"Porlamar Apartments – 8 Night Stay
We have just returned home after an 8-night stay at the Porlamar Apartments. Overall, we had a good holiday in Puerto Rico, but unfortunately, for me, there were more negatives than positives at the Porlamar. This is, of course, just my personal opinion, and I appreciate that other guests have had a very different experience and really enjoy these apartments.
The Good
Pool area:
The pool area is lovely, with a great atmosphere. It was always clean and well maintained.
Staff:
The staff were very friendly, chatty and engaging with guests. They were definitely one of the highlights of the stay.
Views:
We had some lovely views from our apartment, which was a real bonus.
Balcony:
Having sunbeds on the balcony was a nice touch. However, our balcony became extremely hot during the day, and it was quite a trek back down to the pool if you wanted to spend time there.
The Not So Good
Location:
The location is okay. It is close to the marina and beach, but it is around a 20-minute walk to the commercial Centre. The apartments are also located up a hill. There is a shortcut through a park and up some steps, but this was very dark at night and I personally wouldn't have felt comfortable using it alone. I would have preferred to be closer to the commercial Centre, but that's simply my personal preference.
Check-in:
We arrived at around 8.30pm to find reception closed. We had to call a number and wait for someone to come and let us in. Unfortunately, the gentleman who arrived wasn't sure where our apartment was either, so we ended up going up and down the stairs trying to find room 308. Not the best start after travelling.
Sunbeds:
This was probably my biggest frustration. By 7am, virtually every sunbed at the pool had towels placed on it. One morning I was awake at 6am and went onto the balcony for some fresh air, and there were already towels on practically every sunbed.
On many days, a large number of the "reserved" sunbeds remained unoccupied for hours at a time. Unfortunately, the staff didn't seem to do anything about it. I understand people wanting to secure a sunbed, but it was frustrating to see them sitting unused for most of the day when other guests couldn't find somewhere to sit. .
Condition of the apartment:
The apartments are quite dated and, in our room, the bathroom door was actually hanging off. You had to lift the door in order to close it properly.
The appliances fridge and microwave are very old.
Cleanliness:
I know many people have commented on how spotless the apartments are, but unfortunately, this wasn't our experience. There was still shower gel from previous guests on the shower tiles, and the back of the bathroom door was quite grubby from people repeatedly trying to close it. The skirting boards in both the bathroom and bedroom were also dirty, rather than simply dusty.
Heat and ventilation:
This was another major issue for us. The apartment was extremely stuffy, with virtually no ventilation. There is only a very small window in the bathroom, along with the balcony doors.
Unfortunately, our balcony in room 308 wasn't particularly private, as people could access it by coming up the stairs, so we couldn't comfortably leave the balcony doors open at night.
A fan is provided, but it simply moves the hot air around the room rather than actually cooling it down. If you are considering staying here during the hotter months, I would strongly recommend looking into hiring an air-conditioning unit, as the apartment can become extremely hot.
Overall
We had a great holiday in Puerto Rico and would definitely return to the resort. However, based on our experience, we wouldn't choose to stay at the Porlamar Apartments again.
As always with reviews, this is simply our personal experience. I know many people love the Porlamar Apartments and have had a fantastic stay, so hopefully this review will help others make an informed decision based on what is important to them."
