Pacific Star Resort & Spa

The pool is nice, and the staff are fairly friendly with decent service. Parking wasn’t a problem when I wrote this in January. Chandra Spa is actually really good, and the staff there are sweet and considerate. The building feels very dated. My favorite comment was, “Yeah. I bet this place was swinging in the 60s!” That pretty much says it all. The fitness center is decrepit, though you can manage the basics. The rooms aren’t horrible, but they’re old too, with tube TVs. The power button on ours was recessed into the panel, turning it into a retro paperweight. Continental breakfast is sparse but decent. If you’re on a budget, it’s up to you whether to stay.

The only good thing I can say about this hotel is that it has a parking garage. I booked based on photos from another travel site and was met with poor service and a string of problems. After more than 20 hours of travel, I arrived in the evening to a room where a leaking spigot was clearly audible from the bedroom suite. The front desk sent an “engineer,” who returned an hour later with a drill and tools and said fixing it would take at least another hour. Instead of moving me, that was their plan. I complained at the desk and got a different room, but it wasn’t any better. By then I just wanted sleep. Two days later, the toilet was running constantly and the flusher broke. I ordered room service, waited an hour, and got nothing. None of the other buttons on my room phone worked, so I called the front desk. They said their system was down and it would be another 15 minutes. Thirty minutes later, an hour and a half after ordering, I called again. They still didn’t know what was happening and had to call someone. The staff are super nice, but they’re terrible at following up and making sure problems are resolved. I never got a call about the order, and when the food finally arrived, it was cold. Awesome. The hotel’s condition is nowhere near what the name suggests. Rain leaks through the windows badly enough that they put fans out to dry the carpet, leaving rooms and hallways smelling of mildew. The carpet is torn and stained, wallpaper is peeling, and the toilets and baths are in bad shape. The room was so damp and gross that I didn’t walk around without shoes. The “fitness center” equipment is torn and worn, and most of it doesn’t work. There aren’t sanitizing spray bottles to wipe it down after use. I know it’s humid, but the hotel needs a serious update and should spend money fixing basic problems like leaky faucets and toilets. I definitely wouldn’t recommend staying here. Don’t be fooled by the pictures.

The staff are still great, but the building is plainly showing its age. I remember it as a nice place once. The views are decent, at least. The rooms are pretty meh now, the patios don’t seem to be cleaned well, and the bathroom plumbing is a leaky mess. The toilet keeps running, and water leaks from the shower controls. On an island short on fresh water, you’d think they’d pay attention to this, but apparently they haven’t or don’t care.

The bay view is good, and the hotel is right on the beach. The room was fine and the cleaning service was nice. The outdoor pool bar is a pleasant spot for drinks, and the cardio room is nice too. The covered garage is useful, though crowded. It’s not a bad place overall, but there are better options in the bay. The shower temperature swung from very hot to very cold about every 14 seconds. The steakhouse was good, but the breakfast buffet cost $16.50 and had few choices. Most other hotels on the bay have better breakfast. The weight room was one of the most disgusting things I’ve seen: about 12 ancient machines, six broken, and a nice free weight set covered in rust. The carpet floor should have been replaced with a rubber mat at least 10 years ago. I don’t know what’s wrong with the elevators, but a few times I waited over 10 minutes for one. They seem to be shut down a lot.