I was there in 2003. It was easy driving around the island. At that point, the main problem was lack of supermarkets as the previous regime had a so-called state marketing board that was a monopoly. If you're looking for a cheaper hotel, try the Bel-Air. It's up in the mountains, away from both the center and the tourist areas. It reminded me of Fawlty Towers – the owner was a Basil prototype.