Rockaway

The rooms were actually lovely, and would otherwise have been fine, but the noise outside was insane. Nightclubs kept us awake until 4am regardless, and we left one night earlier than planned even though we’d paid for it. We wanted an ocean view, but not at the cost of sleep. I don’t know why they put people in their late 50s in rooms facing the street. Light came through the doors all night and illuminated the whole room. People were drinking and smoking around the pool, so we barely used it. It was uncomfortable all around. Prepare for no sleep.

The glazed doors let light into the room all night, so it never gets dark. A nightclub across the street plays loud music past 3 a.m., sometimes until 5 a.m. It’s beautifully decorated and right on the ocean, so it could have been five stars all the way.

The stay was good, and the place is clean. There are plenty of services from local merchants, and the small pool is nice. Breakfast is ok. Just know that the bar across the road plays very loud music until 4:30am. I’m not exaggerating. Bring earplugs if you want to sleep before then.

The local roosters were an irritating background to trying to sleep. The hotel design also means there’s no hot water at either the bathroom or kitchen sink, and no way to heat water for washing up or shaving. I’ve never encountered that in all the thousands of hotels I’ve stayed in. It somewhat spoiled an otherwise very good experience.