Quartz Hotel & Spa

This is my second visit to the Quartz for medical tourism. The location is perfect in a nice part of town and the upper plaza has its own level connected to the New City Medical building and so medical offices are easily and safely accessible to guests. Pool and spa were well maintained and a beautiful garden is also out in the area. Within walking distance is a market and a ****** and little shops. Taxis are easy to find should you need. The rooms are exceptionally clean with comfortable robes and attention to details like lighting and temperature. The staff is pleasant and there is always someone who speaks English well enough to communicate. They are friendly and helpful. There is an upscale Spa and artist feel to the place. I will be back.

I stayed at the Quartz Hotel in Tijuana back in February when a fire caused a complete power outage for two days. This meant walking up to the 8th floor in the dark and sleeping in a room without electricity. Of course, this wasn’t the hotel’s fault, but I think some form of compensation like a complimentary night or another gesture would have been appropriate. Unfortunately, nothing was offered. Now I returned for five nights and faced several new frustrations. At the breakfast buffet, which is included, one of the female servers directly asked me for a tip. I found this very uncomfortable and not what you would expect from a 5 star hotel. I also asked about a double espresso and was told it would cost 5 USD. For me it feels wrong to charge extra for such a simple coffee at an included breakfast and it does not fit the standard the hotel is trying to present. The sauna was another disappointment. Although it is part of the hotel’s spa they charged me 25 USD for 30 minutes. I explained to the manager that a proper sauna session usually involves several short rounds with breaks not one rushed 30 minute slot. He insisted it was hotel policy and we eventually agreed on two 20 minute rounds with a short pause in between which frankly felt ridiculous. To make matters worse the sauna never reached more than about 55°C (131°F) meaning it was impossible to sweat properly unless staying inside for hours. This was especially frustrating because I had planned to use the sauna before a medical treatment. On the positive side I want to highlight the reception team who were always very friendly and supportive. In particular Florencio was outstanding and extremely helpful throughout my stay. Housekeeping was also excellent as my room was cleaned perfectly every day and the lady in charge was very kind. Overall the hotel has potential but there are too many issues that prevent it from living up to true 5 star standards.

Overall, the service and the people at this hotel are exceptional. Where I would score them down as the quality of the food in the Boca restaurant and the general lack of gratitude for the amount of money that we spend at this hotel every month.