Redefining hospitality in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean region

Their experience-based, environmentally sustainable and multi-location services are reinventing the hospitality industry.

Far from the mainstream all-inclusive model that has become prevalent in the Dominican Republic, Mint Hotels and Residences are much more than hotel addresses in beautiful locations. Their independent boutique hotels and vacation home rentals offer experience-based services where guests can dive into spectacular natural settings and immerse in local culture.

By staying in one location, or choosing between two or more destinations within one visit, guests can experience a truly unique and personalized stay. “For our guests, we wanted to develop a brand offering that would allow them to combine several locations and properties in one stay. Our Mint Experience combines a boutique hotel stay with a more traditional real estate development. All of this differentiates us from the conventional hotel industry and makes us more inclusive by involving other local collaborators in the hospitality sector”, assures Mrs. Miguelina Butron, vice president and partner of Mint Hotels and Residences.

Mint Hotels and Residences are located across the Dominican Republic, with properties in Samaná Bay, La Romana, Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo. Their country-combos include “Mint Retreat”, where guests stay at the exclusive Bannister Yacht Club hotel in Samaná and experience days of relaxation at Mee Spa, yacht trips through beautiful Samaná Bay, and hiking to Salto del Limón, one of the country’s most scenic waterfalls. Another combo, “Three Destinations, One Culture”, takes visitors to Regatta Living, one of

Mint’s hotels in Santo Domingo to experience the cultural and gastronomic offerings of the America’s First City, and then travels them north to Natura Cabana ecolodge, a nature lovers paradise nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the mountains. Here guests eat locally harvested organic cuisine and can enjoy surfing, hiking, yoga classes, or a relaxing spa session.

In 2013, Mint Hotels and Residences extended its operations to Panama by opening Playa Caracol Rentals. Located in paradisaical Punta Chame, it is a unique residence where guests stay in fully equipped, ocean-facing apartments. Here they can enjoy one of the best surfing spots in the country as well as activities like hiking in Cerro Chame or Cerro Picacho, whale-watching in Otoque island, visiting San Carlos lagoon or the spectacular Philippine waterfalls, among many others. Mrs. Butron notes, “our properties are boutique hotels focused on niche experiences, where we build value by creating activities based on our location’s natural offerings, cultural richness or other local characteristics of the communities where we are present”.

And while each location is unique, what all the properties do have in common is the brand’s pledge towards sustainability. Some of the measures they have adopted include the respect for off seasons, consumption of local products, eliminating the use of plastic, conscious selection of suppliers, reduced use of Styrofoam, using recycled paper at the properties and for promotional material, or the development of organic vegetable gardens in those properties where it is possible, among others. As Mrs. Butron explains, “respect for the environment is part of our philosophy because the most valuable tourism assets we have are our natural resources. Managing small hotels is an opportunity to implement actions that can be replicated in larger projects and be an example of operations oriented towards sustainability and regeneration”.

Furthermore, in 2020 their holding company, Hospitality Management Solutions (HMS) launched their exclusive vacation home rental platform, Homebelike. In the same pioneering vein, they offer a unique collection of rental homes, apartments and townhouses in Dominican Republic, Panama and Mexico that include additional services that are not available in common rental options, like 24/7 customized concierge services provided by highly qualified “Experience Specialists”. Additionally, they have established partnerships with major projects in the Dominican Republic such as Cap Cana, El Portillo Exclusive Residences, Puerto Bahia and Casa de Campo, and expect to add a few more in 2023 by expanding their presence into two other Latin American countries. “We are now a regional brand, and we plan to keep on growing”, states Mrs. Butron, knowing that they will continue to be on the lookout for trends that redefine their brand and the industry itself.