Hotel Marina Villa del Rio

The river view from our third-floor room was lovely, and the place was clean, organized, and roomy. Breakfast was getting started when we were there, and part of the lobby looked nice. The one letdown was the receptionists, who didn’t seem warm or welcoming. Maybe they were all upset those days, but I’ve had better experiences at other hotels. Everything else was tremendous.

This was my worst hotel experience ever. While we were at the pool for an hour and a half, someone took my wallet from the pants I’d left in the room. The manager said he’d look into it and call me back, but he never did. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this hotel.

I ended up paying in pesos, including the 20% IVA, after the hotel said its payment system wouldn’t accept my Mastercard. They wouldn’t let me pay in US dollars to avoid purchase tax, even though Booking.com had advertised that option. If you want to settle the bill in US dollars, give this place a miss.

Room 405 was spacious and in top shape, and the lobby, bar, dining room, and lounge were first rate. It’s clearly set up for conventions. When there isn’t one, the price is right and the facilities are very nice. The breakfast was far better and more reasonably priced than a Kempinski breakfast. The location is in an industrial district, though, and it’s a bit of a hike across the river into town. I didn’t see much space for kids, but did see two preteen boys who seemed happy enough.