My brother and I recently stayed at Hotel Villablanca on the way to what was to be a boogie…read moreboarding adventure in Punta Conejo. As the boogie boarding didn't quite work out for us, we headed back to Huatulco and extended our stay at the hotel. Our observation was that this is a popular tourist destination for people from Mexico City and other points in the country; indeed, I'm guessing we were the only guests from the U.S.A. We did meet a very gregarious Canadian expat (and hotel local) who gave us some pointers about what to see and visit while there.
The staff was busy - but never so much so that they didn't have a moment to at least say "¡Buenos dias!" if not engage in some conversation. The young women at the front desk seemed to get a real kick out of hearing us stumble through our limited Spanish (mine more than my brother's), but we were able to break through the communication barrier and lightly converse with them. The pool in the center courtyard was a refreshing amenity, as the heat and humidity were stifling during our stay . As I was swimming one afternoon, a very large iguana lumbered along the deck on his way to a large tree poolside, home - as I would see - to his family. Up he went... it was fun watching him and his family members move around on the branches high above ground.
Would that I could remember the names of all the employees who made our stay so pleasant... a couple do come to mind:
Tomaso, who greeted us with a warm smile at breakfast each morning as she took our food orders. She is to be commended for her work ethic! Tomaso was there morning, noon & night, working hard and making sure the guests each felt that they were the most important people she was attending to.
And...
Alejandro Serrano. What an AMAZING excursiones host you have in Mr. Serrano! My brother & I talked to him about going to see the waterfalls, and he set up a day trip that was absolutely the highlight of our visit! Couldn't have been planned any better either, as it was just a couple days before our departure. Alex drove us up into the montañas, where we stopped about halfway up to have a coffee and quesadillas. Through his numerous trips to the falls, he has gotten to know the locals well, and introduced us to the proprietors of this roadside establishment; they in turn greeted my brother and me as though we were longtime friends. Hugs all around when we departed for the falls... and what an adventure lay ahead! Not only did Alex drive us to the destination, he enjoyed jumping into the water, swimming, and wading in the waterfalls right along with us. While most hotels book your adventure for you and off you go, Alejandro made sure we felt just as "at home" as the locals who were also there enjoying the cool water offered by the Copalita River. Thank you, sir, for the perfect "coda" to our stay in Mexico.