This is a very hard review to write. I had dreamed about going to Las Islas for quite some time and ultimately was disappointed. I would ideally rate this hotel at 3.5 stars, but the amazing location tipped the review to 4. The location itself is an easy 5 stars. The property is amazing as you truly feel engulfed in the natural setting. The beach was not very large but was absolutely gorgeous. The accommodations were more like 4 stars. We stayed in the oceanfront casita and were generally happy as it was nice but not perfect but did fit well into the setting. We had our own pool but were hesitant to really use it since you are unable to see the bottom (and it is not deep). I am not sure if this is due to a lack of cleaning or them using sandy seawater (or both), but it was a bit unsettling. The food was also a solid 4 stars. As far as Colombian cuisine goes, it was elevated conceptually and delicious. Unfortunately, the service was 2 stars at best. Since the property is so large, it is necessary to call for a ride from a golf cart to many of the hotel's locations (especially at night). This was never fast. Our waits would generally take about 20 minutes, and one night we had to wait 40 minutes for a cart to arrive. Further upon arrival, we sat in a front ”lobby” for about 25 minutes before we were picked up and driven to our room. At the breakfast restaurant, our orders were wrong either by item or quantity 100% of the time. I would like to blame this on a language barrier, but my wife is Colombian, and I speak fluent Spanish. The beach/lunch service was also frustrating. Unlike other beach locations that we have visited across the world, you had to go and ask the server on the beach anytime you wanted something to eat or drink. This was pretty frustrating. At dinners, the service seemed to be a bit better but was still slow and certainly not perfect. The issue seems to be a lack of management, as I don't believe that we saw a single person that appeared to be acting in a managerial capacity at any point. I honestly think that a bit of training and accountability could make this place what we thought it would be. Unfortunately, for us, once was enough.
- longliness93
Firstly starting with the positives. The resort truly was beautiful, the fit outs of not only the rooms, but also the restaurants, bar etc was great. There is a small beach at the resort, but we preferred the beach in their private island (free boat transfers over and back from the resort). The food and drink prices were reasonable (beers COP 18k, cocktails between COP 45k-65k, mains between COP 80k-120k) and the food itself was really amazing…high restaurant quality. There are around 55 bungalows on site, but very well spaced out and very private, we could only see one other from our treehouse. The treehouse/room itself was also fantastic, great AC, huge bathrooms and a beautiful deck that overlooked the water. Also provided complimentary waterproof bag and sunglasses which was a nice touch. Unfortunately we found there were a few drawbacks, mainly around the service. There were multiple small issues that in isolation, are not a big deal, but just seemed very frequent and ended up quite frustrating. Some issues included: - minimal drinking water (were provided 2 x 300ml bottles at check-in but nothing thereafter). We asked twice for some water to be brought to our room, on the first occasion it took 4 hours, and 6 hours the next time (no joke). - Poor check-in experience, we weren’t provided any detail around food menus (only that they had them at the restaurants), eating times, mini bar, boat schedule etc…and was only on the second night we found out there was a QR code with all menus/guides/details etc. - bathroom supplies (body wash, shampoo etc) weren’t restocked once we ran out, same with towels and robe. - At meal times, inconsistency around service. Sometimes you would get coffee, eggs, napkins, cutlery etc sometimes not. - Wifi is poor throughout the resort, which is somewhat understandable given the location in Baru Overall, the resort is beautiful but for the price you pay, it is let down a little by the service. I think at a resort with a similar price point in Asia/Europe the service and little things would be far superior.
- Guest User
