La Jolla de Mismaloya: Rated the #3 Beach Resort in all of Mexico
Written: Jul 06 '01 (Updated Jan 27 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Wonderful location, great views, terrific service
Cons: A little far from town for some people.
The Bottom Line: A terrific place that has everything except the perfect, warm, clear, blue water shallow blue water I love so very much - still, it's pretty hard to beat!
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| LordBalfor's Full Review: La Jolla de Mismaloya Resort |
Looking for a terrific beach resort near sunny Puerto Vallarta? How about an “all suite” hotel situated at the edge of the jungle with a great pool complex and terrific views? Looking to “get away from it all” to a place where you can relax on your balcony and listen to the gentle “swish” of the ocean waves as the expire against the shore? How about a place big enough to have everything you need, but small enough so that you don’t feel overwhelmed? Sound good? You just might want to consider the La Jolla de Mismaloya (pronounced “La Hoya de Mismaloya”) Resort, a place the Travel Channel recently pronounced the #3 beach resort in all of Mexico*.
OVERVIEW:
This is a fine establishment, located on perhaps the most beautiful beach in the Puerto Vallarta region. Mention to other tourists (especially “repeaters”) that you are staying there and you are likely to hear things like “Lucky you, that’s a great place” or “Wow! The high rent district” (actually, it wasn’t that expensive – running us about $119/night when booked through Costco Travel). Many folks visiting PV actually take guided tours to this beach, in part to swim the waters or snorkel near the giant offshore rocks, in part to take in the views, and in part to tour the nearby ruins of the “Night of the Iguana” movie set. This was the 1964 film that put PV on the map. Filmed at the height of the torrid love affair between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor (both married to different people at the time), the shoot drew hoards of Hollywood reporters to this picturesque place. Burton was starring in the film (along with Eva Gardner), Taylor was just along for the ride (no pun or sexual innuendo intended). In any event, PV would never be the same. The natural beauty of the place had been discovered, and there was no turning back. In those days the rocky promontory at Mismaloya Bay was accessible only by boat, now highway 200 winds it’s way past on its trek south to Manzanillo, Acapulco and other tropical ports of call. In those days there was no hotel on the site, no beach umbrellas, no tourists – just a private, quiet beach surrounded by the lush green hillsides of the Sierra Madre Mountains. Has the place been ruined? I’m in no position to judge – having never seen the location prior to the building of the hotel – but I will tell you this much: no matter how much better it may have been before, it’s still terrific now.
Situated at the mouth of the narrow Mismaloya River, just a few short miles downstream from the steaming jungle where the 1987 Movie “Predator” (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) was shot, the hotel is absolutely beautiful. Some have said this hotel is too big for this location, that it dominates the beach and dwarfs the nearby palapas (beach huts). There is no denying the hotel is large (it has 303 suites after all), and that the quaint little beach huts look tiny next to it’s bulk, but somehow the scale of the place seemed fine to us. This is no towering high-rise we are talking about. It is only 8 stories tall (3 times the height of the surrounding coconut palms) and seems to me to be simply nestled snuggly down onto the valley floor. Built in a “U” shape, with the 2 story lobby at the closed end of the “U” and a beautiful sandy beach at the open end, the 2 balconied wings of the place look down on a beautifully landscaped pool complex complete with waterfalls, hot tubs, and lounging areas. It is a large place that somehow doesn’t seem that large. With 4 restaurants in the resort itself (and another 2 at the nearby ruins of the movie set), a dive shop and jet ski rental, a day care, small grocery store, the usual collection of gift and clothing shops, a beauty treatment and spa complex, and a well equipped health and exercise center, this is a place you need never leave (though there is much to see and do in the PV region, so I strongly recommend you do – see my review of Puerto Vallarta for more info).
