Casa de Gilles

I first visited Casa de Gilles in 2014 and have been back for more than 8 times. Beautiful house with extraordinary views and the best host ever. If you enjoy architecture, art, culture, nature, music and quietness, this is the IT PLACE. They serve a delicious breakfast. For lunch and dinner, they are many wonderful restaurants in Las Terrenas and surroundings. You will need a car since it's located up in a hill, at Parque Las Terrenas. It's definitely a very special place for my family and me. 400% recommended

We cannot wait to come back to Las Terrenas and stay at Gilles' beautiful home again. From the moment we arrived, Gilles and his staff were so hospitable. He encouraged us to make his home our home, and lucky for us, we were the only guests there during our stay. We were pleasantly surprised about the drive to Gilles' home and encourage other travelers not to be intimidated to rent a car and drive around Las Terrenas. We had driven the entire way from Cabarete, and by the time we made it to Las Terrenas, it was pouring down rain. We were nervous to make the drive up the steep hill to Gilles' home but the roads are in good condition and the crazy drivers that seem to be everywhere else in DR don't seem to frequent the Las Terrenas area and definitely not the private park area you enter to go to Gilles' home. We stayed in the Aurore room, which was beautifully furnished, so homey, and had it's own private terrace. We actually didn't take much advantage of the private terrace because we enjoyed the pool and pool deck so much. Gilles has a dominoes table, and we used that in the afternoons. He was a great reference for activities to do during the day and recommended two of the most incredible (and empty) beaches we've ever seen. The breakfast was delicious- fruit, cheeses, coffee, croissants... and Gilles offers to make you an omelette, as well. I was so happy we chose this guest house over other hotels located on the beach. We saw the most breath-taking views and really felt right at home. We were close enough to everything we needed to visit but had our own quiet oasis when we returned in the late afternoons. Merci Gilles pour les bons temps. Je suis désolé que je ne parle pas beaucoup français avec vous . Nous espérons revenir bientôt.

My impression of DR had always been big resorts with loud families on cheap holidays. Our visit to Las Terrenas changed this perspective entirely. Our stay at Gilles' stunning guesthouse was absolute perfection.||Set up high in the hills, about a 15min drive from town, in Parque Las Terrenas, sits former fashion photographer Gilles' dream house. He built it (with 3 guest rooms + his own residence) for himself and then decided to open it up to visitors.||Every detail has been considered and fans of design will enjoy taking in Gilles' colourful French take on tropical interiors. The host himself is provides great charm and lots of laughs, which is complimented by the helpful and dedicated staff and entertaining troop of friendly pets. ||And the view. 😩 On one side you have mountains and jungles and the other the sea. It really is beautiful.||Breakfast is a delicious spread of fruit salad, baguette, cheeses, juice, coffee/tea and eggs to order, all served up by the lovely Maria.||The pool is good for laps and the deck perfect for lounging with a great book. ||It's not ideal for those wishing to party into the night in town - you have to have a car and the drive in can be tricky with some very steep hills. However if you want to explore a beautiful part of the island, chill out on pretty beaches and go home for a gorgeous peaceful sleep every night, definitely book in with Monsieur Gilles. ||

This beautiful property equipped with excellent taste and much attention to detail is situated on a hill overlooking the landscape and the Atlantic Ocean, which means breathtaking views, but also the imperative necessity of a car. Absolutely great infinity pool. The host, M. Gilles, is a charming man of culture with whom we had many interesting and enjoyable conversations and whose many tips concerning worthwhile excursions and restaurants were always accurate. Nicely appointed rooms, cheerful staff (friendly smiling Francis, Josef who prepares fantastic cocktails and the lovely Araceli who prepares marvellous breakfasts and keeps the house spotlessly clean and tidy), not to forget the sweet dog and cat. We thoroughly enjoyed this stay with a friend we until shortly did not know we had, and would definitely love to come back.

