Forums > Areas > Jalisco's Lake Chapala Region

JonL.

Sep 5, 2004, 9:10 AM

Post #1 of 17 (1723 views)

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Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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Am hoping to gets some suggestions on the "best" B&B or hotel in the Lakeside area. Preferences would include good full breakfast (included), high speed internet, quiet, huge charm, friendly staff and management, spacious room and fairly central location. Cost although a consideration is not a crucial one. Thanks for your suggestions. (PS-I tried tripadvisor.com which is usually very helpful, but couldn't find listings for Chapala or Ajijic).

Uncle Jack

Sep 5, 2004, 9:25 AM

Post #2 of 17 (1706 views)

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Re: [JonL.] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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http://mexicostuff.hispeed.com/realtors,lodging.html

We like The Swan Inn, Casa Flores, and Tres Leones

uj

esperanza

Sep 5, 2004, 1:33 PM

Post #3 of 17 (1663 views)

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Re: [JonL.] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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I'm really partial to the Hotel Casa Blanca, across the street from the Lake Chapala Society in Ajijic. Email the owner, Joseph (English-speaking) at hotelcasablancaajijic@hotmail.com for all the particulars. He will email you back immediately. You'll find everything you're looking for, including high-speed Internet access for hotel guests.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

dleach

Sep 5, 2004, 3:09 PM

Post #4 of 17 (1642 views)

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Re: [JonL.] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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Uncle Jack's website is a really good way to compare. All the ones mentioned are fine. I personally prefer Casa Tres Leones. Here are some comments about those mentioned based upon your criteria:

Central Location: Casa Flores, Hotel Casablanca & Swan Inn are all located "in the village". Casa Tres Leones is up on the mountain. It probably takes 5 more minutes to get to the square than the others. If this much additional walking is a problem for you, you need to consider this. For me, the views are worth it.

High Speed Internet Access: Casa Tres Leones, Casa Flores and Hotel Casablanca all have this. I don't know about Swan Inn.

Full Breakfast: Provided at Casa Tres Leones and Casa Flores.
I believe Swan Inn and Hotel Casablanca provided only continental breakfast.

Rooms and Facilities: I have to vote Casa Tres Leones on this. Compare for yoursel at the different websites.

Friendly Staff and Management: They are all great.

Hope this helps. If I've misrepresented anything, somebody correct me.
I was once wrong. I didn't want to visit Ajijic and my wife made me. Thank God for women!

David

Mr.Gene

Sep 5, 2004, 6:33 PM

Post #5 of 17 (1610 views)

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Re: [dleach] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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I have stayed at all of the above at least once in the last three years. Tres Leones is by far the best all around if you you can make the walk up the mountain (but taxis are cheap)and if you are lucky enough to get a reservation. Next in Ajijic would be Casa Blanco with Joseph, a very friendly and caring owner/mgr. My only unplesant experience was at Swan Inn in room #7 and would never stay there again especially as long as Umburto is the Manager.

I would highly recommend "QQ" in Chapala for at least a short stay. It is on par with Tres Leones or better. One block from the lake and all the craft booths, one block from the Chapala plaza with lots of activity and resturants, three blocks from American legion and all of its activities and best of all it is flat with wide side walks and easy walking. Far fewer Gringos and "Codo Canucks" and an easy bus ride to all communities along lakeside. Also the Tianguis is about three times the size of the one in Ajijic. "QQ" is where I will be staying Jan. Feb. 05

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift...live it to the fullest.

Mr. Gene

mkdutch

Sep 6, 2004, 8:53 PM

Post #6 of 17 (1505 views)

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Re: [JonL.] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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Kind of surprised nobody mentioned the Nueva Posada, just down the street from the Swan Inn. The food there is great (breakfasts, Gringo-style are included in the room rate, which runs from $65 to 75 USD, I believe. Discounts are available for longer stays. It's "on the Lake" (a short shoreline, getting shorter by the day as the lake fills up is between the grounds and water). Try their "Sopa Axteca" (Aztec soup) - it's great!

Best of all is the ambience - built in the 90s it looks like it's a 300 year old hacienda converted to a hotel. The marble or Onyx bathrooms are like a 5-star hotels.

Rolly

Sep 6, 2004, 9:21 PM

Post #7 of 17 (1498 views)

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Re: Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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Which of these wonderful sounding places have ground floor (no stairs) rooms? I stayed at the Swan Inn a few years ago when I could still do stairs. I'd like to come back this winter, but I'd need a no stairs place.

Rolly Pirate

mazgordon

Sep 7, 2004, 5:58 PM

Post #8 of 17 (1417 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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Hi Rolly!

Nueva Posada has nice little casitas complete with kitchens right across the street from the main building. Several are on the ground floor with their own private patios. I was very pleased with that situation back in 2001!