THE GROUNDS:
Built in a lovely Spanish Colonial style, the resort features Moorish arches, red tile walkways and seating areas throughout the grounds, 4 lovely swimming pools, tennis courts, and a terrific beach offering sunset views every single night. One of the pools is set aside as a children’s wading pool (complete with short water slide), and another is clearly designed for water polo. The 2 remaining pools are for general wading and swimming, and both feature waterfalls and are festooned with trees and tropical shrubs that overhang their waters. They are set at slightly different levels, with the lower offering a swim-up bar and the upper an enormous “island” hot tub connected to the “mainland” by a “stone” bridge (that you can swim under). The upper pool also features a short “tunnel” that offers a chance to swim through a pair of cascading waterfalls. At depths of 4 feet in the upper pool and 4 to 5 feet in the lower pool, neither is deep enough for diving, but both are perfect for playing in the water. We spent a lot of time in these waters and enjoyed every moment of it.
THE ROOMS:
Most of the rooms are essentially like small apartments or condos, with a single bedroom, bathroom, small but adequate kitchen (complete with dishes, glasses and silverware), living room and decent sized balcony. It was a pretty nice suite with more than sufficient room for 2 people, and it was really handy to have the kitchen (complete with a full-sized refrigerator and stove). The floors throughout are of beautiful gray marble and the somewhat crowded bathroom offered marble from floor to ceiling (though the anemic florescent lighting failed to show it off very well). A few of the units apparently have a second bathroom instead of a kitchen, and a pullout sofa bed in the living room. These probably provide adequate sleeping for a small family, but don’t expect anything like having a second full bedroom. In all other respects, they are identical to the 1-bedroom/1-bathroom unit we stayed in. The furnishings were generally rattan with fairly comfortable cushions. Overall, I'd have to say that these units, although not what I'd call luxurious, were pretty nice and feature sufficient (though perhaps just barely) room. They were clean, and in fairly good shape. The only thing I didn't like about them was that the small, high, bedroom windows on the back side of the unit opened up to the main tiled hallway outside. Even when the windows were closed, this hallway tended to echo the sounds of anyone passing by outside.
One feature of the units that we especially liked was the large balcony equipped with a small table and 4 metal chairs. These chairs were somewhat uncomfortable, but when softened up with some of the throw pillows from the couch, made for pretty decent seating. We ordered room service and had breakfast out on this balcony 3 times and enjoyed the experience very much (the “Patio Style” eggs dish was just outstanding!). As our particular unit (on the 3rd floor) lacked an ocean view (it sat directly behind the “bushy” part of a cluster of palms), we considered briefly asking for another room (with a better view) but quickly decided we liked the privacy the foliage provided, so ended up staying put. Most of the balconies however (especially on the 4th floor and above) have a full ocean view, and since the 2 buildings are angled slightly (resulting in a widely opened “U” shape for the complex), you are not looking through other folks’ balconies to see the ocean.
The seaward end of each tower featured an elaborate “Presidential Suite” on each floor, complete with enormous wrap-around balcony, large living room, kitchen, full dining room, 2 bedrooms, and 2 full bathrooms (including a gigantic one just off the master bedroom complete with large walk-in shower and luxurious soaking tub). We were lucky enough to receive a tour of one of these units courtesy of a wonderful couple we met while lounging around the pool. He was a part-time free-lance writer for Conde Naste magazine and had stayed at least one night in each type of room so that he could write knowledgeably about the place. The unit was very nice and (with the balcony) large enough to handle a party for perhaps 100 people - certainly, there was a lot more room than my wife and I would ever need.
THE BEACH:
Cradled between 2 rocky promontories, the beach here is quite lovely to look at, but dropped off a little too quickly for my liking (I’m a poor swimmer who’s been spoiled by the wonderful reef-protected beaches of the South Pacific) – though that didn’t seem to stop other folks much. While most of the time this beach was fairly quiet, on Sunday’s it seemed to be a popular place for the locals, with quite a few people splashing about in the waves, lounging on the beach, and eating or drinking at the clustered tables that crowd the beach at the thatched roofed restaurants just south of the hotel. We never did eat at any of these places, but I heard several glowing reports (one of them from the “Conde Naste” writer) about the quality of their food and the reasonableness of their prices. We meant to eat there but simply ran out of time.
