Gran Hotel Munich

I only stayed a short time, but really liked this cute hotel. It’s in the forest part of Punta del Este, with some cool restaurants nearby. The rooms are cozy and stylish, with what you need, though they could be a little cleaner. We used the warm, relaxing indoor pool; there’s also an outdoor one. Breakfast was tasty and nutritious, even if the selection wasn’t huge. There’s a gym and some extra services like a spa, too. The staff are friendly and helpful. Highly recommended, especially for the price.

There’s a nice, well-stocked Fresh Market nearby, and a shopping mall about eight blocks away. Restaurants are close, and the beach is just a few blocks from here.

For my best friend’s wedding, I stayed at Be House Suites and was assigned what was supposedly one of the best rooms. The stay was still far from satisfactory. There was a strong sewage smell in the bathroom, and friends on the same floor complained about the odor in their rooms too. Water kept leaking into the bathtub, which made it unusable. On our first day, the room wasn’t cleaned until I complained at the front desk. The worst part came on the morning we were leaving after the wedding festivities. Without any warning in advance, the hotel shut off water to all the rooms for maintenance. We came back from the celebration to find a note taped to our door. We couldn’t shower, flush the toilet, or even brush our teeth before our flight home. The hotel offered no alternative or even extra bottles of water. When we raised our concerns at the front desk, their inadequate attempt to make it up to us was to offer not charging us for minibar items. I asked to speak with the manager, but was told she wasn’t available and promised a call back that never came. Guest satisfaction clearly isn’t a priority here. The poor cleaning and maintenance were bad enough, but the communication and handling of the situation made the stay even worse.

Just right.