Casa del Mar, Porto-Vecchio

Advantages: A unique and quaint hotel...
Disadvantages: Lacking a few mod-cons...

...We stayed in this hotel for a few days while on a little tour of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, including visits to Cancun (don't bother), Playa del Carmen & Cozumel (much better) and the amazing ancient Mayan ruins at Uxmal, Chitzen Itza and Tulum. (I'll try and get round to reviewing all these later...) We arrived by taxi from Merida airport (a short journey), having flown in from Cancun, where we had arrived in Mexico the day before, and were delighed with what we found, a massive improvement of the brash touristy-ness of Cancun ! The Casa del Balam Hotel was formerly the family home of Fernando Barbachano Peon, pioneer of Mexican tourism. A blend of Mexican tiles, terracotta and wrought iron, it has a small pool in a walled courtyand, complete with a stone carved fountain and tropical plants, a restaurant and bar, along... Read review

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Advantages: perfect spot to watch the sunset
Disadvantages: none

...Sitting on the rocks, sipping a drink, the only noise is from the bar behind playing tranquil and serene music, watching the sun slowly disappear below the sea. Its beautiful. A trip to Ibiza isn't complete with out a visit to San Antonios sunset strip in the bay of Calo des Moro. Café del mar was built in the 1980s. Is is now joined by Mambo, Savannah and Kanya at al but Café Del Mar is still the most renowned. Café Del Mar produces its own music and was responsible for starting the chill-out trend with its trademark mellow Baleraric beat. Since 1994 Café Del Mar has been releasing annual chillout albums. For those people who are running low on euros !....you can bring your own drinks and sit on the rocks in front of the café, you can still hear the music. Once the sun has left us, there is usually entertainment... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful Grounds
Disadvantages: Certain privately held condos

...Casa del Mar is a gorgeous small resort. The grounds are beautifully maintained. Our unit La Perle 304 which is privately owned and managed, was a disappointment. When we arrived, there were hundreds of ants on the kitchen counter. The apartment sized refrigerator was inadequate unless you plan to use it only for drinks. The freezer wasn't cold enough to make ice nor large enough for anything except 3 water bottles. The toilet was cracked and leaking resulting in a wet bathroom floor for the entire stay. The leak caused the water to run off and on all day and all night. Judging by the corrosion around the floor, it had been leaking for some time. The beds were very hard causing sore hips in the morning. The TV in the bedroom was nonfunctional. This is not a condo to enjoy a restful getaway. I assume that other condos in this resort... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful