Casa de la Ballena

My wife and I had a wonderful stay at the Casa de la Ballena, even with 5 days of rain. The rooms, pool, hot tub and grounds were beautiful. The perfect relaxing environment. The hotel was also in a great location, close enough to easily walk to town but far enough to be quiet in the evening during sleeping time. What made our stay perfect was the on-site hotel manager, Martin. Martin was an outstanding host and helped us with any issues we had, from driving us to town to find an IT store to fix our dead cell phone, helping secure parking for our golf cart rental and arranging airport transportation. He made sure we were happy with all of our time at the Casa de la Ballena. The hotel was a special place with special staff. And, the breakfast is awesome, with many delicious options.

The only thing I can say we didn't like - was that the hot water in the shower did not stay hot very long, about 8 minutes then start to cool. My wife found it a little challenging shampooing and rinsing her hair, but she made it work and the hot water would reheat fast after the shower. A few days we had to make it a two-shower day, but that was okay.

Location was perfect, slight hill to get to hotel - not enough to make you huff and puff but enough to feel good in your body. It was about a 5-10 min walk to the main plaza, downtown where all the shops and restaurants were. It was about a 10 min walk to Sayulita beach and maybe 25 min walk/hike through some jungle to both Carricitos and Muertos beach. Ma Pasa beach was VERY secluded, was able to sunbathe and get in the ocean nude. That was a little past Sayulita beach-maybe a 30 min nice hike, can either go over the rocks or through the jungle. I ended up going there 3 days in a row. Amazing and grounding energy there. The hotel was in the perfect location in my opinion, far enough from the town so you didn't hear the music all night, so you could get some sleep-but close enough to walk to everything pretty quickly. The first night I was there, Friday night, did get a little loud. Earplugs completely drowned that out though. Fri and Sat can be like that. AC was nice and cold. Internet was in and out but fine for what I needed it for, was wanting to mostly digital detox while I was there anyway. Was good enough to check on things back home here and there. The staff there were lovely, very heartwarming and hospitable. I can't say enough good things about them. I am vegan and gluten free and they were able to cater my breakfast to my diet.

Heavily scented cleaning products. The scent was nice and fragrant but I am super sensitive to smells and get migraines often. It helped a little when I took the air freshener out of the room. If you aren't sensitive to smells-it won't bother you and you'd probably find the smell enjoyable. Other than that, no complaints at all and I wouldn't really consider that a complaint.

Senor Martin and his staff...wow! For those of you viewing all of the 9s and 10s for this property with some skepticism....you need not worry. I am not sure if I have ever given a property a 10 rating...but the property and staff well earned it...especially for the value. Staff: These guys are so kind and helpful with seemingly perpetual smiles; a great way to start the day. Breakfast is included and if it isn't on the menu, Martin and his team were always willing to bend over backwards to keep the guests happy. The housekeepers were warm and friendly and kept the place and the grounds in tip top shape. Location: 4 short blocks on cobblestone streets to either town plaza OR to the beach. Pro tip...easy walk to Playa de los Muertos; a somewhat more quiet beach than the main Sayulita beach with chairs, umbrellas, and delivered food and bev...but no bad options. This property IS the definition of boutique hotel with very few rooms so a very intimate experience. If you are into nightlife, countless restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and myriad clothes and other shops exist. We found Sayulita a safe albeit bustling small beach town which was just what we were looking for. If you want to retreat from the nightlife, the Casa de Ballena is precisely that retreat as the high walls limit virtually any outside noise excepting the wide range of tropical birds that come in and out (NO...you don't hear them in your room; in fact, you don't hear anything in your room...a huge plus). Rooms: Like new...full sized refrigerator/freezer, sink, and two burner stovetop if you feel like eating in. Note that the only food and bev service here is the breakfast service but countless great options "outside of the walls" including markets to buy anything you want to eat for lunch or dinner (if you choose not to go out).

