Mexico, my haven
Jun 23, 2022, 7:50 am
#196
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: Globalist, Marriott Plat, various sundry
Posts: 984
I noticed you recommend not driving by oneself, but using the transportation. How much is the transportation to and from PVR?
If my trip to Morocco falls through, a week each in Las Alamandas and Casa Velas will likely be my plan (the former because of the glowing reviews, and the latter because my wife and I had a great experience there before COVID).
If my trip to Morocco falls through, a week each in Las Alamandas and Casa Velas will likely be my plan (the former because of the glowing reviews, and the latter because my wife and I had a great experience there before COVID).
Last edited by gmax58; Jun 23, 2022 at 8:03 am
Jun 23, 2022, 3:25 pm
#198
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 323
I have just finished up a two day stay with my partner to celebrate her birthday. Overall we were unimpressed.
Our expectations were fairly high, and maybe overly so from having spent a part of our lives enjoying great hotels in Asia.
My concerns started before we arrived: dealing with the concierge to organize basic things in advance of our trip was slow and frustrating. To book a special birthday dinner I was handed off to the restaurant reservations, who handed me off to the events team. None of them were any help in actually planning a special dinner. The concierge sent me a PDF with a list of restaurants that had mostly lousy ratings on Google, and of course, prominently featuring their own 1826 restaurant. I tried but was unable to organize anything with the spa, and the spa was completely booked out anyway.
The property itself is beautiful, and fits in to the town with a “sense of place”, as the Rosewood slogan goes. The ground of the hotel are large and there is a great but small art gallery, an excellent swimming pool area, and the public areas of the hotel are generally understated but very tasteful.
Our room was stylish, if a little rustic, with a lovely balcony. A little too rustic though, I might say - incredibly creaky wooden floors make it impossible for one person to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night without waking the other person up. You can hear the toilet flushing in the room above, and the toilet in our room didn’t flush properly. The bed was so creaky that really any movement was quite loud, hrmmm.
Our special dinner at their 1826 restaurant was not so special. They didn’t have a nice table selected for us as I had requested, and said basically sit wherever you want. We chose a nice table by the window, which was fine until my partner was so thoroughly attacked by mosquitoes that she couldn’t take it any more. We asked both the waitress and the concierge for big spray, which I feel really should be available for guests at mosquito infested luxury hotel restaurants. The waitress said basically yeah it sucks, no, moving to another table won’t help, sorry there’s nothing I can do. The concierge suggested we go to the boutique and buy some bug spray. Looking back I might suggest he should find a new line of work.
The two starters we had were absolutely incredible, but the atmosphere rather ruined by the mosquitoes and lack of service. We spoke to the manager and had our main course in our room, and the main course was mediocre. No real apologies or gestures from the manager.
Another event that stays in my mind was the pool attendant confronting me very aggressively after taking a cabana at the pool that turned out to be reserved. The pool was completely, utterly abandoned.
The rooftop bar was incredible, with stunning views over San Miguel and tacos that were amongst the best food we’d had in Mexico.
So, mixed experiences. But at the end my partner asked if we were wasting our money in luxury hotels. The very good boutique hotel we’d stayed at in Oaxaca cost a fraction of the price and took better care of us. I don’t know, maybe she’s right. Maybe our expectations were set too high. I didn’t think this place would be anything like the service we’d received at Amans in Asia, but I expected it to be a lot better than it was.
Jun 23, 2022, 6:16 pm
#199
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,221
Gmax58 “I noticed you recommend not driving by oneself, but using the transportation. How much is the transportation to and from PVR?”
COST IS $350 each way. Luxury comfortable SUV, chilled water, expert driver who knows his way. Very much worth it, especially because you won’t want a car at the venue.
LM225
“Could you share a bit more about the beaches, please? If one is looking for very long (1 mile+), walkable beaches, does Las Alamandas have an option that would suffice?”
