Mercure Camboriu Hotel

We ended up at Mercure because Camburiu doesn’t have a five-star hotel. It’s advertised as beachfront, but it sits in a curve behind a plaza, so the ocean view is narrow. Even in their best room, there were no slippers or robes and the bathroom light was very weak. At R$1000 a day, you don’t get much. The other rooms we saw were very small, so this hotel should really be three stars. The service was TERRIBLE. I asked to have soup sent to my room and was told the kitchen probably wasn’t answering because they were busy, and that I should go downstairs to get it. When I asked them to have my car ready, I was told to go downstairs and wait there. We were out all day Sunday. The room had been cleaned when we returned, but they hadn’t replaced the water cans. Downstairs said the crew had left because it was Sunday, so we had to go to the shop next door and buy large bottles ourselves. On our last day, the room wasn’t cleaned and nothing was replaced. When we left the next day, everything was dirty. I’ve travelled to more than 20 countries and stayed at great hotels, and I’ve never been treated like this. The hotel is very expensive on the waterfront, but the ocean view is poor and it doesn’t deserve the star rating it claims.

The location is the main draw, with loads of restaurants, bars, and shops within walking distance. I’d definitely stay again. The stay was comfortable, breakfast was fine but limited, and the pool and hot tub were good. The gym was minimal.

The breakfast was the highlight, and both pool areas were decent. Still, I’m not sure I’d come back. The hotel’s location in BC is probably the best, but I don’t know if the high price is justified when nearby places offer a similar standard for a third of the cost. The female staff didn’t seem motivated or interested in the job. Asking them for something felt like a chore. I requested a beach-facing room and was dismissed, even though I noticed only one such room was occupied one day. It seemed they preferred to leave the others empty rather than let guests enjoy them. There was also confusion about the sauna. The woman there sent me to reception about 15 floors down, where I was told I could use it and to ignore her. The rooms are a bit dated and seem overdue for renovation. I usually stay at Mercure, but this hotel has changed my view, and I’ll definitely use other brands and hotels.

The entrance smelled really nice, but the room had a terrible damp, mouldy smell. The sheets were old and stained. I expected better from a hotel of this standard.