NOT YOUR AVERAGE HOTEL: STAY IN SOMEONE´S HOME OR IN A DORM

There is no place like home. Until you arrive at Punta Cana. In this edition of sleep with BOP, we will have you sleeping in two places that are nothing like your average hotel. You will be calling these places your home in no time. 

Sometimes a hotel or an apartment can lack the feeling of a real home. Sterile white walls with paintings on them that you probably have seen in the souvenir shop around the corner are used for interior decoration. Sometimes a real cozy vibe gets lost in places. So why don´t you stay in someones home? Or in a place where you have a little bit more people in your room?

Cozy jungle

If you really want to experience Dominican culture, sleep at Guesthouse Las Piedras. This place that is constructed out of many stones (piedras) was built for Dominican couple Lila and Florian and their 8 children. When some of their kids moved out, Lilian and Florian found themselves with 4 empty rooms.

“We had the rooms free. So we decided to start a guesthouse. We still live here with 3 of our children. They are 15, 12 and 5 years old. And our driver Mattias lives with us too!”, Lila explains.  What makes this place special is that you are part of the family when you stay there. “Breakfast is included in the price, but if you want dinner for an extra charge, I cook for everyone. You eat with me and my family. Our place is safe and the closest beaches are Playa Bavaro and Bibijaugua beach.” An extra treasure of this guesthouse is the garden that has fruits like mango, maracuja, carambola, and coconut. A little jungle in Punta Cana.

Stay with Lila and Matias and enjoy their wonderful food and family vibe. A home away from home. The prices start at 45 USD a night.

Not your average hotel room

Opening in 2012, Bavaro hostel, was the first of its kind in Punta Cana. Located close to the beach (just a 3-minute walk), this hostel is managed by Swedish Mari and her daughter Tova. Mari  bought the hostel in 2016. Before then she was running a stand-up paddleboarding business in Bayahibe. It is not your average hotel room since you might be sharing your room with others, but the rooms are just as welcoming. The bunk beds and a terrace where you can soak up sunrays will give you a tropical backpacking feeling.  You can also choose for a private room when a dorm with different people is not your style.

Tova who joined her mom 7 months ago, says that their hostel is the best in the area. “The hostel is the cheapest option in the area and the only one with a proper hostel atmosphere. Lonely Planet calls us ´Bavaro´s surefire traveller´s hub´”, says Tova. Situated between local restaurants and other hotspots nearby, the hostel is located in a place where you have everything around. A nice extra is the library in the hostel, where you can borrow books and leave your books for other travellers.

Stay with Tova and her mom and enjoy Bavaro. The prices start at 20 USD a night.

Picture: Guesthouse Las Piedras