Casa de Gilles is not your everyday B&B. And I am not sure if I can do it justice. All you need do is read the review dated January 26, 2015, just below by Adam from Brooklyn to understand our experience and feelings.||You are the guest of Gilles Bouyer at his hilltop villa. You are about 100m above sea level with an expansive view of the surrounding valleys and hills, plus the Atlantic Ocean in the distance which you not only see, but also hear the surf. ||The pictures are 100% accurate. The outdoor main terrace is amazing. The place is peaceful serenity during the day with nice breezes and your choice of sun or shade. There is so much room, it doesn’t matter if other guests are there – and there won’t be many in any case.||During our stay, every other guest that came and went were previous clients, so that says something. Two couples were Gilles’ family and friends from Paris, which is Gilles’ original home. Another is Jerome from Indiana whose review is just below mine. It was great to meet Jerome and his family. We had many great conversations during their stay, plus a couple of memorable poker games with Gilles. ||The property reflects an eclectic mix of France and the Caribbean. There is plenty of comfortable indoor space too as shown in the high quality pictures on the web. Gilles was a professional photographer with an artistic flair and it shows.||There is always staff on hand, so you always feel safe and secure. Maria prepares a wonderful breakfast and she and Gilles can make you his specialty French omelet. Breakfast is served on the terrace.||Gilles’ dog is very quiet and unobtrusive. There is smoking, but it’s allowed in the outdoors area, so no issues with your room.||Like Adam from Brooklyn, we had the Aurore room which is on the end of the main building, one level down, having its own huge terrace with the same green vegetation and ocean views. May I just note that Gilles obviously invested a lot of thought, planning, and money into this property as it is beautifully terraced with many varieties of plants and trees. The Aurore room is a great size with very comfortable king bed (mosquito net too), plus a large bathroom. It is quite private from the rest of the house. I had a complete tour of the property and all of the rooms are very nice.||There is also a 4-car garage, so plenty of room for most, if not all, guest vehicles in addition to the host’s.||As a host, Gilles is a very congenial and funny man. He makes it very comfortable and relaxed for guests. He is very knowledgeable of the area, plus businesses. It’s obvious he has established relationships with quality purveyors and service suppliers. His recommendations for local businesses and restaurants were spot on. We were very happy with the local car rental company (reviewed elsewhere). He also knows all the beaches and differences among them.||You do need a car. Don’t worry about all the old reports of terrible roads and such. Yes, there are a couple of steep climbs up to the villa. Yes, there are some pot-holey side streets in town. Yes, there are plenty of speed bumps (just go slow over them) around town. But the main roads and streets are just fine. The highways are very good. I just love the road from Gilles’ development (Parques Las Terrenas) heading to/from Las Terrenas. Thirty-one curves provide lots of fun for a driver. I recall only one stretch of road that had several missing manhole covers. In odd places, the cover might be sunk a bit below road level. It’s all good if you pay attention.||It’s not a long drive to nearby beaches and town. Las Terrenas can be a busy place with vehicles, scooters and motorcycles. The beach roads in town are crowded and noisy, but it’s a fun bustling town with lots of friendly people. Quiet beaches are found east and west of town and not a long drive. And it was so nice returning to the haven of Casa de Gilles and not be staying along the noisy beachfront (yes, there are some nice resorts away from town center, but we like the villa).||With a car, Samana town and other locales on the peninsula are within easy reach. We explored around some and also went whale watching out of Samana (WhaleSamana reviewed separately is the best).||In general, this area of Dominican Republic combines the typical Caribbean experience with European influences. The people are nice and friendly. There is great value here, probably because the size of the country allows for locally produced goods and food is not all imported. Your dollar (from Canada, USA, Europe) goes far here compared to many other Caribbean islands.||The combined experience was not only a pleasant surprise for us, but makes us want to return again. Casa de Gilles is a piece of heaven on earth. It’s the design, the space, the setting, the host attitude, the experience. No doubt one of our top vacation experiences. And one of the top memorable stays. Gilles is very deserving of his high ranking on Trip Advisor. You know those places you have visited and stayed and they never leave your mind and periodically you recall that trip and that place? Casa de Gilles will become one of those if you have the good fortune to stay here. And I also have a new friend.

we are a couple from israel that made a trip to the DR for our honeymoon, we had the pure pleasure to spend some of the time at the casa. book it without any second thought. you will enjoy a beautiful house, amazingly stunning view and a service like no other on the island. the breakfast was delightful, please ask for Gilles omlet. and at night do have a capirovska coctail or two (well after the 3rd youll speak fluent spanish), and have fun conversations with Gilles. enjoy this perfectly tought of home and good music or going through Gilles hundreds of fashion books. ||enjoy!|Yuri&Mor

Casa de Gilles is situated in a magnificent location in Las Terranas that.took my breath away!.The view are breathtaking.and Gilles is a wonderfu host. The entire place is immaculate with an amazing style & design, welcoming, with a morning breakfast a la francaise ! French touch! The pool is divine , and the quietness surrounding the place is priceless. Absolutely loved it!

I cannot enthuse enough about this place, I can confirm all the amazing things that every reviewer has said before me. I have been to over 50 countries in the world and hand on heart this place is the best I have ever stayed at with the most wonderful host, French fashion photographer Gilles. He built the house to his own unique design and then filled it with beautiful books, furniture art and a lot of love. Originally his family home, 3-4 rooms are now rented out and if you can get one, book it fast because this place has plenty of returning visitors. Our room was very private, based down beautiful steps in landscaped garden with its own private terrace overlooking the gorgeous tree canopy of the park and the sea. Sliding doors opened the front of the room up to the magnificent view. Our bed was huge and luxurious. Bed linens, pillows, towels...everything to a high standard. A solid safe in the room to keep valuables. A hairdryer, great shower in a large bathroom. Beautiful art work on the walls. Even bug spray (we didn’t need it), shampoo, soap, loads of coat hangers, two sets of wardrobe space, a desk. Gilles has thought of everything you will need and decorated it gorgeously. In the main area the lounge, reading room, kitchen area are simply stunning. You can spend hours here just looking at the art, the photographs the books. Great breakfast of French croissants, cheeses, eggs, omelettes, jams, good coffee and tea and juices. The pool is lovely and looks straight out across the trees to the sea. 6 days here including a fabulous New Year’s Eve. We made great friends with two other guests and we all fell in love with Gilles, his dog Clifford (very gentle and funny) and Foxy the cat. The three staff who work here are great. It broke my heart to leave, I’ve never stayed anywhere quite like this. You will need a car as it’s approx 8 km to restaurants and up a winding steep slope and other than breakfast you can’t really eat here. Driving wasn’t a problem for us at all and there are loads of good restaurants, especially along the beach. We arrived with a taxi from Santo Domingo ($180 inc tolls and there are a lot of tolls) and rented a car in town, but if visiting again (and oh how we want to!), we would hire a car in Santo Domingo and drive here with it. Just book, you will love it and you will love Gilles and you will never forget staying here. Not good for kids but that means it’s even more peaceful...it’s a grown up luxurious escape.