Dominican Republic Booming, New Hotels Planned

The Dominican Republic is booming for tourism, with record arrivals last quarter and new hotels planned. Through March this year, the Caribbean nation hosted 1.3 million tourists, up 8 percent from a year earlier. That included a 14 percent gain in arrivals from the United States, officials said.

The Dominican Republic already has the most hotel rooms of  any Caribbean destination -- more than 66,000. But it is adding more hotels to accommodate continued growth, especially for upscale visitors.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide plans the Westin Puntacana Resort, a 204-room property in the Playa Blanca area of the Punta Cana Resort & Club complex. It will open in the winter of 2013 and feature 16 suites, wedding facilities, a children’s club and walking trails. Guests will have access to amenities of the Punta Cana Resort & Club including golf, nine restaurants, a spa and a 1,500-acre ecological reserve.

Starwood also plans to open the 122-room Four Points by Sheraton Punta Cana Village in October.

Marriott International plans the luxury 131-room JW Marriott Hotel Santo Domingo, scheduled to open in 2014 in the capital city's Piantini business district. The hotel will occupy the first seven floors of a 15-story mixed-use tower being built above the existing Blue Mall Santo Domingo, which features high-end retailers.

From South Florida, both Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports offer flights to the nearby Dominican Republic.