Casa Mexicana, bahia or Colonial

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

MrBigfins

Contributor
Messages
586
Reaction score
393
Location
Pittsburgh Pa
# of dives
500 - 999
Looking into booking a trip in late October. Thinking of trying 3P's and one of these 3 hotels. Casa Mexicana, bahia suites, or colonial suites. Any input from divers would be appreciated. Dont need anything fancy, close proximity to marina or dive shop, pool would be nice but not required, close to a beach access would be nice, breakfast available early enough to enjoy before departure of morning trips. Thanks in advance.
 
Casa Mexicana is the bigger and better one, the other two are little sisters about half the price.

CM has what many claim to be the best breakfast buffet on the island. All three hotels include this in the rate. Only difference is with CM you walk down a flight of stairs or take the elevator, the other two you walk a few blocks to it. Starts at 7am.

They are all within a few blocks of TP shop. CM has a small shallow pool good for cooling off in with a beer. None are near a beach though CM and Bahia are on Melgar and have some oceanview rooms. Bahia and Colonial are typically $40-50/nt while CM has a wider range. Right now you can get CM as low as $60/nt which would make it my choice but sometimes you can't touch it for under $90 which would make the other two my choice if on a tight budget.
 
Check out Blue Angel. All rooms are oceanfront and breakfast is included. 3P's will pick you up there as well. I just did a 1 week stay there and I will be back!
 
Check out Blue Angel. All rooms are oceanfront and breakfast is included. 3P's will pick you up there as well. I just did a 1 week stay there and I will be back!
Your avatar - it looks like the photo was taken at Playa Bonita back when there was a beach there and before the Sargassum Invasion.
 
Casa Mexicana is the bigger and better one, the other two are little sisters about half the price.
Right now you can get CM as low as $60/nt which would make it my choice
Hotels.com is my go to site, but I double check on Kayak. Sometimes I have to ask the former to match the price so I can enjoy their rewards & guarantees - like I would today if I was booking the trip he's looking for.

The smaller two are running $41 to $47, with the big one starting at $51/night for Oct 10-26.

000.jpg
 
Yes Dandy, I was giving a ballpark generality and as I mentioned the range for CM is much wider and when they have a great price running it is not much more but there are also times when it is more than double.$51 is by far the lowest price I've ever seen for CM.

Blue Angel is a sweet setup and I would take it over CM any day but you aren't getting in there under $110/nt in low season and maybe not at all during high season.
 
I stayed at all three. As previously mentioned Casa Mex is the most convenient and is around the corner from 3P. Bahia is a little more rugged but has a full size frig and microwave oven if you like doing your own quick meals. The good is that it really is a bargain. The bad is that it is too close to the thirsty cougar bar and the music goes till midnight. It you like to get to bed at a reasonable time, MEDICATE! otherwise party downstairs at the cougar. Suites colonial is the furthest from 3P but it is the most quiet and REALLY quiet. It has full kitchens to cook. You will need to have them provide a drip coffee pot which they will for free if you need coffee first thing. They and Bahia have coffee in the lobbies but it's mediocre. Colonial is also less expensive. It is near an XOXO for in room food, drink, and snacks. So it depends on whether you like the addition on kitchens, kitchenettes, party down, or peace and quiet. Casa is the most convenient all around but is $40 to $50 more per night depending on the season. The good about 3P is that Jeanie is familiar with all three and can make the arrangements with the diving as a package and save you a few more $$$.
 
Who wants to cook on holiday? Give me AI with the option to hit the town too....
 
Who wants to cook on holiday? Give me AI with the option to hit the town too....

I'm not interested in cooking but it's nice to have a microwave to heat up the yummy leftovers from the restaurants.
 
Suites colonial is the furthest from 3P but it is the most quiet and REALLY quiet. It has full kitchens to cook.
I've stayed there a couple of times but never saw a kitchen.

You will need to have them provide a drip coffee pot which they will for free if you need coffee first thing.
Really? I guess I didn't know to ask. I generally hit Mega on the first day and buy a cheap coffee maker and a bottle of coffee liqueur.

Colonial is also less expensive. It is near an XOXO for in room food, drink, and snacks.
It's less than a block from the downtown plaza, but in the other direction just around the corner - across the street from OXXO convenience store is Caribe Burger with great burgers, super $1 tacos, etc. I wouldn't cross the street for OXXO junk food. (I stay at Mary Carmen's across the pedestrian street from Colonial. The beds are tough and hot water iffy, but enjoy the place and their herd of yard turtles. :) )

Casa is the most convenient all around but is $40 to $50 more per night depending on the season.
For the trip suggested in this thread, it's only $4 to $10 higher.

Here's an orientation map of the places...

000.jpg
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

Back
Top Bottom