Casas del XVI officially debuted as part of IHG Hotels & Resorts' Vignette Collection on September 2, 2026. ^[1] Joan Manuel Ferrer Rodríguez, director general of museums, stated that the entrance to the walled city, now known as the Colonial City, was made through seven gates in the 16th century. ^[2] Casas del XVI comprises 21 rooms and suites distributed across eight restored historic houses in Santo Domingo's Ciudad Colonial. ^[3] The affiliation allows the property to retain the Casas del XVI name and identity while joining IHG's luxury and lifestyle portfolio. ^[4] Joan Manuel Ferrer Rodríguez identified the seven original gates as the Puerta de la Misericordia, Puerta del Conde, Puerta de San Diego, Puerta de las Atarazanas, Puerta de Lemba, the Pórtico (Puerta de San Lázaro), and El Postigo (Puerta de Santa Barbara). ^[5] Rates for rooms at Casas del XVI start at about $225 per night, with the Suite Diseñador found at around $950 nightly during a May 18 rate check. ^[6] The Puerta de San Diego was the main maritime access route to the city and was considered the most important access way according to historical records. ^[7]