Hotel Los Recuerdos

Our junior suite had a lovely view of El Peñol, and the hotel was just as it looked in the pictures. The service was amazing, especially from German, one of the employees. He picked us up at the airport, helped with our luggage, and answered our questions. The restaurant service was good too. We had a good stay, though the toilet in our room didn't work very well, and they charged us for water in the room that we hadn't drunk. That was annoying.

Don't be fooled, this wasn't a luxury experience. The hotel is old and needs remodeling, with furniture that looks like it's from the late 80s or early 90s. Even the TV channels showed programs from the 70s through the 90s. I booked ahead but got a room overlooking the reception area. The boat tour with buffet was badly organized. We asked in advance what food would be served and got a vague answer about meat and sides. The meal was extremely disappointing: a Colombian take on shrimp fried rice, grilled chicken with salad and potatoes, bland food all around, and gross soup. Dessert was a bite-sized brownie that tasted store-bought and came out of a bag. Drinks were warm, with no ice or ice machine. When we arrived on the boat, they didn't serve the food so we could take it to our seats. Instead we waited an hour, then had to go downstairs and back up again. The music was too loud. It should've been on a separate floor so people who wanted peace and quiet could enjoy themselves without the noise and all the talking over the microphone.

We were told this was a nice hotel when we arrived at the front desk, but we didn't feel safe or comfortable there. The receptionist asked for more money because I was with my wife, even though the system said one adult. A man sitting beside the receptionist kept watching us while cleaning nearby, looking left and right, and fiddling with the back of his pants and his armed stuff. When another man took us to the room, he asked twice if we could give him a tip. We called an Uber and left. Make sure you stay away if you want a nice experience.

The worst experience I've ever had in my travels around the world. This hotel is a scam. They gave me trouble because I didn't have my kids' physical passports. Once I found a way to provide documents and they were satisfied, I paid for two rooms and left our luggage while we went to town for dinner. While we were out, they kept calling my phone, saying they needed my kids' birth certificates and that we'd have to leave if I couldn't provide them. They threatened to call the police if we refused. When we got back, they asked again for the certificates, with all these questions. I'd never been asked for birth certificates for my kids while traveling. I pointed out they hadn't mentioned this when I paid, and asked why they had charged me. They had no answer. I asked for my money back, but they said they could return only half because of a “NO SHOW.” Ridiculous. They also called the police on us. I'm a law enforcement officer in Florida, and I've never felt so disrespected in my own country. We were only asking for the money I'd paid. WORST EXPERIENCE EVER. Don't waste your money or time at this SCAM hotel. The worst ever!!!!!!!!!