Trip report of Boca Chica and the Hamaca Beach Hotel - Sept. 1995.

Hamaca Beach Hotel (9/95).

Hamaca - what's changed.

The Hamaca has changed significantly since the last time I was there. It has nearly doubled in size. They opened up a whole new section of the resort on the back side (not the beach side) of the main high-rise (I think 8 stories). The new section looks a lot like condos, but I did not enter them, so I don't know what they are like or if they are more or less expensive than the beach hotel. The new area is basically a large courtyard, surrounded by the new buildings. In the center of the courtyard is new swimming pool that is very curvy and about twice the size of the pool near the beach. In my opinion, the new pool is much nicer, and will probably be the lounge pool of choice for those who prefer a pool to the beach and want to get away for all the noisy beach activities that are constantly being put on by the resort staff. There is also a baby pool for kids, a kids playground off to the side, and a big Jacuzzi (cold, like the one on the beach side). At one end of the court yard is one of the many dining areas. This is where they set up the buffet breakfast/lunch/dinner where all must eat if they didn't reserve any of the other special dining. Next to the courtyard are tennis courts. I'm not really sure how much of this part of the resort is new. Perhaps I just never knew it was there on my first visit. It all appears brand new.

Hamaca - Casino.

The Hamaca also opened a Casino, which is very nice and open to the public. The Casino is rather small (smaller than a cruise ship casino), and although it was packed at night (closed during the day), I did not think it was a very exciting place to hang out. It lacked the excitement that casinos usually have, but this comment is coming from someone who hates to gamble.

Hamaca - Service.

The Hamaca still does not have their act together when compared to American facilities. You will find that the entire resort is oriented towards making life easier for the employees, not the guests. Throughout, staff refuse to take or deliver messages to each other's various "departments", and the "not my department" attitude is prevalent. Throughout my stay, I frequently encountered amenities that were in the process of opening or closing, instead of servicing customers. That goes for restaurants, bars, stores, etc. For instance, if a bar opens at Noon, they won't actually be open to serve until 12:30, and if they close at 4:00, they stop serving at 3:30 so they can close. Wake up late for breakfast, and you will find there is no food between 10:30 and Noon, and even though lunch starts at 12:00, you can't actually get food until closer to 12:30. Everywhere, things are broken and in the SLOOOW process if being fixed. Ask for some soda, and the server will answer, "finished!" Ask for coffee, and you might be told it is gone, but they are getting more -- a half hour later -- maybe, if they haven't closed by then. Ask to make a dinner reservation, and you might be told, "the person who takes reservations does not seem to be around right now, but it is no problem. Just come back later." Never allow someone to tell you "no problem", as in Jamaica. Here, it usually means sorry (no problem, past), which further means "big problem for you because no action will be taken". It does not mean, "no problem (future), I will take care of it."

As an example of poor customer service, when I asked to speak to the hotel manager (subject having not been stated), the desk person told me he wasn't there. I said, "Then go get him". Three minutes later, the manager appeared, and then proceeded to make phone calls for 5 minutes before acknowledging me (more poor service). The manager explained that each part of the hotel (cleaning, maintenance, etc.) is run like a little mini-company being contracted out. So, the cleaning people don't report maintenance problems with the room, and the maintenance department fixes only what they came to fix, even if they see other problems. And since there is no follow-up (a common hotel problem, anywhere), if the front-desk reports the problem to another department, and those people do not respond, the item will never get taken care of. The manager did however, address and correct all reported problems with a smile.

I am just used to top hotels having top service and people who go out of there way to serve. Not so in this place. Expect a smile and not much more.

Hamaca - Rooms.

