Tumay Hotel Bitez

The worst hotel stay I've ever had, and I wouldn't recommend it even for one night. We were never told that my colleague and I would have to share a bed. The bathroom was stained and unhygienic, and its door neither closed nor locked. The walls were paper-thin, so we heard everything, including music from the garden TV in our room. The photos gave a misleading impression. Breakfast was very poor, and I wasn't sure it was replenished every day. I asked repeatedly for room service over five days, but it came only once. Then, because some towels were stained, we were charged for five sheets, five pillows, five towels and five foot towels, despite there having been just one foot towel in the room to begin with.

The one good thing was that the beds were clean and comfortable. The room itself was tiny, smaller than other hotel rooms I've stayed in, and very old. The bathroom was unhygienic, with the previous guest's mess still in the toilet. The shower had no door on one side, so using the sink meant getting splashed. Doors slammed noisily, and the fridge kept me awake. Outside, the crickets were loud too. I can't really comment on breakfast, but by the look of it, anyone with a strong stomach would get full. The service staff seemed to be on their own and were rushing around trying to do everything.

We picked this hotel because it was affordable, and the welcome was friendly. Once we settled in, though, it was a big disappointment. The rooms constantly smelled of drains, and when we asked about cleaning, they asked if we were checking out. I got the impression they only cleaned when guests left. The elderly owner seemed tense and angry. When a cat came to our table, he shouted at us for giving it a small piece of cheese, saying, “We buy these for humans to eat, not for cats.” Meanwhile, their dog barked at the hotel day and night. Breakfast was meant to run until 11:00, but when we arrived at 9:30 and asked about it, they brushed us off with, “They're all finished.” I don't think I'll return.

My wife and I stayed three days, and I can't see why some of the reviews are so exaggeratedly negative. We've stayed at worse boutique hotels. The place was clean, the areas were suitable, and I liked the location and atmosphere. The cleaning lady was attentive and happy to help with anything we needed. Breakfast could perhaps have been prepared with a bit more care. Otherwise, thank you, and best wishes :)