Villa Thérèse

The buffet breakfast didn’t have much variety, but you could eat as much as you wanted, and the juice was made from seasonal fruit. The pool was unclean during my stay, and the water tasted kind of salty. Apparently, pool access is available around the clock. I paid for a standard room on the second floor with two twin beds. There’s one standard room per floor, and apparently only the ground floor rooms have a queen bed. My room had hot water and a small safe, but no mini fridge, hairdryer, iron, or ironing board. All rooms are non-smoking. Wi-Fi was poor in my room, maybe because of where it was, but worked well on the balcony. The price included a bottle of wine of my choice, red, white, or rosé. I hadn’t reserved in advance, so I had to remind them to bring it to my room.

The breakfast, decor, and pool were lovely, and the breakfast and checkout hours were decent. The room was shabbier than the photo, but okay. I like tile floors because they can be mopped, unlike carpet, and I had my husband wipe it down with towels. It wasn’t dirty. The shower knob was broken and flips up. The check-in experience was very disappointing. I booked this three-star hotel because I liked the decor. I’ve stayed in many hotels around the world and usually look for tile floors and a decent breakfast. I also need a pool or hot tub, and I always appreciate a spa. This booking was a birthday gift for my husband. He felt disrespected by the staff at check-in. I booked through a third party, and the hotel said it had emailed me extra rules. I checked my inbox, spam, and trash, and there was nothing. They required a $100 USD cash deposit per person, which we didn’t know about and couldn’t pay because we only had cards. Once they realized I had no cash, they were rude and disrespectful, whispering to each other about me instead of speaking to me. I had to write out a statement authorizing a card transaction and include the card number, bank, routing number, itinerary number, my address, and other details, then email it so my husband could stay. It was unexpected and unnecessary. After all that, they never charged the deposit to my card. Check-in took two hours, which is outrageous. If the hotel had treated him like a regular client, actually sent the email, and not whispered about or ignored me, this could have been a five-star review. He felt they expected a white woman and not a Black man. I’d raise this with the hotel if it had a customer contact email, but it doesn’t, so I’m posting here to be heard. In response to management: Yes, I booked the stay for my husband as a birthday gift, so I’ll handle the matter. Your desk assistant said an email had been sent, but we have none. Expedia also didn’t know about it when I called, and their representative looked for the email. That’s what your desk assistant told me. My husband does have a credit card, but it’s a business card he can’t use for a hotel. I sent you my card information, and I only had a debit card with me. I wasn’t home and didn’t carry all my cards. I never said anyone handed me a piece of paper. I said I had to write all the information on paper and email it because the form your representative sent wouldn’t open for printing. It said the format wasn’t allowed. Please inspect the shower again, the knob flops around. I have a video and can send it if you have an email address. My husband is not a liar. He said he felt very unwelcome and disrespected. He apologized for the check-in problems because he’s a diplomat, is professional, and felt he could be the bigger person, not because he felt guilty. That’s good business.

I needed an extra night after my flight schedule changed, so I booked Royal Oasis for a change of scenery and regretted every minute. This is my new favorite hotel in Petionville. The exterior is beautiful and peaceful, security is top notch, and the rooms are clean and nice. The fridge gets really cold and the shower water very hot. The private balcony was the highlight. It gave an outdoor feel while still keeping things private. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere and amazing food, and all the staff were friendly and helpful. I had a great stay and will definitely be back.

The rooms have a refrigerator, so you can walk to a nearby market or grocery store and pick up lunch and dinner. This is a nice family getaway, with a beautiful pool that works for everyone. Toddlers can play on the broad shallow steps, while older kids can tread water at the deep end and parents read in the shade while keeping an eye on them. The free breakfast is hearty and comes with a wide variety of fruit.