Courtyard by Marriott Aguadilla

We had an amazing stay, especially thanks to the staff and service, which were excellent. The pools were refreshing and spotless, and I didn’t expect to find a Denny’s right there. The food was hot and really well prepared. Our room’s bathroom needs a full remodel, but the pool, casino, staff, and location close to everything were all big pluses.

Simone at the front desk gave me a list of local taxis when I checked in and pointed out the cheapest one. I’m not sure how accurate the price comparison was, but I didn’t feel like calling around for more quotes. There was a cute little cat with a collar hanging around the pool, and the staff seemed to look after it. After checkout, I was also able to wait by the pool with my luggage without anyone making an issue of it. The Denny’s was handy since I hadn’t rented a car. I’d booked for one night because my flight landed at 3 a.m. and the hotel advertised a free shuttle. Beforehand, I was told to call after landing, so I did. They said it would be five minutes, but gave me no description of the shuttle and didn’t ask my name. BQN is tiny, so I thought I couldn’t miss it. After 15 minutes with no shuttle, I called reception and no one answered. I finally took a taxi for $15, even though the ride was under five minutes. As a young woman traveling alone, I could have walked, but that shouldn’t have been the situation. At the hotel I calmly explained what happened, and the person at the desk didn’t seem to care. It was almost 4 a.m., and I would have appreciated an apology or some concern, especially since the shuttle is an advertised amenity. The lobby was nicely renovated, but the rooms felt extremely dated. I was glad it was only one night before moving to my Airbnb right on the beach. It’s a three-star place and you get what you pay for, but I’ve stayed in three-star hotels that were updated and clean.

The area was quiet, and even with some renovations underway at the hotel, they weren’t intrusive to me. My husband and I stayed seven days for our anniversary and enjoyed it. Our room was small and cozy, which was fine since we got up early for breakfast and spent our days out doing activities around the island. Crashboat beach and a few other beaches are about 12 minutes away. We walked to Survival Bistro on the next corner for lunch and dinner, and the food was excellent. The owners at The Resto Bar, around the other corner, were really nice, and the food was delicious too. The hotel is surrounded by Homeland Security and what I believe is an Army base. I booked through Hotels.com back in June and had no issues. We’ll definitely come again.

I’m not sure about the five-star rating since I’ve never stayed there. I go for breakfast at Denny’s and then visit the casino. It’s also convenient to the beaches.