Marina Las Palmas

It's so pretty there. You need permission to get in, and the guard has to buzz you through.

We booked after reading positive reviews, but most were from 3-5 years ago, and our stay was unpleasant from the gate onward. Several times the guards didn't seem to know we were staying there, so we had to argue to get in. Our host emailed the administration, who said they'd handle it, but the same thing happened twice more. The place isn't worth $140 a night if all you get is grief. When I book, I want to be treated like a guest. We had Keyes, but still ended up getting out of the car in a rain storm to argue with a guard to let us in. The guards were rude and unhelpful, too. Our host was lovely but couldn't do much about Adriana and Rynaldo, the administratores, who seemed never to answer or do anything and were never around during business hours.

The contract is one sided and gives the renter no protection, so use caution. Each condo has a separate owner and rental agent, and the condo association regulations set a three-month minimum stay. Conditions vary widely from unit to unit. I rented a two-bedroom, two-bath condo that was dirty when I arrived, with fingernail clippings and body hair everywhere. The screens, fans, and windows hadn't been washed in a while, and missing screens on some windows let small animals wander in. There were lots of large cockroaches. The washing machine didn't work and wasn't replaced until after two weeks. The rental agent failed to pay the internet bill three times during my stay, including once for more than a week. Most upsetting, I still hadn't received the security deposit after two months, despite being promised it several times. Poor maintenance also meant I woke up one morning to find the apartment flooded with two inches of water. Stuff happens, but this was too much.

The host was very helpful, and the room was close to so many handy places. I loved the nearby Plaza.