Puertas at El Quenepo — Hotel in Isla de Vieques

We booked a two night stay in late March (3/27/21-3/29/21). From everything I read on Puerto Rico’s tourist website, the ferry was the best and easiest way to get to the island. So, we purchased two tickets in advance. We read the ferry terminal in Cieba could get crowded, so we arrived two hours ahead of our departure time to ensure we got seats. However, when we arrived it was complete turmoil. Protestors shut down the ports of Culebra and Vieques and the government ended up shutting down service for the day - letting no one in or out. We let the owner, Kate Cole, know of the situation and she was nice enough to provide us with other transportation options. However because of the situation at the ferry terminal everything was booked and no one would or could let us travel.

The situation looked bleak, it was 5pm and we were getting nervous about what we would do for the next two nights. So, I inquired directly with Kate and then through booking.com about canceling, as our vacation plans seemed to take a 180. Kate said there was absolutely nothing she could in terms of refund, meeting us halfway, or offering a future credit but mentioned our reservation continued through Monday (3/29), if we could happen to find our way there. Ok, fine. Thus, I took no action to cancel through booking.com.

Then Sunday morning at 10:11am I get an email saying our host canceled our reservation. Kate canceled our stay and charged us the full amount of our stay. Booking.com states, “the property asked us to cancel your reservation as you didn’t show up on the check-in day”. The property was well aware of the situation at the ferry terminal and our inability to travel that day. We weren't even given a chance to try the next day. Additionally, I noticed our room was suddenly re-listed on sites like AirBnB. This is completely dishonest, unethical, and borderline fraud. It is outrageous the hotel would take advantage of a situation like this and act this way. Especially when some of the other reviews I’ve read online tout their customer service.

You would think they would be sympathetic to the situation, attempt in good faith to reconcile, or offer a future credit to stay with them. But nope, we got none of that. I’ve travelled a lot (for business and pleasure) and I have never encountered anyone in the hotel/hospitality industry so forbidding to a guest and then outright cancel their reservation mid-stay and charge the full amount. But unfortunately, that was the experience I had and it’s a shame because it looks like a beautiful place. It was a terrible situation all-around for both parties; but there are way too many other options, on the island, to consider for lodging than to potentially deal with the on-going headache. The owners response to my review states I canceled when in fact I did not ( I have multiple emails from booking.com confirming this). Unfortunate situation all around but we did not get the “stellar” service I’ve been hearing...

Would not recommend to anyone wanting to get some sleep unless you only stay Monday-Thursday. Sunday night the music seemed to quiet down by 1am.

I was looking forward to our stay at Puerta's based on other's reviews and the inviting pictures on line. However, it was not as advertised. The interior of the room is beautifully decorated, the bed is very comfy, great shower, very clean. The doors do not shut fully however leaving gaps in the top and bottom of the doors/windows. This allowed mosquitos to enter, we did get several bites and saw them inside the room/bathroom. The biggest challenge though is it's across the street from an open air night club. From 6pm to 1am on a Sunday night, music rattled the room and any sense of peace. When we finally able to fall asleep the roosters outside the window starting cawing from 4am.There were no curtains on the windows and lights were left on all night outside the door/windows shining into the room and allowing sunshine in at 5am. I read other reviews (a deeper dive) that the music goes until 4am on Friday/Saturday. We had asked for a vegan breakfast and told there was no special accommodations, but after receiving it I see it wouldn't have been too difficult to give more fruit/granola and skip the yogurt and eggs. Instead we just wasted the homemade yogurt and hard boiled eggs each morning. Found it very overpriced for what it was.

I would like to add that they (Kate) send a really great welcome packet when you register with great information on the Island. This was extremely helpful. Location was great for walking to restaurants and the BioBay tour and the beaches. Saved you driving at night. They are trying so hard but I am not sure how it will survive unless La Nasa closes and they update the doors to the place. We didn't see the owners until leaving on Tuesday, when asked how was our stay we said it wasn't good given the lack of sleep. Kate mentions that she has this all over her website warning people of the music from the nightclub. I looked again but all I could find was that Vieques is lively. When you're sitting at work booking your vacation, lively sounds great, lively is great, but when you get back to your beautiful tranquil room it's because you are ready to relax and unwind and you don't want to bring the club...

Go ahead and book it! Puertas at El Quenepo is ideal for a romantic getaway at the heart of Esperanza in Vieques. The owner, Kate, is involved in every detail and personally welcomed us to the property. Even prior to our arrival, Kate emailed us with access to their digital orientation page with information about what to expect, local recommendations, transporatioin, and much more, which was very helpful. She also helped to coordinate the transportation to and from the hotel, as it's located on the opposite side of the island from the Vieques ferry port. The rooms are beautifully decorated and you can tell a lot of TLC went into the design elements. We booked the Caña room (only one available at the time), which is located on the first floor and does not have a water view. However, we were very glad to have booked this one as there is a bar across the street and the orientation of the room away from the front creates a sound buffer and offers additional privacy. Guests still have access to the open terrace on the second floor, so enjoying the open air and capturing beautiful photos is still an option even when you don't book the rooms on the second floor. The food at El Quenepo is also delicious, and the atmosphere is bustling with activity--a testament to the special offerings of this location. Guests are greeted with a lovely breakfast basket each morning, and each room comes equipped with beach chairs and a cooler for a day full of adventures. This hotel is conveniently located next to multiple bars and restaurants, on the malecón, a two-minute walk from one of the locations where you can rent Kawasaki Mules to tour the island, a short drive from Sun Beach, and next to the meeting place for the bioluminescent bay tours. We felt safe and 'at home' staying here. One suggestion would be to present the guests with a handwritten note or other more personal detail, especially if they're celebrating a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary. These simple acts take the experience to a next level. This was the only 'missing' piece. That said, we enjoyed our stay and would...