Hotel Estero y Mar — Hotel in Departamento de La Paz

Hotel location is secluded and safe, but read first, this is my honest opinion, before you book read and if you are OK with it, go for it. Food was OK, the best part was the breakfast. Get Estero y Mar omelet, beans and casamiento are very good. The dinner was just OK, tried different things and we were not a fan, it was either too salty or needed flavor. They don't allow you to bring your own food or drinks. There is no hot water in the room. They offer towel changes but they don't actually go to give you new towels no matter how many times you call. If you are going to take out your car, you have to let the guy at the entrance know so they go open the gate, they don't have someone at the parking lot. The pools are nice, specially for our toddler, she enjoyed it.

Where this place is lacking is on costumer service and common sense. Transparency is not their strong suit. 1st intance: We booked a king bed so our toddler slept between us, but we were "upgraded" to a bigger room with two queens, we went to the lobby to get the room we had originally booked to find out that they didn't have any available, they could have said that in the beginning, i found out because i heard their conversation in spanish over the radio. So they put their mistake on us and play the you will get "upgraded" for no reason to make us feel better? 2nd instance: At the restaurant, we finished eating, we ordered drinks, the waiter comes and removes everything while we were playing with our kid, come back to the table and our stuff and they had removed the drinks that were new. They said that they id ask my wife if they could clean up, so they did, but you don't take something that you just serve... i mean, common sense. 3rd instance: We saw people eating by the pool, not in the pool, they were eating in some chairs and tables that they had. Later that day we ordered food to get it delivered there and they said they don't do that, i told them that i saw people eating there earlier, to what they said they don't do it. They said they can do an exception... food came cold and late. 4th instance: we had room service offered, so we used it some times, the very last day we ordered and they told me that they couldn't do it, because they don't offer that, it's a policy, so they change the rules as they please without informing the costumers. 5th instance: their kitchen closes at 9:30PM it's on their paper they offer with a map went to the restaurant at 9:05PM and asked for the menu they said that they don't know if they could get the order in because the kitchen closes at 9:00PM i told them no it should be open, it's on their rule sheet, they said that they could make an exception... 6th instance: they don't have the food they offer in the menu, like pupusas, which should be a must. But god forbids that you bring food from somewhere else. 7th instance: at check out they asked what i have taken from the mini fridge, i said i took maybe two bottles of water. Well they sent someone to check and they said i had taken 4 bottles, so if you are going to go check why ask the costumer? matter of fact one of the bottles was stale or had salt water, but why put the costumer in that position, we are not there to keep up with the water we drink. that happened after we had clear our check which on food was 240, so we owed them 2 dlls, they said it was OK, so i told them no, i'll pay for what i consumed because I was going to write a honest review. They do play the we can do an "exception" kinda like a favor, but I think they need to establish clear rules and enforce them instead of changing them. Then if they change them they should notify in writing like all other resorts or hotels. TV worked, but their dish was not working.

We would stay there again, however we rather explore the northern side of the coast. They should post their rules and let the costumers know what they will have and avoid surprises. Seems they have different crews, the first crew we had when we arrive were super nice felt like they were trying to ensure we were staying, second...

