I've stayed at Playa Conchas Chinas twice now. The first time (in 2004) was for 3 days & the second time (in 2005) was for 10 days. Yep, a solo traveller like many others before me.

It's easy. Beware of nothing! This hotel is 'what you see is what you get' material. It is history steeped on the foundations of a town which was original a fishermans village and that's why you see rocks round the bays.

This hotel is muy bonito. I love its location. And that hill can provide a good workout if you decide to run it rather than bus it. Besides, its a lovely walk to town from the hotel and you can't help but get swept away by the beautiful haciendas you would pass along the way. The view of the sea is right there in front of you. Who could ask for much more than that?

The staff are lovely, kind, helpful & always smiling from ear to ear.

Muchas gracias to the wonderful people who run & operate this wonderful hotel.

Mags
(Auckland New Zealand)

The Beach is very small and has big rocks not safe for children and the pool is so cold that not even the kids could take it for 1 minute!!. So if you are planning to go in the ocean and to enjoy a good soak in the pool this is not the hotel for you. They don't have a elevator but there are plenty of stairs, not good for little kids and elderly people. But the rooms are clean and they have good service

We greatly enjoyed the WIVC Conchas Chinas on the south side of the city. The 1-BR condo unit was clean, had a fantastic view, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Gabriela, the afternoon / evening concierge, was the nicest, most pleasant person you could meet. The pool was cool and refreshing. The outdoor spa was a very nice place to relax.

We rented a car for the week, so getting into town to go to dinner was easy. Great food! We had a fantastic breakfast at one of the Playa Del Sol restaurants.

Activites: Jet skiing, parasailing, canopy touring, Wal-Mart-ing, exploring.

Anyhow, it was a fantastic vacation.

My wife and I chose Hotel Conchas Chinas as a reasonably priced option that’s not directly downtown (too noisy) and not in the hotel zone (too Cancun-ish). I had my doubts though. Their website is poor, and very lacking in photos and information, but through emails, I was able, easily enough, to secure a deluxe suite at low season rates, and the owner waived the tax.

My doubts increased as the taxi pulled up to the front office. The place looks rundown on the outside, and the open air reception area is nothing to write home about. It was apparent that the staff, though friendly enough, mainly cater to the Mexican families that frequent the place more than the Americans. That’s merely a hunch, as I have no proof to back up that statement. Anyway, my wife is Mexican, so communication with the staff wasn’t a problem.

Regardless, the place kinda grows on you. Our room had a balcony with a gorgeous view of the beach, ocean, and surrounding hillside condos. The room is large enough, and clean. The Jacuzzi didn’t look that enticing, so we never used it. It’s basically an oddly-shaped tub with a flat bottom. It’s not something I would insist on when reserving a room. Our particular room probably is not the best of the bunch, as the others looked bigger and nicer, but we aren’t picky. The one other negative is the number of steps from our 5th floor dwelling (6 floors in total) down to the beach. In winter, this probably isn’t a problem, but we were there during the summer season, and the steps become overwhelming in the heat, as the hotel seems to ramble down its hillside location.

The restaurant (“La Playita,” I think it’s called) below is very pleasant, with inexpensive meals that are well-prepared. The restaurant a few floors up, El Set, is extremely expensive, but has a nice setting. The beach is not typical, like the ones in Cancun or Florida. Not much sand, but with lots of rocks that make it scenic, and the water is very warm and is clear as drinking water. Snorkeling is easy, and you WILL see fish up close, not afraid of human presence. The hotel pool is clean, but small. Not worth spending time there. Beach is better, or beaches near downtown are better places to spend your time. The surrounding land, Conchas Chinas, is beautiful, and very photogenic. Overall, we liked the place. I have nothing against Cancun. In fact, I love Cancun, but I saw no reason to stay in the hotel zone in PV. Too flat, too far from town, and too touristy. We are more of the “Do as the Romans do”, or in this case, “Do as the Mexicans do”. That is why we chose Conchas Chinas.

Must-do restaurants include La Palapa, Café de Olla and Las Palamas. Do NOT leave PV without visiting these places.

Must-do things to do include the Malecon (at night), Yelapa (quaint, but an interesting boat ride), and surprisingly enough, Casa Kimberley. We took the tour on a whim and really enjoyed it.