Barahona-New Construction

Lucille · #1 07-25-2009, 05:31 PM

Plans for New Hotels coming up in the South....

Anuncia construirán 5,600 habitaciones hoteleras en Barahona este año

Chip · #2 07-25-2009, 05:44 PM

Wow, that's quite a lot and will be a boon to the local economy.

suarezn · #3 07-26-2009, 03:38 AM

Riiiggght...So this in addition to the 3.6 billion USD they are going to spend in Bani. It looks like the south is going to be swimming in Dollars (pun intended)

New Construction- Los Corbanitos, Bani

Richard Alberto · #4 07-26-2009, 09:36 PM

Every new Ministry has pro-occupation with a region and it seems that the south is this term's region.

They say that wheres theres smoke there fire. Hopefully, this is PR before the works. I know however, that there is a study being conducted, right at this moment, to determine the stress on infrastructure and natural resources.

minerva_feliz · #5 07-26-2009, 10:40 PM

I am confused, where exactly are these hotels supposed to be built? Casa Bonita? San Rafael? Paraiso? Canoa? City of Barahona? Pedernales?

Tourism in Barahona is like the story of the boy who cried wolf. Plans and projects have been announced so many times, including by politicians around key election times to play upon the hopes and dreams of poor surenos, that nobody believes it anymore. I don't. Don't get me wrong, I love Barahona and am rooting for the region and its people, but I just don't buy it anymore.

I'm not a tourist expert or insider, but I have been around the area long enough to see very little going on or taking off. Well, other than "missionaries" who go to the bateys and spend time as tourists. Will tourism increase here someday? Sure, but it will always be a small niche market of more adventurous, Spanish-speaking eco-oriented tourists. It will never compete with the east or north coast. Any major changes in Barahona will not be seen, in my opinion, until 20+ years. I won't hold my breath and won't open up any business down here to ride the tides of tourism promises that don't get followed through.

Quote:

I know however, that there is a study being conducted, right at this moment, to determine the stress on infrastructure and natural resources.

What infrastructure? LOL. A major and yet simple improvement that could be done is build a respectable public bathroom at San Rafael and Los Patos. Until then, spare me the vacant hotel rooms. Or how about dump less sewage and chemicals in the water in Barahona, or clean the hideous Malecon with all the junk Khoury has stored there? Another pleasantry is the rude and open harassment of anyone remotely Haitian looking at the gazillion checkpoints between here and Pedernales. Gotta love Barahona.

Richard Alberto · #6 07-27-2009, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by minerva_feliz

I am confused....

Will tourism increase here someday? Sure, but it will always be a small niche market of more adventurous, Spanish-speaking eco-oriented tourists. It will never compete with the east or north coast.

What infrastructure? LOL. A major and yet simple improvement that could be done is build a respectable public bathroom at San Rafael and Los Patos. Until then, spare me the vacant hotel rooms. Or how about dump less sewage and chemicals in the water in Barahona, or clean the hideous Malecon with all the junk Khoury has stored there? Another pleasantry is the rude and open harassment of anyone remotely Haitian looking at the gazillion checkpoints between here and Pedernales. Gotta love Barahona.

A bathroom is not really considered part of the infrastructure..infrastructure falls more in line with the roads and resources. As far as eco-tourism, I recently spoke to a representative of the Barahona cluster and he indicated that they are contracting engineers from Costa Rica to assist in the study because eco-tourism is precisely the model for the southwest.

Regarding the check points, when you have hundreds of Haitians illegally immigrating to DR on a daily basis, it is a very very difficult job for the military to distinguish a day worker from one who is sneaking into the country permanently. This will only be exasperated once construction actually commences. In Punta Cana there are large slums in areas outside of major resorts due to Haitian workers that never went back home after construction, which I also understand.

In any event, the promise of development has been going on for ever, but in years pasts the previous ministry has stumped any development in the southwest due to his own well-known investments in the Punta Cana area.
Every region started with one major resort, Puerto Plata (ClubMed), Punta Cana (Jack Par) etc. Casa Bonita i is probably in my opinion one of the best if not THE best, boutique hotels in the country. A few more of these luxury boutiques and it can certainly change the landscape of Barahona.

