Hotel Boutique La Rioja

This was the worst experience we've ever had. We couldn't pay with our US payment method, and when we called three days ahead, the hotel said we didn't have a reservation. A family member who had made the deposit had to go to the back to confirm it. We tried to cancel because they wanted us to pay for two rooms. We explained that we didn't need two, since we had two small children and wanted them to stay with grama in our room. They eventually agreed to a compromise and said we'd have to switch rooms on Sunday. But on Saturday, while we were having lunch by the pool, they told us we had to move within the next couple of hours. We rushed to move. During that process, two high-end bags went missing. One contained our credit card and IDs. We reported it to the hotel employees, who kept gaslighting us. They never offered any resolution.

The bathroom was great, with good water pressure and temperature, and the bed and sheets were good. But none of that made up for the terrible service. The manager was rude and unhelpful, and the employees didn't seem to understand hospitality. They were noisy and played regueton nonstop on Spotify, ads included. A phone kept ringing all night, and I didn't sleep at all because of the employees. They didn't take care of basic things like letting guests rest or addressing their needs. It was a very disappointing stay. Also, the facilities, including the pool, aren't as large in person as they look in the photos.

My daughter and I went swimming after arriving in the afternoon, and I stepped on a sharp wire sticking up between the floor tiles. It went deep into the sole of my left foot and hurt me. I showed it to the manager so he'd check the pool for my daughter's safety and for future guests. He barely responded, didn't take responsibility, and didn't apologize for the inconvenience. That incident sums up the nonexistent hospitality and service here. The building itself seems absurdly planned, and reception is so close to the rooms that it's hard to sleep with all the noise and the nonstop phone ringing. They never answer the phone, and when we asked them to turn it down, they did nothing, just said, "we will pass the comment". I was very disappointed. If you want to rest and get good service, don't stay here. It's not worth the nightly price.

The pool water was pleasantly warm on a cold day, which I really appreciated. It's a charming hotel, though the rooms feel a little small for what they charge per night.