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| Laguna Mar Resort and Casino |
Laguna Mar Resort and Casino: Hotel Reviews |
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| Based on 7 reviews |
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| This was the worst hotel I've ever encountered |
| Hotel Laguna Mar Resort and Casino |
User Rating:
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John >
19 contribution(s) Canada |
| Feb, 2009
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Arrival
The wait at the airport was over two hours. The hotel check in was an hour and language barriers further slowed the process.
Rooms
The rooms were clean and the beds were comfortable. However, we booked ocean views well in advance and received rooms on the opposite side. The hotel was unwilling to locate us without charging an additional fee. The air-conditioning had to be on at all times or else the floor got as wet as a swimming pool. As a result it was either very cold or too hot and moist in the rooms. The maid service ignored "Do Not Disturb" signs and came in as they pleased. They also attended to the rooms randomly, at all hours.
Restaurants and Bars
The overall service was quite good, and the bars poured strong drinks, although one had to put up with an overabundance of wasps that frequented every bar. The restaurants served vastly inferior food. It was tasteless, not fresh, soggy and lacked variety, despite their advertisements of daily "themes". This was the worst hotel food I've ever encountered, and these sentiments are shared by many. Also, children were allowed everywhere, so there was no place to go for adults to relax and enjoy peace and quiet.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The pools were abundant and generally clean, as was the grounds. The beach was average for these types of resorts. However it is a very substantial walk to the beach from either hotel - almost a mile - and the shuttle service provided was random, at best.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The one saving grace of the trip was the excursions that were away from the resort. On these the food was excellent, the service was outstanding, the prices were reasonable and everything offered was accommodated. However, these excursions are available from any of the island's resorts, so Laguna Del Mar cannot take credit. On the resort itself, the activites were the same everyday and catered to the children and families. The casino was closed and this was not indicated when the booking was made.
Other Comments
Myslef and many others will not return to this resort and are making a concerted effort to steer family and acquaintances away from this resort. |
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| Old Reviews - Laguna Mar Resort and Casino |
| Laguna Mar Resort and Casino |
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Flight: Air Transat, no problems going and no problems coming back (actually got back 30 mins early).
Transport to Hotel: Vicente and Aquilles were at the airport. Bus ride took about 30 minutes.
Check-in: No problems at all
Room: Very clean and spacious; safes now have a code pad and you program your own code. Room was in the North Tower and facing the ocean. It was nice to fall asleep listening to the waves every night. Showers always had hot water (much appreciated)
Food: Ate very well each day at the buffets of the North and South Towers and the Cazon (beach grill). Italian restaurant (Carusso) very good and service fantastic
Towel Service: No problems whatsoever, they have booths all over the resort.
Shuttle Service: Fantastic (especially useful when coming back from the disco late at night)
Service: Fantastic; everyone was friendly and polite. I loved walking to the beach in the morning and running into the gardeners and maintenance people. A buenos dia or Hola would get you a smile and a little chat too.
Entertainment: Good shows every night, the animation team and the dancers put on a great show
Disco: Good, I would have said great except the music was not too varied
Animators: This has to be one of the best animation teams I have ever seen. Very involved and hard-working, but not pushy. If you go, say hello to Eric, Pedrito & Nemo from Lynda in Montreal
Catamaran to Coche Island: booked with Aquilles, $ 65 US. Worth every penny. The Innovations staff and the staff on the catamaran were wonderful. Everything was on time, service on the boat was very rapid and the meal at Coche Island was delicious.
Pools: I lost count of how many there were, there is a least 7 of them. They were well maintained. The hub of the activities was at the one with the swim up bar and there is an Olympic pool right beside that one. This is located midpoint between the North and South Tower.
Beach: I loved it, the water is very agitated most days, but you can swim. Not too crowded (a bonus). Service at beach bar was very good. Say hello to Luis from his reina.
Departure tax: 157,000 Bolivars or 157 Bolivar Fuerte (be sure to have exact change)
I was a bit apprehensive before going on this trip, however, I must say this resort exceeded all my expectations. I hope to return next year. It's too bad that there are only flight from December until beginning of April from Montréal. I'd go back in a heartbeat.
