Reservations: I called "Posada La Hamaca" to make a reservation. The credit card you provide to hold the reservation will be charged in full for the entire stay. I was not told of this when I made the reservation until I got the email confirmation stating that the credit card was already charged. Check-in time is 3:00pm and check-out time is 10:00am.
Location: Located in town, it's a 7 to 10 minute walk from the ferry station. If you don't already have a map of Culebra, ask a local person as none of the streets have name markings. La Hamaca is conveniently located walking distance to town, restaurants, grocery stores and ferry station.
Arrival: Ricardo, the reception desk clerk, had our room and key ready when we arrived in his very tiny reception area, which looks more like an overcrowded closet with shelves on top overflowing with boxes, toiletries, messy papers and the likes. He is very friendly and, while not forthcoming in providing information, once you ask him, he tells you everything you need to know. He was more interested in getting back to the computer to play his online games than to help and assist guests.
Room / Cleanliness: Once we entered, Room #9 had a room deodorizer that smelled like caramel. The room had an' area with a microwave, a dorm-style refrigerator, and a couple of bar stools. Room had no carpet. I took my sandals off and I felt "things" under my feet. I had to put the sandals back on.
We had a full size kitchen (no oven) with sketchy supplies and coffee maker. The sponges were dirty, an old and overused cleaning rag, and no basic necessities such as dish-soap provided. I ran hot water in the coffee pot a few times and then I poured the hot water over the coffee cups, spoons and plates. At least that would get supplies better cleaned and disinfected.
We had two double beds in the room. The beds were partially made. The blanket was just laying under the pillows and you had to set up your own bed. The Posada offers housekeeping services every 3 days only. Beach towels are provided at the desk. They are old and overused. The one I was given had some stains in it and the other one was shredding away. There is a cooler in the room to take to the beach if you want to.
The television was really high on top of the 'closet cabinet' which had no doors, a shelve on the floor (fell off and no one had fixed it) and no hangers. It was a science to figure out how the TV remote worked. It took me the 2-full days I was there to do so. Air-conditioning unit was located in the ceiling over the kitchenette and it was very rusty. We did not bother even touching it or turning it on.
Bathroom: Shower had no light so when you close the curtain you could barely see anything, rusting rod, dirty shower curtain, sink that would 'wobble', not hot water pressure out of the sink and just yucky. The bathroom door did not close properly and made an awful noise every time you opened or closed it.
Amenities: The hotel has a dock with a couple of tables and two chairs in the back facing the water which could use some sprucing up. No other amenities. There are city maps on a shelve in front of the 'reception' window and a few informational pamphlets hanging of the cork-board in the hallway.
Overnight Experience: Since the Posada is next to "Mamacitas" bar, there is a constant flow of loud people walking by our windows, being noisy and obnoxious. Then, in the early morning hours, you do hear the roosters from across the street, trucks and traffic. We barely slept and most of my sleep I did while laying at the beach. If you cannot reserve a room facing the water or the back of the hotel, do not book here. The street noise will keep you up all night.
Checkout: As we already pre-paid our stay, there was nothing to do than to give our room key. After seeing how this place is run, I think the 10:00 am check-out time is a little extreme, counting the fact that the place has a few rooms, housekeeping is offered every 3-days only and the cleaning job is minimal. However, the hotel offers a shower and 'lockers' to leave your bags while you enjoy your last day in Culebra.
Final Score:
Reservations: 2.5 out of 5.0
Location: 4.0 out of 5.0
Arrival Experience: 2.5 out of 5.0
Room/Cleanliness: 1.0 out of 5.0
Bathroom: 0.5 out of 5.0
Hotel Amenities: 1.5 out of 5.0
Overnight Experience: 0.0 out of 5.0
Checkout Experience: 2.0 out of 5.0
Final Score: 14 out of 40 / 35% or F Grade
Final Comments: While the location is great, I would avoid staying here, unless you want to party all night and be in the middle of town. I recommend going to Bahia Marina or Sea Breeze Hotel. These are located a bit inland (probably need to rent a car or rely on the very unreliable taxi services) but the crowd is more upscale, views are panoramic and amazing, great hotel amenities such as restaurants, bar, pools, clean and modern rooms and friendlier staff. read more