In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Carmen Gloria Caballero, Commercial Director of Operadora Hotelera Dominicana (OPHDOM).
What is the Dominican Hotel Operator? What projects are you managing?
Our company has been in the Dominican market for a year and a half and the vision is to connect the country with our hotels. We have the franchise for all Wyndham brands for city hotels. The idea is to have a hotel in each city in the Dominican Republic. It is certainly a very big challenge, but the thinking minds behind our company saw that it was possible.
The Dominican Republic is one of the favorite destinations for tourists when making decisions about where to travel to the Caribbean. We have to take advantage of all that international showcase that the destination is having to be able to opt for projects like ours. The accommodation alternative that we are offering is with breakfast included in the price of the rate, which can help the corporate, and those managers who are passing through, both in Santo Domingo and in any of the locations in the Dominican Republic. And it also serves for pleasure, because we have an area that helps create your own vacation.
Today we have three projects that are already 100% operational, one in the Colonial area of the city of Santo Domingo, and two in Manzanillo. These three hotels are active and we have 25 already signed by the end of 2024, beginning of 2025. We have signed a Registry Collection, a Wyndham Grants, a Days Inn for Juan Dolio and we also have one in Cap Cana. Indeed in Cap Cana we already have a hotel that was launched at the Fitur international fair, so our projects are very ambitious.
How do you define one brand for a certain place and another brand for another place?
That will depend on the location where the hotel is. Our idea as a company is to reach everywhere, to all types of clients, that is, if we have a Super 8, which is the most basic of the Wyndhams, we are going to give you good accommodation, a quiet, modern place, but at an adequate price that anyone can pay. If you want luxury, you will have the highest luxury that Wyndham has. That's going to be in the city.
Nowadays, the Dominican Republic is making a lot of international noise, therefore there are many investors, both foreign and national, who have wanted to invest in their own country. The Dominican Republic is well known internationally for its tourism, for its great beaches, its service, its quality of people.
So they have two markets, one that is domestic, which can be corporate or it can be leisure...
Exactly, we have two perspectives, one is national, to encourage Dominicans to get to know their own country, and we have the second international alternative, and we invite all companies that want to do business with the Dominican Republic, that have to send people for work. , so that they have our hotel alternatives for that. And also to those who want to get to know the Dominican Republic further, not just be locked up for seven days, but go out to live the experience, we help with that, we can complement it with a tourist package to see the points of interest near our property.
For example, I contact you and I want to know other destinations, do you organize that walk or that tour?
Of course, today we have the Association of Travel Agencies and Tour Operators, so if you need that alternative of a circuit, there is no problem. You tell us where you want to go, we can recommend what you can do during your stay with us.
In total how many hotels are going to be built?
Between 45 and 50 hotels are going to be built in the Dominican Republic, with a vision towards 2030. There are not many years left to fulfill the mission, but we are already quite on track. We have approximately four already under construction, five including the one in Puerto Plata, which is the one that will be launched at the end of this year, beginning of next year. So, as there are several hotels in different locations, we already have several under construction and we expect that between now and 2026 or so around six to seven properties will be ready for launch. We are working on the vision of having a hotel in every city in the Dominican Republic. It is undoubtedly an ambitious project for all of us who are part of the company.
What is the proposal that you can give as a message to our audience?
Come and visit the Dominican Republic, you are going to live an incredible experience. Our hotels are perfect to serve you. Our staff is fully trained to give you recommendations on what places to visit. Come and live the experience of living in the Dominican Republic, which is a country that has a lot to show.