Twelfth Annual Meeting of the Inter-agency Working Group (IAWG) on  Reproductive Health in Crises - Event Logistics

24-26 May 2010, Hotel V Centenario Intercontinental, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Meeting Venue

The 12th IAWG Annual Meeting will take place at the Hotel V Centenario Intercontinental located on Ave. George Washington in Santo Domingo.

Accommodation

Meeting participants are responsible for arranging their own hotel accommodations. The hotels below have a block of rooms at reduced rates for participants of the meeting. Please contact the hotels directly noting your participation at the IAWG meeting to receive the reduced fare. As there are only a set number of rooms with the special rates, please make arrangements early.

HOTEL V CENTENARIO INTERCONTINENTAL
Ave. George Washington
Malecon, Santo Domingo
Phone number: (809) 221-0000

Click here to book a room at the special rate for meeting participants. This page has been set up specifically for this meeting - use the form at the bottom left of the page to reserve your rooms using the discount code which is automatically included there.

Single Standard Rooms USD 95.00 + 26% taxes (Breakfast included)
Double Standard Rooms USD125.00 + 26% taxes (Breakfast included)

Deadline to reserve room: May 1, 2010

HOTEL LA CASONA DORADA
Ave. Independencia, Esquina Osvaldo Baez
Phone Number: (809) 221-3535

Please contact:
MARILYN SABINO
Gerente Administrativo
Tel. 809 221 3535 Ext. 317
Casonadorada00@hotmail.com
Ref. 12th Annual Meeting of the Inter-Agency Working Group

Single Standard Rooms: USD 60.00 (Taxes and Breakfast included)

Deadline to reserve room: May 2, 2010

The Hotel La Casona Dorada is walking distance from the meeting venue.

HOSTAL RIAZOR
Ave. Independencia No.457
Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana

Single room US$58.00 (Taxes and breakfast included)
Double room US$70.00 (Taxes and breakfast included)

* The rates listed above should apply only for the days of the reservations.
** Both hotels have business centers that you can use to print, copy, fax and internet services for an extra cost. 

Maps

HOTEL V CENTENARIO INTERCONTINENTAL

HOTEL LA CASONA DORADA

Getting from the Airport to the Hotels

Individuals are responsible for their own transportation to/from the airport to the hotels. There are several transportation options: 

  1. One popular taxi service is Dominican Airport Transfers where you can book your airport transfers in advance. Depending on your arrival airport, taxis charge anywhere from between USD 25 to USD 50 for the drive from the airport to your hotel in Santo Domingo.

  2. If you do not book a car service in advance, you can take a taxi from Las Americas International (SDQ) Airport to the hotels which will cost approximately USD 40. Prices are posted at the airport and would look something like this. Fix the price prior to leaving for your destination. As you exit the customs area of the airport, you will undoubtedly receive numerous offers for transportation. Each person that assists in any small way will expect a tip. As a general rule, the tip is USD 1-2 per bag, with a USD 2 minimum and a USD 5 maximum. Before getting on the taxi, confirm the rate and whether it is in US Dollars, Euros or Pesos. Having the correct amount of currency to pay this rate will be helpful, as most drivers do not carry change, especially for foreign currency. Destinations of 15 - 25 km from the airport will cost approximately USD 30 and will increase according to distance.

  3. You can also call for a private taxi once you arrive. Taxis are a quick, reliable way to get around the Dominican Republic on a local level. All the major airports have privately owned taxis.

  4. A call to one of the many companies listed in the Yellow Pages will get a car to you 24 hours-a-day, and usually in less than five minutes. You can arrange your car with air-conditioning or even be picky and request a driver who speaks English.

    Some names and numbers of taxi companies are:
  1. The cheapest way to get from the airport to the city is to take a motoconcho (motorcycle taxi if you have no luggage) up to the highway about 1/2 mile. From there, you can take a public bus to Santo Domingo. Large metropolitan transport buses in Santo Domingo cover the longer city routes for RD$10.00 to RD $15.00 (air conditioned) fares. Anywhere within a couple of km/miles in a town/village/resort area generally has a fare of around RD $20-30 (USD 0.80-1.00) per passenger on the bike. This fare generally doubles at dusk (once they've got their lights on). Try to have the correct amount of Pesos for payment, as they can be unlikely to have change.

Travel Information

Embassies
Click here for a list of the Embassies of the Dominican Republic worldwide, with the relevant contact information and address in each country.

Weather
The weather at the end of May is likely to be sunny and dry, with highs around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 27 degrees Celsius) and lows in the 70 degree Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius). However, there might be the occasional drizzle, so bring a poncho or an umbrella with you.  

Currency Exchange
It is legal to exchange currency at commercial banks and exchange booths in hotels. The exchange rate is set by the Central Bank.  No more than USD $10,000 or its equivalent in another currency, including Dominican pesos, may be taken out of the Dominican Republic at the time of departure without declaring it. The currency exchange at Wednesday, April 7, 2010 is:

1 US Dollar = 36.80849 Dominican R. Peso
1 Dominican R. Peso (DOP) = 0.02717 US Dollar (USD)

1 British Pound = 55.98163 Dominican R. Peso
1 Dominican R. Peso (DOP) = 0.01786 British Pound (GBP)

1 Euro = 49.32330 Dominican R. Peso
1 Dominican R. Peso (DOP) = 0.02027 Euro (EUR)

You will find it most convenient to bring US dollars. You will get a better rate if you exchange your foreign currency abroad. Most stores and restaurants in tourist areas will accept USD as well as the local currency, the Dominican peso – shown as RD$. The Central Bank posts exchange rates Monday to Friday.

Dialing Code 
The international dialing code is +1809.

Time
Dominican Republic is -4 hours GMT

Banks
The banks mentioned below are located near the Intercontinental hotel and have ATM machines as well.  The hotel also has an ATM machine.

 

*** Please note none of the above information is endorsed by the IAWG Steering Committee.


More information on the meeting will be available on this site in due course.