3 Tanya Ramey - 9 months ago
I was a guest at the Dolce Vita Caribe in Dec. 2021, and will share the good, bad, and ugly of my stay. Marco, here’s the good. The views from the bedroom balcony as I looked down at the swimming pool were beautiful. The pool was maintained daily, and we enjoyed it. On day one, I saw a cat at the screen door, waiting. Once outside, I saw cat food, and every day, I fed that cat and even named it Patience, because the cat patiently waited to be fed. We also waited patiently for our chef to feed us and the staff prepared authentic breakfast and dinner meals. Delicious food, professional staff. I enjoyed this the most.
The bad. Sorry, Marco, bathroom towels and wash cloths were subpar. White and faded (or yellowish), I was reluctant to use them, but hadn't packed any. By midweek my towel was replaced with a thicker golden one. I felt more comfortable using it, but never the washcloths. I bought my own at Walmart. No toiletries, like soap, but I always pack my own. The beds. Mattresses were okay here and there; some were uncomfortable. A single top sheet as a covering was insufficient. I froze the first couple of nights! Didn't run air conditioning or the ceiling fan and during those initial chilly nights. I highly recommend you add blankets to each bedroom; I bought a throw cover from Walmart for an added layer. The televisions: I don't watch much back home, but we discovered an English-speaking channel that ran reruns, and for some, that was a problem. Marco, I recommend a television guide and a how-to guide on how to use the remote controls. As you know, with different televisions, the operation is slightly different.
The ugly. Coming from the U.S., I wasn't aware of the septic issues in Mexico and was surprised to see signs informing us not to flush toilet paper. This made for a nasty and biohazard-type situation whenever we needed to handle our business. Marco, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you supply a stash of mini plastic bags (those that dog walkers use to scoop poop). We obeyed the rules here and didn't flush toilet paper as instructed. I brought a supply of plastic grocery bags from home, but never would imagine that I would need them for this. The bathroom sink routinely stayed clogged, and I didn't see any cleaning supplies or drainage product to fix this problem, but I did figure it out. I also took cold showers for the first couple of days, until eventually, hot water made its way out the pipes. Never knew what that was about, but my mother’s bathwater stayed cold throughout.
Marco, I would recommend that you consider implementing some changes that I wrote about. Details matter. I do believe we left the villas in good condition. I even cleaned my room before I left, ensuring all trash was removed (including food in the refrigerator). We noticed microscopic crawlers on the kitchen counter, so we were mindful of leaving food out. We supplied all paper towels, napkins, dish detergent, paper plates, cups, trash bags, and cutlery too, but forgot about bug spray and fresh dish cloths; we even bought toilet paper! Some of the guests bought beach towels and pool toys (and left some of this behind) courtesy of Walmart. Marco, there was no towel damage to your supply here (besides the inferior quality of the towels I spoke about). We even left unopened bottles of drinks behind (like a bottle of water or two, tea, and aloe vera juice). There was no damage to the walls or flooring in these villas. We enjoyed and respected your accommodations. As a guest, it was disappointing to learn that a security deposit was withheld due to false accusations of damaged towels and walls. I'd, for one, would like to see the evidence because I took plenty of pictures during my stay and can post them later.
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