OverviewLocated about a 3-minute walk from the beach along Highway 4466,
Sol Y Arena Hotel (formerly Buenas Olas Hotel) is geared towards road travellers who prefer a hotel with on-site dining and easy access to the beach and highway.
In-room amenities include a private balcony, air conditioning, Internet access, cable TV, a minibar, a DVD player, a seating area with a sofabed and a telephone. Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available upon request.
The hotel also offers 24-hour reception, a private beach, BBQ facilities, free parking, a cash machine and a gift shop. Burger's Joint is the hotel's on-site restaurant. Pets are permitted.
Pelicano Surf Shop can be found about 10 minutes away, while Jobos Beach is 15 minutes away on foot. Isabela's city centre is roughly a 20-minute drive from the hotel and Rafael Hernandez Airport (BQN) is a 9-minute drive away. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
The GoodThere were not many recent reviews of this hotel online, however, of those sourced, guests showed positive responses towards the hotel's staff, rooms and food.
Guests characterized the staff as friendly and attentive, with one patron noting, "I stayed here this past weekend and this place is no longer Buenas Olas and Kevin, the old owner, and Nick, the old manager, are gone. It is now run by a local family and the rooms, lobby, and restaurant are completely remodeled". One guest did mention the hotel's staff not being available when needed, however.
The hotel's rooms were described as updated and clean, with good air conditioning.
One reviewer complimented the hotel's food, describing it as fresh and inexpensive, with friendly staff.
The Bad
As mentioned above, there were not many recent online reviews available for this hotel at the time of writing. Of those sourced, however, guests showed negative responses towards the hotel's rooms. They reported poor TV reception, a lack of daily housekeeping, a broken in-room air conditioner and a view other than the "oceanview" room they had booked.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #1 of 2 Isabela B&B and Inns with an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 from 18 reviews.
