Solanas Punta del Este Spa & Resort

There’s a lot to do here, so I’d suggest coming in summer and staying at least two days. The property is huge, with multiple pools, lots of greenery, and good hot pools. The rooms are excellent, well furnished, and have all the amenities you need. The crystal pool looked amazing, but the water was too cold for us to go in. We couldn’t figure out the stove, and after calling reception several times, waited a few hours for help while we were really hungry. You also have to carry several towel cards, and which one you need depends on the pool.

It’s a little expensive, but there are so many ways to keep yourself entertained. We had to check out at 10 AM on Sunday, though our bus back to Montevideo wasn’t until 7 PM. They let us keep the room until 4 PM at no extra cost. A fabulous place to have fun with friends and family.

The pool was the main reason we chose this resort, but we were turned away when we got there. We were told it was included when we checked in, and the woman even circled Crystal Beach on the services sheet and confirmed that it came with our stay. In the end, we had to pay an extra $10 each to use it. For $500 USD for two nights in a mediocre hotel, this should have been made clear from the start. We had to walk 20 minutes back to reception to pay and get another wristband, with a kid in tow. The money wasn’t the point, the hassle was. This needs to be clearly stated everywhere, since the big pool is basically the selling point of this sad resort. At checkout, they wouldn’t even let us keep our towel cards for the day, although our flight wasn’t until 9 PM. This hotel seems to go out of its way to make a stay inconvenient.

The location and setting are wonderfully peaceful, but reception is a mess. At check-in they gave us wristbands and a white plastic card for pool towels, but explained the wristbands and never told us how the card worked. I went to the pool counter wearing my wristband to ask for a few towels and was told I needed the card. I hadn’t even realized it was in the welcome package. The man there sent me to the club lobby. At that reception they asked for the card again. I said I wasn’t sure whether I had it and just wanted three towels. An unprofessional staff member snapped, “What do you mean you don’t know?” I got angry and asked whether he could help or not, since I didn’t have anything more to explain. He sent me to the main reception, a long walk in pool clothes with children. Reception staff should help guests instead of adding pointless bureaucracy. He could have made a quick call to sort out the towels and asked me to bring the card next time, if it was really essential. The desire to serve guests should outweigh stupidity. I know the man’s name now, and I’ll be speaking with the manager shortly. I was only asking for three towels, not for someone to open a house for me. We already have one for the rest of the year. Ridiculous!