French hospitality giant Accor is returning to the Dominican Republic after a multi-year courtship led by the country's export and investment agency, ProDominicana. The result: a batch of new hotels under brands most travellers will recognise, including a Swissôtel in the capital and a Novotel right at Punta Cana's airport.
The push started in earnest in January 2023, when ProDominicana's investment director Zanony Severino first spoke with Accor at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles. A presidential invitation followed, and by January 2024 the group had flagged the Dominican Republic as a strategic priority, with eyes on projects in Pedernales and Punta Bergantín. The relationship deepened in July 2026 at the Americas Investment Forum in Santo Domingo, co-organised by ProDominicana and WAIPA.
So what's actually being built? Two projects stand out. The Swissôtel Santo Domingo, a mixed-use development with Noval Properties, will pair roughly 75 hotel rooms with 180 residences — good news for the capital, which has long played second fiddle to the beach resorts in terms of internationally branded hotels. The Novotel Punta Cana Airport, a 105-room property with an estimated US$22 million price tag, is slated to open in 2027 and will be a convenient stop for late arrivals, early departures and travellers connecting through the Caribbean's busiest resort hub.
Accor is no small player: more than 5,800 hotels across 110 countries, with a portfolio spanning over 45 brands from Sofitel and Fairmont to Pullman and ibis Styles. Its return matters for visitors because it widens the choice beyond the all-inclusive mega-resorts the country is known for — and ProDominicana argues it will diversify the hotel offer, boost competitiveness and funnel work to local businesses.
Why should this be on your radar? If you've dismissed Santo Domingo as purely a business stopover, a Swissôtel-backed mixed-use complex suggests the capital is positioning itself for a longer-stay, city-break audience. And the airport Novotel is a practical one for families or red-eye flyers in Punta Cana. Keep Pedernales and Punta Bergantín on your watchlist too — Accor's stated interest there hints at development in parts of the country that get far less attention than Punta Cana's strip.
Original source: Dominican Today
