Hotel El Marques

We booked through booking and were told to pay at reception, where they made us pay 15% extra. Our apartment had canceled at the last minute, so we were desperate and had to pay. I felt scammed. Breakfast ends at 9 a.m., which may work for business travelers, but as tourists we couldn’t sleep in. Traffic is bad early, too, so expect noise and an early start. The windows are thin and don’t close properly, so street sounds come right in. The beds are very large but hard, and after one night I had back pain. There’s no power outlet in the room apart from the old type for the TV, so charging a phone means using the bathroom. The shower temperature is unpredictable. It can swing from ice cold to boiling in seconds, which could be dangerous for sensitive skin. WiFi is an open network and often slow. One bedside lamp kept flashing until we removed its bulb. The air conditioning, at least, worked perfectly.

It’s very clean and in a nice, fairly safe area, with lots of shops and other amenities nearby. The hotel does the job, but the friendly staff didn’t seem on top of everything. Breakfast was about as basic as it gets, with no options, especially for celiacs or vegans. They said we’d get a free water bottle each night, but we had to ask for them. We were also charged a 10% hotel service fee, which felt ridiculous when you’re already paying for the hotel. The listed online price excludes that fee and taxes, so the nightly cost ends up higher than expected. We had no idea about the fee, and 10% adds up, which is why I gave two stars.

I stopped in for breakfast with some customers because the hotel is near another customer’s office. The food was below subpar, and while the service was alright, the place wasn’t appealing. They also asked me to leave a piece of ID at reception before going up to the restaurant, which felt really awkward. I couldn’t recommend it in good conscience.

The staff were friendly and helpful, and the guys in the restaurant felt genuine.