All the beaches are a mile long or more. One is preferred for swimming although guests do swim at the other beaches but that isn’t always wise, rip currents p, undertows and the like. Never swim alone. There is a lovely large pool and some suites have smaller private pools.
COST IS $350 each way. Luxury comfortable SUV, chilled water, expert driver who knows his way. Very much worth it, especially because you won’t want a car at the venue.
LM225
“Could you share a bit more about the beaches, please? If one is looking for very long (1 mile+), walkable beaches, does Las Alamandas have an option that would suffice?”
All the beaches are a mile long or more. One is preferred for swimming although guests do swim at the other beaches but that isn’t always wise, rip currents p, undertows and the like. Never swim alone. There is a lovely large pool and some suites have smaller private pools.
Jun 23, 2022, 7:43 pm
#200
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Bainbridge Island, WA
Posts: 8,963
I hope this thread is a reasonable place to post a long and grumpy review of the Rosewood in San Miguel.
I have just finished up a two day stay with my partner to celebrate her birthday. Overall we were unimpressed.
Our expectations were fairly high, and maybe overly so from having spent a part of our lives enjoying great hotels in Asia.
My concerns started before we arrived: dealing with the concierge to organize basic things in advance of our trip was slow and frustrating. To book a special birthday dinner I was handed off to the restaurant reservations, who handed me off to the events team. None of them were any help in actually planning a special dinner. The concierge sent me a PDF with a list of restaurants that had mostly lousy ratings on Google, and of course, prominently featuring their own 1826 restaurant. I tried but was unable to organize anything with the spa, and the spa was completely booked out anyway.
The property itself is beautiful, and fits in to the town with a “sense of place”, as the Rosewood slogan goes. The ground of the hotel are large and there is a great but small art gallery, an excellent swimming pool area, and the public areas of the hotel are generally understated but very tasteful.
Our room was stylish, if a little rustic, with a lovely balcony. A little too rustic though, I might say - incredibly creaky wooden floors make it impossible for one person to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night without waking the other person up. You can hear the toilet flushing in the room above, and the toilet in our room didn’t flush properly. The bed was so creaky that really any movement was quite loud, hrmmm.
Our special dinner at their 1826 restaurant was not so special. They didn’t have a nice table selected for us as I had requested, and said basically sit wherever you want. We chose a nice table by the window, which was fine until my partner was so thoroughly attacked by mosquitoes that she couldn’t take it any more. We asked both the waitress and the concierge for big spray, which I feel really should be available for guests at mosquito infested luxury hotel restaurants. The waitress said basically yeah it sucks, no, moving to another table won’t help, sorry there’s nothing I can do. The concierge suggested we go to the boutique and buy some bug spray. Looking back I might suggest he should find a new line of work.
The two starters we had were absolutely incredible, but the atmosphere rather ruined by the mosquitoes and lack of service. We spoke to the manager and had our main course in our room, and the main course was mediocre. No real apologies or gestures from the manager.
Another event that stays in my mind was the pool attendant confronting me very aggressively after taking a cabana at the pool that turned out to be reserved. The pool was completely, utterly abandoned.
The rooftop bar was incredible, with stunning views over San Miguel and tacos that were amongst the best food we’d had in Mexico.
So, mixed experiences. But at the end my partner asked if we were wasting our money in luxury hotels. The very good boutique hotel we’d stayed at in Oaxaca cost a fraction of the price and took better care of us. I don’t know, maybe she’s right. Maybe our expectations were set too high. I didn’t think this place would be anything like the service we’d received at Amans in Asia, but I expected it to be a lot better than it was.
I have just finished up a two day stay with my partner to celebrate her birthday. Overall we were unimpressed.
Our expectations were fairly high, and maybe overly so from having spent a part of our lives enjoying great hotels in Asia.
