Hotel Portobelo boulevard

I was relieved to find the negative reviews I'd read before arriving didn't match my experience. It's a comfortable hotel in a great location, and everyone has been kind.

The rooms on the first floor were damp and smelled strongly of mildew, in my opinion. The receptionists said second-floor rooms are for families only, so perhaps those are better. If you do stay on the first floor, I'd air the room out before bed and ask for daily cleaning. The service was just neutral, so don't expect VIP treatment. The location is the strongest point: it's on the beach and close to shops, restaurants, and the city center. OnVacations runs the hotel, but the buffet is at the restaurant beside the Tone Hotel. Guests can use the Tone Hotel pool because this hotel doesn't have one of its own. The buffet is varied enough and barely acceptable for a week-long stay. The owner is also the owner of the Portobello Center where the Bogota family died, though nothing like that has happened at this hotel. The location is good, but I do NOT recommend staying here. It's acceptable if you can't find anything better.

The room was ready at 1 pm, even though check-in is at 4. We arrived around 11 or noon, and the receptionist was so attentive and managed to get us in early. That made a real difference after traveling. It's a simple hotel, but comfortable enough. We slept well every night in the very comfortable bed. They told us to leave the air conditioning running all the time, though we don't know why. We followed the advice and had no problems. The bathroom was good, with a large mirror. There's no hot water, but the supposedly cold water was quite lukewarm, so showering was fine. Housekeeping did a great job each day: made the bed, cleaned, changed the towels, and replaced things like shampoo and soap. Breakfast is served at another hotel about two blocks away. It's simple and nearly the same each day: omelet, a risotto-style rice, bread, ham, cheese, juice, and coffee. Not much variety, but everything tasted good. For the price, we thought it was well worth it. The location is a big part of that, right across from the beach between the main beach and Spratt Bight. I'd recommend it if you want comfort and a good location without expecting luxury.

The beds are comfortable, the room was clean, and the staff were very attentive. The location is handy, right on the boardwalk and close to the beach, though it gets noisy at night. A few things need maintenance. The terrace door, bathroom door, and shower screen don't close properly, and the rooms could use some care.