The Peninsula House #2, Las Terrenas Samana, FL 33191

The Peninsula House, a plantation-style guesthouse set on a lush hillside overlooking the coastline of the Samana Peninsula, is the one of a favorite property in the Dominican Republic by a country mile. The six airy suites and striking public areas are distinguished by a museum-quality art collection, the life’s work of French proprietor Marie-Claude Thiebault and her American partner, Cary Guy. FODOR’S REVIEW The gorgeous Victorian-style plantation house with wraparound verandas overlooks acres of coconut palms down to the ocean and is one of the best B&Bs in the Caribbean. Co-owner Marie-Claude showcases generations’ worth of museum-quality sculptures, paintings, and objects d’art, many of which were brought from Asia and the Middle East, and these elevate the rooms and common areas to a fascinating visual experience. Dinner, available only to guests, takes place in the central open-air brick courtyard. The food, both here and at The Beach, is exceptional, contemporary cuisine, thanks to the supervision and talent of Marie-Claude’s partner, Cary. And Tomas, the fun son, is back. Admittedly, the cost for a room is high, especially since there are no full-fledged “resort” amenities—but we’d recommend that you start saving. Front-corner rooms 5 & 6 are the best; to keep the calm, no small children are accepted. About your stay — Elizabeth Woodson Chic six-room Victorian-style sleep with bang-on service on the DR’s untamed Samaná Peninsula The six-room Peninsula House is set on a green hillside overlooking the sea on the untamed Samaná Peninsula, a world away from the overrun and all-inclusive-resort-filled tourist areas in the DR. Here, you get cove beaches with powder-white sand (literally) and a lush jungle interior filled with mountains, waterfalls and tropical rain forests. The property’s chic sensibility would be at home in the South of France, which, incidentally, is where owners Cary Guy and Marie-Claude Thiebault ran their last hotel de charme before opening this property, in 2007. A potholed road leads you to an unmarked gate. Up the steep, winding driveway is the 15-acre patch of land on which stands the two-story Victorian-style plantation house, gingerbread trim and all. Guests have full run of the building and can settle down in the library for a nice chat, read a book on the veranda, which wraps around the house, play a game of pool, lounge by the sizable pool or just relax in the shade of a potted tree in the indoor courtyard. Conde Nast Traveler “It’s just perfect from the top to the bottom.” This family-owned inn sits on 15 verdant hillside acres on the Samaná Peninsula, with views of the Atlantic in the distance. The Victorian colonial design evokes an eighteenth-century plantation house (this one filled with eclectic art, including a collection of wooden sheep). “Beautiful rooms” in earth tones have Brazilian hardwood floors, antiques such as Chinese bamboo storage trunks and Indian ivory cabinets, and mahogany soaking tubs. Enjoy drinks on the terrace or, for an “unforgettable culinary and sensory experience,” try a seafood lunch at the Beach Restaurant, a few miles—and a free shuttle ride—from the main hotel. Expect “truly unbeatable service from the outstanding staff.” “This is the most perfect, tranquil, relaxing place I’ve ever been.”