The Balaji Palace at Playa Grande

The Palace at Playa Grande looks less like a hotel and more like the mansion of a retired millionaire with eclectic tastes. The hotel's main building is themed after a particularly sumptuous caravanserai. Guests enter through wooden doors carved in a centuries-old Indian style, are greeted by a saffron-garlanded statue of Ganesh, and then are wowed by a lobby that opens up to a skylight three stories above, framed by the curving balustrades and ornate arches of a yellowish-white stone. The decorations are mostly Indian flourishes -- smiling, bare-breasted goddesses, Rajasthani mirrored hangings -- but there's the occasional invader such as an embroidered Louis XVI chair, or a sketch from an old European botanical essay. Through the lobby-- which also contains a bar and some games -- the Hindustani merchant palace gives way to a Mediterranean-style seaside garden. A series of columned plazas offer breathtaking views of the ocean beating against the rocky natural arches of the surrounding cliffs. Especially gorgeous is a wavy promenade that flows to the left, offering too many postcard-perfect views of the shoreline to count. Down a sometimes tricky spiral staircase and past two rooms seemingly carved into the cliffside, two red wooden doors open onto the sandy beach, surrounded by cave-riddled cliffs on both sides. Here the sea throws itself dramatically against the rocks again and again -- it's all terribly romantic. 

The Balaji Palace is about two hours from Puerto Plata airport, and about an hour through knuckle-whitening traffic from the nearest decent-size town, Cabarete (pretty much five or six blocks of adventure-sports outfitters and local shops). The nearest village, Rio San Juan, is tiny and has a notable French-speaking population, as well as a handful of restaurants and tour agencies that can arrange diving, snorkeling, or other expeditions at the beaches nearby. Famously beautiful beach Playa Grande is about a 10-minute drive away, and the hotel can arrange transportation there. Though the hotel sits off a relatively important thoroughfare, it's surrounded on either side by thick trees, and is located over a cove, lending a feeling of genuine remoteness -- guests hear the chirping of tree frogs and birds, not traffic. The downside to this kind of isolated beauty is that souvenir shoppers and restaurant hoppers will have to drive an hour to Cabarete to feel like they're "in town." A warning to first-timers: Ignore your GPS of choice (Garmin, Google Maps, even Waze, which is normally the best choice in the D.R.). They'll send you to a dusty backroad in a tiny residential suburb, where bemused locals will point you vaguely in the correct direction. Coming from Cabarete, just take the main road past Rio San Juan and start looking for a large gated archway on the left as soon as you leave the town behind. 

Though the entry-level Island House and Deluxe Rooms aren't that large (Deluxe Rooms are 225 square feet), the majority of the 18 rooms are roomy, with good-size balconies that have beautiful ocean views. The two Cliffside Suites built into the side of the rock are a standout -- they may sacrifice some elbow room for a long, narrow configuration, but they have up-close vantages of the seaside cliffs along almost their entire length. The Royal Suites in the main building have enough empty floor space to lead a small yoga class, and bathrooms that are the size of most business-hotel guest rooms. They also have terrific balcony views.Furniture is usually of sturdy, dark wood or rattan, and some is antique-style; many rooms have four-poster beds with mosquito netting or luxurious draperies. Decorations consist of paintings of flowers and trees. Some of the best touches are the geometrical glass transoms that turn windows and doorways into Middle Eastern or Indian archways, letting in streams of sunlight to light up the rooms. In our room, flower petals were laid out in patterns on a ridiculous number of surfaces -- even the bidet. One minor quibble -- the water pressure in our faucets and shower was reluctant at first each day.Bathrooms typically have large walk-in showers, and Royal Suites have hot tubs on the balcony. This is a place to unplug, and there are no TVs or phones, and few electrical outlets. There is Wi-Fi, but it can be spotty. 

The attractive outdoor pool is plenty large given the size of the property, and even has a swim-up bar -- though it was unstaffed during our visit. There are two whirlpools, though they're not typically heated. There are loungers as well as a couple of romantic daybeds with gauzy drapery. The Balaji can up its already considerable potential for romance by arranging beachside picnics and dinners for couples, as well as barbecues either on the beach or at the far end of the cliffside parapet walk with its pretty ocean views. There's also room service, or guests can dine in the Grand Hall. But there's no true full-service restaurant, only personalized dining experiences. The cuisine is of a good quality, especially the local Dominican dishes. For more sporty adventures, the hotel can arrange for excursions through a partnership with a locally based eco-tour outfit. After that, guests can relax at the third-floor spa, where they can get massages or pedicures on a balcony overlooking the grounds and sea. Though the hotel isn't big enough to host regular evening shows, it does occasionally arrange for small concerts by a local guitar trio.TVs with DVD players can be found in the Grand Hall, as well as the sitting areas on each floor; there are also pool and ping-pong tables, phone service, and printer access. The hotel has its own guard on duty for safety.