Marilyn · #7 07-27-2009, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Alberto

In any event, the promise of development has been going on for ever, but in years pasts the previous ministry has stumped any development in the southwest due to his own well-known investments in the Punta Cana area.
Every region started with one major resort, Puerto Plata (ClubMed), Punta Cana (Jack Par) etc. Casa Bonita i is probably in my opinion one of the best if not THE best, boutique hotels in the country. A few more of these luxury boutiques and it can certainly change the landscape of Barahona.

I was in Bahoruco this weekend and there are a lot of rumours of Casa Bonita expanding to 500+ rooms, reaching up to Casa de Tarzán. I'm sure they have done their research and know they can fill up those rooms, also there's a buzz going on around the locals because some "french" people are offering to buy to anyone who wants to sell, especially beach front property, and those who have sold are very happy with what they got. From my estimates, beach front (undelveloped) properties are going for 3,000 sq mtrs in Bahoruco.

Something IS going on...

By the way Minerva, Los Patos has a bathroom/dressing room, the sign says:
"bestidol" LOL

Richard Alberto · #8 07-27-2009, 01:17 PM

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Casa Bonita is perhaps the finest luxury boutique hotel in DR. I would certainly put it up with the very best and more expensive boutiques.

They expanding would certainly add Barahona as a destination for niche tourism.

minerva_feliz · #9 07-27-2009, 06:15 PM

Quote:

By the way Minerva, Los Patos has a bathroom/dressing room, the sign says:
"bestidol" LOL

I know! I have a picture of it because it has so many spelling errors. I wanted to post it on here but can't figure out how to upload images. Whether or not a bathroom is "infrastructure", what I was trying to say is why be so concerned about the big stuff when all you've got in the most beautiful and frequented beaches (aside from Bahia) is the "bestidol", with the floor covered in feces. Let's take it small steps at a time, eh?

What's the big deal about the roads? They are 20 times better than in Samana, do they need to pay contractors to figure that out? Why do something more useful like take a water sample from the ocean in Barahona to show how contaminated it is? Not trying to criticize the need for studies and planning though, they are important IF something is actually going to happen.

I just feel like there is ALWAYS "something going on"...like I said earlier, WOLF! I mean, TOURISM! DEVELOPMENT! INVESTMENT! In Barahona! People snatch up any little grain of information or sliver of hope because they are so desperate here to jump on the tourism wagon. Not that I blame them, what other hope do they have? If the platano can't save Barahona, tourist's dollars and euros can.

Casa Bonita is insanely overpriced and I'm not impressed. I can cook the same food at my house by shopping in Barahona, and the newly remodeled Hotel Quemaito (not sure if that's the real name) is beautiful with an even more amazing view, nice pool, much cheaper, and at least you can swim there. Playazul, too. Sadly they seem to have many vacancies.

And isn't there already a resort sitting in ruins in Bahoruco? I can't recall the name, but I think it's part of some chain and is decent sized.

I hope that the south, when this eco-tourism development does come about in say, 20 years, will not just cater to people with money. This country, compared to others in Latin America, is not as backpacker and budget eco-traveler friendly as others and that could be a selling point for the region.

Unfortunately development and tourism in the south has become to me like believing in the tooth fairy. I know I want to because it's a good thing, but I need to see it to believe it. The motto seems to be 'if you build it, they will come.'

Richard Alberto · #10 07-28-2009, 10:55 AM

Playa Azul has practically lost it's beach sad to say. This is a dangerous sign of global warming and rising waters.
As far as Casa Bonita, everyone I've spoken to have rave about it. Not that one can't cook the same food, or that it's over priced given the surrounding hotels, but it has an elegance that cannot be found in the area. The photography of Eladio Fernandez (renown nature photographer) is stunning. While Playa Azul suffers from vacancies, Casa Bonita raises it's prices. My pal was there recently with some architects looking at his property and stayed in Casa Bonita. He told me that there were families of Argentinians there and the place was, very quietly, practically sold out.
They must be doing something right.