Barcelo Managua

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this hotel. It was much nicer than I expected. The man at the front desk, Eddy Vargas, was very friendly and helpful. The room was nice, the bed was comfortable, even the shampoo smelled good. There is an outdoor seating area by the pool with a nice view of the city and lake. Oh, and also the warm chocolate chip cookies were yummy. I would stay here again.

Pros: The hotel itself is visually appealing and appears to be newly constructed. The front desk staff were courteous and welcoming. Cons: Our disappointment began when we entered our bathroom and the shower had hair and debris, requiring us to clean it thoroughly before use. It wasn't the best way to start our stay, but we probably would have given 4/5 stars if that was the only issue. The most concerning part of our stay occurred during our departure for an early morning flight. Despite asking the hotel for advice on departure time for our 5:45am flight, we were simply advised to leave at 3:30am without any mention of potential safety concerns. As we drove towards the airport, we were surrounded by 3 motorcyclists attempting to rob us for most of the drive. We almost crashed our car trying to get away from them. It was disheartening to learn later from other Nicaraguans that driving at night in Managua carries significant risks, a fact that was not communicated to us by the hotel staff. We would have appreciated a warning about the potential dangers of nighttime travel and would have adjusted our plans accordingly. This avoidable experience left my husband wondering if someone from the hotel was behind the incident. Having traveled to countries like Kenya, India, and Brazil, we've learned that heeding warnings about these areas are easy ways to stay safe. We hope that future guests don't have a similar experience.

The level of customer service and hospitality surpassed my expectations. One of the best hotels I’ve stayed at in the country. Not to mention, staff were extremely kind and helpful. Definitely will stay here next time I come!