As the owner of Hotel Esperanza, I find the caption ‘’Clean…but little else” totally inaccurate, lacking of facts, and offensive. I am not JUST someone in Florida who owns the hotel and has little concern as to my clients’ needs or satisfaction. We offer our guests a premier service, extremely clean rooms, top rated bedding, a wide array of tours and excursions, a full complimentary American breakfast, and a full list of amenities. It is and will always be the ultimate goal of Hotel Esperanza to provide every client the absolute best of services and attention to all needs. Our goal has been proven many times over by the past 103 reviews written by our clients in praising our services, attention to details and client needs. I do appreciate constructive and valid comments, but do not have any appreciation of false statements, exaggerations, or attacks on my staff when it is not justified. We are always open to suggestions on how we can improve our services or amenities that will benefit our clients and are always open to honest criticism.
As for the statement addressing the size of the hotel and lot, I refer to our website. Our website is extremely accurate and current in describing our facilities and all of our amenities. If a client fails to read the website information provided, we also post up to date and very accurate photos of our grounds, pool, restaurant, and interior views of our rooms. Our rooms are not Suite size, but are very comfortable and offer all comfort amenities of the larger hotels. All this information is clearly depicted in our website photos. If a client is looking for a Suite size room, we will usually recommend they go to the $350.00 per night hotels. We fully understand our hotel is not for everyone, and offer the suggestion that travelers do homework before choosing a hotel. It is also our hotel policy and procedure that if a client has a concern, we will do everything possible to correct the situation within our means, if we are made aware of the problem. It is impossible for us to correct a problem if you do not know one exists. Communication is always the first resolve in correcting any problem.
As for the statement stating the hotel should hire someone else having better local knowledge, I stand firmly on my decision to hire my manager Joannie. Joannie comes to Hotel Esperanza with experience in the hospitality business having worked for Club Med and other major Hotel chains. I must admit though, this is a first for me to receive a complaint of a manager giving too much attention. When you first arrive at a new location, it does take a small amount of time to become acclimated to your area. On one occasion, the clients asked where a certain town was located. The manager replied that she did not know but would have an answer in about 10 minutes, but was told not to bother. Regarding the statement that no recommendations or false information was provided, I offer the following explanation. You are always greeted upon arrival at Hotel Esperanza. At check-in, you are given a lot of local information and always asked if you would be interested in any tours or excursions. In this situation, the clients declined and did not use any of our services offered. On another occasion, the clients did ask for a referral on surfing lessons. They were given the answer that we had not tried the surfing lessons but did recommend a company that we had heard did a good job on the beach. The clients accepted the referral, took the lesson and returned with a very positive review. We participate in a lot of the tours when time permits in order to give an accurate review for our clients, but we will not give a client a recommendation if we honestly do not know. Regarding the lack of Spanish, I fail to see how this would be a factor in communication with the clients taking in consideration that the clients did not speak Spanish as well. Joannie speaks English, fluent French and does a good job with Spanish.
Traffic noise in Restaurants and Hotels is pretty much a common situation for Costa Rica. Most hotels in Costa Rica are located on the road fronts and are usually open air. This is very typical and common of Latin countries. Unfortunately, sometimes travelers will have preconceived ideas of a country and fail to see the true values the country has to offer. I encourage all travelers to do their homework on the country you intend on visiting to insure that you understand exactly what the country has to offer, the challenges you might incur, and mostly if the country will suit your needs. This will help you in avoiding a disappointment that will usually follow you throughout your stay. I truly regret that this client could not see our hotel in its true value...