La Residencia by Villa Alejandro

The grounds are lovely and peaceful, perfect for sitting quietly or getting into a book. Our spacious Bella Vista suite had a restorative view, a comfortable California King, a huge bathroom, and a walk-in closet. It's about a ten-minute walk to Boquete Alto's main street and its restaurants. The shower was great, with a rain shower head and plenty of hot water. The open kitchen works, but the two-burner unit is slow and the utensils feel flimsy. Ants swarm any cup or dish left for five minutes in the tiny sink, and the sink water never seems to get warm. A tranquil stay overall.

The garden was pretty, but parking was difficult. The supposed mountain view mostly looked onto the neighbors' big blue house. We stayed for a few days and didn't get any housekeeping.

After a 23-hour flight from Thailand, I arrived to find nobody available to check us in. Even with the instructions, the place was hard to find, and we couldn't get our code to work despite completing online registration. There were three elderly people in our group, and we had to climb the hill and stairs while dragging our bags, with no one to help. Someone should be there to welcome guests and assist with luggage. For what we paid, I expected a much better reception. If Villa Alejandro treasures its guests, it should have someone meet them and help them get to their rooms. I won't stay here again or recommend it. We had two rooms, one large and one small. There was a throw beside each bed, but the rugs were dirty and need cleaning.

The service really stood out. Staff replied so quickly on WhatsApp and checked during our stay to see if we needed fresh towels or cleaning. Everything was clean, organized, and useful, and the shower had incredible pressure and hot water. The grounds are peaceful and well kept. It's just outside town, an easy ten-minute walk. We loved staying here.