Reserva Real by Harper Hotel

The place seemed safe, though there wasn’t much around, so getting anywhere meant taking a taxi. My room also let in a lot of street noise and kept beeping. The bigger problem was the fire alarm. It went off throughout the night on all three nights I stayed, apparently because of a wiring fault rather than a fire. I went to reception several times each day; they’d fix it, then a couple of hours later it would start again. When I left, it still hadn’t been resolved. The reception, entrance, and technical staff seemed to be trying hard with what looked like ongoing building engineering problems. Two stars for the service. Housekeeping didn’t come or leave a note during my stay. I left the garbage in the room and had to go down to reception every day for toilet paper. The pool is more of a wading pool than somewhere you can swim, and the shower gives you maybe four minutes of hot water. Looking back, staying there was a real headache, and I’m not sure I’d recommend it.

The apartment smelled awful, like a sewer, and there were roaches in our room. We also saw them around the route to the lobby. The mattress was stained and there were no curtains. The whole building felt unfinished, and we were so upset that we left for a resort instead. Never again. I wish we’d read the reviews before booking, because I’m convinced a lot of the five-star ones are fake. I’d give it zero stars if I could.

This felt more like an apartment building than a hotel, so the description should probably be changed. There were no curtains in our room, stains on the living room couch, and a horrible poop-like smell throughout the apartment. We had to leave the windows and balcony open. We also saw cockroaches going to and from the main lobby, which made it seem like the place wasn’t being kept up properly. The breakfast wasn’t good, and it was irritating to see staff standing around at the front desk or walking about without helping guests. They didn’t speak good English either. We would never come back.

The rooms are big and comfortable, with modern, spacious bathrooms, and the gym has everything you need for a solid workout. It’s good value for money, though it isn’t a five-star hotel. You’re a bit far from the beach, but the price makes up for that.