Originally Posted by
DFW DL
Stayed for 4 nights on 2 stays over New Years. Got a good rate on a Business Suite for US$160 including breakfast, lounge access, and the use of a wireless modem. Hotel is as described in the thread...new, nice, walking distance to mall and restaurants.
Major complaint was the taxi situation. The hotel has its own vehicles and the will not assist you in getting a regular taxi. During peak hours this can entail a lengthy wait, usually in a queue with others at the curb trying to flag down a speeding taxi.
We had a 0930 flight out and I asked the front desk at 0600 to call me a regular taxi for 0630. 0630 rolls around and no taxi...front desk never called. Wound up paying CLP20,000 (about US$40) to use the hotel service, negotiated down from the list price of CLP27,000 (!). What a rip-off.
Normal taxi from the airport should run about CLP10,000 (US$20); after the bad experience departing the first time I booked a roundtrip limo from one of the operators at the airport for CLP16,000 each way for our second stay.
I don't mind hotels which offer limo transfers at a premium price, but a place that won't even help you call a regular taxi (when there is no taxi stand nearby) is really annoying. Only blot on an otherwise enjoyable stay.
We just had a two night stay here. Platinum Elite upgraded to a sort of suite. corner room but the suite part was a conference room attached to the hotel room. Exec lounge staff was excellent and helpful with recommendations directions and generally showed the warmth and friendlieness of Latin America. Same for the bell staff. Hotel is a little dated furnishings wise (but Marriott tend to be that way in general) but we had a room across from the elevator and never heard anything so I think the walls are pretty solid. Good choice of snacks and wines at cocktail hour. We ended up making it dinner one night.
Taxis were a different matter as you say. We had 4 persons so we took a minivan from the airport for 21000 pesos, and then had the hotel call for a reservation back to the airport since the hotel rate was 27000 for the same transportation. The van service delfos was on time even in rush hour on a friday night, but needs to make a quick stop on the airport grounds for payment. You dont even realize what is going on when you step out of the hotel looking for a taxi. OTOH, they have a fixed price to some of the major attractions which can beat the taxi rate. We decided to find a taxi to La Chascona on the street, and the hotel price was cheaper. We also went to a craft village Los Dominicos where the hotel car was more on the way there than the taxi upon the return. The hotel is in a good location the mall continues to grow with lots of eateries, and the hop on hop off bus station there. We did not take the subway as we only had 2 days and used the hop on hop off one day and taxis the nest.