3 Marc Sevigny - 3 years ago
I recently stayed for 6 nights.
This is a small place, with 3 studio apartments per floor. It is relatively clean. Maintenance is a bit lacking.
There is a very simple front desk with a helpful attendant. There is also a security guard who I often saw in the lobby where breakfast is served. A couple of times, when I returned after dark, the lobby was not staffed and the gate not locked. It didn't concern me too much, though since the area is quite safe.
Understand that breakfast is very basic. Some juice, small containers of yogurt, a few choices of cereal, bread, coffee. Enough to get you started, but if you want more, there are plenty of choices nearby.
Metrobus line 1 is an 8-minute walk, the San Pedro de los Pinos subway stop is a 10 minute walk. It feels a little further walk than that to the subway, and the walk isn't as pleasant as to the Metrobus (which is often extremely crowded). So I think location gets some demerits for being a little hard to get to. Nearby, there are ample restaurants, and the large shopping center at WTC. The neighborhood is relatively quiet, but with enough activity to feel secure.
The decor is very simple. Two undersized pieces of art, one in the living room and one in the bedroom. So lots of empty beige walls. Adding some wall treatments would improve the ambiance. The unit is accessed by a small key that fits into a doorknob. There is no deadbolt, and the door is hollow-core and would be easily forced open. I didn't feel unsafe because the building feels somewhat secure. But psychologically, it helps to have a secure door.
The rooms had insufficient lighting. The bathroom had weak lighting which made shaving tricky. The bedroom had two ceiling lights, only one of which worked. The living room/kitchen area had poor lighting which made the space feel a little more dreary than if there was good lighting.
Plumbing fixtures are a bit wonky. Hot water in shower (yes, plenty of hot!) is inconsistent, alternating between warm and scalding without touching the knobs. Soap is provided, but is the most basic. Towels are adequate but well worn. The bed is very comfortable and so are the pillows. In winter, the nights can be chilly (less than 50F (10C), and there is no climate control in the unit so bring some warm clothing in winter.
On 4 of the six nights, the couple that lives on the ground floor behind the hotel held late-night social gatherings that went on past 1:30am. The hotel windows provide virtually no sound insulation, so you will hear every word of the people enjoying their courtyard below. [There is no street noise, which is great.] So light sleepers will need ear plugs or a noise machine.
There is a two-hob stove, two pots, some basic utensils, a refrigerator. They provide a small water bottle (water from the tap is not suitable for drinking) for the duration of your stay. But I made regular visits to the lobby to fill a larger water bottle from the "garrifon".
The room is cleaned and the bed made and towels refreshed daily.
There is a very nice roof-top patio. It has a small table and swinging bench and some young plants. This has so much potential to be a great amenity. I would recommend adding some shaded area and comfortable longe-seats. It would be a great place to read a book and enjoy the view. But currently, the seating is not comfortable enough for that.
So the place is a reasonable value, but last year I rented a much better Airbnb apartment for less.
Suggestions: Add wall art, put the television on the wall of the living room, improve the plumbing fixtures, make the water pressure in the shower consistent, replace the door to the central hallway, add a deadbolt lock, improve the lighting, replace the exterior windows to better insulate the outside noise from adjacent apartments, maybe add a garrifon in each unit, slightly improve the morning breakfast offering. Add plants and comfortable seating to the roof deck. With these changes I would highly recommend this place.
Thank you to the friendly staff.