To give the resort’s guests some degree of privacy (and peace from the strolling vendors), part of the sand along the back of the resort has been roped off and equipped with thatch umbrellas and beach chairs – though bare in mind that the beaches in Mexico are public so the area near the water remains open to anyone. I understand that there is some degree of friction between the hotel owners and the locals (who feel the hotel is trying to shove them out). If this is the case I saw no evidence of any hostility directed towards the hotel’s guests – in fact, I found people to almost universally friendly.
The bays' water was a little warmer than I expected (though still not up to the temperature of the balmy waters of the lagoon at Bora Bora) and fairly calm, with only small to moderate sized breakers while we were there. As I already mentioned, we didn’t really swim in the ocean here, but we really enjoyed the nightly “swish” of the waves as they washed against the sands. The shape of the resort creates somewhat of an echo effect for this sound. The result is a soothing “white noise” that serves as a constant backdrop to the other sounds of the resort – unfortunately, the bedroom was on the back side of the building and so we heard none of this sound when we went to bed. An interesting side note about the beach at this location: the Mismaloya River empties here, but never really reached the sea – instead, it kind of dead-ended up against the back of the thatch-roofed restaurants. So in spite of the river ending here, there was no trace of it from the beach. Apparently, the water simply soaked through the sand out to sea. This is probably not the case during the rainy season (when I understand the rushing waters can make the bay somewhat silty), but was definitely the way it was when we were there.
THE RESTAURANTS:
I regret to say that the food at the resort was only fair. It wasn’t bad, mind you, but neither was it exceptional, and it was (other than the “Beach Club” poolside restaurant) pretty darned pricey. While we had some terrific meals while in PV, none of them were at the resort. Bear in mind however that we did not eat at every restaurant in the complex, though we did dine at the “El Patio Restaurant” and the “La Iguana Italiana Restaurant”, as well as “John Huston’s Restaurant” on the nearby ridge (near the “Night of the Iguana” ruins). The view and ambiance at “John Huston’s” were wonderful and the food probably the best of the places in the resort, but (as I have mentioned) it was rather pricey – still, you might want to give this place a try as the view is simply superb (and the lunch menu prices didn’t look too bad). We did enjoy the “Mexican Fiesta” buffet dinner served on the plaza near the beach Saturday night. The food was pretty good and plentiful, and the entertainment enjoyable. By and large however, the best meals we had were not at the resort but rather elsewhere. Two of the best meals we had (including one of the best we have ever eaten – anywhere, anytime) are profiled in my general Puerto Vallarta review.
I suppose this is probably the best time to bring up drinking water and general food cleanliness. This is always a concern for foreigners (especially Americans and Canadians) visiting Mexico. I myself was once stricken with the dreaded “Montezuma’s Revenge” after an evening visit to Tijuana (while at a conference in San Diego). Let me tell you – it was pretty darned bad! In fact, after that little incident I really did not want to return to Mexico AT ALL. What I’d seen of Tijuana had not enamored me of the country and it was only grudgingly that I agreed to the Puerto Vallarta trip. My wife had never been to Mexico and really wanted to go, so I eventually gave in. I was very concerned however, as she has a very sensitive stomach, with problems at least once or twice a week even at home. During the research for my trip I’d read that sanitation had much-improved in Mexico and that in the major tourist centers, visitors need not be concerned (especially in PV, which supposedly has the best public water supply in all of Mexico). I’d also read that the resort had it’s own additional water purification system to ensure that guests were not brought low by some nasty bug. Still, I was skeptical, so for the first few days we avoided ice. Eventually however we loosened up and began drinking ice tea and eating and drinking whatever else we wanted (including ice in our drinks).
I’m happy to report that everything was just fine. We ate and drank as we wished and suffered no ill effects whatsoever. We even had ice cream from the local ice cream store in downtown PV (something that would have been a definite no-no a few years ago). Mexico has indeed made enormous strides towards modern health and cleanliness standards – so much so that I would agree that in the major tourist areas you need not worry about it too much. Just use a little common sense – if the place looks dirty, avoid it, otherwise, enjoy yourself.
