Love the style of this hotel. Unique, clever and local feeling. Very upscale in terms of their linens, soaps, etc. The staff is amazingly nice and helpful. And the food: where else can you find organic and tasty food in the area? Nowhere but at this hotels Bistro Organico! They make their own bread, yogurt, tortillas and more and more.
This is a difficult review due to the amazing staff and the lovely set up of the hotel with the little extras like a tequila taste in the room and nice soap etc. However I was extremely disappointed in the disconnection of management/owner and lack of understanding with my concern. The pool shown in fotos and “available” for hotel guests was 1.5 blocks from the hotel on a different street. Hotel staff needs to accompany you to let you in to the ABnB property, there are no lounge chairs or anything to sit on, there were two men there that had lounge chairs, not sure if the two chairs are always there and no wifi. It is not a comfortable environment and no “relaxing by the pool” . I was quite upset by the whole situation and was given a code for the pool and a wifi password but it was so uncomfortable there I could not stay. It would be impossible for staff to look after this for hotel guests and it should not be advertised as part of the hotel. The hotel is quite noisy due to the style and echos with voices coming up and down the stairs, there was a family with a child that blew a whistle until after 11pm Ugg. There is also a very popular restaurant directly below and to the left of the hotel. That night at 950 PM until after 10pm a Neighbour started drilling into the wall next to my room! Seriously. The person on the desk did go and speak with them and it did not happen again. I requested to speak to management and “it was not possible” I requested some kind of acknowledgement, maybe a discount or something but mostly wanted to be heard..nothing. Except from the excellent reception gentleman who tried his best and the other great staff. Hotel is clean, food and complementary fruit in the morning is excellent. Stay here if you like but do not expect a pool and do not expect any kind of response from management if you have any concerns. On my return in March I will not be bringing my family to this hotel and will not recommend to friends in Canada.
This guest review is comprised primarily of two false claim. She says: 1) “Stay here if you like but do not expect a pool..." and 2) "do not expect any kind of response from management if you have any concerns.” The fact is: the hotel has a pool and the guest did receive a response from management about her concerns - just not a response she liked.
The hotel has a beautiful pool which is 190 meters from the hotel’s front door, located on our sister property. This guest acknowledges this, but was unhappy about the distance. Like all guests, she was notified of this distance in the description of the property in our booking engine where it is prominently noted and where she booked her room and she was also notified of this fact in the confirmation email she received immediately after booking. She apparently didn’t read any of this, and yet this is her main complaint. (As if she wasn’t notified.) If you read our reviews, you will see that our guests value the seclusion and beauty of our pool. (As opposed to a pool surrounded by hotel rooms.) The walk from the hotel to our sister property is a very short walk. And there are six chaises at the property, as well as wifi access for all guests. We personally escort the guests to the pool as a courtesy. (Something that everyone but this guest seems to see for the courtesy it is.) It is a lovely and private space and our guests are well cared for there. (This guest was well attended to by our reception person and "other great staff" throughout her stay, as she herself stated in her review.)
She also claims to not have received a response from management after communicating her concerns, when she actually did receive a response. And the response was that we would not give her the discount she requested. A discount she felt she deserved because of the distance of the pool. And which we did not feel was justified, as she’d received more than ample notice of the location of the pool.
San Pancho indeed has noise, as is the case with most villages in Mexico. We suggest this guest consider a different location (perhaps an isolated island in the middle of the South Pacific) instead of returning to San Pancho in March.
Pains me to write this because I have enjoyed this hotel for the last ten years plus. But, unless they understand their problems, there cannot be any improvement. To begin with, they contacted me and told me that I could check in between 4:00 pm and 5:30 pm but after that I would have to make special arrangements. An hour and a half to check into a hotel in Mexico.... in Mexico! Then, when we arrived, the manager pointed to a room that opened onto the lobby and was about 5 feet from the desk. You would be looking directly into the bedroom. He tells me that this is my room and I tell him that I would prefer a room upstairs and not in the lobby. He says fine, but it will cost me more. I made my reservations on their web site and this guy is going to hassle me for more money to stay there? Really? So, I agree to pay them more and we march up to our room. Then, every night that I am there the power goes out....in July...in Mexico. Now, having had a house in Mexico I am not that put out by power outages, but the hotel tells me that it is a city wide problem and I didn't see any other place with any power outages. So, we swelter for three nights in a hotel room and then finally bail out for another hotel a couple of blocks away that actually has power and someone at the hotel desk until 10:00 pm.... because it is a hotel!!! Apparently the hotel was sold to another owner since I was there previously and I guess that this owner needs to purchase a hotel management for dummies manual. I'm done with this place and I really am sad to have to say that. I really enjoyed my stays there previously, but no more.
There is nothing factually correct about this guest's complaints.
We are a small 9-room boutique hotel and during the low season (June to November) check-in is between 3pm and 5:30pm, unless you contact us to let us know a later time you will arrive. We will them make arrangements for someone to be here. So it is incorrect for this guest to say there is only a 90 minute window to check-in.
Like all hotels, we offer different rooms at different prices. We have one room near the front desk that is priced lower than all other rooms, because of its location. That is the room this guest booked. And that is why the guest was charged to upgrade to a higher priced room.
Our town can experience power outages during the rainy season (June to November.) The guest said he "didn't see any other place with any power outages". He may not have seen them, but around a fifth of the town was losing power for a few nights in a row. Since that time, the electrical company has installed a new transformer for the power line our hotel and others are on and this has resolved the frequent problem.
We are not under new management. We are the same owners the past 19 years.
This small, intimate hotel in the center of San Pancho feels like a more expensive boutique hotel. Our double rooms was relatively small but well-appointed with charming touches. The small breakfast included with the room was delicious and there were other good choices for a more substantial meal. The staff are friendly and helpful. All in all, a great experience!
This hotel is more accurately described as Rooms Above a Restaurant.
There is a very popular restaurant on the premises which is open daily (except Tuesday?) for breakfast and lunch in the rear courtyard. Above that courtyard are many of the small hotel's rooms. On Friday, Saturday & Sunday evenings when dinner is served until 10 pm, it is incredibly noisy, even with ear plugs. Staff cleanup finishes between 11-11:30 with clattering dishes, banging, chatter and music. Then early in the morning the kitchen starts preparing for breakfast. Compared to all that racket, barking dogs and crowing roosters are a charming diversion!
But what also really takes the place down a couple of notches were the non-working safe in the room, a ceiling fan that makes a buzzing noise, a weak showerhead, and door hinges that may not have been lubricated in months or maybe years.
I would never stay here again, but breakfast or lunch in the courtyard is worthwhile. Also, staff do a great job of cleaning and Saul at the front desk is super helpful.
It is unclear what noise this guest was hearing, as his room was on the front side of the hotel, where it isn't possible to hear sound from our bistro which is on the back side of the hotel. (There are occasional celebrations in town which could have been the cause of his disturbance.) Dinners in our bistro are only during December through May, and only Friday-Sunday. Dinner service is complete at 10pm and our staff is careful to be quiet as they clean up. And...our rooms are checked prior to guest check-ins, for squeaky doors and any thing that might need service or detract from the overall customer experience. They are serviced prior to check-in.
