Ibis Aruja

The replacement steak arrived dry, with literally nothing else on the plate, after a 90-minute wait. This was after I ordered the most expensive steak on the menu and the first one came out cold, not even warm. Worst meal in South America.

We got back on the third night to find no toilet paper or clean towels. They blamed a late third-party towel service, but had no explanation for the toilet paper. The receptionist managed to give us half a roll from the restroom in his office. After playing in a big tournament at Nippon club that day, we were exhausted and desperate for a shower. What a shame Ibis Hotel is allowed to keep operating. They call it a business hotel, but that feels like false advertising. Shameful. There were problems from the start: our rooms smelled moldy, the fridge didn't work and had water pooled in the bottom, and there were no hand towels or cups. On the second night we were locked out and had to have our keys "reformatted," with no good explanation. The restaurant menu was limited, and the food at MacDonalds is better. It took 20 minutes to get a cocktail even though the bar and restaurant were empty.

We stayed here on our last night before flying out the next day. The room was tidy and clean, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. They even helped us order a pizza, which arrived with a bottle of wine. The hotel is just off the freeway and close to GUR Airport. Breakfast buffet and coffee were delicious.

We ended up stranded here with a lot of other people after our flight was cancelled. The rooms are nice and the bed is comfortable, which is what matters. It's a perfectly functional hotel in the middle of nowhere. Still, checking in more than 50 people took far too long. I don't want to go through that again.