I recently returned from a stay at this hotel. I was drawn in by the cheap rates and the fact that I booked last minute. After I had made the reservation I read some of the reviews on Trip Advisor and had concerns about the smell in the rooms.

When I arrived at the hotel I was placed in room 101. The room had a very strong musty smell. I didnt even want to take my clothes out the suit case. I asked to be moved but the front desk said they didnt have another comparable room. I spent the first night in the room only to be woken up several times by the strong smell.

The next day the front desk did move me to another smaller room. I asked about the difference in my cost since I was moving from a junior suite to a standard room. I was told that because they had filled my reservation as requested and I asked to be moved that I did not get a refund of the $120.00.

The new room also smelled but not as bad as the first. When I got home the smell lingered in everything. I did not even bring the suit cases into the house because the odor was so strong. I also witnessed other guests complaining of the smell and some checking out because of it.

I will say the staff for the most part were very friendly with the exception of not giving me back the difference in the cost of the room. Also since all the doors open to a center courtyard you can hear everyone closing their doors. You can also hear the slamming of the elevator when it closes. Both of these sound like a large slam that echoes through the courtyard. I had to buy ear plugs just to sleep.

My wife and I headed out on a last minute vacation package through Orbitz. One of the options was the Casa Dona Susana. We picked it up and had an overall great time.

Check-in and out was easy. The staff was very good...nice and helpful. The common area was very warm. The rooms were shabby but very functional...rooms were small but a tad run down, the TV was small but fine, the AC was medium loud but not too bad, the shower was bit in poor repair but had really good pressure and temperature. The bed had clean, if a tad stained, linens and it was good and firm. No view to speak of, but we weren't in much. The roof pool was very interesting and kind of a novelty to us...we liked it very much.

What I didn't know was that if you are staying at Casa Dona Susana, you could also use Los Arcos' pool, beach, and bar areas which are all modest but very nice.

It's location can't be easily beat, from my perspective. Close to the beach and just a few minutes walk to the great and cheap food and entertainment of the Malecon. I don't think we'd stay anywhere that wasn't close to the downtown area. So for the price and the location, Casa Dona was great for us. Great restaurants all around and easy access to both cabs and buses.

Beach vendors got REALLY bad at times, but you can generally just ignore them. I'd suggest this place, or Los Arcos, to anyone who wants a decent, cheap place to stay who doesn't need tons of space, such as those who have kids.

This boutique hotel for adults is plain, with minimal amenities, but a great location at a great price (I paid $70/night for a single room) makes this place a good value.

My room smelt seashore musty and none of my windows opened so i kept the air conditioner on at all times. The bed was firm and comfortable, the basic cable TV was good enough, the bathroom came with a stall shower that was adequate and there was an in room safe for valuables. While no frills, the hotel was clean and the staff was friendly (although my room was not ready for my arrival at 5:45pm and I had to wait 30 minutes while they cleaned it - not what I wanted after a day of traveling).

The best thing about this hotel is the location - smack in the middle of it all, yet on a quiet dead end street just one block from the ocean. The rooftop pool is great and you get to use the amenities of the bigger sister hotel, Play Los Arcos, just across the street.

It's not fancy, but for the price and location you can't go wrong with Casa Dona Susana.

Don't go into the Los Arcos Vallarta Hotel expecting luxury. The rooms are very basic and lack any bells and whistles. Still, they are immaculately clean and have the essentials, such as air conditioning, hot water, and cable TV. The main benefit of the hotel is its location right in the heart of the Zona Romantica district. The beach is across the street, and there are tons of good restaurants in walking distance. The neighborhood is lively at night with lots of straight and gay nightlife options. You're a short walk away from the center of PV. The hotel is not on the beach but tucked into a side street, which means you escape a lot of the noise of traffic and activity that goes on along Olas Altas, the main drag of the neighborhood.

The hotel itself is built around an internal courtyard, which means that many rooms do not face the outside of the property but into the atrium. The courtyard itself is lush and full of greenery, and gets a lot of natural light. The best aspect of the hotel is its rooftop pool, which was a quiet place to relax and soak up the sun. And if it's too quiet you can always use the facilities at the Playa Los Arcos, their sister property across the street. Their pool is a bit more lively. The staff at the hotel was always friendly and quickly fulfilled any requests I made.

Overall, this hotel provided good value for money and a great location in a fun part of town. I would definitely recommend it, but for travelers who are not too finicky or need lots of amenities and services.