All-Inclusive Hotels.

All-inclusive hotels provide an atmosphere such that visitors never need to leave the resort.  Generally, their price includes the room, meals, drinks, and non-motorized water sports.  Boca Chica has 3 all-inclusive hotels, located at each end of the beach and one in the middle.  The 3 big hotels in Boca Chica are the Hamaca, the Don Juan, and Boca Chica Resort. 

Most of the larger properties across the Dominican Republic display their "star rating".  Note that star ratings in the Dominican Republic are best used for comparisons between properties across the Dominican Republic rather than for comparing to similarly star rated properties in the USA, Canada, or Europe, but don't be completely fooled by bargain prices, as many of these properties offer an astounding value.

All-inclusive hotels offer unlimited food and drink, thus they are restricted to registered guests only. 

Hamaca (Coral Hamaca).
The Hamaca is generally regarded as the best and most expensive property in Boca Chica. 

This is a large high-rise hotel, with multiple restaurants, a disco, casino, multiple shops, two pools, and a private beach that is off-limits to anybody not staying at the hotel. It is a full-service all-inclusive fortress and I usually recommend this hotel to first-time visitors to Boca Chica. 

809-523-4611
800-945-0792
809-523-6767/fax
coral.h@codetel.net.do
http://www.coralhotels.com.do/english/hamaca.htm
55-150 per person per night.
Inter Island Tours, 212-686-4868, ext 316 (Marina)
   (for a good price, use Inter Island Tours)

The Hamaca hotel is split into two areas.  The older high-rise section is located on the beach and the newer section is set up like a condominium complex across the road.  The best pool is located at the new section.

The "new" side of the Hamaca is even more fabulous than than the original and "beach" side of the hotel.  Dining at the Hamaca has vastly improved over the years and the food is very good to excellent.  The pool on the "new" side of the hotel is massive with a swim-up bar and warm jacuzzi.  There is a new workout room with lots of equipment, a children's playground with supervision, putt-putt holes spread around the walk-ways, and a new modern auditorium where shows are performed.

The Hamaca is the largest of the 3 hotels and can be the most expensive, sometimes by more than double, depending on how the hotel is booked. Note that their prices fluctuate a lot depending on whether you are a walk-in, call direct, use a travel agent, or book a package through a tour operator. We've been consistently booking the Coral Hamaca Hotel, all-inclusive, double occupancy, for about US$60/night per person using Inter Island Tours, 212-686-4868 (Marina, ext 316) out of New York. Prices of course vary by season and room type.  High season in Boca Chica is generally December - April.

Don Juan Beach Resort.
The Don Juan is the oldest and smallest of the 3 large all-inclusive hotels in Boca Chica, but it has the best location, layout, and gardens. It is located right on the beach in the center. There are no buildings over 4 stories tall, but there are no elevators either. Request a room on one of the lower floors or you will tire of walking up and down the stairs. 809-523-4511

809-687-9157
809-686-6835
809-688-5271/fax
809-523-6422/fax
h.donjuan@codetel.net.do
http://www.caei.com/djbr/
http://www.diveguide.com/p0338.htm
60-120 per person per night.

The Don Juan has only two restaurants (Italian a-la-carte and a buffet), although they often are listed as having more, if you consider the poolside grill, snacks at the beach bar, the grill at the end of the pier, etc. There is a single medium-sized pool, but it is a nice beach-side pool with plenty of deck space. 

The disco is small and for hotel guests only. It usually opens at about 11:30p, just after the nightly "show", which is the hotel entertainment such as a skit, musical, comedy, or other variety show typical of any all-inclusive resort anywhere in the Caribbean. The disco closes after about 1 ½ hours, or when the last guest leaves. In my opinion, it is worth entering to escape the hot humid air (it is air conditioned) and to get a couple free drinks (this is an all-inclusive resort, drinks too).  If you are up for a bit of fun after the nightly show but aren't up for a stroll into town, this is your best option. 

This hotel, being smaller, will offer you more personalized service just about all the way around when compared to a larger hotel, but it is a smaller property and lacks much of the luxuries of a giant property. The Don Juan has a beachfront that is arguably the best stretch of sand on the beach, and the beachfront is public. The layout and landscaping is a little more tropical than the Hamaca, with lush tropical plants along the sides of the walkways and a lobby area that is open on two sides. For a long time, this was my favorite hotel in Boca Chica.  My favorite room is 7236, which overlooks the center courtyard.  It is located in the Club de Capitanes section, although there is also a new building along the beach that also carries that name.  The rooms in the new building are much like standard hotel rooms.  The older Club de Capitanes building, which only has 6 rooms, lacks a beach view but it makes up for it in layout, as the rooms in this section are literally 1-bedroom apartments and very private.  

Boca Chica Resort.
Boca Chica Resort is the only one of the 3 big ones not located directly on the beach, however they do have their own private section on the beach that is connected to the main property via a private walkway and bridge.  It is the most affordable of the 3 big all-inclusive hotels. 

The Boca Chica Resort complex is an all-inclusive fortress, located a couple blocks from the beach and surrounded on two sides by some of the poorer neighborhoods of Boca Chica, separated using very tall brick walls. The resort has at least one super-giant pool and their dining varies from fair (buffet) to excellent (French gourmet restaurant).  This property offers an outstanding value for those that prefer an all-inclusive resort at an affordable price.

Calle Juan B. Vicini, Esq. 20 de Diciembre
809-412-2001
809-523-6310/fax
b.resort@codetel.net.do
http://www.bocachicaresort.com
http://www.domrep-hotels.com.do/directory/bocachica.html
40-60 per person per night.
    

Boca Chica Resort has a private area on the beach a couple doors down from the Don Juan that is accessible via a short courtyard trail walk followed by a skywalk. Their beach area consists of a disco, bar, restaurant, and sun area. There is no pool on the beach. 

The hotel buildings of Boca Chica Resort are set up like multiple small motel buildings placed across a vast courtyard. Their property is larger than that of the Don Juan or than that of either of the Hamaca’s two property areas taken individually. The place gets good remarks from guests staying at the hotel, which seem to be mostly German. Prices are typically under US$50 per person, but prices vary by room type, season, and booking method (tour operator, travel agent, package deal, direct with the hotel,  etc.)

I don’t think you can go wrong selecting any of these three hotels (Hamaca, Don Juan, Boca Chica Beach Resort).  They are the best in Boca Chica and all offer an excellent value.