I stayed in two different rooms and so did my friend. This was because when we arrived, the type of rooms we had reserved were unavailable due to "people were supposed to check out, but decided to stay longer." In all rooms, there many small items in need of repair. We reported items multiple times. Some never did get fixed. Never did they fix the items on the first report. Maybe I just didn't wait long enough, but to wait several days for a repair misses the point of reporting it. I'm not reporting a problem so the next guest doesn't experience it. For example, leaking faucets that drip all night, fluorescent lights that don't fully illuminate, broken door handles, mini-bars refrigerators that leak water all over the floor, broken curtains, etc. The rooms smell musty due to very high continuous humidity, which I found similar to many beach resorts in the U.S.

Hamaca - Food.

Food at the Hamaca was much the same as food anywhere in the Caribbean - OK. I would not particularly go to Caribbean for the food. There is one restaurant at the resort, whose name I do not recall, that was excellent. You can find it easily because it is the only one at the Hamaca that is not included. Guests receive a $10 credit per person. The meal will come closer to $50. The portions are small but the food and service are excellent. I recommend the rack of lamb served with mint jelly, washed down with a bottle of inexpensive brut champagne from Chile.

Hamaca - Beach.

The beach area is packed with guests from the resort. Every last chair was used and they do not supply padding. Each guest is given one beach towel, which can be exchanged for a fresh one at any time. There are many shade huts to lay under, but none to spare, for this resort was VERY crowded at the beach. The beach is topless throughout, with about half the guest participating. The beach area is obnoxiously loud, with continuos blasting of the same disco music, over and over. But, because it is a beach, the sound drowns out quickly as you move away from the bar area on the beach. There is lots of beach aerobics and silly games, many of which are rather risque or sexually suggestive. The staff are very pushy towards participation, and if you are not careful, you will find yourself being dragged (literally) into one.

The entire beach area is surrounded by a giant reef that sits anywhere from 1 foot below the water to about 1 foot above the surface. It forms a giant semi-circle, about 2 miles in diameter, forming 1 gigantic salt water pool. You can walk to the reef, but the beach gets very rocky very quickly. Do not attempt this without a good pair of water socks. The water gets about 4 feet deep, with a few spots hitting 6 feet deep at the most, and then, after about 1/2 mile, it gradually drops back to just inches deep as the reef is approached. Because of this, the snorkeling is very unexciting. But, it also means the water is smooth for water skiing, even when there is wind because the wave break on the reef, not on the beach.

Hamaca - Water Sports.

The water sports are complete but they do not have enough to go around. During my stay, I sailed a sunfish, took out a sail board, and went out on a kayak, which was too unstable for me, but lots of fun. My friend wiped out where the waves were breaking over the reef and cut his legs up. Painful, but not serious. Snorkel equipment is complimentary also, and scuba lessons and dives are also included.

Water skiing is extra and not worth it at the resort. Their boat motor (60hp) is too small for me. But, for the same price ($25/half hour), there are other boats not associated with the resort, that are always waiting near the end of the pier, and will take you skiing, tubing, or for a banana boat ride. Jet skiing is also not included, but for $20/half hour, there are lots near the pier, just waiting for a customer. They are actually, wave-runner sit-down style machines, and they will want you to get on so they can take you down the beach to sign a waver and pay. When you are finished, they give you a ride back. Mine kept conking out when I first started so I demanded my money back, else to let me ride the one the seller was riding. They gave me that one, and it FLEW! I lost my sunglasses though. One thing that is nice is that they don't have all the stupid laws that we have. They don't have a Coast Guard boat just cruising around hassling tourists and giving tickets and safety checks. On the other hand, you have to be careful. One boat we hired to take us skiing was too slow to pull me out on one ski, the rope handle was so rough I had to wrap a sponge around it to keep it from digging in to my skin, and the driver was an idiot. He drove right in the path of a sail boat and my friend was forced to drop, else collide with the boat. The sail boat then ran over the rope. We told the driver to take us in and we switched (and stuck) with a much more experienced boater (look for the only 75hp motor - that's Williams and Cuyatello - they're very experienced - 18 years in the business, fast enough boat, and nice guys).

Hamaca - Bars.

