NH Punta Cana

This hotel is geared mostly toward business travelers and other visitors passing through -- not the usual Punta Cana sun worshipers. During our visit, a steady of stream of businesspeople and airline crews checked in and out at the front desk. But even though the hotel doesn't have a beach or pool, and there's barely enough space for a quick smoke outside, the design is elegant, with soft blues and greens throughout. The lobby floats with geometric shapes, and is colored by sunlight filtered through blue and yellow panes of glass. The restaurant and bar are similarly sleek: all right angles and deep oranges offset with white circles and silhouettes of thorny branches. All the more shame, then, that the hallways have to remain so dark.

This hotel is located on a major, winding avenue that passes many of the large beach resorts in Bavaro. Though it may not actually have any sand of its own, it is within walking distance of the neighboring Now Larimar Punta Cana resort, which does have beach access and offers it to NH guests as part of an agreement between the two properties. The pricey Palma Real shopping center is about a five-minute drive in one direction (though it's not the most pedestrian-friendly walk, especially under the unforgiving Dominican sun), and Playa el Cortecito public beach, with all its sand, tourists, vendors, and bars, is about a 10-minute drive the other way. Punta Cana airport is a 25-minute drive away.

Rooms continue the NH Punta Cana's elegant aesthetic of soft greens and blues (even the artwork consists of blue-and-green oversized zoom photos of hummingbirds and flora). They combine the sleek look with the spatial efficiency of a Scandinavian hotelier, managing to fit in a desk, queen bed, coffeemaker, and closet without making any of it feel cramped. Bathrooms have bidets and walk-in rainfall showers; the quality toiletry kits include toothbrushes and razors. All rooms are Standard Rooms, and come with pay minibars, safes, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen cable TVs, and air-conditioning.Those bemoaning the lack of pool or surf may want to keep the curtains drawn, however: The view from one side of the hotel is of anotherproperty's turquoise pools. Some rooms face construction across the street. Hallway noises also tend to echo into the guest rooms, especially whenever the elevator releases a chattering group of guests or a clattering maid service cart.

As a business hotel used to servicing short-stop travelers, the hotel focuses on efficiency over frills, but still offers a gym, a restaurant and bar (with free breakfast), and two meeting rooms. The gym doesn't have a large number of machines, but there are plenty for the hotel's size, and the room is spacious, with wood floors. The free breakfast includes meats, cheeses, fresh fruit, and fresh eggs or omelets. Though the restaurant is open from morning until night, the kitchen can handle room service requests 24/7. Though there's no pool or beach, guests can walk about 10 minutes to the nearby Now Larimar to use its facilities.