Hostel Sand and Lake

The staff were very friendly, and the room itself was spacious. Still, I was hugely disappointed after booking based on its solid 4 star Google rating. The location by the laguna seems to benefit the restaurant more than the rooms. My room's only "window" opened onto a hallway used to vent the kitchen or AC, and it was hotter there than in the cool dessert air. There was no sound insulation either. The shower had so much lime buildup that water sprayed everywhere but where it should, and getting hot water was hit or miss. Breakfast was just a sad basket of bread with butter and jam.

The main reason to stay here is that it's right on the water. But rooms cost three times as much as in town, two kilometers away, so I'd rather stay outside the oasis and take a walk, taxi, or jeepney to the lake and sand. The rooms are clean enough, though they have no AC and trap the heat. The fan runs hard but barely helps, and once the sun's up, sleeping in is out of the question. Breakfast isn't a draw either: three slices of untoasted bread, too little butter and jam, and ersatz coffee that tastes and smells nothing like real coffee and is undrinkable.

Room 202 was horrible, unbearably hot, and had bedbugs. My boyfriend and I woke up covered in bites. The bathroom had no private door, which I found nasty. Never again. The location and the restaurant inside the hotel were the only good parts.

When I got there, they said my HostelWorld booking had been cancelled, so I ended up paying a lot more for the same place. The management was poor.