Hotel Perla

We had an all-inclusive package, but food and drinks were only available at the set breakfast, lunch and dinner times, with nothing in between. Some days there wasn't enough food for all the guests, and the choice was poor: four main dishes, three sides, five salads and two desserts. Most of it tasted good, though. I'm disappointed with the serving staff. We stayed seven nights, and my room wasn't cleaned or given fresh towels during the whole visit, even though I specifically asked reception for new towels.

The breakfast was terrible. The only things I could eat were the bread and butter packets. The eggs were runny and undercooked, sausages seemed to be reused from other meals, and the yoghurt was lumpy and tasted old. The rooms were awful and dirty: mould on the bathroom ceilings, sewage water coming up through the floor drains, stains on the walls and floors, and black hairs and marks on the headboards. The sheets didn't cover the disgusting mattress. Staff were rude and barged into our rooms while we weren't dressed. Most didn't speak English. Daily cleaning basically meant sweeping the floors and folding the sheets. Our towels were changed only once in seven days, and the replacements had rust stains. A terrible experience. I have no idea how this hotel got three stars.

We really enjoyed our stay, especially the shaded outdoor seating areas. The staff were welcoming and friendly, and the restaurant and public areas were always clean. The menu was limited, but they tried to vary the meals, and the food was delicious for the price. There were different salads and fruits each day. Our spacious room had a lovely balcony and nice views, and the hotel exceeded our expectations. The room did need a thorough clean: stained mats, a poorly swept floor and old dirt in the bathroom. The cleaning ladies did a pretty good job each day and changed the towels and sheets regularly. The walk to the beach takes about 15 minutes.

Our travel agency booked us in at Perla, and the problems started right away: old hair on the headboards, a gasoline smell from the AC, and mould in the bathroom. We raised these issues three times. Nothing was fixed, and a maid even came into our room without knocking to check, then said there was nothing wrong. The hotel only moved us after our agency sent a guide to speak with them. The replacement room was otherwise okay, though its AC still smelled. The whole stay was a bad experience. The hotel was generally unclean, the staff unfriendly, and the food horrendous.