A little Spanish goes a long way. I speak Spanish, however, some people did not speak English or Spanish and they spent the whole week frustrated and complaining. They do give Spanish lessons at the resort (near the pool with the swim up bar, so I would recommend taking the lesson)
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| Laguna Mar Resort and Casino |
Judy and Keith
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| April 2007 |
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We spent two weeks at this resort from Mar 21/07. Though we could have taken the bus to the resort supplied by the travel co. we decided to contact Marcos Tours and have him pick us up. There was someone there waiting for us when we arrived and the trip cost $20. The driver wasn’t Marcos and didn’t speak any English so we didn’t receive any tour or descriptions on the drive to the resort. We did however get there about 15 to 20 mins before the others and had no line up for check in.
This resort doesn’t have the usual greeting of dancers and exotic drinks when you arrive that you get at some other resorts.
We were put in the south tower - which is the nicer looking one from the outside. It is also closer to the restaurants, main pool and evening entertainment. We had a jr suite with an excellent view of the pools and ocean. Unfortunately we didn't have a balconey
Like others have said the rooms are simple, but very clean. Ours certainly could have used a paint job and some new curtains and the flashing lights in the bathroom kept things interesting. However, we don’t spend a lot of time in the room, the bed was very comfortable and the water in the shower was hot with good pressure.
We didn’t find the rooms too cool for sleeping at night, but could be a little cool in the evening if you were watching some TV before going to dinner. Because others warned us we took something warm to wear during this time & we were quite comfortable.
The pools are large and very clean. They are also a little warn looking - cracks etc.. We spent most of our time at the two main pools where the music played and activities took place. This area had a swim up bar but for the 1st week it was very hard to get any service on the pool side - you had to get out, order at the other side of the bar and then climb back in the pool (big deal),. There is a wonderful kids pool with lots for them to do (like a small water park) and the water slide at the other pool was very fast if you laid down. There were also pools by the south and north towers. These pools were much quieter with no music or activities but the bar at the south tower pool made great drinks. The wave pool was not very exciting, the waves are very small. What was good here was in front of the pool they had chairs, tables & umbrellas set up in sand. (The waves at the beach were very large and the undertow could be very bad). So at this pool the kids could play in the sand and then in the safer small waves in the pool. You also got the sound of nice waves breaking against the shore. We also used the Olympic lap pool a couple of times. It was very enjoyable. All of the pools were slightly cool in the morning but very warm by the afternoon. One word of warning. The stones around the pool get VERY HOT. Be sure to have some flip-flops etc which you can wear to the pool and then slip right back on when you get out. You will not be able to walk to the pool or back to your chairs without something on your feet. We saw little kids crying because they had run onto the stones.
We found the food in restaurants to be very good, The buffet had an excellent choice with a different theme each night. The restaurant by the pool was nice with sit down, menu service and pretty good food,. The grill at the beach was also tasty but didn’t have a big choice and it was always the same every day. We were also told that the Mexican restaurant was under construction but when the Venezuelans arrived for Holy Week during our 2nd week the Mexican was opened in the North tower right away. That week they also opened the Italian restaurant for an air-conditioned buffet breakfast. The swim up bar was also stocked and you could get drinks from the pool as well.
There are many iguanas at this resort - from little 6 inch ones to large 2 foot ones. I would take some melon from the restaurant each morning and feed them. One day there were over 10 of them in the area between the main pool and the wave pool - on the ground and climbing up into the palm trees. We enjoyed feeding them and watching them sun themselves everyday.
We used Marcos tours for an island trip. We really enjoyed ourselves. We were with another couple and their son,. Marcos was very informative and listened to us to ensure that we were seeing what we wanted. A boat tour is included and he asked our guide to not only find the star fish that they locate for everyone, but to locate a seahorse for Will to see. It was amazing - We got to actually hold a live seahorse in our hand! (Back at the resort and I asked one of the merchants selling hand painted t-shirts if he could do one for me with a seahorse on it and he did for no extra cost.
We enjoyed ourselves at Laguna Mar. We’ll likely never return only because there are so many other places to see, but we would certainly recommend this resort for others to try.
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| Laguna Mar Resort and Casino |
Mike & Tracey
Canada
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| February 2006 |
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We are just back from our perfect vacation to Margarita Island, January 2006. Just thought we would provide some feedback for anyone else travelling to Lagunamar Resort.
The resort is about a 30 minute drive from the airport. Roads to the resort are good. Resort looks nice as you approach. Nicely kept grounds. Very neat & tidy.
The Resort grounds are huge but they do have a trolley bus that is available 24/7 to take you from point A to point B. You never have to wait more than a few minutes. It is very easy to get to know your way around by the end of the first day, so no problems there.