SERVICE:
The service in the hotel was very good, the staff friendly and helpful, the work they did admirable. Of course it may have helped some that we were there at the end of the season, when the number of tourists was fairly low and the (apparently) hectic pace of the area beginning to wind down. After dark a veritable army of employees came out of nowhere to ensure that the resort was spotless for the early risers. We were VERY impressed with the staff in this place.
CONCLUSION:
Overall, we had a great time at this resort and chances are you will too. The only real drawback to the place is the fact that it is somewhat isolated from the shopping and attractions of downtown Puerto Vallarta. Mind you, this didn’t bother us too much, as we’ve never been too fond of crowds and in fact chose the La Jolla De Mismaloya Resort in part because of its very isolation**. Whenever we wanted to go into town (about 10 miles back along the winding coastal highway) we simply took a cab (about $10) or hopped on the local bus (about 35 cents). However, I do recognize that others may feel differently and want something a little closer to the action, so if you are looking for a “hustle and bustle” type of vacation you may want to stay elsewhere.
For us though, this place was almost perfect. I would have given it 5 stars but then I'd have to say it was just as terrific as the tropical islands of the South Pacific - which it is not (due mostly to the fact that the ocean at this location doesn't quite have the perfect, warm, clear, shallow blue water I love so very much) - though it's a pretty darned nice alternative. You could do a whole lot worse.
* As per “Mexico’s Top Ten Beach Resorts” broadcast in early 2001.
** In fact we arranged to be there during the “slow” season and the resort was only about 1/3 full.
PS: I should mention, that all the beaches in the Puerto Vallarta area seemed to be home to a particularly vicious variety of sand flea. These things just chew the heck out of your legs (especially from the knee down) and left us with enormous welts that took well over a month to go away. Be sure and spray your legs with insect repellent.
PS2: You might want to take a look at my detailed review of the Puerto Vallarta area (including a particularly terrific tour, restaurants and attractions). You can find it by clicking on the “More Epinions by LordBalfor” link near the top of this page...
... or just click here:
http://www.epinions.com/content_30322626180
PS3: The following is the URL to the hotel’s web site: www.lajollademismaloya.com/
PS4: I’ve also posted my photos of the trip (along with my Hawaii, Tahiti & amazing Bora Bora shots) at Webshots.com. There are some very nice photos of the resort, including shots of the wonderful pool complex, and some pretty nice photos of beautiful Mismaloya Bay.
The URL is: http://community.webshots.com/user/lordbalfor
Update as of Nov 4th, 2001:
Some of you may have heard about the severe beach erosion that occured on Mismaloya Bay during September of this year. Thanks to the fine photographic skills and selfless generousity of Margaret L'Ecuyer (who lives on the bluff above Mismaloya Bay), there are now some terrific photos that show these dramatic developments unfolding. I've been in e-mail contact with her and she has graciously allowed me to post the URL's to the photos here, so that you might take a look and judge for yourself the condition of the beach.
There are many photos. The first show the erosion underway as the beach outside the resort literally vanishes. The later ones show the impressive restoration efforts as the scene is slowly returned to a semblance of its former beauty.
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292155269&code=2365352&mode=invite
Note that the photos themselves will open in a second window distinct from the link above.
You might want to compare these pictures with my shots posted on Webshots so that you can also see the dramatic difference in the lushness of the vegitation between May (when we went) and Sept/Oct (when Margarets photos were taken).
If you enjoy Margarets photos you might consider leaving her a comment to that effect. I'm sure she'd enjoy hearing from you. The pictures are large, crystal clear, and nothing short of spectacular.
Update as of Aug 3rd, 2002: The latest photos from Margaret, show that the beach has returned almost completely to its' former glory. If you are concerned about this issue, put your mind at ease. It's no longer a problem.
With many thanks to Margaret,
Ken
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
LordBalfor
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Member: Ken Klein
Location: Seattle, Wa
Reviews written: 36
Trusted by: 109 members
About Me:
I am in love with the tropics (especially the South Pacific).
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