The Perfect Weekend Getaway

 

The island of the Dominican Republic offers everything from a history lesson to a day at the beach. The capital city of Santo Domingo and its surrounding areas are the perfect Caribbean city retreat for those looking for a relaxing weekend with friends. Dance the Merengue in a hotel club, relax and sip Pina Coladas at the nearby Boca Chica beaches or  Shop in one of the largest shopping centers in the Caribbean. It is all available and less than 4 hours away from most major airports along the East Coast.

 We have provided several stories and pictures of things to do and see during a visit to Santo Domingo. Click on any of the story links to learn more.

Destination Highlights

A Day at the Beach - Though these travelers stayed in the colonial zone they still were able to spend the day at the Resort  in Boca Chica. Hear about this day of sun, drinks and fun at this all-inclusive island resort.

Under it all - Ever eaten in a cave? El Meson de la Cava in Santo Domingo provides fine dining in a unique atmosphere. Serving international cuisine it was perfect for a special occasion dinner.

Shop Til You Drop - Acropolis Mall offers the perfect shopping experience in Santo Domingo for true shoppers!

Party Time! - Our partners at TheBlackTraveler.com have provided a great story for those looking for insight into a little Santo Domingo nightlife.

The Beginning of the Americas - When Columbus landed he actually arrived in what is now the Dominican Republic. Learn more about the many firsts for Europeans in this hemisphere.

The Pictures Tell It Better - See pics from this Caribbean destination in our video highlight!

All this will hopefully inspire you to add Santo Domingo to your list of destinations to Escape Together soon!

Arriba Aruba

 Hotel: Renaissance Marina (a Marriott property)

Aruba is a great place to travel to in the Carribbean because it has beautiful weather, lovely places to visit, clear blue water, and a great mixture of cultures, so you can experience many different things in just a few days. The island is about 20 miles away from Venezuela so there are many people who have moved to Aruba from South America so that latin flare is definitely felt all around. The language, called Papiamento, is a mixture of Dutch, Spanish, English, Portuguese, and African. Most of the hotels are located in the capital, Oranjastaad, which is where we stayed.
 
Our hotel was nice because it was in the middle of the city within walking distance to most of the nightclubs, restuarants, and shopping. The Renaissance mall is actually in our hotel and that is where all of the high end stores are located, such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Ferragamo, Carolina Herrera, Ralph Lauren, etc…
 
The hotel lobby was asthetically pleasing, as was the bar. The pool is rather small, probably because most people go to the private island that the Renaissance owns. Boats come into the hotel lobby every 15-20 minutes to pick guests up and take them over to the private island, which is really nice. It is about a 15 minute ride to the island, and the ride is enjoyable for the most part unless the water is choppy and you get splashed, which happened to a few people…
 
The private island is only for Renaissance Marina and Ocean Suite guests which is nice. The island has a beach that is for adults only and another for families. The family friendly beach is called “Iguana Beach” because there are amazing iguanas of all sizes living on the island. They are very docile creatures and are used to seeing and interacting with the people who come to the island every day. The other side of the island which has the adult only beach, called “Flamingo Beach”, has a beautiful flock of flamingoes that just hang out on the beach…
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W Dallas

Video of highlights of the area around the W Dallas at night.

Loved it or Hated it: Read our review to know

If you are traveling to one of the cities where we have reviewed a restaurant or hotel you can minimize the element of suprise or avoid bad service all together by reading our reviews before you travel. From chains to hidden holes in the wall, we try to visit a variety of places and give you a first hand account of not only the food but the atmosphere for groups. Nothing is worse than planning a celebration dinner only to find out that this restaurant is tiny and really can’t handle large groups. We often visit in groups and we never let any establishment know they are being reviewed in advance so you always get a true account of any service on our site.

For hotels we look at rooms sizes and accomodations. Most chains were built with the business traveler or family of four (with 2 small children) in mind. So we take into account things like the number of mirrors, space for luggage, sofa beds or other sleeping areas, or extra rooms for our group travelers. You might be with your closest friends on a girls only getaway but putting four grown women in a tiny room with one poorly lit bathroom can ruin many a friendship!

Have a question for our travel team about what to pay attention to when you are planning a group trip or want to share a great find in restaurants or accomodations for group travelers with Escape Together subscribers? Email us at advice@escapetogether.com and include your name, email, the location, and any other details that would be helpful.

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