La Heliconia

The location is great, right by the airport and the lovely beach called Magazine. The beds were comfortable, and the shower pressure was sufficient, though I had to look past rust stains on the wall. The rest of the stay was awful. My downstairs room was under the cafeteria and reception, and every morning the sound of staff or guests dragging chairs across the cement floor echoed through the room and woke me far too early. Breakfast was included, but it didn’t feel worth the price, especially with canned beans as one of the items. Staff were marginally helpful, and seemed unable to resolve common problems without the owner. The shower knob broke off in my hand, and despite repeated complaints, it took four days to fix. I went without a shower for those four days. There were also cockroaches the size of my thumb in my room. I showed a video and complained, and was told the hotel would handle it, but by the time they may have dealt with the roaches and shower, I had already checked out. The facility is outdated and needs remodeling. Customer service was worse after checkout. They made no effort to help with anything, including a taxi or baggage storage. This was the worst hotel stay of my life, and I don’t recommend it. Avoid this place. There are better hotels on either side for a little more per night.

Handy if you need to be near the airport, and the pool is a nice way to cool off. The staff were accommodating and helpful. Curt and Shereena were especially attentive, props to them. Great team.

Great food, and for me this is the best place to stay near the airport. The island feels small and big at the same time, but this is also where I’d choose to stay on the island overall.

Things have improved a lot since before. The chef is respectful and polite, and the service deserves a thumbs up. Really appreciated it.