This place has changed hands. I booked over the phone and asked for a confirmation email. This arrived saying that 'my booking was confirmed in the attachment'. There was no attachment. A mistake easily rectified you might think. But no. It took a further four emails to finally get confirmation of dates and rate. Tthe attachment never appeared.
On arrival (late afternoon) the 24 hour reception was closed with a note and number. There is a not-so-obvious phone behind a partition at the side of reception that can be used providing you realise you need a prefix to dial an outside line first.
I had been told there was free Wi-Fi. The reception lady (owner) confirmed this. But when I tried to use the internet I had no joy. I went back to reception and asked again to be told it just ‘opened up’ and I was the first person to have a problem. Could she tell me the provider? No. After a bit of cajoling she said she would phone a guest who used the internet successfully. No reply. She could not help further. Surely she knew her provider? No. A bit more cajoling and she finally dug up a plastic card with the name of the internet provider clearly stating it was pre-paid. Even with this information she still insisted that the internet was free. At this point I gave up.
What happened next blew me away. Waiting for the lift (which must be the slowest lift in Australia), the lady looked at me from behind her computer and hissed ‘Don’t mess with me’. Excuse me? ‘You’ve picked the wrong woman to mess with’ she continued. What did she mean? Was she going to send the boys round? I have always considered myself a ‘nice’ person and generally prefer to walk away than have confrontation. In all my years of travelling I have rarely had cause to complain. When I have, comments are usually taken on board and problems fixed. Perhaps I had caught her on a bad day but the viciousness of these comments was amazing. I thought it best to ignore her.
The rooms are basic. You get what you pay for and these are standard motel style. Seeing previous comments on here, I had asked for a room at the back but was given one at the front. And there was a dead cockroach on my bathroom floor.
I will not be staying here again.
- Flag Hotel Poinciana