- Wifi is great throughout the property for small device/computer use, but in our room, we struggled mightily during the evenings to get and keep our television connected to Netflix/Prime note: FUBO does not work in Mexico - Transportation: Recommend working with Martin early to identify a reliable taxi driver and plan your transportation needs for your stay. We almost missed our dive boat due to one self-professed "reliable" driver that we procured on our own...not Martin's referral so that was on us. Ended up with CJ of Sayulita Taxi Service as our go-to for fair fares and a professional that clearly prioritized timeliness and cleanliness.

I liked everything about Casa Ballena. Big, well equipped and comfortable rooms look on to a peaceful oasis of the garden and pool. The manager Martin was a constant presence, always friendly and helpful. The breakfast was delicious with a surprisingly big choice. I wouldn’t hesitate to book again if I visited Sayulita in future

The only small problem I had was that the safe did not work and no attempt was made to fix it. The property rules explicitly state they are not responsible for loss or theft. Whilst it did not feel unsafe at all, a working safe would have been nice

Casa de Ballena was the perfect vacation getaway - we loved the ease of waking up and going out for a delicious coffee and breakfast on the patio. The pool was a great afternoon retreat in the shade after spending time on the beach and the AC in the rooms made it easy to sleep and the location was close enough to walk and far enough to avoid the the nighttime noise of downtown Sayulita! Martin and his staff are helpful and kind! Also a perk is the filtered water! Lovely room, can't say enough good things!

Not a dislike - but the door locking system took a us bit to figure out! But felt very secure once we got the hang of it!

quiet, peaceful boutique hotel close to center of sayulita, but away from the bustle and noise. deluxe king room was very comfortable. Rooms did an excellent job of keeping sound out from any chatter in the courtyard or from neighboring rooms. Well sized, very nice bathroom and great mattress. Having the kitchenette was nice for our 8 day stay. Staff was very kind and helpful. Pool area was just the right size for the number of guest. This is great place if you are looking for a peaceful retreat and not the party scene.

Everything was great

After spending one night in a sad Airbnb down the street, my wife and I knew we had to find a better spot. We found this on Booking.com and were so relieved when we checked in. Everything was so clean, tidy, and well decorated. The staff was exceptional, including Martin. Vicky was also very helpful! Together, they made my wife and I feel very welcomed. We had breakfast every morning we stayed and I'm happy to report that the coffee was good. This is a great spot, come check it out!

If there was one thing that they could improve, it would be the gym. The gym isn't bad, but it isn't great, mostly because there are limited machines and weights to use. But it was clean and kept cool by the AC in the room. Having said all that, don't let this stop you from booking, this place is wonderful.

From the moment we walked onto the property, Casa Bellena felt like an amazing, secret find. It is impeccably maintained, tranquil and extremely comfortable. The beds were exceptional. The service and communication was perfect.

The safe was out of order. Staff attempted to fix it, but we were unable to use it during our stay. The property felt safe and secure and we were not particularly concerned about our belongings there.

Close and convenient to town and beach, but far enough for peace and quiet when we wanted it. Excellent staff, particularly Martin. A perfect breakfast every day. A calm enclosed courtyard and pool area. Our room was spacious, quiet and well equipped including a kitchenette, Nespresso machine and sitting area.

Really nothing, although I guess if I had to find a fault, the WiFi connection fell off in the depths of the room.

Beautiful little piece of paradise. Great location. Only a couple minute walk to the main town square but far enough to not hear the loud music. Super clean and well kept hotel with extremely kind and hard working staff. Highly recommended for people who aren't looking to party at their hotel but are looking for a quiet and tranquil spot to come back to after a night out or a day at the beach. Fully loaded kitchen with a blender for making your own smoothies. I'll definitely stay here again when I'm back in town.

Just a note to the property owners that it'd be a good idea to have some plastic tumblers in the rooms so guests can take cocktails, juice or water to the pool area. There is lots of glassware in the rooms but not pool safe tumblers.