hotel del sur

The room was fairly clean, and the staff were friendly and accommodating. Breakfast was fruit, bread, juice, and coca tea, with eggs made to order if someone was in the kitchen. Still, it was only a slight step above a hostel, suitable for a night or two, and my stay was just fine overall. The comfortable bed was let down by rock-hard pillows. In June, there was no heat and the room was freezing. I slept in thermal underwear, another pair of pajamas, thick socks, a beanie, two blankets, and a comforter. The curtains gave privacy but barely blocked light: when the hall light came on, my room was bright enough to read with the room lights off and curtains closed. Sound carried everywhere. I could hear conversations in the hall and lobby, guests peeing and snoring, alarms, and every loud room door opening or closing. The window rattled whenever the building’s pressure changed, including when doors moved, a heavy vehicle passed, or a plane flew overhead. The room had no safe. When I arrived, they had only one key and said I’d need reception to open my door each time, but I managed to convince them to give me the only copy. Watch out in the bathroom: there were no bath mats, so put a towel both inside and outside the shower. Water spread over the floor, and the tile was dangerously slippery. I fell and dislocated my shoulder. The towels were paper thin, very small, and still hadn’t dried during my three days there.