Hotel La Ría Playas

I visited this gorgeous place in Playas last year, saw the rooms and the rest of the property, and had lunch there. The food, service, and cocktails were tasty and well prepared. Yes, I recommend staying here.

There’s beach access, and the room was clean, with an ocean view and a small balcony. Breakfast was simple but okay. The pool is more like a large jacuzzi. It’s a nice little hotel overall, but the rooms are too expensive!

The beach is just a short walk away, and there’s private parking. Nice place, close to typical restaurants served by local aborigines.

The room itself was decent, with an ocean view, and the building seems fairly new. That was the one part of my stay I liked. The welcome from the staff was poor from the start. After a front desk employee showed me the room and explained the TV, he came back about a minute later and told me I had to remove my sister-in-law because rooms were only for paying guests. My wife, daughter, and I had all paid. My sister-in-law had driven me from Guayaquil to Playas and was only helping carry our suitcases. She had a reservation at HOTEL BELLAVISTA, and we were leaving shortly for a wedding. I had just arrived after a long trip from the USA, GYE-PLAYAS, and his assumption and manner left a terrible first impression. The next morning, the woman working there complained constantly and argued with her coworkers. She acted as if serving my family was a favor. At checkout, she sent an employee running off with my keys to inspect the room while we were still calmly taking our luggage to the car. Even asking her about the final bill seemed to annoy her. I felt worse than if I had stayed for free, not like a guest at “LA RIA.” The only person who greeted us warmly was the safety guard. The manager should consider giving him a chance at the front desk. The service was nowhere near what I expect for prices comparable to a 3-star hotel in Naples, Florida. I’m from Guayaquil, live in the USA, and love visiting Ecuador and recommending its attractions to friends. I’ve stayed in hotels of different ratings and followed their rules, and I’ve never had a reason to be treated this way. I would never recommend LA RIA - PLAYAS HOTEL unless you’re comfortable with bad service.