My visit to Hotel Estero y Mar happened on an unfortunate fluke. Copa messed up my travel plans and I had to take a long detour to get to Uruguay. I was on my way there to visit my youngest son. His girlfriend and my oldest son had luckily flown from Toronto without incident. I chose this hotel out of necessity, as it appeared close to San Salvador's airport on a map and I had to do an overnight stopover before flying out the next morning. I was extremely apprehensive and fearful: a woman travelling alone in an unknown country, taking a cab to what I thought was a nearby hotel at around 9:30 at night. Thank goodness my fears were unfounded. I had nothing but good things to say, from the second I took the cab at the airport. Andres, the taxi driver, told me Estero y Mar was owned by the city Mayor. We drove for about 40 minutes through the town of San Luis Tapia. I couldn't see much as it was very dark. Check in was quick, my room was a bit far from reception but I was exhausted from a day of travelling so I didn't complain. Phone wasn't working and I needed to make arrangements for a cab the next morning. I didn't wait long before the receptionist herself came to check on me and help me arrange for transportation to the airport. A couple more people came over to try to help solve the phone problem, fix the air conditioner (it was leaking) and get my TV working. I have to give kudos to customer service. It was top notch. The room itself was nice and spacious. The pillows were a little on the hard side but I was so tired I fell asleep immediately. I locked myself in, still a little apprehensive about my strange surroundings, but I just went with the flow. I could hear the ocean waves from my bedroom, but I hadn't seen much as it was too dark to see anything. As I left the room the next morning (after a coldish shower, unfortunately-- thus why with all the issues with the room I gave the hotel 4 stars), the day was already bright at 5:45 in the morning. The view took my breath away. I had no idea the place was so beautiful. At that moment I wished I had a little bit more time to appreciate it all. The rooms are surrounded by greenery, the beach is simply stunning, the grounds are very well taken care of. I walked towards reception and only had to wait for a couple of minutes for the morning Reception person to get there. Check out was just as easy as check in had been. David, my cab driver, arrived there right on time at 6:00 am. And he (who was a gem at storytelling and customer service) was the one who regaled me with the tale of how this hotel came to be. As a Journalist, I'm always a sucker for a good story. Turns out this 23-year-old young lady, the daughter of a San Salvador businessman, came up with the idea of renting out rooms in their family property. They built a few rooms and she started inviting friends. The place became so popular, says David, that they added more rooms. She hired local cooks and other personnel, and she made sure they all received excellent training. Eventually, seeing the success of the venture, the young lady's dad got involved, so much so he became the Mayor of the town. They built the hotel from the ground up to what it is today. The Mayor, who I think David said is in his third term, has made many improvements not only to the hotel, but also to roads and the town itself. Father and daughter have done a tremendous job, making Estero y Mar (as well as San Luis Tapia) a must-visit destination. This wasn't the case before, which was astounding to me because the area, and the beautiful beach, are literally a very short distance from the international airport. The mayor's daughter is not as involved currently with the property as she once was because of family commitments, but I imagine she is still involved in running the property. David mentioned they make sure the training employees receive is outstanding, and I witnessed this myself. Very impressed with the property and their efforts to improve the entire area and focus on local employment and the area's...

Initially, I planned to stay at the Quality Inn by the airport, but at the last moment, I decided to make the slightly-longer trek down to the shore to stay at Hotel Estero y Mar. Boy did I choose correctly! Despite poor Internet connection at times inside my room, my experience deserves 5 stars.||||- Location: tranquil, off-the-beaten-path, and perfect for lovers of beach or jungle—or, ideally, both! Despite how secluded it is, proximity via taxi to the airport, La Libertad, and even San Salvador is excellent. ||||- Atmosphere: it would be hard to create a more authentic, Salvadoran nature environment than what’s on display here. At night, I could sleep to the exotic sounds of birds chirping and the wind rustling; I could walk among thick flora and gorgeous flowers; I could take a riverboat tour all the way towards a hidden beach/estuary area; I could do all that and so much more. The sense of place I felt while staying here was unlike anything I could’ve ever imagined beforehand.||||- Service: TOP-NOTCH! Everyone I encountered was extremely hospitable and kind, always ready to assist as needed (great for me as someone with a disability). Not to detract from my glowing review, but I must warn folks that due to the family-run operation of the hotel, staff all go to bed at a certain time each night, locking up the lobby and closing down any services you might expect at a regular hotel. In other words, this is not a 24/7 place. Rest assured that while I did hope for a bottle of water at midnight, or wanted a few other amenities here and there, I easily made do with this setup; safety wasn’t a concern, as facilities were all locked sufficiently.||||Moreover, English is not spoken here hardly at all. Get ready with a translation app if needed.||||- Rooms: I enjoyed the rustic, authentic feel to the rooms, which were still extremely livable even if they lacked amenities you may take for granted at an average Hampton Inn or Quality Inn. Far too often do I neglect to embrace the beauty of a room that’s not a part of a huge international chain, and at Estero y Mar, that definitely went to show. While Wifi struggled at times, it mostly held a signal on my iPad, and everywhere else on the property had fast, reliable Internet nonetheless.||||- Food: Mmm! I don’t know why some other reviews mention a decrease in quality of cuisine. To me, it seemed much the opposite. I savored every dish I ordered, and the freshness and quality didn’t disappoint.||||- Value for money: even if intending to stay a single night on an extended airport layover, choosing Estero y Mar for your accommodations is an outstanding decision. No matter length of time or level of interest, anyone can find happiness here. The rates are incredibly affordable too.||||Thank you, Estero y Mar! I look forward to seeing you again...