Selina Playa Venao — Hotel in Los Santos

Great location, fantastic place. But the people, for starters the girl in reception was awful!

Arrived Wednesday 26 Feb 2020 at about 1pm very tired after carnival festivity in a nearby town.

Tried to call the hotel but the girl in reception refer me to a different number for reservations which no one answered (I believe they could have been closed)

So I decided to show up.

The welcome was not the best. I asked about the room availability and the rates.

Honestly I was very tired to process the variety of options given , so i connected to the local wifi and checked the options online.

Once I made a decision I approached the girl in reception and asked her if the private room with a balcony was available to which she responded "I already told you that", yes it is available to which I asked the price and again in a very rude manner she replied have also told you that already and continued to give me the price.

The whole interaction with the girl was a bit frustrating. I was afraid to even ask her anything else to avoid engaging into an argument.

I came back later on and there was a new person, a guy this time. (What a difference) I overheard and witnessed anothers person checkin process and learned that there was a welcome cocktail which I missed because the previous girl did not have the courtesy to mention.

I also heard that breakfast could have been included at a better price if paid in advance.

The courteous and informative way that the guy managed the checkin process was outstanding.

I purchased the breakfast in advance.

The breakfast experience was a bit chaotic due to lack of organization.

Firstly I was sitting at the table "as is normally done" awaiting to be served or at least to be offered a menu when I noticed that people was coming straight to the bar to order.

I went to the bar to ask for a menu to order or at least check out the menu and then I was told by one other guest which I saw walking in (way after I arrived) to wait for my turn that they were first.

The place is fantastic as i mention at the beginning of the review, however getting that type of welcome is a disgrace and absolutely disgusting. Is a horrible feeling!

The situation at the restaurant is just lack of organization, the waiter was courteous but a bit disorganized. That could be changed easily.

But the girl at reception needs an intensive customer service and guest relations course.

To work with people you need to be a people's person and this was...

We arrived at the Hostel's bar which seemed to be the check in desk also. It was noon and we're very hungry so I asked the bartender if they offered anything to eat. She said we had to wait until 12:30 pm because the lunch would be ready by then. We waited and meanwhile we ordered cocktail. My brother in-law was about to order drinks too but he had a half finished beer in his hand that bought outside the bar so He sat down to finish it. By 12:30 we ordered lunch for 6 persons and 2 extra soup. While we're waiting for the meal the manager of the Hostal came to us and said that we have to respect the Hostal's rules and not to bring and consume drinks from outside. We totally understood his concern and I said I was sorry and we have already consumed cocktails that we bought in the bar and the beer that my brother in law had in his hand would disappear right away. I said no problem. BUT the manager kept on. He was talking in a very uncomfortable manner He said that in his bar the beer was cheap, and the pool is not for us "it is for the guests' If we want to use it we have to pay for it. He used the word "cheap" like 4 times. We felt disrespected and a bit offended. After we ordered lunch - and by the way when I looked around nobody was eating anything Everyone had like a bottle of water or a 1$ beer front of him None ordered as much as we did. It could have been enough to be told that No food or drinks from outside is allowed. With only one sentence we would have understand and not to talk about how cheap costumers we were. BY the way I wasn't going to use the pool either it was full of greenish things and it wasn't transparent at all It was a dirty and didn't worth 10$ / p. We just wanted to have a good time but the same...

It's interesting how differently people view a desirable beach experience. My preferred experience is a chill laid back vibe, where you can always hear the waves even over music that flows with the waves, where the aesthetic enhances the natural beauty, and the cuisine is inspired by the ocean with a local flair. Selina seems to be part way there with a great location and cute grounds & layout... until the neon lights garishly light the beach and the all night open air raves become defenning from 3PM TO 4AM night after night, and chants for shoots are yelled by groups, robbing you of sleep for those morning surf sessions. Drinks are cold, but eat somewhere else.

There were a few hospitality stars (Carlos, surf shop manager, cleaning lady), but otherwise expect little welcome or kindness from the staff.

Oh yeah, and yoga is not beachside... It's tucked in the breezeless back of the property so don't believe the online photos (the seaside deck is kept open for the partyers).

If your vibe aligns with mine, then check out the other accommodations at Venao, there are a few cool ones to choose from. If you are looking for a party till you drop vibe, and not interested in the raw natural beauty of the location then this is your place.

In contrast, Selina in Panama city is a cool little gem with a fabulous location in old town, amazing tacos on the stylish rooftop deck, scrumptious breakfast, and a friendly...