Located right in the heart of Ciudad Colonial, Santo Domingo’s historic central neighborhood, the new Kimpton Las Mercedes hotel blends heritage with contemporary architecture. This ambitious 130-room hotel project, organized around nine courtyards, rises on a 3,680-square-meter plot of land and integrates two 19th-century buildings that have been carefully restored to preserve their value.

Located on Calle Mercedes and surrounded by the church of Alta Gracia, the monastery of San Francisco, and the ruins of hospital of Bari, the hotel pays homage to its historical environs. The new buildings have been set back from the street to respect the scale of the old center.

The heart of the hotel is its central courtyard, a fundamental element of the original construction that has been painstakingly preserved to conserve the existing vegetation. Accessible to guests and city residents alike, this space has also been enlarged, doubling its size on an upper level.

Around this garden, open galleries lead to the rooms, allowing natural light and cross ventilation. These circulation elements are protected sun and rain by horizontal green louvers and vertical glass ones.

The building's solar control has been designed with a lot of care. In the openings of the rooms, it is implemented through a ceramic partition – placed on the ceiling and the side of the exterior balcony – that ensures thermal comfort and reduces energy consumption.

The construction – 6,360 m² above ground and 3,890 m² below – uses local materials like travertine, ceramic vaulting, and wood, adapted to the tropical climate. The design includes rainwater-harvesting systems, solar panels, and a domotic aerothermal system for efficient air conditioning.

On its upper terrace, the hotel offers a solarium with a swimming pool, a gym, and a bar, from where one can enjoy views of the Caribbean Sea and the historic quarter.