Camaro’s view of Hotel Platino & Area June 2015
I have just completed a couple of day trips to the Hotel Platino area in Santiago. There are a plethora of lodging options when in Santiago from high end hotels and cabanas to apartment options but Hotel Platino has become one of my favorites. Below I have listed my observations of the area.
Transportation
Now that I live in the Puerto Plata area my transportation regimen has changed. I used to take Carribe Tours or Metro to Santiago and use taxis during my excursions. For taxis you can negotiate an hourly rate between 300-500 pesos. The minimum taxi fare is 200pesos. I spent about 1000pesos in taxi fare per day on occasion but that is less than what I would pay to rent a car and I don't have to worry about traffic or gasoline.
Now that I have my own transportation I crunched the numbers and the cost of driving to from and around Santiago is about the same therefore going forward I will be driving. I have found that driving in Santiago is actually easier than driving in Puerto Plata because there are less motos in Santiago than Puerto Plata.
Location – Avenida Estrella Sadhala, inside Plaza Platinum
The hotel is a good location because of the nearby restaurants that not only provide good food but opportunities for good date venues or if you are bold enough to take the initiative with the wait staff or other single diners.
The other reason it is a good location is because everybody knows where it is taxistas and chicas alike so there is little likelihood of getting lost.
Platino Hotel & Casino
The Platino Hotel & Casino is in the Platinum Plaza in Santiago. I have had several different rooms from the basic room which feels like a match box to the suite which feels like a mini apartment. All rooms have refrigerators with mini bars and you pay for the items you use after you leave. The air-conditioning in all the rooms I have been in work well and in the past I have not had problems with the WIFI but now I use my Orange hotspot. Check-in is at 3pm and check-out is at 1pm.
On my last visit I discovered the Platino Casino had closed.
Platino Bar & Lounge
Platino Bar & Lounge is connected to the hotel. The restaurant and casino are in the same plaza but outside the hotel. I suspect this is a favorite hotel for mongers, one morning at breakfast I saw 2 older gentlemen with younger women that were very attractive; I will let you guess what they were doing the night before.
There is a balcony and upstairs and downstairs to the venue. Breakfast is included daily and the food is descent. The restaurant also provides room service. My biggest complaint not only about the hotel but about the restaurant is that everything has a cramped feel and is small. I felt like I needed more room to maneuver where ever I was on the property.
*I will give the Platino staff their props because everyone was professional and courteous and seemed genuinely interested in customer service.
**It should be noted that the Platino Hotel area is approximately 5 minutes from both The Monument and Bella Terra -Mall therefore it is in a good location.
Vitolas Cigar Club & Restaurant
Vitolas is next door to Platino Hotel and has an indoor and outdoor section. Inside there is a cigar store and bar, I walked inside and could smell the cigar smoke so I decided to go outside in the open air section.
There was a cigar, food and drink menu. It was a much laid back atmosphere and the club faced the street so you could watch the cars go by and enjoy the evening breeze. The food menu varied from sandwiches to full course meals including steak and fish.
Club 22 VIP Lounge
Club 22 VIP Lounge is in on the second floor above Vitolas Cigar Club and Restaurant. I heard the music playing when I was in Hotel Platino parking lot but I did not actually go in the club. I could see from the outside that there are 2 parts to the club the balcony that faces the street and the inside. I was busy on my last visit but on my next visit I will check out the club.
Square One Restaurant
Square One Restaurant is a short walk from Hotel Platino, turn right as you exit the parking lot and go to the intersection on your right. The restaurant is inside the Shell gas station plaza.
When you walk in you are greeted by a host and you have a waiter or waitress that takes your orders. The menu is mostly sandwiches, soups and salads generally nothing is more than 500 pesos. The staff and food is great, in fact some of the waitresses were quite attractive. One of the waitresses was so attentive that I got her number we shall see how that unfolds. This makes an inexpensive date location or meet and greet location with a great ambiance that is close to Hotel Platino.
Pontifica Universidad Catolica
The Pontifica University is across the street from Square One Restaurant and less than a 5 minute walk from Hotel Platino. If you are in to soliciting co-eds this could be fertile ground as students can be seen coming to & fro on a regular basis.
El Carrito de Marchen
El Carrito de Marchen is a restaurant that is less than a 5 minute walk from Hotel Platino. When you exit the Hotel Platino parking lot instead of turning right towards the University and Square One restaurant you turn left and it is a short walk on your left. The restaurant has 2 parts and open air part under a roof and inside part with air-conditioning. There are several flat screen televisions and you can face the street for a view of local traffic.
The menu included sandwiches, soups and salads and nothing was more than 500 pesos. There wasn’t much of a staff only one waiter who was attentive and the food was decent. This makes an inexpensive date location or meet and greet location with a great ambiance that is close to Hotel Platino.
Conclusion
IMHO Santiago is a much better location for semi and non-pros than for pros because of the expense that is involved at the high end casas and car washes. On several occasions I have used Hotel Platino to meet my chicas and I have never had any complaints from them about the hotel or the location.
Santiago has some of the most beautiful women in the Dominican Republic therefore it is worth a stay just to explore what the city has to offer and Hotel Platino makes a great base of operations.
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