Having never been to the Dominican Republic before, I wasn’t sure what to expect for accommodation.  Thankfully, I have been very pleased!  If I thought our holiday rental in Cabarete was brilliant, we were about to go one better with the Albachiara Hotel in Las Terrenas.

The first thing we noticed about this hotel was its location – right opposite the beach and next to the main town area.  It was perfect.  It was nice to stay right on the beach for a change.  The second thing was our welcome drink.  Z and S were quite impressed.  I think it’s the first time they have been given one too.  It was nice to have a second to relax after the long journey from Cabarete.  The best part though – our apartment!

The apartment

We stayed in a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment at the Albachiara Hotel.  It was big and spacious – there was actually enough space in the main bedroom’s walk in wardrobe to set up Z’s cot!  We had a king size bed and S’s room had two twins.

There was a nice lounge room and a great fully equipped kitchen too.  For the first time this trip, I was actually inspired to cook dinner (usually J does all the cooking).  There was a big fridge with a cold water tap hooked up to a big jug of water which was a nice touch.

The best part though? The massive balcony.  It was much bigger than this picture suggests with a big outdoor setting and comfy couches.

There were two sets of doors that opened up between the balcony living areas and the indoor ones.  I really love this style of indoor/outdoor living and we were very very happy with it.

Additionally, there are air conditioning units in the bedrooms (although we didn’t use it), ceiling fans everywhere, including two over the balcony and wifi internet.

Facilities

The best facility at the Albachiara Hotel is definitely the massive pool.  It is awesome, especially as nearly half of it is the perfect depth for young kids.  S loved being able to run around the pool, instead of needing to be held or using a ring.

There is also a small toddler playground that the kids loved.

There is an included breakfast – It’s buffet style with an omelet chef and we would eat it on a terrace over looking the pool or beach.  The breakfast was very good.  Lots of nice breads, fruits, some hot items, fresh juices, etc.

Our verdict?

It would have to be one of the nicest places I have ever stayed.  It is very well set up for families, but it would also work well for couples or friends travelling together.

I love serviced apartments, and I think they can be the best option for families  It was nice having a daily, thorough clean of the place by someone other than me, but still having space for us all to spread out.

My only criticism is that it was a bit loud at night, thanks to what I assume was a nearby bar.  There was loud music playing until late.  Thankfully, this wasn’t loud enough to keep us awake but it was annoying.  We only stayed on a Friday and Saturday night, so it may not be a problem during the week.  This was not a big deal though.

I will be day dreaming about that balcony for quite awhile to come!  We would definitely love to stay at the Albachiara Hotel again some day.

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You can also read our full guide to the best family resorts in the Dominican Republic and all our other Dominican Republic travel guides.

Disclaimer:  We did accept free accommodation at this hotel in return for a review.  However, this review is my honest opinion of the our stay here, and there was no agreement as to the content of my review. This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you make a booking after clicking on one of these links that we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

 

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