I stayed here for a couple of nights last month. After returning a year later I found the Hotel has a new owner Sam. Great guy, very helpful. Sam has is a Canadian who has spent a lot of time in the DR and is renovatinng the hotel. The rooms were very clean, the hotel staff friendly. It would be hard to not have a good time at Hotel Palapa.

Within walking distance from town and just across the street from the gorgeous beach with a friendly bar, this was one of the most warmest friendliest environments I've ever traveled to. I was sad to go. The hotel is safe, clean, and everyone is incredibly friendly and helpful. The restaurant is magnificent, and the bar is welcoming and relaxing. As incredibly relaxing as this stay can be, it is also convenient to sight see as much or as little as one would like.

While we stay one night, I was earnestly wished stay awaken untill next morning, the reasons are, 1) There is no inside door lock. 2) Too much fish kinds smell from washroom (Floor tiles are so dirty. 3)They did not changed bed sheets all 3 beds, we found may hairs inside sheets and sheets were so crimpled where people had slept. 4)Mosquitoes came in through unblocked back side wall.5) they charges extra US$10.00 for airconditioning per night, which they didn't mention it at the time of reservation.

My wife, son (2 years) and I had a great week at the Palapa Beach Hotel in Las Terrenas, Samana, recently.
The bungalow is quite big with two extra beds downstairs, a fridge, bath room, and room for clothes.
Upstairs there was a desk, a queen bed, a big closet, a safe w. key, and a baby crib we had asked for.
The hotel manager was very accomodating, and the breakfast in front of the hotel, feet in the sand and overlooking the beach, was simple but nice, and the two girls serving everything to meet our needs.
The bungalow was well cleaned every day, but the bath room was a bit outdated.
The beach in front is among the best on the northern Samana sea shore, but you should go 15-20 minutes east (near the El Portillo airport) to get very quiet and good snorkling conditions.
The hotel does not currently have a restaurant, but the bars and small restaurants under the palm trees on the beach are great and very fairly priced.
We took an airplane from Las Americas (Santo Domingo) airport, but the word is that by April/May 2008 a new expressway will be opened from the capital to Samana, reducing car travel time from 4-5 hours to about 2 hours.
Also, make sure you plan to do one or two excursions as the area is very nice. Car travel to the small villages seemed quite safe, and we had some great coffee in those spots, and very cheap goods.
Overall Las Terrenas and the Palapa Beach Hotel were great - we would not usually consider returning, but this might be the exception!