Former Toronto Blue Jays player Edwin Encarnación has a hand in the brand new Hilton Garden Inn La Romana, located in his home country, the Dominican Republic.

As the main shareholder of Riverhome Capital S.A.S., which collaborated with Hilton Hotels & Resorts on the new US$25 million property, Encarnación helped cut the ceremonial ribbon alongside the president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader Corona.

Located on the coast of La Caleta, just 18 minutes from La Romana Airport, the 130-room, seven-storey hotel includes two bars, a restaurant, swimming pools, gym, meetings and event facilities and outdoor areas ideal for social and corporate celebrations. 

“This hotel has something very special – opening up the beach and the sector of La Caleta of La Romana, which for a long time was closed to the province and its visitors,” said the President. “Since private investment must always be accompanied by public infrastructure, we are working on creating them, so we are all part of this development of La Romana.”

Encarnación, who played eight seasons with the Blue Jays from 2009-2016 before retiring as a member of the Chicago White Sox in 2020, said he’s dedicated to the development of La Romana, his province of origin.

“From the moment this project was presented to me, I knew that I had to be part of it and be the one to assume this,” said Encarnación. “I joined the development of this hotel with the only requirement that most of the workers came from here, from my town La Romana, and we achieved this.”