Hotel Sand Bay

I loved the place. The rooms were quiet and clean, and both the beach and pool were phenomenal.

The location is great, but the rest of the stay fell short. We rented a space for two families with two separate rooms, a kitchen, and a balcony sitting area, but got just three towels for five people and two tiny bars of soap. The sheets felt like cheap synthetic fabric, and the bed cover was torn. There was no drinking water, so we had to buy it ourselves or order it from the local colmado. The AC only came on at 6pm, so we couldn't use it earlier. The “restaurant” was right below our rooms, and the burnt-oil smell was so strong we had to keep the windows and balcony door shut, making that space useless. Breakfast there was a waste of ingredients. It cost $10 and took 50 minutes to prepare. The eggs were oily, the mangú had no taste, and the coffee was cold and diluted. They don't accept cards, so bring cash. Bring your own towels, shampoo, and drinking water too, and don't eat at their restaurant.

The staff were super kind and accommodating, and the location makes it easy to walk to local restaurants, catch a boat to Cayo Arena (Paradise Island), or explore town. You can also walk along the beach for 20 minutes to Playa Ensenada. The hotel is right on the beach, with amazing views and a lovely infinity pool. Facing west, it has stunning sunsets. I highly recommend staying here, though keep a few things in mind when booking if they matter to you. There was no hot or drinking water, and the restaurant was closed due to a lack of employees, so check ahead if having a restaurant is a selling point. Our group of seven had five rooms. Three AC units worked, but the other two didn't cool the rooms properly. My room never really got cool.

The beds were comfortable and the bathroom was decent, and the beach is worth it. The place is right on the beach and affordable, but it seems dirty and not well cared for despite having lots of potential. Management controls the AC, and nobody is at the front desk after 5pm. It needs more TLC from the owners and definitely 24/7 customer service. Setting up a kitchenette in the bedrooms would help a lot.