was treated fairly. Secondly, he told me where and where not to eat and one night ordered a pizza for me.

The owner of the hotel is a high ranking official in the national police. He doesn't play with security and an office in the hotel is also home for a security company he owns. You have to remember that this country is developing. It is not yet developed. We as Americans and those from Europe can be very arrogant and xenophobic in our views. You cannot expect mid- town Manhattan for $40 a night.

I was friendly with a guy name Dave from the American military who has been there several times and doesn't stay anywhere else. I will be going again also. I agree that the photos are more charming than the hotel. But if you want a cheap place to stay with good security, free home cooked breakfast , personalized service and a location near beautiful scenery and plenty of action this is the place.