The bars at the hotel (except the disco, at night) were very poor. The bartenders have a VERY limited selection of liquors and such with which to make drinks. One of the beach bars even restricts you to a menu of about 20 different drinks. None even had tequila. The bar at the disco is better, but is not included in the price of the room. There, they do not have lime juice, which I feel is a standard mix at ANY bar.

Hamaca - Guests.

The hotel runs at near 100% occupancy, mostly Europeans, but some Canadians. I found the crowd to be quite rude and they take cuts in line like you're not even there. The average ages would be between 20 and 45, with most around 30.

Hamaca - Tips for first time guests.

If you stay there, ask the following when you check in, else you will spend time going back and forth to the front desk or on the phone. None of these things will be offered to you without asking:

1. Get a safe key. It requires a small deposit and signature.

2. Get the TV remote. It requires a small deposit and signature.

3. Get a list of activities available and their times.

4. Get a list of food available and times.

5. Get your phone un-blocked so you can call long-distance. Leaving them a blank credit card slip is not enough. You must ask for this and it does not always happen immediately.

6. Make food reservations ASAP - they book up quickly and must be made in person at the specific restaurants. Reservations need to be made by 3:30p on the day you want to eat. All the "reservation required" eateries are better than the buffets. The Chinese restaurant is OK, at best. None of the places are air-conditioned. All indicate no beach-wear or shorts at night, and a couple of the places are dressy.

7. Get your mini-bar unlocked, else you cannot access it.

8. If possible, get a room on the same floor as, and facing, the beach. (You cannot turn on the electricity to your room without sticking your room key in a lock on the wall, you cannot leave your room without the door locking behind you, and you cannot take your room key without turning off the electricity and air-conditioner. If your room walks out onto the beach, you can keep the key in the wall, lock your valuables in the safe, and enter/exit though the sliding glass door right onto the beach - VERY convenient and worth the extra money).

9. Bring lots of small bills. There is no reason to convert your money. Everywhere, even outside the resort, cashiers keep their calculators handy and will give you the fair exchange rate. If you are a penny pincher, then this resort is not for you anyway. If not, those small bills come in handy for tips, and you'll never worry about getting the wrong change back, because you'll always have exact change. Bring a stack of $10's, $5's, and lots of $1's.

Hamaca - Summary.

Overall, the hotel is the nicest in the area, with the nicest and securest section of beach and the finest accommodations. I do recommend it.

Other Hotels.

The prices of other hotels vary greatly, especially if you just walk up. The Don Juan, for example, charges $120/night if you call direct, $60/night if you book through a travel agent. That price is supposed to include the room, breakfast, and dinner (per person, double occupancy). Since I haven't stayed anywhere besides the Hamaca, I cannot comment on the other hotels, other than that the Hamaca seemed to be the only one with a private beach, and the public beach can get pretty trashy on weekends, when hordes of Dominicans come in from the city. Sunday is the worst day. By Monday, everything is basically cleaned up though.

Outside the resort.

The Hamaca resort is very much stand-alone along a strip of hotels and restaurants. It is completely isolated with its entrances guarded, including a wall that goes beyond the beach and out onto a pier. For me, that made it a safe haven when I wanted to get away from the people of the town. The others are all connected end-to-end, Daytona Beach style. The pool-front areas are isolated, but they share a common beach.

Boca Chica - Streets.

The streets of Boca Chica are mostly muddy and broken cobblestone that smell of sewer and trash and are populated by poor people selling trinkets and such. After dark, many of the restaurants set up outdoor seating along the sidewalks and streets for cocktails, dinner, and people watching, much like the Upper West-side of Manhattan. If you can forget about the muddy pot-holes and the wind isn't blowing the trash smell in your face (I've smelled much worse just walking through Times Square in New York), the town actually has a nice charm about it. In fact, I though it was great to just stroll up and down the street, letting the most creative locals try to talk me into buying something. Like the little kid with the toothbrush, who insisted he scrub my white Reeboks clean, even though I had already gave him a dollar. The kid didn't want a hand out. He wanted to EARN his money!

