Punta del Mar

3.5 stars. The setting is lovely and the staff were very nice, but the food was only so-so. A lot of menu items weren't available, and what we tried wasn't consistently good enough to justify the price. The pool also needs attention. Some tiles are missing, leaving sharp grout edges that scratched my kids, and the infinity overflow feature that makes the pool blend visually into the sea wasn't working. It would have been nice to see it working.

The property itself was beautiful, and the women on staff were lovely. Everyone there seemed great, and my friend and I enjoyed the grounds. It was odd to find the place almost empty, though, like a ghost town. Most staff were friendly and accommodating at first, but the experience became strange. We arrived late, tired and hungry, ordered drinks and then a meal around 8:40pm local time. While we were eating and drinking, the lights went out. We were told that James had ordered all lighting shut off at 9pm sharp as a policy. My fellow female traveler and I were the only guests and the only people eating, yet had to finish in the dark. No one had mentioned this rule when we ordered just moments earlier. When we asked if they could at least light the patio enough for us to finish, they refused and said we should contact James, the owner/operator, who was overseas in Australia. The same rigid approach came up during the rest of our stay. We pointed out ants all over the property, and were told, “It's rainy season and I cant control the weather.” Sure, it was rainy season, and nobody controls insects, but their response felt uncaring when we were simply reporting an infestation. We tried to make the best of it, but a string of small moments added up and became hard to bear. The local staff seemed unable to resolve things because James was in charge from Australia, so we called him. He repeatedly called us “Mate,” speaking in a very slurry voice. I can’t say whether the time difference played a part, but we thought he was probably intoxicated, which made the calls worse. He never apologized, explained or tried to reassure us, just repeated things like “Sorry, mate, but I ain't there to change the weather,” and “Sorry, mate, that's the policy.” We were two women traveling in Peru, not his mates. At first, we decided not to review the stay. James wasn't there, the employees were following policy, however outdated or unsuited to the situation, and the place seemed to be operating under a shadow regime. We thought we would just chalk it up to one of those experiences. But after we got home, the owner/operator publicly denounced our visit and tried to humiliate us by calling my companion and me “disrespectful,” for reasons we still don't know. I won't let that stand. It's a beautiful facility with caring staff who seemed scared to act, and an owner/operator who was inattentive and, in my view, had enjoyed one too many. Best wishes, sir.

A nice, clean place with a good view and pool, close to mancora. The food was okay.

The location is incredible, and the staff made the whole stay feel relaxed. They were so accommodating and wonderful. I’d definitely recommend it. Thank you!