Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Featuring....Hotel Las Palmas

There's a new kid on the block. On the northern most block of Avenue Guerrero to be exact. Directly across from the Market and the Loncherias. The hotel building has been there forever but it has recently been purchased by a wonderful family from Canada and lovingly updated. So I present to you...



Hotel Las Palmas.












For those of you who can never seem to get the beach sand off, or just want to rinse off the ocean salt water, look what awaits you just inside the entrance.






What I really like about this place is how bright and cheery it is. Plus the first floor rooms are all handicap accessible! Isn't that cool! Look at the main courtyard as you enter.





On to the rooms. They have three choices for you with these rates:


Two double beds (pictured)......$60 USD

Queen...........................................$55

King..............................................$60

each extra person per room.....$ 5



The rooms are actually quite spacious. Too bad about those bedspreads though. They were the low point to this hotel for me.




The rooms also have a large window facing the interior courtyard. Great natural light and fresh air. The rooms all have brand new pillow top mattresses by the way.




A big closet with far too few clothes hangers, but typical of most hotels. I don't quite understand the hanging shoe baskets though. Nice touch, but will anybody even use them?




Each room has a ceiling fan and a mini-split air conditioner. If you are not familiar with them, the generator is outside so they are whisper quiet. Notice the window on this side of the room for cross ventilation. Nice feature.





The bathrooms are quite roomy. I was in this hotel before the remodel and they have vastly improved the bathrooms as far as room and quality. Not liking the tiles though. I would have preferred to see something a bit more colorful and cheerful. Still it is a hotel and ease of cleaning must be taken into account. Notice the ventilation window. There is plenty of hot water and good water pressure too!





Directly across from the shower is the business end of the bathroom. Lots of elbow room. A serious lack of shelf space though.





Even though the rooms are nice, nobody wants to spend all their time in a hotel room. And at Hotel Las Palmas, you don't have to! They have this great outdoor space for your enjoyment on the roof.






The hotel is a U shape with each wing offered a huge patio area.








You get a great glimpse down into the courtyard from the bottom part of the U, as well as a look over to the market.








I like that they have not confused the rooftop with a restaurant. They have not tried to pack a bazillion tables and chairs up there. They have spaced them far enough apart to give each group a semblance of privacy. Bring up your morning coffee and write in your diary in peace. Or catch up on reading my blog using the free wireless internet connection!


They have these power stations all around the balcony so you can plug in and recharge as you check your emails, listen to your iPod or any other electrical device you have.





I have been in many hotels that have no public space at all or else you are sitting on somebody elses lap it seems. I really like the spacing of the tables. Go on up and play some cards and drink a beer before you go out for dinner and dancing.


Heck, you may even be lucky enough to look down and spy on one of the other guests. (if they are stupid or crass enough to leave their doors and/or curtains open!)




But here's the biggest surprise and joy up on that roof.






It's a dipping pool. Sort of like a large, open air jacuzzi tub. And it is open 24/7!




They are taking reservations for 2009 now. You can reach them at:



Tell them Wayne sent you!
EDITED TO ADD: Please do not contact me for a reservation. I can't do that for you. Please send an email to them directly at the address given above. Thanks!

9 comments:

Laura said...

great pics of Las Palmas! I was there when they were working on it, so nice to see the progress!

Life's a Beach! said...

Thanks Wayne! I wondered what Sue was talking about when she mentioned the hotel across from the market in a post. The free wireless internet, dipping pool, and rooftop view are the perks. The rooms are kind of basic, but not bad!

Sue said...

Thanks for the photo tour. I noticed the new bright look to the hotel a couple of months ago, and I love how it looks from the outside. Curb appeal. I'm sure once they get some cash flowing they will add more details the rooms - pictures, color. I think it's a great option for people wanting to stay in town.

Calypso said...

...and does Wayne's Grotto provide Internet connection? I guess you are so booked up you can afford to show the competition ;-) ?

How is Internet there generally - what speed do you get at home?

Ann said...

What a great looking place! Have looked at it often when at A& G loncheria--the improvements are wonderful! It's nice to see another reasonable place opening on Isla.

MegFordice said...

Hi Wayne, I've been reading your blog, for updates on the beach situation and Hidalgo construction. I leave for Isla on January 30th! Thanks for the tip about Las Palmas. It looks fantatic! I just sent them an email to see if they had a room available for me and my boyfriend. Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

Wow!!! That's where I stayed when I visited Isla, I think in 2001...! It changed a lot! At that time the price were a lot cheaper but it wasn't as nice as it is now and there were no pool! I also remember the fried chicken I was eating everyday at the mercado in front!

Thanks for the pics!!!

Islagringo said...

Laura: it's really nicer than the pics show

LAB: yes, that rooftop is wonderful. There are also lounge chairs for sunning up there too. The rooms are basic but quite large.

Sue: You are so right. They will be adding to the decor as they can. Like all big projects, they had some labor related and other setbacks to their budget.

Calypso: Actually they are not my competition. We attract a totally different market. Besides, they are such nice people, I am glad to help them out any way I can.

Internet is almost exclusively wireless now on the island. You can get wireless hi speed from TelMex or cable from our local cable company. I have hi speed 256 wireless in my house and the cabana we rent. Generally I receive a signal of 4 bars out of 5. It's pretty fast...but we always want faster, don't we!

Jamqueen: It is nice to see another mid range decent hotel come to the island. We are getting too swamped with high end condos around here.

Norwego: welcome to the world of commenting and thanks for reading. I'm sure they will have room for you. I'll stop by and put in a good word also!

Julie: nothing is priced as it was in 2001! Not even close. I did forget to mention in the post that the loncherias across the street serve wonderful, decently priced meals. And are really handy!

Dawn in CA said...

Great review, love the detailed descriptions and photos. Unfortunately, we probably won't be getting back to Isla until 2010, but it's nice to see the Isla even on the internet! Do you know if they allow children?

Thanks again for the post!