Rooms are very spacious & clean. Air conditioning works great. There is a hair dryer in all rooms. Safe in rooms is free. They give you a key upon check in. There is a charge if you lose the key though. They also provide you with a card for free beach towels which you can change every day for clean ones. There is a charge if you lose your towel or card. Word of caution though.....do not drink the water from the tap as you will get sick. Fresh water is available at all restaurants and bars and on each floor in the hotel. Lots of hot water for showering.
Our room was on the 4th floor in the North Tower overlooking the mountains. Would have been nice to have an ocean view but mountain view was also spectacular. Rooms do have balconies.
Maid service ................good!
Food........so much to choose from. You can always find something that you like regardless of what they are serving. They offer tons of bread, cheese, fruit and pasta every night in case you do not like the other choices, so always something to fall back on. The Buffet Restaurant does theme nights so the menu changes.
Other restaurants are Salvatores (by the pool) which was great for lunch. The Beach Bar & Grill (by the ocean) which offered typical burgers, chicken etc. Also very good for lunch. They have the Mexican Restaurant and the Italian Restaurant. We tried both..........the Italian was great. Mexican was ok, but certainly not our favorite.
The South Tower is located closest to the ocean, the buffet restaurant & the Disco. The North Tower is located closest to the Casino, Wave pool and Water slide pool. Both locations are fine though.
We did the Angel Falls Tour which cost $300 U.S. per person. A bit expensive but well worth the trip. A word of caution though, the tour operators do not specify how strenuous parts of this excursion are and as such more than half of our group of 15 were unable to go the full length of the tour and had to turn back and wait for the rest of us.
We spoke to many people who did the Jeep Tour and all had a great day at only $45 U.S per person. A few people we spoke to did the horseback riding tour in the mountains and also said that was spectacular. I think that was also $45 U.S. per person.
The flea market sells mainly clothing at very cheap prices. We were lead to believe by the tour operators that we could get local crafts and jewellery there and that is not the case. After speaking to a few of the locals they advised us that most of the crafters left the island after Venezuella had all that political unrest. Once the tourists stopped coming, there was no money for them to make. Hopefully in time, as the tourists return, the local crafters will as well. The best place to shop for local stuff was the few booths on the beach or the booths at the Buffet Restaurant every night.
The beach is fabulous and has private cabana beds which you can rent very cheap. Watch out for the waves though, they are stronger than they look. Be extremely cautious of the tide.
Be sure to take bug spray as there are lots of mosquitos at the beach and in the evenings after any light rain. We had light rain a couple of mornings but it was always cleared up by about 9 a.m.
The Lagunamar Resort is the only one (from speaking to others on our way home) that actually have lifeguards on the beach and at all 9 pools
They had various shows every night. They switch back and forth from English to Spanish on a nightly basis. We watched one of the shows which was called "GREASE" like the old movie with John Travolta. It was quite good and it was in English. They also have the disco and a casino, so always lots to do. You could never run out of things to do at this resort, regardless of age.
We have travelled to Barbadoes, Aruba, Dominican Republic, St Kitts, Cuba and now Margarita Island. Although Aruba is our favorite island so far, this Resort is our favorite compared to the others that we have stayed at, which were all 4 or 5 star rated.
All in all a fabulous vacation & resort. We will definitely go back and would recommend this resort to everyone. Next time we will stay for 2 weeks though.
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| Laguna Mar Resort and Casino |
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My boyfriend and I (mid 30's) went to this resort Feb 23-March 2, 2005.
Must say we were pleasantly surprised. I would definitely consider going
back, something I thought I would never do.
The grounds are huge but kept impeccable, beautiful lush gardens,
gardeners working all day. The weather was hot and sunny everyday, rained
overnight once. 10 degrees from the equator the sun is very intense. I
strongly recommend a high sunscreen, I used 30, having never before in my
life. There are 2 or 3 open air buses that circle all day/night from
beach, south and north tower as the place is huge.
9 pools - water slide (is a hoot), length pool, jacuzzis, quiet pools,
activity pools, wave pool. The pool water is not over-clorinated and kept
very clean. While lounging no one ever bugs you to play games, etc. The
pool by the north tower is very quiet, there was hardly anyone ever there.
The problem is no bar/restaurant nearby to keep yourself quenched.
