Checked into one of Stay Sol’s condos at Costa Hollywood beach resort. The location of this building is great. Literally steps away from the beach and broadwalk. That’s about all I have to say that was positive about this experience.
When I checked in at the front desk the concierge said they had my reservation listed as a 1 bedroom condo. I disagreed and showed him the listing that I had booked and received confirmation for which stated the unit was a 2 bedroom. We went back and forth trying to figure out where the discrepancy was. I had to speak to Stay Sol’s property management and was left to wait for hours while they “looked into it”. It was only because the hotel concierge looked into the matter further for me and was able to view the actual room and confirm that it was a 2 bedroom that we were able to be accommodated. No help from Stay Sol on that end.
We headed up to our room (and quickly noticed that the building isn’t the cleanest). The hallways leading to the rooms need to be vacuumed and are quite dirty. We arrived in the condo and it looks very much like the pictures in the listing in terms of furniture and layout but this unit is FAR from brand new. There are scuff marks and paint chips all over the walls making it appear dirty and unkept. We noticed at this time that the condo does not come equipped with any cleaning supplies but were told that we could request for the room to be cleaned- AT THE COST OF $80 U.S.
The next day after visiting the pool and beach and returning to shower, the 5 people in my family had used the 4 body towels provided as well as the two hand towels and floor towel. The next morning we called housekeeping to request a new clean set of towels. By the evening we still had not received any and when I reached out to Stay Sol to see what the issue was, I was told that only the first set of towels was provided for the entire duration of our stay. I was also told that if I wanted to have them cleaned I could call a laundry service for $30 (for 5 towels?!?) this would’ve cost me over $200 if I wanted clean towels each day for the week. I don’t know if this is unusual- but when I’m spending the day at the beach - one filled with a significant amount of seaweed- I would like to have a fresh towel for the shower - at least every other day. Stay Sol stood firm that this was indicated to me in the listing and that I was made aware prior to booking. I reiterated repeatedly that it is IN FACT NOT LISTED that towels are not replenished AT ALL. After sending screenshots of the listing to prove it, they finally agreed that it wasn’t listed. I also stated that in an effort to keep the condo clean, it would be helpful to have supplies to clean with. There was absolutely NOTHING provided. No garbage bag replacements for the garbage bins (what should I have used once the bag was full?!?) no wipes, extra paper towels, cleaning spray, etc. I expressed my disappointment with the lack of provisions. Sorry, but why I should I pay out of my pocket for cleaning supplies to clean an apartment I don’t even own?!?
After A LOT of arguing with Stay Sol, I was delivered with cleaning supplies and one additional set of towels for my family to use.
The bed linens are also a one time provision so don’t even think about getting them dirty because you can’t get new ones. The linens are like sandpaper and the pillows are lumpy.
FAR FROM THE 5 STAR EXPERIENCE THAT STAY SOL CLAIMS TO PROVIDE THEIR GUESTS.
An additional issue at this resort that continued to arise throughout the week was the lack of pool towels available for guests to use. Many times we would request towels for a day at the pool and were told they didn’t have any. We ended up having to purchase towels at a local store. Ridiculous in my opinion.
The pool bar was hit or miss. It was busy over the weekend so they were constantly informing us that they had run out of mixes and certain drinks. The food and drinks are pricy so be prepared.
Overall, not the greatest experience. Definitely would not book here again.
My recommendation is for Stay Sol to update their listing to reflect what potential travellers can actually expect so that they can avoid wasting time during their vacation dealing with such inconveniences.