Occidental El Embajador, Sarasota

Although it seems attractive, our stay in this hotel was awfull and we would really not recommend it to anyone ! So the lobby, the pool and the garden are really nice, but the rest is incredibly disrespecful of us customers ! And this includes the staff ; except for 2 or 3 persons, they all are not even polite, and whatever you say or request, they will always do what THEY want in the end. Rooms are old, dusty and dirty; half of electric devices do not work; had to call 3 times to get batteries in the remote control. Hygien standards are far from met : the minibar was filthy, sheets were full of hairs, bathroom door was dirty with I do not want to know what, furniture is almost breaking apart, they use the same brush to clean the toilets and tub (!!!!!) Moreover parties are organised in the gardens (4 times in our 2 weeks stay) and the music is SO LOUD that we could not even listen to the television ; we had to stay up SO LATE, it was like 1 a.m. when they stopped, this is not normal !! and the staff was not even sympathic or helpful when we called for claim. 4 times in a 2 weeks holiday, what do you think of it ? well, they will never ever see me again !!! AND IT WAS 120 USD THE NIGHT !!! this is robbery !

first i got at the hotel the guy who's name is jose didn't treat us as tourist my boyfriend and i was so upset i reach their saturday night at 3 am tired and stress and these people didn't treat people very good. I will never go back to that hotel only person treat us well was the ones in the restaurant love those person other than that is was disgusting the working them don't even know how to greet you with a smile or say good morning i will never recommend any one to that hotel never

I thought it would be a nice hotel but it turned out crappy. My sink wouldnt drain quick enought, the bottom of the sink had a hole and i hat to put gum on it so water wouldnt leak, crappy curtins, a crapy tv, crappy phone,crappy walls. Also there are dese dam birds dat yell from like 5pm to 3am. My room door didnt open properly someone stole the batteries from the safe and the iron from the room. and when u call for service like example the sink or sumtin the dont come they might but like in 40 mins. The beds are uncofartable there is a deck in every room but no dam chairs outside. the doorway into the room is very narrow. the pool is nice and so is the outside resturant dats bout it. i felt like i was in jail never goin back dere

This Hotel is old and has not been renovated very well. The rooms are dark, humid and smelly. The decoration is ugly and the linens look as of those of a cheap Motel. The worst part though is that there are street looking prostitutes hanging out at the lobby and at the casino exit. My girlfriend and I chose to check out right away (only 15 minutes after arriving) but the stuff was very unfriendly about us leaving. They refused to give me a photocopy of the signed contract and when I asked to see it the guy hid the papers behind his back with a very mafia attitude. I left the hotel empty handed. He warned me that Orbitz will still charge me the first night even if I did not stay. He was right. After 7 phone calls and 4 emails (all during my vacation time) Orbitz told me they could not credit me fully, that they still have to charge the first night even if the hotel turned out to be a dungeon. Orbitz does not offer a guarantee of quality at all in this sense. So be careful on pre paying your stay with them. I ended up taking a taxi and staying at a better hotel but paying full price at the front desk, of course.

I stayed over 2 weeks in the hotel while I was traveling to Santo Domingo for business. A week after my arrival I found out they were hosting a national event called "Dominicana Moda". The event was held in the hotel for the whole week. The lobby was crowded all the time and the parking was impossible. I felt like they did not care about me an all the other guests because they took away from us all the common areas like the lobby and the pool area. The pool was closed from Monday to Sunday for the event. However I think that's something we are also paying for. Unfortunately, I did not get anything as compensation for the inconvenience. My room was facing the pool so I heard all the noise every night until 1 a.m. The played house and electro music which I also like, but considering I had to get up at 6 am every day to go to work.. I don't think it was a good idea. I complained so many times and the staff did nothing. I kept asking to give me a room on the other side of the hotel but they kept saying the hotel was full. Even though I saw so many people leaving the hotel every day. In addition to that, the fitness room is terrible. There's almost nothing and the few machines are old and rusted. So if you like to work out you either go to another hotel or join a gym. The closest one is the Gold's Body which is 15 minutes walk from the hotel on Ave. Los Locutores and Churchill.

The staff was wonderful and friendly. My niece dropped her pacifier on the floor and 3 staff members came to pick it up. The next thing we know the staff member brought out boiling water and put the pacifer in it and then handed it to my sister. We never entered or left the hotel without being greeted at the door. The rooms were clean and a descent size. I am excited to go back. The location is great. This is a historic hotel. P.S. I never saw prostitutes but I wasn't looking.

Rates are good but staff was rude. Did not like the fact the lobby was crawling with prostitutes. They really stuck it to me with the mini-bar, the bill was WAY higher than the rates posted in the room. Location is good though and will say the hotel was a decent value, but they need to learn how to take care of their customers.

If you are a tourist who does not speak english, this hotel may not be the right choice. Most of the staff do speak english but cannot help you with directions or even identifying the 'must see' locations. For Eg: We asked about the columbus lighthouse and were sent to Altos De Chevon in La Romana!!! Also this hotel is NOT family friendly. We had visited with our 2 year old and stuck out like a sore thumb! This hotel is meant ONLY for business visits.

The hotel itself is beautiful, however the rooms and the service can be a "hit or miss" situation. During my last visit, the bed was extremely uncomfortable, the carpet smelled as if it was wet, the sink in the bathroom did not drain properly, the telephone did not work for two days, and the topper was i had a dead roach in my room for 3 days. None of these deplorable conditions got addressed properly nor in time after numerous calls to the front desk. i was there a month ago and my room was in great shape and the sevice was very attentive.

Great Service, great food, close to everything, lively casino, decent rooms. One of the best in Santo Domingo for conducting business, highly recommended and at a very good price!