India Mayes
Travellers budget!
From a first glance, this hotel does not disappoint. Being a student on expedition with a travel company I was used to being in guest houses and family homes, so when our bus pulled up outside this hotel our faces lit up.
After coming to terms with the fact that this is where we would be spending the next three days, we were led upstairs to our rooms. We stayed in the hostel part of the hotel (being on a travellers budget of only $7 per night). The rooms were spacious and clean, I felt at ease knowing that I could sleep in the sheets without being invaded by bed bugs as in previous locations.
We later on discovered that there was a rooftop pool in the hotel part of the complex and that it was open to people in the hostel. The pool was warm and clean, however the tiles at the bottom of the pool were broken and sharp and a few of my friends cut their feet open (not so hygienic).
Next to the pool was a bar/ restaurant. The restaurant had a giant menu, providing everyone with a large variety of foods to choose from. However, the service was slow and they seemed to be generally understaffed. Once our orders were finally taken, the food took around 50 minuets to arrive and at this point, all of the food was cold. After trying to stomach the cold food, we spoke to the restaurant supervisor and explained how unhappy we were with the service. He simply told us that we should be patient as we had a large group and that they were understaffed so it was simple not their fault. We then went on to argue that we should have been made aware of the waiting time before being seated. They then proceeded to disallow a discount so we payed the bill and promised never to eat there again.
Apart from this incident, all staff were very polite and understanding and their English was rather good.
Over all, the experience I encountered in the Okay 1 Villa hotel was pleasant and enjoyable apart from the incidents mentioned. This hostel is perfect for students or people that are travelling on a tight budget. My only tip is to maybe consider eating somewhere else whilst you stay here as there are lots of unique restaurants and cafes around.
Next to the pool was a bar/ restaurant. The restaurant had a giant menu, providing everyone with a large variety of foods to choose from. However, the service was slow and they seemed to be generally understaffed. Once our orders were finally taken, the food took around 50 minuets to arrive and at this point, all of the food was cold. After trying to stomach the cold food, we spoke to the restaurant supervisor and explained how unhappy we were with the service. He simply told us that we should be patient as we had a large group and that they were understaffed so it was simple not their fault. We then went on to argue that we should have been made aware of the waiting time before being seated. They then proceeded to disallow a discount so we payed the bill and promised never to eat there again.
Apart from this incident, all staff were very polite and understanding and their English was rather good.
Over all, the experience I encountered in the Okay 1 Villa hotel was pleasant and enjoyable apart from the incidents mentioned. This hostel is perfect for students or people that are travelling on a tight budget. My only tip is to maybe consider eating somewhere else whilst you stay here as there are lots of unique restaurants and cafes around.
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