My wife and I stayed at Casa Mexicana for 4 nights in mid June. The hotel was a beautiful contemporary style hotel overlooking the ocean. The airy open feel make it a pleasant natural experience.

The room was clean, with white stucco and polished white tile, and decorated simply. We appreciated the comfortable king size bed. The bathroom was fairly standard. Nothing extraordinary.

We had an ocean view room - a must if you choose to stay there. The sunsets and view of the ships is amazing. The alternative is pretty average, maybe even depressing, as the back rooms face empty lots and construction zones.

The staff was very friendly and personable. At the restaurant, Jaime greets you each morning, seats you and tends to your every need. He is the consummate all round host. You'll see him by the pool talking to guests, pouring drinks at the bar and keeping things in order everywhere.

At breakfast, Luis will cook your eggs and french toast with speed and style. Jimy and Francisco make sure you have everything you need. It was a delight to be surrounded by people who seem genuinely happy and comfortable being in the hospitality business.

Around town, make sure you stop by Prima for excellent Italian fare, and French Quarter for Louisiana Cajun food. Both are walking distance from the hotel. Some have written about La Choza, a local favorite for reasonably priced Mexican fare. It was OK, but very "Americanized".

Our one disappointment was that the entrance to the hotel is from a small escalator on the street. It would be great for newly arrived guests to have a bell hop or a concierege standing at the ready to welcome you, offer assistance with bags and direct you to the front desk. It would have been more welcoming. Hauling bags up the escalator in the heat made it difficult to maintain our composure.

Other than that, it was a relaxing and fun experience. We would stay there again any day!

From the moment we arrived we knew we chose the best hotel in the area. The hotel is beautiful, clean and the staff is helpful. We stayed from June 19 - June 26. We found a 7 night stay w/5 days of scuba diving on their website. Each day we started out with a hearty breakfast, which was more like brunch to me. Everyday there were different choices, all of it freshly made. Jaime the daytime manager is wonderful. He's there to make sure you have everything you need and will do his best to accomodate special requests.

We coughed up the extra $25 a night for the ocean front room and it was worthwhile. We had a beautiful view and sunsets. The room was a comfortable size and was always spotless. We filled up our mini-fridge with snacks and beer and water that we bought at the grocery store (chedraui) about 1/4 mile down the street (much cheaper there than at the mini-supers closer to the hotel).

We ate at several restaurants, but our favorite was La Choza. (3 blocks from hotel) We would go in for lunch around 3pm (after diving, shower, etc.) and always ate from the lunch specials. You have to ask your waiter for the "comidas corridas" - you choose one soup and one main dish from 4-5 different choices. It was usually too much food for me to finish (my husband had no problems of course!). It worked out to about $5 per person! The food is authentic, home-made and delish! I usually didn't even have dinner because it was so filling.

Casa Mexicana is partnered up with Aqua Safari, one of the oldest dive operators on the island conveniently located 1/2 block away! Bill, the owner, and the entire crew made sure that each one of our dives was spectacular. On the boats we met several divers that have been diving with Aqua Safari for many years...that's the best reference they could have. I will definitely dive with them again.

On our last day we rented a convertible bug and drove around the island. It was worth it to see the beaches on the other side. Word of advice with the rental agencies. When they give you the car they walk around the car and note all of the dents and scratches on the vehicle so that when you bring it back they can see what damage you caused, if any. Make sure they write everything down. We had a disagreement with the guy who gave us our car. He tried to accuse us of a huge scratch on the fender which I remember pointing out to him the previous day. We got lucky that another employee came up and remembered the scratch having been there so we weren't charged. So don't trust them and look at the notes they make before you take the car! (and this was the rental agency that the hotel referred us to.)

We were sad to leave Casa Mexicana and can't wait to get back!

Great location. The staff was very responsive and very helpful. The hotel is within walking distance to many great restaurants. An easy drive by car or scooter to all of the island beaches. A great breakfast was provided each morning. Pepe's and Aquia are restaurants to definitely visit. I definitely plan to stay there again. Thank you again to the staff of Casa Mexicana.

Wonderful breakfast... great location... polite, helpful staff... and above all -- immaculate!!! What is not to love?

Well, if you decided to pay for an Ocean View room and were one of the unfortunate guests relegated to the back/side of the building, you'll know why I am just in "like" and not in "love" with the Casa Mexicana.

The rooms I speak of cost the same as the ones actually facing the ocean -- which are located in the front of the building. I assume you need to specify one of these for the truly unobstructed view. Otherwise, you could be looking down on garbage and out past a large tent and building to glimpse just a sliver of ocean. Yes, if we craned our necks, we could see the Ocean View the guests in the front were enjoying. When we spoke with the front desk, we were told that, technically, it is considered Ocean View and there was nothing we could do.

If I knew then what I know now, I would definitely stay at the Casa Mexicana... but I'd be sure to specify a FRONT Ocean View room. I'd also bring extra sleeping pills and earplugs (hard beds and thin walls -- from what I've heard, this is typical of Mexico so I don't want to hold it against Casa Mexicana.)