Also, there are prostitutes (every type, from pro, to semi-pro, to very amateur). They walk up to the passing tourist men and grab their arms and say "me good for you?" They can be very persistent.

Boca Chica - Late at Night.

The early evening in Boca Chica is very different from night. There is basically nothing to do in the early evening besides eat, have a cocktail or two, and shop for souvenirs. But, after 11:30pm, the bars get packed. There are really only 2 or 3 worth going to. Every night, we basically ended up following the same routine.

The first night, we walked down the street coming from the Hamaca. Within a block, we entered the first bar on the left. The bar was empty, except for about 30 Dominican women. We ordered a beer and several of them surrounded us, trying to take us by the arm. We weren't drunk, and they were not too attractive. We pulled away and moved way to the back of the bar. There, we met "Max", who offered to find us anything we wanted. I told him in broken Spanish that we didn't want anything at the moment, but we would indicate when we did. He quickly translated this to the mob surrounding us and they dispersed. We decided this guy would be great to keep around, so we bought him a beer, and told him he would be our security man. Max stayed with us everywhere we went outside the resort, every night. He fended off the peddlers for us, knew all the hot spots, and translated when the Spanish was too much for me. He only spoke a little English and we tipped him mostly beers. We did give him a couple twenties at the end of each night and a good bonus at the end of the trip (he also talked my buddy out of his ASICS gym shoes on the last day). That guy was excellent for security. He protected us from getting into fights on a couple of occasions. He took us to the airport the last day, escorting us right up to the ticket counter. We have his fax, and will be arranging his assistance on our visit next month. After five nights of partying together, we got to know him quite well. He was not at all a pest, was a great friend to party with, and I highly recommend him.

Start at "Route 66".

This bar is decorated with American memorabilia and commemorates the famous route 66 that runs across America. What makes this bar special is that it is "just for tourists". They have an old man standing in front with a sawed off shotgun. Locals cannot enter unless escorted by a tourist. They have a small patio along the street, and the front is adorned with a big torch of fire. The attraction for us, is that we could get into the mood. We could have a drink or two ($2.50/beer) and talk for a short while before we get ready to "interact" with the locals. They have an excellent selection of premium liquors and the place is really cool looking. It is clean, comfortable, and some nights, we might end up with 8 or nine locals following us by the time we made it to this bar. They would just wait outside the entrance, which is basically a missing front wall, and wave and make gestures while we just smiled and sipped our drinks. After a beer or so, they would get bored and move on. Soon, we would be ready to party.

Boca Chica - Cave Bar.

Another bar that was somewhat fun (I don't know the name) is this cave bar. It is built into what might be a real cave (I couldn't tell if it was real or not). And either the bar was heavily air-conditioned, or it really was a cave and was naturally cool. This bar was the most like a night-club, with the best light system and dance floor. On Saturday night, the men out numbered the women, 3-1, and many of the Dominican men seemed to be out to pick a fight. Very few tourists in this bar, my shoulder got slammed "accidentally" on several occasions, and the locals were screened with a metal detector. We didn't stay long, and didn't like this bar much on the other nights either. Too many young punks. Don't go on Saturday.

Boca Chica - La Terraza.

Most of the other bars seemed rather empty compared to last year. The hot spot this time was a bar call "La Terraza", or "The Terrace." This place is right on the beach, with most of the dancing taking place on the upper level, which is completely open air. We ended up at this bar every night, and stayed until at least 3am. It had a great mix of tourists and locals. I don't think they let the prostitutes in because they seemed to be all waiting outside the bar on the street (mostly very young). The women out numbered the men 5-1. The women were essentially locals and the men were essentially tourists (mostly Italian and German). The bathrooms were disgusting. Frequently, while I used the only toilet in the bathroom, a Dominican guy would squeeze in (past a line of waiting tourists) and urinate in the sink right next to me.