I swallowed hard to see the NYT article yesterday that Holbox is now one of the "Places to Go" in 2016. Its a tiny island, a special place with a delicate ecosystem, and unspoiled. You can see pink flamingos, whale sharks, brown pelicans and frigate birds and it's not overrun by tourists. I'd hate to see that change, but thanks to the NYT, it probably will.
CasaSandra is a special place put together with a gypsy sensibility, full of little artful details that make a stay unique. Its a rustic place, not an all inclusive resort, so prepare for that, but staying here is a special experience. We would love to return.
We arrived at night, and as we drove up in our golf cart taxi (the only transport allowed on the island) this small hotel was lit up with gorgeous string lights, live music and a Cuban dinner (the owner Sandra hails from Cuba.) At night, this place glows. The island is reachable only by local ferry, and will require some planes, trains and automobiles to get here, but the hotel will arrange transport, for a price, if you want that.
The rooms are simple, have no televisions and the wifi is a joke existing (barely) only in the beautiful main lobby. Prepare to unplug, or to be frustrated trying to connect. The rooms at CasaSandra are rustic and artful and feature local textiles, colorful tiled sinks, mosquito netting over the bed, thoughtful local snacks, and a personal, in-room Nespresso machine. The lobby and restaurant area, and the outdoor pool and especially the beach with palm frond topped cabanas are beautiful. There is a good masseuse on staff, to kick off your relax-ment!
We had an excellent service experience in the restaurant and hotel and would come back and stay again. Its a small lovely spot and people knew our names and family after several days. The only hiccups were with communication at the start of the visit, and a forgotten booking for a fishing trip, that was remedied the following day. Also, the small hotel next door is in the middle of construction, which normally you'd like to be told of ahead of time. The meals were enjoyable and beautifully presented, but could be pricey compared with other food on Holbox.
We have been to the Yucatan five times and CasaSandra is a special place in the world. Simple, artful, and thoughtful. read more