ByGrace Pension House

The hosts were friendly and answered messages quickly. We had a good week here without any problems, with AC, hot shower water, and free drinking water. There’s also a shared kitchen upstairs with a fridge and some cooking gear. The area is peaceful, though it’s a bit away from town. We knew that when booking, and it takes about a 15-minute walk to reach the busier stretch.

The hosts were really helpful. We got in at 7 in the morning, well before the 2 pm check-in, but they had our room cleaned and ready by 11:30. When our flight home was cancelled with 12 hours’ notice, they let us extend our stay and arranged new transport to the airport. The room was clean and spacious. It’s a little outside the town center, though about a 10-minute walk, and there are usually plenty of Tuktuk’s going by if you’d rather ride.

We had a wonderful stay at the By Grace, and we remember Yoanna Panayotova and her friends from their visit. In our experience, she was rude to the staff and management and often caused trouble. Her review is hateful and false. Our room was clean, the staff were great, and we’ll definitely stay there again on our next trip. Shame on you, Yoanna.

The bike they rented me had a faulty right brake, an issue I raised in the first few days. I asked to switch bikes, but was told there were no others available, even though I’d already paid for all 10 rental days, so I felt I had no choice but to manage with it. After I had an accident, they changed it for a bike that worked great, then pursued me for extra payment to use it. I’d heard a nearby bike shop warn us against renting from the hotel, and regret not listening. When I asked why I hadn’t been refunded for the days without a replacement, the response was, “Oh, I’m so sorry, I should’ve done this. Anyway, you should pay though.” The brake problem had been reported before the accident, but nothing was done. I left three nights before my stay was due to end after finding a cockroach in my room. I asked for a refund, but the property told Booking that they’d cleaned my room twice and I’d left because maybe I didn’t like it. I knew I might not get a refund and would have to find another pricey place at the last minute, but the treatment made me leave anyway. I’m still blocked on WhatsApp, despite being told I’d get a response for a “pleasant stay.” There were also cockroaches in all three of our separate rooms. My friend had one crawling on her in bed the night before I arrived on the 25th, and they said that was an isolated incident that had never happened before. I understand it’s the jungle, and one incident could happen, but it wasn’t just one. When they denied there was any sign of cockroaches and said we were making things up, I took a photo. I wish I’d also photographed the mice in the upstairs kitchen. We were told cleaning was free, but my friend had paid for it, and we were charged 400 pesos for cleaning and for toilet paper, which I consider basic service. I don’t understand charging for cleaning when there’s a cockroach and mouse problem. Rooms should be cleaned without charge and checked regularly, rather than guests chasing cockroaches at 3 am. I’ve attached a screenshot of the arrival information, and a screenshot of the cockroach. I’ve never written a bad review before, but wanted to sum it up for anyone who doesn’t want the whole story: cockroaches, mice, terrible WiFi, a host I found extremely rude and condescending, excuses I felt were lies to avoid confrontation, and a call of mine he never answered. There was no basic hotel service. I confronted one of the women after all three of us found cockroaches; she said they offered free cleaning and that she’d told my friend, which wasn’t true, or my friend wouldn’t have paid. They lied through their teeth about everything. If anyone wants screenshots of my unanswered chats, feel free to contact me directly. I’m happy to share more details. :)