Hotel Shaddai

The room was clean, the water pressure was good, the air conditioning worked, and the price was okay. It wasn’t the worst stay, but I’m bothered by false advertising and the extra 30 pesos. We’d booked through Expedia. The woman at the front desk didn’t speak English and charged us a “TAX” of 30 pesos even though we’d paid online. She didn’t have change, so I asked for a receipt and got it the next day. Our room faced the entrance and the hotel’s only staircase. It was noisy, with a small window looking into the hall. With those misleading window photos, I have to wonder how they can call it a hotel.

It’s about a 10-minute walk to the beach, with plenty of restaurants and convenience stores close by, nearly every block. The rooms are nice and cleaned every day. The staff aren’t very friendly, though, and seem to avoid talking to English speakers. Laura, one of the housekeepers, was lovely, always smiling and friendly.

Someone from the hotel staff forced open my safe and took my £440 when I was there a year ago. I reported it at the police station. If you can, stay somewhere else.

It does the job, but the rooms have no outside windows for sunlight. Maybe that’s just as well, since the view isn’t much to look at.