Hostal Getsemaní

This place presents itself as a luxury four-star hotel, but it has a long way to go to deserve that rating. For the price, it's definitely not worth it. The rooms felt old and needed renovation. There were stains on the walls and table, and the hairdryer looked like it dated from when the hotel first opened, probably the 1990s. The pool in person was about the size of a slightly oversized bathtub, despite the wide-angle promotional photos. The pool seats were missing the pillows shown in those pictures, which made it feel like they weren't expecting guests to use it. There was no soundproofing, so we could hear other rooms and the intersection. The bed was extremely soft, with no firmness, and I couldn't maintain a good sleeping position. Worst sleep ever.

We were charged for six nights after staying four, and they ignored my refund request. There are so many lovely hotels in the area, so don't stay here. The area is loud and unsafe. On our first night, we asked the front desk where we could walk, followed their suggestions, and had a phone and wallet stolen just around the corner. We asked them to cancel our room key because it had the room number and hotel number on it. They said they would. The next day a policeman returned our license to the hotel, but the key had never been deactivated. The people who took our wallet could have entered our room if they wanted. Breakfast was the only good thing. I'd avoid this hotel and this street in general.

Coming in from the heat to a clean, cool room felt great, and I slept like a baby. The design is beautiful, the location is great, and breakfast was incredible. As a solo traveler from Florida on my first trip to South America, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Most of all, the staff were warm and welcoming.

The pool was a little dirty, but the place was clean and really well located for the main attractions. I'd recommend it.