La Ribereña

My room was roomy and comfortable, and the place was really quiet. The staff were friendly. I’d give it five stars if they kept up with little things like having morning coffee and keeping the pool clean.

There was no warning about the loud, large party in the courtyard outside my room on the last two nights. It went on until the early hours last night, a bad end to my vacation. Perhaps Expedia should tell clients when events or conventions overlap their bookings. If I’d known, I would have canceled. I won’t be back. The hotel is a villa converted into guest rooms on the outskirts of town. Without a car, getting to basic things like restaurants means a lot of walking on unlit roads made of rocks pressed into mud, or relying on the few taxis or the local bus. Some rooms have kitchens, but rooms without them don’t even have a bar fridge. The pool seems to get little use and is cleaned infrequently. I’m not sure if it’s treated, but I’m positive its bacterial levels are never tested.

The staff were friendly, and I don’t blame them, but coffee that was meant to be available at 7:30 rarely appeared before 9. There was also no daily room service, cleaning, or fresh towels, despite the hotel being close to the lake. My wife and I booked La Riberena through Expedia. They put us in the largest, most expensive suite, which we didn’t need, and accommodated our request to move to a smaller room. But they still charged us for the larger one, a difference of 1,800 pesos, about $100, for the three nights. The desk staff spoke little English, so they connected us by phone with the owners, who agreed to refund the difference. They even took my card and said they’d credit it, but I never received the refund. Now the hotel says the matter is settled without returning the difference. Expedia also said online that only one room was left when we booked. That was obviously a marketing ploy: there was just one other guest when we arrived. When I complained about the unfair charges, Expedia passed responsibility to the hotel. Sorry, Expedia, close my account. We won’t use you again.

A really nice, clean, comfortable place where you can sleep without any problems. The only drawback is how far it is from town, so you need to take a bus to get there.