Restaurants - Food was excellent at all the eating places. Even the
pickiest of eater could find something. Everything was fresh, lots of
seafood, chicken, pork and veggies. Its not all laden in butter/oil like I
have encountered on other islands. 2 ala cartes. Italian was very nice,
the Mexican was as great as the rest. My fav was Ocean Grill. Also loved
Salvatores where they serve you and you choose from a short menu of pizza,
burgers, grilled pork, etc. We did miss dinner one night - the brochure
says midnight snacks in the disco, which is not so. We found little skimpy
sandwiches at the south tower bar. I guess you could order room service
and/or eat at the casino (not included) which was very good. Some days the
hostess would write down your room/wristband number at the front before
you sat to eat and some of the menu boards had prices. We were concerned
and asked our waiter, but it is all included if you have your wristband.
Lagoon/Beach - To get to the beach you cross the bridge over the lagoon
(where the water sports are done). No beggers or people harassing you
anywhere. They did have vendor huts on the beach that you buy sarongs,
souvenirs, jewelry, etc. The beach is about 1 km long and is watched by
security guards in towers on either end. The yellow flag was up all week
and the surf was rolling but, most people could go in for a dip or swim
and not have to worry. Apparently there is a strong current but the
lifeguards are watching everyone. I guess we ventured out too far one day
and they whistled us to come closer. Tons of activities included, we went
bicycling, kayaking and windsurfing. If you watch the lagoon waters at
dusk you can see the jumping fish - which is amazing.
Rooms - We had a room in the north tower (all people on our flight staying
at LagunaMar were in the north tower) The room was basic but a good size,
we had 2 queen beds. The toilet, bidet & shower with tub is closed off
from the sink/mirror area. The shower was always good temperature and
fabulous water pressure. Blow dryers are very good, dont need to bring
your own. There is purified water and ian ce machine on every floor - you
could fill up your carafe they have in your room. Maid was in everyday to
change towels, sweep and make bed. Minifridge and safe included (even
though the brochure says its not).
The fact that this resort has a kids play area and such I was worried
there would be kids running rampant everywhere. But honestly, you barely
saw one. The resort is the "biggest in the caribbean" and even though it
was at full capacity there wasnt masses of people around because of the
size. A ton of loungers at the beach and pools, except the
waterfall/activity pool could use a few more.
You can change US dollars into Bolivars at the lobby store for 2300B for
1US. If you are not leaving the resort you dont really need to do this,
just have small bills for tips and thats it. The casino rate is 2600B
which was better, but if you win a lot of Bolivars they will not change it
back to US and you should before you leave - the retail store lady will.
Excursions - We took a taxi into Porlamar to go shopping - 7000B (3 US),
it was nice but the prices didnt seem that much of a bargain. A lot of
high end shops on cinquo de mayo - didnt buy anything. I heard the flea
market was much better. We didnt do the jeep tour as there were so many
other things to do on the resort, but I heard it was fabulous! and will
definitely do it the next time around.
I would recommend this resort to everyone ... all in all a great time!
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| Laguna Mar Resort and Casino |
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| Dear Debbie: From January 12 to January 19 we stayed at the Laguna Mar Resort and Casino in Playa Gapraricos, north 20 minutes from downtown Porlamar. 4 Star resort isolated on the east coast. 2-8 storey buildings on opposite ends of the resort with plenty of activities in between. Nice family resort with plenty to do for kids. 7 pools with a wave pool, waterslide pool, olympic pool, nice beach and plenty of activities scheduled all day. Comfortable walk to the beach each day or take the small open bus. Hotel was kept clean and presentable. Rooms are spacious and clean but be aware of where your room is to each disco and service entrance for early daily deliveries. Hotel service was disappointing both at the front end and room service. Be persistent and assertive. Food was good with plenty of variety each night. The two separate restaurants were Italian and Mexican. Could be improved. This hotel caters more to the South American tourist then the North American tourist. When changing from US$ to Bolivar, only change what you will need for 2-3 days. Make change at the resort retail outlets or downtown outlets. Barter for the best exchange from 2200 to 2600 Bolivar/US$. If you get a chance see the island via the jeep safari or rent a car. Very reasonable and enjoyable. We rented a car and view the island in one day with plenty of time for sightseeing and easy roads to follow. Gas was only 3 cents a litre. Best sites were Playa El Agua in the north east with plenty of excitement all day and the opposite end of the island, west side in Punta Arenas where the best beaches are but only a day trip area. Kids everywhere when you stop. Just trying to make a buck. Felt very safe at all times. Nice island to visit once but still under developed. If you can travel Air Transat. Their plane was spacious and kept you entertained.
