Dos Reyes Hotel

The staff were great, helpful, and knowledgeable, and we got a three nights for the price of two promotion. The suite worked well for us, with some privacy for the single bed by the entrance once the two of us went into the bedroom. We got a voucher for entry to a "balneario" at Punta Mogotes beach, with a tent and chairs included. We drove there, though I think there's a shuttle. We only paid around $150 pesos for parking, IIRC, and the place was clean with helpful staff. The hotel also gives you a free breakfast with lots of options: croissants and other European pastries, some fruit, cream cheese, toast, butter, yogurt, two kinds of plain cereal, coffee, milk, tea, pancakes, omelette, and more. We didn't eat at the restaurant downstairs, but got a welcome drink of our choice at the bar, and there's a piano player at night. The small gym is fine for a quick workout, with a static bike, elliptical, treadmill, and a machine that combines low row, legs, shoulders, and other exercises. The jacuzzi and massage were supposed to be available, but both were closed. Maybe it was low season, or maybe you have to ask the concierge. A couple of things were frustrating. The heating and A/C are central, and since it was cool when we arrived, they had switched off the A/C. It got stuffy in the room when temperatures reached the upper 60s for a couple of days, and they wouldn't turn it back on. There are only two small elevators, with a maximum of five people each. On a busy weekend we sometimes waited ten minutes for a ride, especially after breakfast. We were on the seventh floor. I could have used the stairs, but there were many retirees, for whom that wasn't an option. Still, the friendly staff and other guests made the waits a chance to chat, and that's how we found out about the beach voucher. They only offer valet parking, so you hand your keys to the attendant and get them back later. All in all, it was a nice experience and a good deal. One more tip for foreign visitors: at hotels in the country, using a foreign passport and a credit card from a foreign bank can mean avoiding the 21% VAT, which saves a lot. Bring a major credit card from a US or foreign bank.

The location is the only thing I liked. We booked specifically because of the pool, and even had a live chat about it before booking, but nobody mentioned it was a 20-minute drive away. There's no shuttle either. We asked to cancel the rest of our five-day reservation an hour after checking in, and they refused. The room was tiny, with a view of rusty pipes and concrete walls. Soundproofing was poor, so I could hear the neighboring room's door opening and closing all day and night. The bathroom wasn't clean and the tub had no plug. When I asked for one, the front desk told me to shower instead and hung up. I had to clean the tub and make a plug myself before I could bathe. The Wi-Fi and breakfast were bad, and the spa and gym looked nothing like the pictures. Service was bad too. We're paying four times what we paid at every hotel we've stayed in over the past two months, and it's a complete waste of money. I definitely don't recommend it.

The staff are very kind, but the facilities are in poor shape. The room is extremely small, with hardly any space for our things, and the breakfast is low quality.

A cozy bar and a superb breakfast, with spacious bedrooms and a convenient location. Excellent hotel.