Tryp by Wyndham Mayaguez

Parking was easy, the staff were pleasant, and I slept well on the comfortable bed. The rooms are on the small side, though they’re fine for a quick work trip or a city visit. The building feels older and has the usual quirks, but it’s clean and well cared for. It’s a solid 3-star hotel, and I rated it 4 because it does its job so well for a stay in the city center, within walking distance of lots of places. One thing to know: heat from the building can overwhelm the room AC. The hotel would need to make some pretty major investments to address that. I’d set the AC a few degrees colder than you like before bed, or turn it down if you happen to wake up around 3 am.

The staff were super friendly and attentive, and the lobby convenience store had a good selection. We were glad to find Malta India and milk for a treat. We also noticed a generator and cisterns, so the hotel seems well prepared for utility outages. It’s right in the heart of Mayagüez, with shops, restaurants, the main square, city hall, and cathedral nearby. Casa Abu is literally in the backyard. You can walk to just about anywhere in the city center, and there’s plenty of parking, which can be hard to find in town. By car, the mall is 7 minutes away, Cabo Rojo's beaches are 20 minutes away, and Aguadilla airport (BQN) is 40-50 minutes away. There’s a pool for the kids, and it’s pet friendly. They also have a business center, a small gym, and laundry, with the washer costing $2.00/load and the dryer $2.00/dry. This was a hidden gem for us, and we’d stay again when we return if the price is right, like it was when we booked.

The staff were very attentive and did their best to make the stay enjoyable. The hotel itself is a solid 3 star, but light sleepers may not be happy here. We had a terrible experience at the restaurant too. They seemed short staffed and without much leadership, and it took over an hour just to get coffee. Skip it and find breakfast somewhere local.

We were stuck away from the hotel and couldn’t get a taxi, so I called the desk for help. Manuel gave me some numbers to try, but when those didn’t work, I started walking. A few minutes later he called back and sent the hotel maintenance truck to pick us up. He saved us from a 4 mile walk along a dark highway and deserves infinite praise.