Imelda S.
Google
I really wanted to like this hotel: the staff during my very short stay were great, from front desk to security; the octopus and veg tacos at El Placita were delicious; the rooftop view was breathtaking; and finally the location —the beach is across the street and I saw a family of wild horses walking across the front door when I walk out at 5:30am to catch the sunrise.
The not-so-great: lack of amenities like coffees and teas in room or common areas (had to wait until 7am) or in the afternoon (no service before El Placita opens at 5pm); after telling us we can take drinks from the restaurant to the rooftop after the bar upstairs closed, the restaurant bar closed slightly before 10pm (we got downstairs right at 10pm and it was already dark); the bar upstairs was always closed when we went (afternoon and evening).
Now the bad: I'm a great traveler who always leave hotel rooms/Airbnb clean and follow rules. I even called the hotel to change the number of guest to 2 instead of 1 when I realized I made a mistake when booking. I did not receive any text messages from the hotel besides emails with rules and recommendations. When I checked in, front desk asked if I got the text, which I was confused as to what they were referring to. They then printed a copy each for me and my friend to sign quickly which they explained is for the hotel deposit. Did I read every single line carefully like it is a leasing agreement or real estate contract? Admittedly no, because I assume it was a typical hotel security deposit: don't break anything, don't take anything you don't want to pay for, don't do if sign say don't do it, etc. And we were not provided with a printed copy. We checked in around 2pm and checked out at 8am the following morning. Did we use the small balcony in the room? Only to dry our bathing suit, which was not successful as it rained hard in early morning hours. So to my surprise, I found that there is a $100 difference on my final bill (security deposit return). When I called the hotel, I was told it was because I left the balcony door open — apparently it was in the "contract" that I signed. I might've left a crack open — I doubt it because it rained hard and I woke from deep sleep to grab my bathing suit and brought it inside. And she said, "why would you sign anything you did not read carefully?" First: the tone, OK? Second: because no other hotel ever asked balcony doors to be closed at all times to prevent moisture from ruining the interior. Why build one with if that's a problem? And don't speak to me like I'm an idiot who doesn't read what I signed because normal hotels don't charge for balcony door potential moisture damage. If it is that important, you should've recited the rules back to me (like non-smoking room used to be reiterated to guests). I left the branded bottle in the room with the top open just like instructed, which is printed and left on the table. You could've printed the balcony door rule and tape it to the door by the handle/lock if moisture damage is that important, just like flushing toilet paper and everything else that's printed in the bathroom.
This left a bad taste in my mouth after what I thought was a beautiful visit to Vieques. So check your final bill, which is your security deposit return. Will I return? Maybe to El Placita.