Quiet Room Requested, Generator Noise Received
My wife and I stayed at NOI Hotel Casa Atacama in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, for six nights in August this year and, unfortunately, our experience fell far short of what we expected from a hotel in this category.
Prior to arrival, I paid an additional USD 420 to upgrade our reservation from a Deluxe Room to a NOI Suite. I made this decision because the suite was presented as a superior accommodation with a fireplace, which was particularly important to us.
At the same time, I specifically requested a quiet room away from sources of noise, stating in Spanish:
"Una habitación silenciosa, alejada de fuentes de ruido."
Despite this explicit request, we were assigned a NOI Suite located approximately ten metres from two large electrical generators.
During our very first night, we were awakened by a loud, low-frequency mechanical noise accompanied by noticeable vibrations throughout the room. The disturbance was so pronounced that, for a brief moment, we wondered whether an earthquake had occurred. After investigating, it became clear that the noise originated from the generators operating close to our suite.
The result was a largely sleepless night.
The following morning, I met with the hotel management. I was informed that ours was the only NOI Suite with a fireplace and that this was the reason for the assignment. When I pointed out that we had expressly requested a quiet room away from noise sources, I was told that this information had apparently never been communicated to the hotel by the reservations office.
What I found particularly frustrating is that the reservations office had no difficulty communicating and processing the USD 420 upgrade charge, yet the request for a quiet room somehow failed to reach the property.
The hotel later acknowledged in writing that:
the request for a quiet room had indeed been provided to the Front Desk Team;
the room did not provide the peaceful and restful environment we had specifically requested;
our stay was negatively affected by noise and lack of rest.
Despite this acknowledgment, the hotel subsequently rejected my request for compensation.
Although an alternative room was eventually offered, the generator noise appeared to be audible across a significant portion of the property, making the proposed solution less compelling than it might otherwise have been. In the end, we purchased earplugs and sleeping medication simply to obtain a reasonable amount of rest during our holiday.
While some members of the staff were courteous and professional, the hotel manager's conduct stood in stark contrast. I found her attitude dismissive, unnecessarily confrontational, and inconsistent with the standards of courtesy, professionalism, and hospitality one would expect from the senior management of a luxury hotel. The property itself also has attractive features. However, these positives cannot offset the fact that we paid a substantial premium for what was supposed to be a special accommodation experience and instead spent much of our stay dealing with persistent generator noise and sleep disruption.
Equally disappointing was the hotel's handling of the matter afterward. The written acknowledgment of the problem gave me hope that a fair and customer-oriented resolution would follow. Unfortunately, that did not happen.
Travelers considering Casa Atacama may wish to inquire carefully about room location and proximity to technical facilities before confirming their reservation.
Based on my experience, I would not return and can only recommend to avoid this hotel.