Apartamentos Amazonas

The flat was quiet when we visited outside school term, and it was cheap for what we needed. There were a few utensils for cooking, and the beach and local amenities were nearby. Those are about the only positives I could muster. The pool view wasn't great, since the snack bar is right across from the lounge and balcony, with people sitting about six feet away. There's just one small pool, maybe enough for 30 people, although the complex can hold hundreds. In a busy period, don't count on using it. The apartments have no air con, and there aren't enough plugs to run a fan and charge your phone at once. There's no kettle either. Getting in was a recurring headache. The access cards often failed if they were near a mobile phone, which is hard to avoid when everyone's carrying one. When we told the female director, she first blamed us for keeping the card by a phone before giving us a replacement. Check-in also took about 30 minutes, with forms to fill out as if booking from scratch, even though booking.com already had our name, age, date of birth, and other details. The female director spent about half that time on WhatsApp. The directors' attitude was bizarre. We called them when their master cards wouldn't let us into our rooms, and they argued in Spanish in front of us, with raised voices and flailing arms. Their professionalism was extremely poor. The male director was sitting topless in his office when we arrived, which we found strange. The listing says the safety deposit can be paid by cash or credit card, but on arrival they insisted on cash. We had to leave to get some, and this wasn't explained beforehand. Other reviews mention the same problem, so bring cash. The advertised 24-hour reception is a security guard who can't deal with specific issues, so for help you have to call the directors and wait for them to come back. A staff member also asked me for cigarettes. I gave him some, but it felt unexpected and unprofessional.

I've been using this place for 10 years, visiting three times a year, and I usually stay in the same room. It's excellent for me. The beach is about 200 metres away, there's rooftop sunbathing for adults, and the island's best steak house is 100 metres from the accommodation.

The restaurants and beach are easy to reach, so the location was good. Service, though, was poor. We were there for three days and couldn't get housekeeping or fresh towels. The receptionist said those are provided every fourth day, so I had to use unclean towels for the whole stay. Very disappointing.

I was nervous after reading the reviews, since it seems the unhappy guests are often the ones who post, though perhaps one of the hundred happy ones will write too. Check-in was quick, and the receptionist was nice. I checked carefully for roaches when I got to the room and didn't find any, or see any during my week there. The hotel is a bit worn down, so some areas must be hard to keep clean, but I wouldn't call it particularly dirty. It's a two-star place. There was no WiFi in my fifth-floor room, and on a couple of days a baby cried all day by the pool, which bothered guests, though that's not the hotel's fault. I wouldn't mind staying again.