Hotel Marengo

What makes this hotel special is the team. The café staff are fantastic, the cleaning staff keep everything spotless with real dedication and a smile, even when it’s full, and Lucho at the pool is always attentive and keen to make guests comfortable. The maintenance guy is a likeable character who sorts things out quickly and willingly. Baltazar at reception is attentive, polite, resourceful, and humane, which feels rare these days. The building is old, and it shows. It isn’t modern or luxurious, so that’s worth knowing before you arrive. But from the first day, it’s clear the people are the hotel’s strength. The service is warm and genuine, and the experience turned out much better than I expected when I arrived.

The park and pool are lovely, and the place feels peaceful and very family-friendly. The cleaning staff, night receptionist, and breakfast staff were all very friendly. The location is excellent, too. The room, though, needs updating. The furniture is very old, there aren’t enough electrical outlets, and it’s uncomfortable and generally poorly maintained. We could hear a lot of noise from outside. The online photos show rooms with mini-fridges, but only two rooms actually have one. There’s no shower curtain or screen, and the showers have very little hot water, something to keep in mind if traveling with children. There was no hair dryer, we couldn’t find the air-conditioning remote, and the room wasn’t cleaned until very late. The morning receptionist and the owners/managers were completely inattentive. For what we paid, we expected more comfortable accommodations and better service. There are better options in Mina for lower prices.

The pool is very nice, there’s plenty of green space to relax, and the hotel also has a lounge. It’s just two blocks from the city center, and breakfast was very good. The rooms are okay, though this is a colonial-style hotel rather than a modern one. My complaint is about the parking. I paid for three rooms with parking, but we arrived by motorcycle and were told to leave the bikes under an overhang on a courtyard sidewalk. That clearly wasn’t a parking area.

The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, and the food was tasty and good value. The hotel is quite central, close to everything, with a beautiful pool overlooking the river. Excellent location and service.