Despite reading all the reviews, I was excited about staying at the Camino Real. It used to be where the celebrities stayed when they came to town. Imagine my dismay when all the reviews were right: run down, old faded-color television, uninspired employees, poor bathrooms, lack of attention to detail. On top of all that, I was being charged $6.00/day for parking that, basically, everyone could be/was getting for free. And the hotel allows anyone downtown to park there, so I was, at times, paying to park without an available parking spot. The sign said the manager on duty was a lady named Ada. She wasn't around when I was told to go up to her office. Then I was directed to Ismael (JR) Rodriquez.
It appears that Mr. Rodriquez cares about this property and the guests who come. He refunded my parking fees, and was very willing to do whatever he could to make me happy. Hopefully the management and owners of the Camino Real - El Paso will hire more personnel like Mr. Rodriquez.
My recommendation: book directly with the hotel or separately on Priceline or Travelocity (not in a package vacation deal where you don't know what you are paying for which part of your vacation) so you know what you are paying. Tell the management when something isn't right. Hopefully Mr. Rodriquez or someone similar with make it right, like he did for me.
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