Rizma W.
Yelp
Quite a few have things have changed since my last stay here: some are good, while others could use some improvement. Overall, I still think this is a wonderful hotel with excellent staff and I look forward to my next visit.
PROS:
- It bears repeating: the staff here are fantastic. The front desk staff is always warm and friendly. The doormen and bellmen are tremendously helpful, and they somehow manage to remember guests, as well as some of the details about them. One staff member whose service was exceptional was Saul. He was always ready with a smiling face and a helping hand, whether it was hailing cabs, providing details about excursions and things to do, or answering any questions we had. And he always made sure to follow up with us to ask how we enjoyed his recommendations. He also let us know about some upcoming events taking place on the island and recommended some of the best times to plan our return trip. He's a fantastic 'face' for the hotel and he really went out of his way to make sure we got the most out of our visit.
- The hotel has two new restaurants: Burger Bar (which I have reviewed separately) and a wine and tapas bar. Loved the food at Burger Bar, and the outdoor terrace is a fantastic place to have a drink and enjoy the weather. I didn't have time to try the wine and tapas, though. Hopefully next time.
- I asked the front desk staff for a quiet room (I'm a very light sleeper and very sensitive to noise) and they delivered! I was on the 3rd floor (Room 1201) of the detached tower and never heard a peep from the neighboring rooms. The walls are very thick and I got some great rest during my stay. (ProTip: There is a door on the 2nd floor the the main tower that leads to the other "detached tower". So no more lugging your bags up the stairs!)
- The hotel now has a dog park for guests that travel with their furry friends.
- I love that the hotel allows guests to enjoy the pool after dark (or at very least, doesn't chase them out of the pool for doing so). Lounging in a pool at night is one of the joys of being an adult on vacation in a tropical place. It's quiet. No kids are splashing around you. It's just peaceful and tranquil and wonderful.
- It's a stone's throw from El Ambique beach (which has really cleaned up over the last few years. They've added lots of trash cans, as well as a visible police presence.)
AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT:
- The new coffee shop is only open for a few hours a day, and the hours are not exactly conducive to guests' schedules. Many excursions leave early in the morning (about 8 am) and guests will likely want to grab a quick bite before they go. Instead of losing money to nearby Burger King, Church's Chicken, or some of the other local bars and restaurants, it might be helpful to open at 7 or 7:30 am and close early in afternoon (maybe 1 or 2 pm) to accommodate guests for breakfast, as well as those who may want a quick bite before catching a flight.
-The guy behind the counter at the coffee shop was very rude. The shop had barely been open for 2 hours and he informed us that he was "out of breakfast sandwiches". We asked him how that could be when they just opened. Instead of telling us what he did have available for us to purchase, he just huffed and took someone else's order before we had a chance to place one. Naturally, we left and took our money elsewhere.
- As other guests have stated, there's no hot water for showers. It gets a little warmer than lukewarm, but that's it. And the shower needs to run for a few minutes to even get to that temperature. Plus, the water sprays kind of weird. It's enough to get you clean, but forget luxuriating in the shower.
- The hotel itself is beautiful, but the bathrooms and carpets could really use an upgrade. The walls could also benefit from some caulking, plastering, and a new coat of paint.
- The door sweeps in the rooms need to be replaced. They are visibly worn and may not be as effective at keeping out insects and lizards (though we did not have a problem with either while we were there)
- The maids need to clean a little more thoroughly. I found someone else's hair in my shower and another hair in the bathroom sink when I first arrived. I also found a wrist band (from a club or something) in the sink after we checked in. Adding to this, our comforter had a few oily and colorful stains (makeup?) on one side of it.
- There is not enough light in the bathrooms. That one overhead light is so small and dim.
- The hotel charges for late check-out (starting at $25 and increasing depending on the amount of extra time you stay). This is something that is often offered free, as a courtesy to guests.
- The hotel deactivated our room key before it was time to check out. (This must be a thing with hotels in Puerto Rico. Same thing happened to me at another hotel.) If check-out time is at noon, the guests should be allowed unrestricted access to the rooms they paid for until 12:00 pm on the day that they leave.