Billini Hotel, Historic Luxury

The colonial district of Santo Domingo is thick with historical atmosphere, and for good reason — it’s the Americas' oldest continuously populated European settlement. So a hotel like the Billini can get away with taking some liberties with the centuries-old style. It’s housed in a 16th-century convent, and proudly displays certain well-preserved architectural elements. But on the whole, the Billini is, if anything, reminiscent of certain Italian hotels for the way it confidently grafts a superstructure of avant-garde modern design onto a solid base of 450-year-old brick and stone. When you’ve got this much historical depth you don’t have to be precious about it.

The suites, in fact, go quite a bit heavier on modernist furniture and 20th-century fashion photography than on architectural preservation. And the comforts within are pure 21st-century luxury hotel, right down to the Bang & Olufsen sound systems and the L’Occitane bath products in the rain showers. The main restaurant, Castil, serves Dominican fare in a space that’s dominated by original stone columns, and the Moon Restaurant & Bar makes the most of its rooftop setting, overlooking the rooftops of the Zona Colonial. All in all, it’s an oasis of modern calm in this hectic throwback of a town.