Let me begin with the positives.
The views were beautiful, as always. For some reason we are consistently placed on the 19th floor at Castilla even though we book at El Moro, but the view from that floor is wonderful. The shuttle drivers, cleaning staff in the common areas, and restaurant teams are always kind and welcoming. The food at La Concha continues to be very good and is something I genuinely enjoy each time we visit. I would also like to recognize the pool servers--they were attentive, friendly, and contributed greatly to the overall experience.
If I were rating only these aspects of the stay, they would easily receive five stars.
Unfortunately, the rest of the experience was disappointing.
While the room appeared generally clean, the most important element--the bed linens--were not acceptable. The sheets on our bed were visibly stained with what appeared to be blood. In addition, only one of our rooms had a TV remote control, while the other two did not. The towels in two of the bathrooms were noticeably worn, frayed at the edges, and rough to the touch. In previous stays, the towels at this property were much softer and in better condition.
We contacted the front desk to request replacements for the sheets, towels, and remotes. Unfortunately, our request seemed to get lost, and no one came that day. We called again the next morning and again later that evening, yet nothing had been addressed. When we returned to the room that night, everything remained exactly the same. Because of the condition of the sheets, we ended up sleeping on the pull-out couch in the living room for the second night. After calling multiple times the following day, housekeeping finally came to change the items we had requested. It ultimately took two full days to resolve something that should have been handled much more quickly. We finally received the missing remote controls on the third night of our stay.
Another issue occurred when I ordered room service one evening. The delivery took over two hours, and when the food finally arrived it was completely cold. I always pay for room service separately since I do not participate in the all-inclusive plan. I expressed my concern to the server, who provided several explanations. While I understand that he personally may not have been responsible, the overall experience was frustrating.
Additionally, the service at the main entrance was noticeably lacking compared to previous visits. The staff did not greet guests or provide a welcoming atmosphere and were often engaged in conversation among themselves. Even requesting a taxi became difficult, so we eventually chose to walk down to the street and arrange transportation ourselves.
The final issue occurred at the towel center. Earlier in the day I had exchanged towels at the Marina pool area and was told by a supervisor that it would be perfectly fine to return them at Castilla since the systems are shared. However, when I attempted to return them there, one employee insisted that I would need to take them back to Marina in order to retrieve my towel cards. I explained that I was checking out that day, but he still refused. As I walked away to speak with the front desk, another staff member kindly stepped in, apologized, and returned my towel cards. I appreciated his help and made it clear that he was not responsible for the situation.
I did bring this incident to the attention of the front desk at El Moro, but the concern seemed to be dismissed rather quickly.
I have been a Platinum Member with El Cid for some time, and because of that history this stay was particularly disappointing. The level of service and attention to detail I have come to expect simply was not present during this visit. In speaking with several other guests at the pool, I learned that some had experienced similar frustrations.
I truly hope the management team takes these concerns seriously. El Cid has always been a place I have enjoyed staying, but based on this experience at Castilla and El Moro, I am not confident about returning unless improvements are made. read more
