Hotel Caravel

Clean

I recently stayed at this hotel and while there were a few positives, the overall experience was disappointing due to a series of overlooked details and frustrating issues. To start with the good—the staff were great: friendly, helpful, and informative. They made an effort to assist whenever asked, and that hospitality was appreciated. The location was decent, about a 30-minute bus ride to the city center. It’s not exactly central, but manageable if you’re okay with the commute. The room was reasonably clean upon arrival, but the quality of housekeeping declined quickly. A lotion stain I accidentally left on the shower floor was never cleaned, and instead of actually scrubbing the area, housekeeping simply placed a mat over it—as if to hide it. Initially, the room came stocked with two sets of towels, but after the first day, only one of each was replaced. While the booking was for one person, maintaining the original quantity would have shown a bit more care and consistency. There were several small inconveniences that added up. For example, the room phone had no directory, so I had no idea how to contact the front desk or reach any services. On top of that, the air conditioning didn’t work for the first two days, which turned out to be because the previous guest had asked for it to be turned off, and it was never reset. It took me that long to realize I had to ask the concierge to enable it again. In a properly managed hotel, the AC should be reset and ready for the next guest without needing to make a request. The continental breakfast was another letdown. The scrambled eggs were dry, lumpy, and had a strange grey tint. The bacon and sausages were cold, and orange juice was served in plastic cups. There was very little fresh fruit, and to top it off, they had a random speaker on the floor playing radio ads during breakfast—a strange and unpleasant ambiance for a morning meal. I’m glad I didn’t pay for breakfast for my entire stay, because it definitely wasn’t worth it. The Wi-Fi was by far the worst I’ve encountered in any hotel. It disconnected constantly and, when connected, barely reached speeds of 5 Mbps. For a hotel in a tourist-heavy area, this is unacceptable and suggests a clear lack of awareness of guest needs—especially for travelers who rely on Wi-Fi to plan outings or stay in touch. Noise was another major issue. The elevator makes a blaring siren-like noise when it opens, which woke me up every single morning. The walls and doors are paper-thin, making it easy to hear people walking or talking outside, and the doors slam shut loudly, adding to the disturbance. Finally, while not the hotel’s fault, there were a few homeless individuals living around the property, which might make some guests feel uneasy, particularly at night. All in all, while the staff were excellent and the location worked, there were just too many frustrating and avoidable issues—poor housekeeping, unusable Wi-Fi, subpar breakfast, noise problems, and a lack of attention to guest experience basics. I wouldn’t recommend staying here unless the hotel makes significant improvements across the board.