El Hotelito Boutique y Galeria

“Really liked El Hotelito!”

We had looked at numerous places to stay in Manzanillo for several weeks. We couldn't bring ourselves to stay at a large resort (not our style) and anyone we tried to contact on a homestay site was shady (example: per night was listed as $125 for a 2 bed condo that housed 6 people courtesy of the e… more

We had looked at numerous places to stay in Manzanillo for several weeks. We couldn't bring ourselves to stay at a large resort (not our style) and anyone we tried to contact on a homestay site was shady (example: per night was listed as $125 for a 2 bed condo that housed 6 people courtesy of the extra couch pull-outs, but each person had to pay $125 so the total stay per night is really much more than $125 when we tried to book. Or, we were told we weren't "old" enough for a condo complex, which favored "older" tenants over 60 even though most of the pictures displayed young families with plenty of kids in tow). So we were happy to finally stumble across Hotelito. Part of the reason we didn't notice Hotelito is that many sites have the old pics of the hotel up, pre-renovation. The revamped hotel is just our style. Very crisp and modern. There are about 10 rooms, most of which are on the back side of the hotel, facing the ocean. I mention this because the two rooms at the front on the second floor are probably pretty loud with all the road noise. Our room was on shared wall with Mahalo, so there was loud music pulsing through the wall until late on Friday and Saturday night. There are two rooms upstairs that face the ocean with floor to ceiling windows, and two that have a window looking out at the sea. The several rooms downstairs are on the pool side and are fairly dark, given how they are set back from the pool area. Overall, we were really happy with our stay. Minus, of course, when we tried to check in and were told we didn't have a reservation. The lady at the check in desk didn't try to troubleshoot why our reservation wasn't coming up (despite us having .pdf versions and screen shots on our phones). It was more like oh, you're not in the system, let me turn back to what I was doing. We were wondering what we had got ourselves into, but everything from that point forward ended up being ok. Our room was upstairs with a "partial" view of the ocean, which we ended up liking. Only having a window instead of a full floor-to-ceiling wall of glass meant our room stayed cool because it wasn't baking in the sun all day. Only 2 rooms have a full bath tub (ours had a tub), but we would have much preferred the shower stall we saw in the other rooms when one of the staff showed us around. Climbing in and out of the tub was not easy, since it's built up off the ground, and we're tall people. The swinging shower glass door usually meant we dripped water everywhere as we showered. And also, the water came out of the shower head at a reallllly slow rate, so filling a tub to actually take a bath with water hotter than warm would have been a challenge. It's not like someone with kids would easily be able to bathe their children just because they have a tub, we noted. That, too, would be a challenge. In any case, the room was nicely appointed, although we noticed a leg of the sofa had cracked off and there was so much oil rubbed into the wardrobe it would get all over us when we opened it. AC works fine. Wish there was a little diagram that could easily explain the controls. We always were fiddling with it to try to change the settings and we just had to settle for what worked best after trial and error for that particular round. Same with the TV. There were 2 remotes but we could never figure out the pattern you needed to follow to turn the darn thing on. This was also trial and error. Wifi worked fine in our room, though we noticed the web site said it was only available in the lobby. We wondered if this meant that only rooms that were near the lobby got reliable Wifi, while the rooms further from the lobby didn't? The web site we booked on said Hotelito was an adults-only hotel, which we quickly wondered about when we noticed the toddler who had taken over the pool with his toys, diaper bag, parents, abuela, towels, and lunch in tow. There was another toddler a few days later. In looking on other web sites, hotel advertising mentioned families were welcomed, so FYI. We're fine with kids and parents who monitor their kids but we're not fans of people who take the only 2 tables by the pool, 4 chairs, and 2 loungers just so the grandma can sit there guarding it all not being used while the toddler plays in the pool. Otherwise, most of the other couples we saw were courteous about equally sharing the tight pool space and surrounding area. We hopped down the back steps to the beach to go for walks or sit on chairs and take in the sun and view. Stacked sandbags at the bottom help bridge the difference between the steps and the sand, but they got knocked over (or were pushed) so it was a little challenging on the last day to go back and forth. There's a handy shower at the top of the steps to wash the sand off. No rails on edge of patio, stairs, or shower (which sits right on the edge), so definitely mind your young ones. Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at Hotelito and would stay there again in a heartbeat. Weekends seemed busier. It was only us on Monday and most of Tuesday. Room was cleaned well and done as soon as we left, so it was always nice to come back to a tidy room. The bath towels were fairly worn and we were only given 2 towels, so you might want to bring a hair turban or ask for more towels during your stay. It was super convenient to have the Oxxo just across the street for beer runs. They'll even let you take the ice used to ice down the single beers up front so you can fill up your mini cooler instead of having to buy a whole bag. And having Mahalo next door was also convenient to grab a quick bite or drink. We enjoyed walking to the 5 de Mayo park just across the way to watch soccer games, etc. And most cab rides to nearby eateries along the main strip ran about 30 pesos or so. If the weather isn't too hot, it will only take you 10 mins. or so to walk to a range of cafes and eateries. It's a little longer to get to La Soriana for groceries. The only improvement we could really suggest would be to make sure the water flow/temp is a little more consistent (sinks were great; shower was not) and to perhaps consider allowing for fridges in the room. Honestly, just hopping across the street for cans of beer or going next door to Mahalo wasn't bad at all, but if you want to maybe keep breakfast juices and food, keep your beers cold, or have snacks, this could be a nice touch. Also, it can be loud in the hotel, given the open lobby, use of tile, and floorplan, so it would be nice if guests could be aware that shouting from your interior room to people at the pool echoes loudly through the entire place. Infinity pool looking at the ocean was awesome, though the tiles are breaking off in several places, so be careful. We could watch bat rays and fish jump out of the water, see pelicans, turkey vultures, and other birds, and watch the big ships comes in and out of port. There were starfish on the sand and bloated puffer fish as well. The 180 view of the coast was awesome in both directions. When can we go back?

less

“So Amazing & Relaxing!!!”

After not having much luck finding a good place to stay in the area, we literally stumbled upon this gem of a place. We were instantly greeted and help with everything we could ask for by Karen at the front desk. We cannot say enough good things about Karen, she spoke great english and would drop… more

After not having much luck finding a good place to stay in the area, we literally stumbled upon this gem of a place. We were instantly greeted and help with everything we could ask for by Karen at the front desk. We cannot say enough good things about Karen, she spoke great english and would drop what she was doing and go out of her way to help us everyday by suggesting things to do and see in Manzanillo, great nearby restaurants, calling around to arrange excursions, taxis, and even helped us find the best rates on OTHER hotels to where we were traveling to next. We sat and chatted quite a bit with Karen, and she has a very upbeat and outgoing personality and so helpful that along with the quality and value of the hotel, we decided to extend our stay here to a full week! The rest of the hotel staff also were very friendly and helpful, making sure there was coffee and snacks out every morning, bringing us towels and anything else we needed, including using their staff fridge to keep our beverages cold! There are 8 cozy suites on 2 floors all facing the pool and ocean on the quiet side of the hotel. The room we had was amazing... nice big king size bed, great working Air conditioning, very clean, with a great panoramic view of everything from Manzanillo centro on the west to the hotel zone and large rock point on the east, this included some of the most amazing sunsets i've ever seen. It was very quiet and peaceful. We went to bed and woke up to the sound of waves crashing and not much else. The pool area was also very clean and relaxing. A great place to lounge out and catch some sun & read a book. There was also a shaded area over a large table to bring back some lunch or for when the sun got too intense. The location here was perfect for someone who has little or not mode of transportation... We caught the local bus which picked us up and dropped us off right outside the entrance if we didn't feel like walking, otherwise, we were a 10 minute walk to all the great restaurants, supermarket and amenities of Manzanillo. Just a perfect place!!! Pool and Beach right outside your room, with the main road right at the entrance, within minutes of all the amenities you would need during your stay, all with the amazement of zero noise and feeling very safe and comfortable! Thanks to all the staff ... and especially to Karen for all her hard work and passion for making guests happy!

less

“The epitome of peace and tranquility..”

This is a small villa that has been converted into an 8 roomed hotel. If you are expecting fulll ameneties and activities as you would get from a big, all inclusive hotel then this is the wrong place for you. If your idea of a good holiday is spending the day by the pool reading a good book and w… more

This is a small villa that has been converted into an 8 roomed hotel. If you are expecting fulll ameneties and activities as you would get from a big, all inclusive hotel then this is the wrong place for you. If your idea of a good holiday is spending the day by the pool reading a good book and watching the waves crash onto the beach and boats chugging about the harbour then this is the ideal spot! After looking at all the hotels around Manzanillo this quirky little hotel caught my eye. It is on a spot of beach that is unsuitable for swiming and super quiete spent most of the day by the petite but stunning infinity pool just loving the silence and the need to do very little! The rooms themselves could do with a bit of refurbishment which is why I haven't rated the hotel with top marks but they are incredibly comfortable and after dinner it was great to wind down in the king-size bed and fall asleep to a movie at the end of the day. The first room I was given (4) was quite poky as it had no windows but I was quickly moved to room 1 which opened right out onto the pool and was light and airy (although the AC had a tendency to drip). Also, it takes a while for the hot water to come through. The staff were incredibly accommodating and I really like the fact that they left you alone but as soon as you didn't something they would drop everything to help you straight away. One of my pet peeves is obsequious staff when you just want to be left alone to go through the process of unwinding. I have to say that Maria Gutierrez, the housekeeper and her daughter were incredibly charming. They even allowed me to use the shower and change in one of the rooms to prepare for my return to Mexico City even though I had checked out 6 hours earlier. You would never be given this service in a larger hotel. The area around Playa Azul is really quiet too. I walked down to wards the Centro Commercial everyday where there is a little strip of restaurants. This is where I ate and the food was incredible. There are plenty of regular buses into town and I can recommend getting a taxi to the viewpoint to enjoy the view of both of the bays. This is a great little hotel for spending a few days if your only mission is to completely relax and unwind. If you are looking for something more lively and tourist focused, I suggest staying elsewhere. I wouldn't dream of staying anywhere else!

less

“great overnight stay”

Found this little gem after reading another similar named property, they have a website as well. The hotel was right on Playa Azul not a very exiciting location however really nice for an overnight stay. The reception area was cosy and the staff were very helpful. There is a coffee shop on site a… more

Found this little gem after reading another similar named property, they have a website as well. The hotel was right on Playa Azul not a very exiciting location however really nice for an overnight stay. The reception area was cosy and the staff were very helpful. There is a coffee shop on site and a seafood restuarant next door which the staff recommended and rightly so, I had the king crab and it was huge and very reasonably priced. The manager drove us to the bus station in the morning as we were travelling on to Puerto Vallarta from Zihuantenjo.

less