The only villa I know about that is actually within walking distance of the strip is the Lion's Pride villa. Never stayed there. But I've heard good things about it.
I believe that most who want to rent a villa and still be reasonably close to the strip rent in either the Hispanola, or the Casa Linda developments. Their websites are
www.hispaniolarealestate.com, and
www.casalindacity.com. I've stayed in both developments, and it all depends upon your personal preferences.
I've heard that Casa Linda fosters more of a party atmosphere. While Hispaniola encourages its renter to be a lot more discrete.
Both are comparable in cost and quality. Hispaniola is a lot closer to the strip, though still not walking distance
IMO.
Be sure to also check vacation rental sites like
www.vrbo.com and
www.vacationrentals.com. A lot of villa owners will also list their villas on these sites. Renting directly from the owner has it's benefits. You can usually negotiate the price with the owner, and you usually avoid the 16% sales tax that both Hispaniola and Casa Linda will tack onto the rental cost. And you just might find a jewell of a villa that is not located in the bigger communities.
Also realize that the cost savings that result in sharing a villa might be offset by the need to rent a vehicle. Some villa communities, Hispaniola in particular, don't allow motoconchos on the premises. It's a policy geared towards security and noise control. So you usually have to rent a car/scooter if you plan on staying in a villa community.
Since we started doing the villas in Sosua it's been hard to go back to a hotel. The last time I stayed in a hotel in Sosua was in Feb. '10. And that was just because the snowstorm had me stranded in the DR solo.
Anyway, hope that helps. Good luck. Have fun. Write a trip report.
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