Hotel Laguna

The room itself left me questioning the cleaning. The floor was filthy when I took off my shoes, and although they blamed the roadworks outside, the dust didn't look like a room that had been cleaned that day. Even getting a shower took a long time: there was no water, so I had to get dressed again and go downstairs, where reception was empty. I got the tradesman’s attention, and Cristian came back about 15 to 20 minutes later. He said the water was off while they fixed pipes and waited for a truck to bring water, without apologizing. Around 40 minutes later I was told it was back on. The trouble started at check-in. I’d been traveling for nine months and often used Google Maps to find a place to stay. The rate on the map looked very cheap, and the hotel website showed the same rate, so I booked. I also got an email confirming it. When I arrived, nobody was at reception. A man answered the number listed on Google, said “no inglés” when I tried to explain I was there, then hung up. He didn’t answer when I called back. I tried again from a different SIM and number, and he picked up. I told him in Spanish, which was very similar to English, that I was at reception. He came from the back of the hotel, clearly a tradesman, called someone, and gestured that help would arrive. About 20 minutes later Cristian, the actual receptionist, appeared and looked at me as if to ask what I was doing there. I showed him the email reservation. He shook his head and said there was no booking. He blamed a problem with the website, though I showed him its confirmation and insisted I had booked. Then he quoted a much higher price for the night, saying rates had gone up over the last few days as high season approached. It was way beyond my budget. He wouldn’t honor the price or apologize for the information on the site. There was no other way to book through the site, and it had no links to Booking.com, Agoda, Expedia, or other platforms. The accommodation also didn’t show up when I checked those sites. Exhausted after traveling since 5 a.m., and after officials had already tried to rip me off at the Panama border, I decided to stay one night. All I wanted after arriving in the room was a shower and a chance to freshen up before dinner with my friend. Instead, I had to go downstairs in my sweaty clothes and deal with the water issue. I wouldn’t recommend this place. There are plenty of other affordable options on the island with friendly, genuine service. Steer clear unless you don’t mind being treated poorly.