Small, boutique hotel (30 rooms) on the west side of Punta del Este. About 5 minutes into Punta, but well worth it. Punta's beaches can be rocky or nonexistent. Serena is directly on the beach, the only hotel we saw in Punta that was so. The beach in front of the hotel is well-maintainerd with plenty of lounge chairs for the guests. The place is well maintained with a gorgeous interior, and the staff excellent and attentive. Very, very relaxing, good spa. We stayed with friends when we went back in February (3 months later) but stopped in for breakfast. The staff remembered us and exactly how we liked out cappucinos!

Spent two days at the Serena this month. The property itself is very pretty - sort of a zen meets Africa decor that is located directly on the beach, allowing for very picturesque alfresco dining (which was very tasty). Very pretty world music pumping throughout the lobby and beach area, pretty floral arrangements placed throughout. The hotel had the great idea to put mattresses with pillows on the beach instead of the usual beach chairs - this way you can nap your way to a tan and be very comfortable. However, we were very disappointed in the room which felt like a huge let-down after seeing the common areas and the beach. We stayed in a "lateral ocean view room" - not the cheapest at all but not the most expensive - the room had an off-white/beige (read: dirty) wall-to-wall carpet and very low end furnishings. While the rest of the hotel seemed Bali/Tahiti-esque, the room was like the bad guest room at your friend's house in high school that you were stuck staying in. We paid $280/night. That carpet really has to go. Walls were thin and we heard noises from the surrounding rooms all night. Also odd was that they actually post prices for the hotel room at the front desk -sort of motel-esque. If you're someone who likes to lay on the beach and that's pretty much it, this could be an option for you. Nothing else to do at the hotel and not in walking distance to the main drag. We were supposed to have rented a car but chickened out when we saw the local driving, so we relied on taxis since the hotel is not in the main part of Punta del Este. (And note that taxis are quite pricey there - its not cheap like in BA.) On the plus side, the front desk staff was very nice and accommodating - and one spoke excellent English which was helpful.

Stayed there for 2 nights ($300 per night) in mid February.
We liked the design and chilling at the pool or on the beach is very good.
"All" other things are not good: the location is far away from Punta del Este; it's directly on the the main road and the hotel is not being well maintained.
Staff is uninterested, bored and unfriendly - which is very rare in Uruguay. Probably a management who doesn't care.

Stayed in Serena for 8 nights during the quiet season and it was incredibly relaxing. I would recommend Serena for couples that want to avoid screaming children, like to sunbathe, swim in the sea or the fresh water pool, enjoy the spa and enjoy the sights of nearby Casa Pueblo. Breakfast served by the pool in the sofa loungers was fantastic, and if you go for the slightly larger rooms with a sea view you will certainly find it great value staying here. Staff were very friendly and will definitely be going back. I would recommend having a car to explore the area from here.