Ourasol

We were on the top floor and had a great view. The pool was lovely, and evenings there were nice and quiet. We had a good stay, so I don’t understand all the complaints. The only strange thing was that the wooden furniture was greasy or oily when we arrived. I wiped it with one of the fresh shower towels they brought each day. The beach, Strip and shops are all about a two-minute walk away. It’s good value if you keep your expectations in check. If you’re expecting the Ritz Plaza, you’ll be disappointed. You get what you pay for.

The apartment I’d booked was in the city center, but they moved my reservation to another one almost 2 KM away without telling me, then described it as an upgrade. After the long trip from Brussels, we just wanted to get there and rest. Instead, the lift was out of order until the morning of our third day, and the WiFi was so poor I had to stand against a bedroom wall to get a signal. There was no hair dryer, although the booking said one would be provided. The shower was held with thin iron wire and was hard to use properly. They changed the towels only once every three days, which is a strange policy for a beach resort. The kitchen had no soap or dishwasher, and the blankets had holes from cigarette burns. It was exhausting and unhygienic, and the price was far too high for this kind of stay. Worst experience of my life.

The staff were friendly, but the accommodation in rm 113 was dirty, smelly and badly maintained. There was feces around the toilet base, blood splatter on the bathroom tiles, and old used condoms on the balcony. The sheets were grey with old blood stains. I reported a leaking toilet and a dangerous light switch, though I didn’t mention the blood on the walls. We couldn’t afford another hotel, so I cleaned everything with disinfectant and stayed. When we finally got room service, they put the old bedding back on the bed, including the beach sand we’d brought in on our feet. The cleanliness and general maintenance were extremely poor. This place desperately needs investment and a new manager.

The location is ideal, near the beach and main Strip, with a train ride to the old town. I was surprised to find a nice place after reading the reviews. It’s clean, if dated. It’s not a Thomas Cook hotel with staff who are over-friendly, but nobody was rude and they were helpful. It really isn’t as bad as the reviews make out.