AC Hotels by Marriott Hotels in Providencia

I was excited about staying in this new and modern hotel during my trip to Chile this month. I was ready to overlook the location- being far from the historic sites. The fact that the hotel is attached to a nice modern mall with a grocery store made it very appealing. However, the positive sides stop here, and I must mention that one of the doors, leading to the hotel from the mall wouldn't open- my card was working but the door was stuck. So, I had to go back 5 floors of escalators, exit the mall and walk into the hotel's street entrance- all this carrying a heavy bag with my purchases. The biggest shortcoming for this hotel is the Front Desk and the hotel’s concept that all guest’s calls have to go through the desk. And although the nice employees who work there try very hard, the desk is severely understaffed. I waited for a long time to check- in as there was only one person on duty. Someone else finally came to check me in. They say that the first impressions are very important and in this case they set the tone for my stay. Problems with logging into the internet( the employee who checked me in forgot to add me to the system) and the room TV that I had to solve right after I got into my room; even had go to the Front desk for because no-one picked up the phone. And all that after traveling for 24 hours and being very tired from my journey. This morning I again tried to get in touch with the Front desk for another issue, but again no one picked up the phone. I know that if I go to the desk I will have to wait for a very long time to be served only to be told that I need to wait in my room. Because of the many unlicensed taxis in Santiago, the hotel's staff told me at check-in that all trips should be arranged through- yes, you got it, through the Front desk! And what they do it reserve a vehicle and driver with a private company the hotel works with, for 4 times the price of a regular taxi. I used taxis a few times after that (the vehicles with the yellow roof), and didn't have any problems. So, it's the hotel that overcharges its guests with claims that all taxis in town are a scam. And yes, there is no direct phone for the housekeeping department, or for the restaurant, all calls should go through the Front desk, so expect that your call may not be answered on the first, or second try. The breakfast, although seemed plentiful and nice, is of a very low quality. The eggs were semi- raw, the quiche- a few days old. And so were all the pastries. The fruit consisted of a few chunks of what seemed like an old watermelon, wrapped in a small bowl. And at the end of each meal I was given a bill check to sign, even though breakfast was included in my room rate. What this meant was to urge the guests to give tip to the restaurant staff. My plans were to return for a few more days after I travel around Chile, but I cancelled my reservation and booked a different hotel. On the plus side, my room was large, the A/C worked well, beautiful