I too am surprised no one else mentioned Nueva Posada. Has there been a drop in quality or service in the last three years? I'm planning at least a one night stay later this month on my way to Patzcuaro. It's getting time to escape the heat on the beach here in Mazatlan!

Thanks all,

Gordon

¡Echar todo la carne al asador!

esperanza

Sep 7, 2004, 8:30 PM

Post #9 of 17 (1386 views)

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Re: [mazgordon] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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No drop in service, no drop in quality--La Nueva Posada offers the same excellent everything that it always has. IMHO posters are just citing the places they've visited and enjoyed.

Rolly, Casa Blanca also has ground floor rooms available.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

dleach

Sep 8, 2004, 7:13 AM

Post #10 of 17 (1353 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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I didn't mention La Nuevo Posada because I don't think it has internet service for the guests which was one of the criteria for the original poster. I've stayed there and really enjoyed it. The food is great and the rooms are nice. It's a beautiful facility. We were on the third floor and had a nice view. However, it was awfully noisy on the weekends due to the folks from Guad's late night partying (1 to 2 am) there on the lakeshore (which is now closer to the hotel).

David

esperanza

Sep 8, 2004, 7:48 AM

Post #11 of 17 (1346 views)

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Re: [dleach] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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Of course, David...I forgot that part of his criteria. The Posada may have changed that situation since you were there, however. Installation was in process a few weeks ago, IIRC.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

bdudge

Sep 21, 2004, 7:15 AM

Post #12 of 17 (1209 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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My highest recommendation would go to the Villa Eucaliptos, which is beautiful, friendly, homey, and has wonderful breakfasts, plus reasonable prices. I wouldn't even look around for another place to stay on my next trek down.
Barbara

Bill in NC

Sep 21, 2004, 9:42 AM

Post #13 of 17 (1176 views)

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Re: [JonL.] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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I really enjoyed my time at Casa Flores earlier this month.

Walt and Jean were very gracious, and I made new friends with
some of their guests as well.

I rented the house across the street (last minute trip, B&B was full) and it was great.

Wireless internet access worked just fine, and they have broadband
telephone as well (both services extra, but reasonably priced)

Bev

Sep 21, 2004, 10:28 AM

Post #14 of 17 (1164 views)

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Re: [Bill in NC] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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We stayed at the Swan Inn last month. We found everyone there very very helpful. Apart from a few cavils, it's a friendly intimate atmosphere with internet access just across the street at Joseph's Hotel Casablanca.

On our last night we stayed at The Hotel Casagrande Guadalajara, on the grounds of the airport. In the morning the bellboy came to our room right on time (5:30 a.m.) and took us and our luggage just a few steps across the street to our airline.

The hotel also provides a free bus into town in case you want to go to dinner or a theatre performance.

http://www.casagrande.com.mx/

Bev Cooper Wright

Biggles

Sep 22, 2004, 8:56 PM

Post #15 of 17 (1068 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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We stayed at the Posada for a few nights on our first leg of travel in Mexico. The breakfasts are great, the staff is very friendly but we had a couple of problems. The lock on the door was very difficult to open/lock and we reported it but nothing happened. Light bulbs weren't replaced (even after we unscrewed them and left them out). The girl on the front desk took nearly 20 minutes to check me out because I paid in traveller's checks and had some US left over. She seemed to have difficulty with the math (it took me all of 3 seconds to do it in my head) and couldn't seem to work the math it would take to return the difference in pesos. It doesn't have internet access, but there are places in town so that's not a biggie. Having said all of that, the food was great, prices very fair and we absolutely loved "Sr. Juan" who seemed to be the head cheese for the bar/restaurant area. He was incredibly helpful. Also, the gardens are beautiful.

Cheri

johanson

Sep 23, 2004, 11:37 AM

Post #16 of 17 (1027 views)

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Re: [Biggles] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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If you are talking about the Nueva Pasada, it recently added high speed internet access available via (802.11b) wireless technology. If you don't know what I just said, its the same technology offered at all of the US and Canadian Starbucks stores, oh and at more and more MacDonald's too.

ecollard

Sep 24, 2004, 5:41 AM

Post #17 of 17 (963 views)

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Re: [JonL.] Best Hotel or B&B in Lakeside Area?

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I stayed at the Lake Chapala Inn (right on the promenade/malecon in Chapala). It may not be as full-service as some of the others mentioned, but it's very convenient if you want to be in town. The owner, Alicia McNiff, is wonderful. She's Mexican but speaks fluent English and French, as well as Spanish.
For more information 1-800-501-9446, phone 011 52 376 765-4786 , or 011 52 376 765-4809 Fax: 011 52 376 765-5174
or write, Lake Chapala Inn, 23 Paseo Ramon Corona, 45900 Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico.
E-mail: chapalainn@laguna.com.mx (although Alicia does not check the email every day).
Eileen