Just back from a four night stay here. I'd love to say that our experience was as 5-star worthy as others suggest, but it wasn't. We were generally greeted with smiles all around, but the service we received didn't always match the manner in which it was given. For instance, much of the front desk staff seemed to have relatively limited knowledge of local restaurants, gyms, beauty salons, etc. We requested recommendations from each of these categories, among others, and were either met with quick but limited response(s) or internet-based searches/responses (the latter of which we could--and did--do ourselves prior to asking).
Also, what "5-star" property doesn't provide q-tips/cotton swabs to dry/clean your ears?? I can't cite this Spanish hotel as the only one that didn't provide this otherwise common toiletry, but it was still a glaring oversight for these U.S.-based guests (if not others). Fortunately, the hotel purchased and provided some, but they were certainly not of a quality that matched that of the other provided toiletries.
Another shortcoming relates to there not being a child-free (or meaningfully smoke-free) common area of the hotel. I get that this property caters to individuals, couples, and families of all kinds and tastes, but I also know that we paid a great deal to come here and relax away from the hustle and bustle (and smoke) of the relatively crowded boardwalk and beach that fronts this property. Although we had moments of that restful and relaxed atmosphere, we also had many that involved the running, screeching, screaming, splashing, etc. of children--all of which were most unwelcome by us and others (based on the reactions we both heard and saw) in the lawn area--as well as wafts of smoke here, there, and generally everywhere in the hotel's common areas (to include our private balcony and room when we had the sliding doors open).
A glaring inconsistency related to the seemingly complete changeover of staff for the weekend. We arrived on a Tuesday and checked out on a Saturday and we interacted with many of the same individuals throughout the week (and were looking forward to seeing at least some of their faces and smiles upon our departure). What we saw were completely different faces--at the front desk and elsewhere--and no smiles at the front desk specifically. I'm not sure if some other issue was swirling when we checked out, but we didn't receive any friendliness, graciousness, or kindness from the three individuals who were at the front desk on our departure day. To make matters worse, we were handed "police documents" and were told we had to sign them--without any meaningful explanation of why we were being presented with and needed to sign such documents--and we were left feeling unsettled and unwelcomed (if not somehow criminal) upon our departure. It bears noting that we never were presented with or had to sign such documents in the three other properties we visited during our trip.
Pros:
Very nice property (2 pools, a restaurant, a water "experience" spa, etc.)
Beautiful views (of the boardwalk, beach, ocean, etc.)
Reservable sunbeds (at very least on the lower lawn)
Large, roomy suites and bathrooms (we stayed in a corner junior suite)
Outdoor space for many rooms (we had a nice sized balcony with two lounge chairs on it)
Some very fluent English speakers (among other languages)
Enjoyable breakfast buffet (with quite a few options, albeit only one juice option: orange)
Cons:
Mold stains in the shower (this should be recaulked or replaced with a material that doesn't mold)
Separated/broken shower molding and frame (was fixed day two, but was unsightly prior to that)
Not a non-smoking property (seemingly par for the country, but not enjoyable given the pricing)
Minimal privacy between balconies (the partition could be higher and there is no noise barrier)
Children running/screaming/jumping by and in the "green lawn" pool (there should be a child-free zone and the lawn area seems like an obvious choice)
Lacking service in the "green lawn" pool area (we saw a staff member at most 2-3 times during several hours of lounging on any given day)
Tiny and very limited exercise room (this "gym" is an utter joke: three cardio machines and one lackluster, if multi-use, strength training machine in a TINY room)
Front desk hard to reach at night (we needed to call several times to receive response after 11 or so)
Inconsistent service
BOTTOM LINE: The hotel has many plusses, but equally (if not more) minuses. For the price we paid we expected a better all around experience and stay. Based on the same, we likely won't stay here again (and we'll think twice before considering any other Vincci Seleccion property). read more