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| Laguna Mar Resort and Casino |
Annie et Stéphan
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| March 2007 |
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Nous revenons tout juste d'un très beau voyage de deux semaines au Lagunamar de L'île de Margarita au Vénézuela.
Situé à environ 30 minutes de l'aéroport, c'est l'un des plus gros resort des Caraïbes et une des seules places ou les enfants peuvent s'éclater avec tous les jeux d'eau s'y trouvant. Deux minibus se déplacent dans le resort pour vous déplacer d'un point A au point B mais on peut tout faire à pied sans problèmes.
Chambres: Très propres et très grandes. La chambre de bain offre une baignoire avec douche et on y trouve même un bidet?! L'air climatisée fonctionne très bien. Nous étions situé dans la chambre 3235, soit dans la tour sud au 2ème étage avec vue sur les montagnes. La tour sud est située plus près de la plage et du buffet prioncipal. La tour Nord étant plus près du casino et des glissades d'eau et de la piscine à vagues. Nous avions 2 grands lits doubles mais pas de terrasses. Seulement une grande fenêtre. Pas de bestioles indésirables trouvées en deux semaines! De l'eau potable est disponible sur tous les étages ainsi que de la glace.
Dans la tour sud se trouve un acces internet avec 4 ordinateurs qui coute environ 2$US/heure... Pas cher. On y trouve aussi l'agence de tours (nous n'en avons pas fait) ainsi qu'un magasin de souvenir ainsi qu'un genre de dépanneur pas très cher non plus.
Nourriture: Buffet principal assez bon mais j'ai deja vu mieux. Il y en a pour tous les gouts et les thèmes varient de jour en jour pendant une semaine: Thaï, international, italien, Vénézuelien, poissons, BBQ. La nourriture est très propre et bien présentée. Le restaurant Salvatore's ouvert de 12h30 à 17h00 offre un très bon menu nous y allions presque tous les midis. La pizza est excellente! Le buffet de la plage est ordinaire mais assez bon par contre pas très variés. Le restaurant à la carte Italien est très bon même si j'ai eu une intoxication alimentaire avec le boeuf Carpaccio.... Ne plus jamais manger de boeuf cru en voyage....!!!! Le restaurant mexicain était en rénovation lors de notre passage alors nous n'y sommes pas allés...
La plage: Très vaste, environ 1 km de long, elle est recouverte de sable beige et noir volcanique. Le fond de l'eau est dur après quelques pas. Les vagues sont assez grosses mais on peut s'y baigner facilement. Quelques kiosques de marchands sont présents mais ne viennent pas vous importuner. Des chaises sont disponibles en grandes quantités ainsi que des places avec de l'ombre. À droite de la plage se trouve une partie privée ou on peut louer à la journée des chaises et des lits avec matelas.
Température: En mars il n'a pas plus une goutte durant les deux semaines. La chaleur est si intense qu'entre midi et 14hrs impossible de marcher nullle part nu pied. trop brûlant. Apportez bonne quantité d'écran solaire! Aportez aussi écran moustique pour le soir car il y en a! Ainsi que de la calamine! Le jour seulement quelques abeilles autour des bars.
Activités: Chaque tour possède sa propre piscine d'assez grande dimension. On y trouve sur le site également une piscine olympique pour des compétitions et des longeurs matinales. Une immense piscine avec bar intégré ou il y a beaucoup d'activités d'organiser ainsi que d'un filet de water polo. Il y a une grande piscine à vagues mais dont les vagues sont assez minimes.... Une piscine avec 2 glissades d'eau (une était en rénovation lors de notre passage) mais on s'y est quand même bien amusés! Il y a aussi un parc pour les enfants avec plusieurs jeux d'eau. Notre neveu de 8 ans s'y est bien amusé et nous aussi! Le casino est assez petit et on y joue seulement avec des bolivares du Vénézuela. On y trouve de tout, machines à sous, tables black jack, roulette, etc. Il y a aussi un grand lagon juste avant d'arriver à la plage, On peut y faire kayak, planche à voile, pédalo, banana boat ainsi que du sea-doo$$.
Au Lagunamar on y parle pas français mais partout ils comprennent l'anglais.
C'est un des plus beaux resort que nous avons visité mis à part la nourriture qui est ordinaire nous y retournerions sans problèmes! Pour plus d'infos: allez visiter leur site en anglais: http://www.lagunamar.com.ve/ZZZ/08/06440/Home_eng.htm ou écrivez-moi à perreaultannie@hotmail.com
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