Sara Y
Google
Visiting Guatemala for first time. Very excited based on all the wonderful things I'd heard. I booked an airport transfer via Bucaros express hotel where group was meeting briefly before departing. They confirmed WITH THE WRONG FLIGHT & TIME. Immediately alarmed as I was #1 visiting Guatemala 1st time #2 Don't speak Spanish #3Wouldnt have cell service #4Meeting tour group on a tight schedule #4 hotel was hours away from airport #5 am a solo woman, always nervous landing in a new place. Did extensive research and knew airport transfer was critical to have vs taking a taxi. I wrote hotel bucaros back expressing great concern about the mistake & they wrote profusely apologizing confirming my correct flight info (which was all in the chain all along). I was still understandably very nervous. If I was late, I could miss a two week paid for tour. I then asked for the manager twice to ensure there would be no issues; they never responded. I'm an extensive world travelers and have lived in S America & Africa so I get it, but this was bad. Although I was worried, I let it go after two non responses to my request for an owner. I arrive in Guatemala. NO CAR. I wait for 10-15 minutes, walking around, no signs with my name though I see others. I go to the cafe. Walk back and forth with a huge suitcase in heat. Worry building Finally, I go up to a booth and ask a woman to call. After initially refusing, seeing my anxiety she agrees to call the hotel. She calls then tells me the hotel decided NOT to send the transfer & that I should take a taxi. I am in a panic. The hotel is HOURS away. I have no idea of rates. I dont have cash. I have been told NOT to take a taxi for safety. The woman is exceedingly apologetic and sympathetic though she has nothing to do with this mess. I'm trying to think what to do and she's advising me. Her phone rings a few min later...it's the hotel. There is someone at the airport. At the cafe. Now, I know this is not true as I stood there for at least 5-8 minutes. The woman says she'll take me (this is all within a short distance) seeing how upset I am. We walk over and wait. A guy comes rushing in, frazzled, searching. Shows us his phone. It has my name on it. I thank the woman profusely. The driver apologizes though he speaks zero English. I note his seat is pushed all the way back horizontal like he'd been sleeping. He tells me he was in the parking the whole time. He shows me his phone with my flight details. WRONG FLIGHT DETAILS. you know the one I wanted a manager to check? We drive for the next two hours-I haven't eaten yet this whole travel day. We get to the hotel, my group is already meeting on logistics as we leave in a few hours. I go to meeting then to front desk to share what happened. Meanwhile my group is happy and going to dinner. I EXPLICITLY TELL THE DESK GUY THE DRIVER WAS LOVELY AND HE SHOULD BE PAID FOR HIS WORK BUT I am upset at the events, have the entire email chain where I asked multiple times for explicit confirmation from a manager and English speaker, my group is at dinner now (I'm late) and the hotel needs to take accountability and make it up. None of this was OK nor t how I wanted to start my first trip to Guatemala. He understands and says he can't do anything but he'll call the owner for me to speak to. I tell him I don't want to explain again, I'm tired & hungry and have to meet my group, so just sort it out & let me know what they say. A few minutes later, he OFC, hands me the phone with owner.... SHE IS SCREAMING. LITERALLY SCREAMING. She accuses me of not wanting to pay "although I took the ride" over and over and over. I'm taken aback. In my many decades of traveling, I've NEVER had anyone talk to me this way in this context and certainly didn't expect this in Latam. I try to explain to her what happened calmly as others are around but she won't relent. SHE IS SCREAMING, ANGRY, ACCUSATORY. 'Oh you want to ride for free? You don't want to pay?" I try to tell her that is not at all what I said to the FD guy, I explicitly said to him I would pay but this is not a small mistake and the managers need to know since the FD guy is clueless, and that if I had not sorted this out, I might have missed my entire trip or worse. She won't listen and is screaming. After minutes of this, I did something I never do: I hung up on a human being. And left for dinner, shaking. I was very very upset. NOT how I expected my entry to Antigua. When I returned, OFC, the FD guy nervously asked me for the money. I gave it to him, told him he misrepresented me and his owner was the worst hotel proprietor I had ever met in my life, and that I would take it up when I got home. He seemed relieved when I handed him the $50. Yeah, to boot it was expensive. This was embarrassing, upsetting and set the tone for my entry to Guatemala. WOW. Worst experience I've ever had in a new country. These people should not be running hotels for foreign guests. I would avoid at all costs. They are incompetent, careless, accusatory, vicious, unfair and missed the chapter on hospitality and warmth.The owner is dishonest & awful. HOTEL BUCAROS EXPRESS IN ANTIGUA GUATEMALA IS NOT A PLACE I would ever recommend for anyone's first trip anywhere.