My concerns started before we arrived: dealing with the concierge to organize basic things in advance of our trip was slow and frustrating. To book a special birthday dinner I was handed off to the restaurant reservations, who handed me off to the events team. None of them were any help in actually planning a special dinner. The concierge sent me a PDF with a list of restaurants that had mostly lousy ratings on Google, and of course, prominently featuring their own 1826 restaurant. I tried but was unable to organize anything with the spa, and the spa was completely booked out anyway.
The property itself is beautiful, and fits in to the town with a “sense of place”, as the Rosewood slogan goes. The ground of the hotel are large and there is a great but small art gallery, an excellent swimming pool area, and the public areas of the hotel are generally understated but very tasteful.
Our room was stylish, if a little rustic, with a lovely balcony. A little too rustic though, I might say - incredibly creaky wooden floors make it impossible for one person to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night without waking the other person up. You can hear the toilet flushing in the room above, and the toilet in our room didn’t flush properly. The bed was so creaky that really any movement was quite loud, hrmmm.
Our special dinner at their 1826 restaurant was not so special. They didn’t have a nice table selected for us as I had requested, and said basically sit wherever you want. We chose a nice table by the window, which was fine until my partner was so thoroughly attacked by mosquitoes that she couldn’t take it any more. We asked both the waitress and the concierge for big spray, which I feel really should be available for guests at mosquito infested luxury hotel restaurants. The waitress said basically yeah it sucks, no, moving to another table won’t help, sorry there’s nothing I can do. The concierge suggested we go to the boutique and buy some bug spray. Looking back I might suggest he should find a new line of work.
The two starters we had were absolutely incredible, but the atmosphere rather ruined by the mosquitoes and lack of service. We spoke to the manager and had our main course in our room, and the main course was mediocre. No real apologies or gestures from the manager.
Another event that stays in my mind was the pool attendant confronting me very aggressively after taking a cabana at the pool that turned out to be reserved. The pool was completely, utterly abandoned.
The rooftop bar was incredible, with stunning views over San Miguel and tacos that were amongst the best food we’d had in Mexico.
So, mixed experiences. But at the end my partner asked if we were wasting our money in luxury hotels. The very good boutique hotel we’d stayed at in Oaxaca cost a fraction of the price and took better care of us. I don’t know, maybe she’s right. Maybe our expectations were set too high. I didn’t think this place would be anything like the service we’d received at Amans in Asia, but I expected it to be a lot better than it was.
Your review is not far off from what I have heard others say and friends of ours who have stayed. The complaints I hear most are weddings and conventions that seem to have taken over. The hotel has become a " playground" for young wealthy Mexicans and wealthy daddies who marry off the daughters. The service is just not up to luxury standards for individual guests and the few times we had dinner there the food was not great. If you decide to ever return to San Miguel there are a few newer hotels that are making a mark and would be a better fit for a couple traveling.
Jul 6, 2022, 1:19 pm
#201
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,221
New Auberge in Punta Mita, Susurros del Corazon
https://www.luxurytravelmagazine.com...g-reservations
https://www.luxurytravelmagazine.com...g-reservations
Jul 12, 2022, 11:39 am
#203
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat *G/DL Plat/Marriott Ti/WoH Glob
Posts: 141
As some of you know, we had a house in San Miguel for some 15 years that was a couple blocks from the Rosewood.( We sold the house 2 years ago) We use to go down and have Sunday brunch at the 1826 as a special treat every once in a while.....loving the overwhelming selection of foods not seen in one place before.
Your review is not far off from what I have heard others say and friends of ours who have stayed. The complaints I hear most are weddings and conventions that seem to have taken over. The hotel has become a " playground" for young wealthy Mexicans and wealthy daddies who marry off the daughters. The service is just not up to luxury standards for individual guests and the few times we had dinner there the food was not great. If you decide to ever return to San Miguel there are a few newer hotels that are making a mark and would be a better fit for a couple traveling.
Your review is not far off from what I have heard others say and friends of ours who have stayed. The complaints I hear most are weddings and conventions that seem to have taken over. The hotel has become a " playground" for young wealthy Mexicans and wealthy daddies who marry off the daughters. The service is just not up to luxury standards for individual guests and the few times we had dinner there the food was not great. If you decide to ever return to San Miguel there are a few newer hotels that are making a mark and would be a better fit for a couple traveling.
