Indie Universe Creative Hotel

Laureles is a lovely area, with nice cafés, good security, and a great feel, and I'm enjoying my stay here. The downstairs coworking area has lockers, though I didn't feel they were secure enough to leave my luggage in while I waited to check in. The place feels more like a dorm than a hotel, and guests can't visit after 10 PM. Having traveled to over 100 countries, I've found visitors are usually allowed in most hotels. Still, it's a nice stay.

I've spent over a decade in global media and regularly record voiceovers for international clients, and I've never had an experience like this. People pay studio rates for audio quality, not the look of the room. This place seems focused on looking cool instead of delivering high-end creative work. Be careful if you need professional or broadcast-level recording. I booked the audio studio for a professional voiceover after being assured beforehand that the sound would be broadcast-ready and the equipment high-end. The space looks nice, but the setup is extremely basic, basically a dry hire with a basic microphone, mixer, and speakers. There's no audio engineer, professional-grade microphone, or high-end sound treatment. At $65 an hour, that doesn't make sense, especially since the price was recently raised to match high-end London and New York studios, where that rate includes top-tier microphones, world-class sound systems, and experienced engineers. The price doubled within four days. When I arrived, the microphone didn't work, and four staff members scrambled to get everything running. Even though I had been told the audio quality would be suitable, my client rejected the recording because of loud hissing and background noise. Charging $65 an hour for substandard audio feels misleading, and like an attempt to take advantage of tourists and foreigners without understanding what that rate means internationally. Elsewhere, that price would mean professional equipment and technical expertise, and neither was provided here. At minimum, the situation calls for a full refund or a re-record using equipment that really is broadcast-ready. I've tried contacting the studio to resolve this and have been ignored.

Luisa at reception was incredibly sweet and helpful, and the room was nice. The location is perfect, too. My stay at indie was amazing, and I'd absolutely recommend the place.

For what this costs, I'd expect the basics to happen without having to keep asking. It's already the third day, even though they claim rooms are cleaned every two days, and I've had to beg reception for a cleaning or fresh towels. Then housekeeping said they had knocked and that I didn't need cleaning, but that never happened. Such a pity, the service sucks.