Terranova Suites

I’m a mother of four and we’re staying in a hotel while trying to move into a house, so we can’t afford problems like this. I booked through Sears Vacations from the United States, and the site appeared to be local to me in Santa Cruz, California, though the hotel is in Bolivia. I’m giving it one star because they wouldn’t refund my money and were unprofessional about handling my questions. I was left waiting a little over 48 hours because there was no manager on site. When something goes wrong, they don’t seem to make any effort to help fix it. -Trace

The second room had a broken refrigerator with roaches inside, no working water heater, and an air conditioner that leaked. The first room we booked had a broken shower. At the front desk, they basically blamed me for changing rooms. If you stay here, it feels like you have to act as an employee and check that everything is clean and working yourself. Don’t rely on them. They’re very ignorant and need years of training to serve clients.

Breakfast was the best part for us, with a tasty, well-prepared range of hot food available from 6 am. We didn’t try the pool, though it looked gorgeous. The checkout was quick, but the clerk wouldn’t give us a Bolivian factura, which businesses are required by Bolivian law to provide. They said it was because we booked through Expedia, an explanation that seemed sketchy and like possible tax evasion. This feels more like a private condominium with a shared pool than a typical hotel. It’s in a quiet area between Viru Viru Airport and Santa Cruz, and the gated entrance checks and restricts vehicles, which gave us a sense of security. The airport ride is convenient because it avoids most city traffic, but there’s almost nothing within walking distance, so you’re stuck at the hotel without a vehicle. It seems ideal for a layover, though maybe not for a weekend. Our check-in at 1:30 am wasn’t great. The receptionist was asleep and nowhere to be found, then seemed unhappy when she came out and we’d woken her. Our room was across the street, up on the third floor via a small elevator. It had a king bed and two full beds, was roomy, clean and fresh, and the three air conditioners cooled it down easily. No noisy neighbors or cars, so we slept well. The gas water heater was tricky: after a few minutes the shower went cold. Leaving the kitchen faucet off was the best way to keep the hot water going.

The staff were really nice, but the rooms didn’t look as good as the online pictures and felt a bit dated. They were clean, though, and the fridges weren’t stocked when we arrived.