Jul 12, 2022, 2:55 pm
#204
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Bainbridge Island, WA
Posts: 8,963
I was there last month, but stayed nearby at the Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada. We went over to the Rosewood, walked around the property, got a quick tour of a room, and visited the rooftop bar. I am SO happy we chose the Belmond which truly had the "sense of place" vs. the Rosewood's generic Mexican luxury vibe. The Belmond is much smaller, felt intimate and personal, and we experienced some of the loveliest service we've had anywhere and certainly on par with the Belmond properties in Italy like the Caruso. San MIguel is a lovely town to hang out in, and I'd encourage folks to give the Belmond a look. The rates are reasonable, the style is on point, food and drinks are terrific, and service is personal and nearly flawless.
We knew the property as just the Casa Sierra Nevada. ( I don't believe it was affiliated with any chain at that time) It was for many decades the only 5* hotel in San Miguel. Made up of a street of small town homes and mansions. Their restaurant/bar was our go to place for special occasions....but in the last 15 years or so they got many competitors. They then went through a rather off period when they lost their luster, expanding to a second location blocks away confusing the clients. ( not even sure that location in the Parque Juarez is still open) No one talked about or recommended them for years. Our home was right around the corner from the original CSN on Aldama.
Jul 12, 2022, 3:40 pm
#205
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat *G/DL Plat/Marriott Ti/WoH Glob
Posts: 141
So glad to hear this.
We knew the property as just the Casa Sierra Nevada. ( I don't believe it was affiliated with any chain at that time) It was for many decades the only 5* hotel in San Miguel. Made up of a street of small town homes and mansions. Their restaurant/bar was our go to place for special occasions....but in the last 15 years or so they got many competitors. They then went through a rather off period when they lost their luster, expanding to a second location blocks away confusing the clients. ( not even sure that location in the Parque Juarez is still open) No one talked about or recommended them for years. Our home was right around the corner from the original CSN on Aldama.
We knew the property as just the Casa Sierra Nevada. ( I don't believe it was affiliated with any chain at that time) It was for many decades the only 5* hotel in San Miguel. Made up of a street of small town homes and mansions. Their restaurant/bar was our go to place for special occasions....but in the last 15 years or so they got many competitors. They then went through a rather off period when they lost their luster, expanding to a second location blocks away confusing the clients. ( not even sure that location in the Parque Juarez is still open) No one talked about or recommended them for years. Our home was right around the corner from the original CSN on Aldama.
Jul 25, 2022, 2:59 pm
#206
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 6
Hi Kat - sorry for the super-delayed reply. It was a great trip, all things considering. It wasn't a flawless stay, but overall we felt we got our money's worth and really enjoyed ourselves. Comal -- which we ate at twice for dinner and breakfast each day -- is definitely delicious quality food for a resort (with only a few minor service snags that I think all Mexican hotels suffer from). Did grab dinner at Esperanza one night and can see why a lot of people prefer that to Chileno Bay - prettier view of the ocean from the pool area/tiers, bit more secluded, but also not as contemporary (personally would have preferred that, but it cost more). Didn't think restaurant was a good as Comal.
They were trying out a 2nd restaurant concept at Chileno while we were there - some sort of more casual Mexican-Med hybrid (which I think they've since opened in the space above the pools), which we did not like at all. Very basic menu and strange cocktail program. My wife gave them some feedback on it on our exit-survey and the executive chef setup an immediate zoom call with her, listened to her feedback, and thanked us with a credit for a free night and dinner on him if we come back (WAY over generous for what would have been a basic yelp review). So we're going back sometime before next March, LOL!
In the end, I would have liked a place a little more quiet/spread out -- there was a 40th birthday that ruined the zen I I prefer -- but I still would recommend it if you don't want to spend Rosewood-prices; it seems to be a good niche a notch below.
