Ondina Apart Hotel Residence

The sea view is lovely, but the room itself is terrible. Everything feels very old: the drawers barely open and won't shut properly, and even the cutlery is worn out. There was no soap in the bathroom, and the bedsheets had a hole. There's also a gas pipe in the kitchen, which didn't seem safe to me. If you stay, ask for a renovated room. Otherwise, don't.

The view over the sea seems to be all you're paying for. The building and rooms are old, and you may or may not get an apartment with air conditioning that works well. They don't provide extra towels or sheets. If something goes wrong, you have to try reaching the landlord, since reception doesn't resolve anything. I find it too expensive for the service. I'm Brazilian, so maybe it seems cheap to foreigners.

I called on November 24th and was told there were rooms available. Since it was late, I didn't want to walk around looking for somewhere else. At the desk, though, the man said he only thought there might be a room, priced around 350-400, and that he couldn't remember clearly. I said I was tired and it was late, so that was fine. Then he said they only took Pix. That's when I felt he was trying to scam me and take my money. Any hotel on the beachfront should take credit cards. Please don't waste your time there until that man is gone.

I stayed for 11 days and enjoyed it, even though the rooms are dated. The location is great, with a few restaurants attached, and there’s 24-hour security. It worked for my budget, and there's a pool and beach access too.