I know the cliche that states "if it is too good to be true, than it probably is" is the first thing that came to my mind when I read all the trip advisor reviews, various articles, and other literature available on the internet about The Peninsula House and all its accolades. So, of course, I had to check it out for myself, to see if this hotel truly was an oasis of perfection as everyone has written.
Well, I have to agree with all the guests who have written positive reviews about The Peninsula House, yes, it really is perfect! Every detail is taken care of for you. From your arrival to departure, they will handle any and all requests for you.
We had a very animated driver pick us up at the Santo Domingo airport and drive us to the hotel. The hotel will also arrange a flight from Santo Domingo to the airport near Las Terrenas for you should you want to speed up the transfer process. The drive from Santo Domingo to Las Terrenas is not speedy, but it gave my husband and me an opportunity to see part of the Dominican Republic. I recommend the drive rather than the flight, especially if your flight arrives mid-afternoon. You have already lost a day to travel so you might as well see part of the country.
The Peninsula House is located on a hill overlooking the sea. The guest rooms are large with a nice indoor and outdoor sitting area. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom was outfitted with a nice shower and there was a nice soaking tub as well. They provided L'Occitane products as toiletries. The room was so beautiful that it was a shame we were not in it more often, but the hotel was always crying out for us to discover everything it had to offer!
The main level of the hotel has an open-air atrium in the center and is surrounded by a couple of sitting areas, dining room, and billiards room. Dinners are outside on the wraparound porch. Down the front steps and after a brief walk through the frontyard you will come upon the pool house and pool. There are various chaise lounges scattered around and the poolhouse has a bathroom, kitchen area with bottled water and various sodas, and a small sitting area sheltered from the elements. The views from the pool area are absolutely stunning. The colors are so vivid that you feel like it can't be real and that your eyes are playing tricks on you.
When you do not want to stay at the pool, the staff at the hotel will drive you down to the beachhouse restaurant that is part of the hotel. The beachhouse has a full service restaurant, provides towels, and also has a shower, and restrooms. We ate there and tried several different menu items. They were all very good and the portions were just right. We also took several walks along the beach in either direction and enjoyed the scenery. When you are ready to return to The Peninsula House, one of the beachhouse restaurant employees will call the hotel for you so you may be taken back to the hotel. Dinners at the hotel were all very good. They served an appetizer, entree, and a dessert. Dinners were almost always a choice between a seafood or lamb, pork, or beef entree. I am not a vegetarian, but I am certain if you let them know of any dietary restrictions, they would accommodate your request. My husband can not eat garlic, and after we let them know this, the staff was always very careful about honoring my husband's request for no garlic.
I have thought and thought about what I might be able to say that would paint a picture for anyone trying to decide if they should splurge and stay here at this hotel, instead of other less expensive options. My answer is the incredible service given to me by all the The Peninsula House staff and owners. They are truly happy to honor all your requests for your comfort and enjoyment. I honestly felt like I lived there and had crossed the rubicon into a life of barefoot elegance and luxury.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC