Casa la Joya de Bacalar Lake Front

Lovely place

We stayed at the Casa La Joya for two nights last week in the quad occupancy room overlooking the lagoon. Here is my impression. Yes, the property needs some work, like getting a sign outside the building, replacing the shower head, more lighting in the bathroom, some kitchen remodelling, painting inside and outside, and newer sheets. The outside furniture could use some refurbishing, overall some work on the property. However, don't pay attention to those things, what matters is that this property is perfectly located on the lagoon, just a 10 minute taxi ride into town. The room was very large, very clean, and the service provided by both the manager Manuel and the caretaker was excellent. They offered unlimited bottles of water and coffee pods, and even gifted us a bottle of red wine. We had a terrace and there is a pathway that leads to a roof covered lounge area with seating. Just below it is a deck area with lounge chairs. Further down the path there is a wooden deck out in the water with two hammocks. Manuel offered a list of information including restaurant recommendations. The kitchen area is really not for cooking, but if you order out you have plenty of room to put the food, including a round table and chairs. Manuel was available to answer questions via Whatsapp and assisted us in arranging a boat tour, highly recommended. Breakfast is included either next door or at a restaurant in town. We would definitely go back to this property.

If you're looking for luxury, you won't find it here. The hotel has many positives, though: our room and the bathroom were both quite spacious. The large balcony, with its view of the lake, was great. That said, if you have knee issues or are very overweight, the room we had won't work. The steps to get to it are steep. Not an issue, unless it is for you personally. In addition, the hotel has its own access (not a beach) to the lake, with complimentary kayaks and paddleboards. Its proximity to the town (5 min by car) makes it very convenient. The one negative I'd highlight is Wi-Fi. It was never fast enough, and sometimes it barely worked.

The property was definitely not what I expected, Location was nice and it was right on the water, but there is absolutely no view one tiny window. There were holes in the doors only one pillow. Even though it was on the water, the decking, etc., was not in good condition. It was hard to find there’s no name on the door out front.