Hodelpa Nicolás de Ovando

Sixteenth-century colonial compound

Three 1502 stone residences form a self-contained compound, with vaulted brick passages connecting shady fountain courtyards to an open riverfront terrace.

“the three stone buildings retain their original coffered ceilings, massive arches, tile floors, and brick and stone walls.”

What it’s good at

Our shorthand ↗

Heritage

Remarkable

Three 1502 stone houses on Calle Las Damas once housed Hispaniola's first governor.

Design

Notable

Restored sixteenth-century coffered ceilings and brick archways frame open courtyards with fountains.

Local

Listed

A courtyard garden grows native fruit trees and herbs used by the kitchen.

Our shorthand ›

What they say

Michelin Selected

Michelin

Also in Condé Nast Traveler and AFAR.

“

occupies three stone houses dating back to the year 1502, on Santo Domingo’s Calle las Damas, the oldest paved road in the New World.

“its 104 rooms are divided among his sixteenth-century home and a pair of more recent additions. Seamlessly joined, the buildings form a colonial-style compound where arched brick corridors, tranquil fountain courtyards, and tropical gardens front the oldest street in the Western Hemisphere.”

Right in the middle

Lively Central Quiet Secluded

Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.

Cobbled Calle Las Damas runs right past the door, leading to neighborhood museums and Plaza de España.

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The rooms

Rooms feature traditional tile floors, while selected spaces preserve original sixteenth-century stone walls and rehabilitated timber ceilings.

The pool

Bring a swimsuit.

The freshwater pool sits on a terracotta terrace beside brick arches, looking out across the Ozama River.

Gym and massage

Cardio machines look out toward the courtyard pool, and dedicated treatment rooms host massages and body wraps.

At the table

Restaurant 1502 serves Dominican cuisine under colonial brick arches, and Taberna El Mojito mixes cocktails beside the pool.

How it began

1974Opened

Dominican heritage officials launched the restoration in 1974, modeling the historic inn after Puerto Rico's Hotel El Convento.