Hi everybody.
We've just returned from staying 10 nights in this hotel. It's a very nice complex with large and well kept gardens but a bit overrated if classified as a 4-star accomodation, I would say.
Rooms: Bungalows are better kept and, above all, much easy to reach from the large pool and the beach. Towers are at the back of the hotel, so you'll have to walk more. There isn't any other real diference.
Rooms are clean but poorly equipped. No fridge, air con reaaally noisy and with leaks a couple of times.
Restaurants: There're 2 of them. First, the big buffet, "El Peñero", very nice, good food and themed dinner at least 5 nights per week (italian, japanese, arabian, venezuelan, mexican, etc). Good breakfast, ask for your omelette chossing the ingredients. Only 2 things: wasps all the time where you get your drinks and sometimes crowded, so you almost lay your own table.
The other one is the a la carte restaurant, forgot the name cause we never tried it actually. If you wanna have dinner there make sure you book in the morning and between 8 and 9 am.
Bars: There're 3. There is one called Orinoco placed at the small pool at the back of the hotel, non alcoholic. In the big pool there's another one which serves alcohol. Plastic cups and not the best cocktails, but well in hand. And of course the third one...Hi everybody.
We've just returned from staying 10 nights in this hotel. It's a very nice complex with large and well kept gardens but a bit overrated if classified as a 4-star accomodation, I would say.
Rooms: Bungalows are better kept and, above all, much easy to reach from the large pool and the beach. Towers are at the back of the hotel, so you'll have to walk more. There isn't any other real diference.
Rooms are clean but poorly equipped. No fridge, air con reaaally noisy and with leaks a couple of times.
Restaurants: There're 2 of them. First, the big buffet, "El Peñero", very nice, good food and themed dinner at least 5 nights per week (italian, japanese, arabian, venezuelan, mexican, etc). Good breakfast, ask for your omelette chossing the ingredients. Only 2 things: wasps all the time where you get your drinks and sometimes crowded, so you almost lay your own table.
The other one is the a la carte restaurant, forgot the name cause we never tried it actually. If you wanna have dinner there make sure you book in the morning and between 8 and 9 am.
Bars: There're 3. There is one called Orinoco placed at the small pool at the back of the hotel, non alcoholic. In the big pool there's another one which serves alcohol. Plastic cups and not the best cocktails, but well in hand. And of course the third one is right on the beach. Veeeeery handy cause it gets really warm in the beach. Friendly bar-men.
Pools: 1 small and 1 large. Well kept but too warm water for me.
Beach: You exit the hotel, cross the boulevard and there you are. The beach is not the prettiest . If you want a post-card one go to Punta Cana. But if you just want to get tanned, enjoy waves (big ones, careful) and chill , you'll get it here. There are vendors but a simple and smiley "no" or pretending being asleep will do.
Atmosphere: This is a family hotel. Most customers are families. It is quiet and calm. No noise after 11 pm. The bar at the large pool closes later but as there's almost nobody there after 12...Also, it has no disco so I would not at all recommend it to young people looking for party.
Animation staff work hard. Volleyball and aerobic at the beach; volleyball, aerobic, salsa and merengue lessons at the pool; really well trained dancing shows at nights, etc. And always smiling...
Nightlife (for those young who souldn't, u know...): In playa el Agua there are a few places. I just know the "Woody". Cheap and party almost everyday. One tip: most local girls who dance alone are "working".
In Porlamar (only thu, fri and sat) there is "Señor Frogs", said to be more latino kind of music, which we never tried and "Kamy Beach", an open air disco beside a beach. Not bad at all, aprox 20000 Bolivares (8 euro or 9 dollars) the entrance, sometimes with lots of drinks included, sometimes nothing, but it's not expensive inside. Very safe.
Tours and aprox price:
1 day Canaima - 200 euro
2 day Canaima or 2 day Orinoco/Canaima - 300 euro
1 day Los Roques - 170 euro
1 day Margarita Island Tour - 35 or 45 euro
Canaima tour: if you just watch the Angel Falls from tha plane you see almost nothing, provided it's sunny.
If you wanna see it properly, stay there a couple of nights but forget about budget vacations. Anyway the lagoon and the "small" falls are beautiful. Also heard from other tourists the combined tour with Orinoco Delta is very interesting.
Los Roques tour: Very nice coral islands, great for snorkelling, the best beaches, definately worthy but one day is enough. Strong sun, careful.
Margarita tour: just to get a global impression of the island.
General tips:
Taxis - Cheap and safe.
Exchange money - At the beach entrance to the hotel, ask the hotel security man who could change your money(also euro). Don't go to exchange offices and pay always in Bolivares to get much much better prices.
Leaving the island means a 12000 Bolivares tax every time you fly.
The whole island is duty free so everyone knows what to buy there, among many other things.
Hope this helps.
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