They were trying out a 2nd restaurant concept at Chileno while we were there - some sort of more casual Mexican-Med hybrid (which I think they've since opened in the space above the pools), which we did not like at all. Very basic menu and strange cocktail program. My wife gave them some feedback on it on our exit-survey and the executive chef setup an immediate zoom call with her, listened to her feedback, and thanked us with a credit for a free night and dinner on him if we come back (WAY over generous for what would have been a basic yelp review). So we're going back sometime before next March, LOL!
In the end, I would have liked a place a little more quiet/spread out -- there was a 40th birthday that ruined the zen I I prefer -- but I still would recommend it if you don't want to spend Rosewood-prices; it seems to be a good niche a notch below.
Aug 7, 2022, 2:53 pm
#208
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 159
For all those well versed in Mexican coastal resorts, I am interested in a trip in late February and would love input on my current group of potential destinations. The goal of this trip is simply to relax by the beach/pool and enjoy some sun during a rare and brief break from work.
I am currently considering:
One&Only Mandarina
Rosewood Mayakoba
Susurros del Corazon (Assuming it’s open and up and running by then)
Am I missing anything particularly notable? Didn’t list any Cabo resorts, do those beat the 3 I listed significantly? I’m not partial to a certain region in Mexico, as I have direct flights to them all from my airport. Thank you in advance for any guidance!
I am currently considering:
One&Only Mandarina
Rosewood Mayakoba
Susurros del Corazon (Assuming it’s open and up and running by then)
Am I missing anything particularly notable? Didn’t list any Cabo resorts, do those beat the 3 I listed significantly? I’m not partial to a certain region in Mexico, as I have direct flights to them all from my airport. Thank you in advance for any guidance!
Aug 7, 2022, 3:38 pm
#209
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,221
For all those well versed in Mexican coastal resorts, I am interested in a trip in late February and would love input on my current group of potential destinations. The goal of this trip is simply to relax by the beach/pool and enjoy some sun during a rare and brief break from work.
I am currently considering:
One&Only Mandarina
Rosewood Mayakoba
Susurros del Corazon (Assuming it’s open and up and running by then)
Am I missing anything particularly notable? Didn’t list any Cabo resorts, do those beat the 3 I listed significantly? I’m not partial to a certain region in Mexico, as I have direct flights to them all from my airport. Thank you in advance for any guidance!
I am currently considering:
One&Only Mandarina
Rosewood Mayakoba
Susurros del Corazon (Assuming it’s open and up and running by then)
Am I missing anything particularly notable? Didn’t list any Cabo resorts, do those beat the 3 I listed significantly? I’m not partial to a certain region in Mexico, as I have direct flights to them all from my airport. Thank you in advance for any guidance!
Also Las Alamandas south of Puerto Vallarta (2.5-hour drive)
Cabo can be a good destination for newbies and those seeking a quick flight from California. It is the least “tipico” of Mexican destinations.
Aug 7, 2022, 3:40 pm
#210
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 107
Rosewood Mayakoba is probably the most lauded. I did stay at One & Only Mandarina. IMO, Mandarina is a bit different. It's literally built on the side of steep hills. You are in the jungle. All the rooms are oceanfront, not beachfront. I found their beach to be a bit small. But, I believe you can now also use the Rosewood beach adjacent to it. But double check that. Book a tree house room (20,21) None of the pools (3) are huge, but they are nice. Service, rooms, spa, food are good. You are isolated to that resort. Salulita and some other beach towns are nearby if you want a cool excursion. You basically need to ride a (golf cart ) to move around the resort, unless you want some exercise. The resort is interesting because your are deep in the jungle, along the coast.
Rosewood is interesting because you have the little water ways, and good beaches. I have pictures /review of my stay at Mandarina.
Rosewood is interesting because you have the little water ways, and good beaches. I have pictures /review of my stay at Mandarina.