Fodor's Expert Review Casa Santo Domingo

This elegant hotel was built around the ruins of the ancient Monasterio Santo Domingo, a colonial-era Dominican monastery, taking advantage of its long passageways and snug little courtyards. Dark carved-wood furniture, yellow stucco walls, and iron sconces preserve the monastic atmosphere, but luxurious amenities abound. Unfortunately, the food at the restaurant is considerably less inspiring than the rest of the package.

The hotel serves as a tourist attraction in its own right—do visit its Paseo de los Museos museum complex and grounds—but for guests here, the outside visitors occasionally translate into a lack of intimacy.