I've rented enough cars around the world to know the difference between good service and bad, and honestly, this company falls below average despite claiming to be one of the best. I booked with Lava thinking it was a top choice compared to options like Blue Car, but I was disappointed.
First off, their shuttle buses are tiny — barely fitting nine people crammed in uncomfortably. If you happen to arrive on a busy day, you'll be stuck waiting. We had two large groups ahead of us and ended up skipping three shuttle buses, waiting around 30 minutes before finally reaching the rental location. If they know things get busy, why not just increase the shuttle frequency?
Once we arrived, things didn't get much better. There was only one person managing the desk, handling both check-ins and check-outs. Naturally, this led to long queues. It was so hectic that I’m pretty sure the staff member just handed us keys to a car someone had recently returned. He quickly checked the fuel gauge and that was it. Unsurprisingly, the car itself was gross. Hiring an extra staff member to split the workload would make a huge difference.
On our return, it was the same story — one person managing the desk and a painfully slow shuttle service. They claim the shuttles run every 5-7 minutes, but that wasn't the case. We waited far longer while one driver ferried people back and forth at a snail’s pace.
Overall, the service was underwhelming. Unless they improve their operations or offer the absolute cheapest rates, I wouldn’t book with them again.
