Casa Shiva Bacalar by MIJ

The breakfast was fabulous

There should be refrigerators in the room. That was an inconvenience. Some of the reviews stated that this property had free bikes and kayaks/paddle boards for guest use. Well they may have in the past, they no longer do; however there are places close by that rent bikes and kayaks.

The hotel is small, with few rooms. We had a bungalow right by the water, the room was very nice and the views amazing. The dock is very cool for relaxing and they also have kayaks and paddle boards for free. The staff was really nice.

The only thing why I don’t give it a 10, it’s because when we were there we discovered there are crocodiles in the water, as well as snakes. Nobody from the hotel warned us and there is no information about it anywhere. When we asked they said it is not dangerous as “they hide during the daytime”. But it is only fair to tell your guests, as of course we were swimming all the time, even after the sunset.

Extraordinary waterfront location, convenient for boat trips or visits to the town center. Breakfast served on attractive outdoor terrace. Pleasant and helpful staff.

Standard rooms are functional, but a bit basic/gloomy. Missing simple items such as bottled drinking water, or safe for valuables (present, but not available for use). Hotel routines have room for improvement.

perfect position, great breakfast, fancy structure, decent room (to be renovated)

I have received in advance confirmation for kayak availability in the structure, while there the staff changed their version saying they were in bad condition and not usable. I asked for quick fix with the kayak rental next door, and they never came back to me :( this is unacceptable. Reputation is built by great structure + great staff, one here is missing

Amazing location, on the lake. It's literally steps away, and the dock is stunning. We could see the lake from the balcony in our room.. They have kayaks, and we used them to row to the Pirates canal (a must) so we didn't need a boat tour. You could sit on the dock and soak in the colors for hours, it's like a painting, so beautiful and serene.

The rooms are very basic for the price, which is quite high. You're basically paying only for the location and the view, not the hotel itself. Also, at breakfast they gave only plain toasted bread and butter and fruit and granola and charged an additional amount for eggs. At the price of the room, it seemed like they could include a scrambled egg....also, there is no internet in the rooms. Again, none of that is critical, but at the price they're charging, it felt skimpy.

We stayed in the family room and had an amazing view from our deck of the lagoon and property. The room was VERY clean and smelled great. There was a freshly cooked to order breakfast, but you did have to pay more for anything beyond eggs, toast, fruit and coffee. We enjoyed swimming in the lagoon (so warm and refreshing) and kayaking around the little island in front of the hotel. Having a rental car was key in getting around (about a 5 minute drive into town). Overall we enjoyed our stay at Casa Shiva Bacalar!

Compared to some of the properties in the area, Casa Shiva was on the pricier side especially since it was the offseason. People are allowed to buy day passes to use the facilities (this is a common practice). However as a guest, there were many times when the 4 common areas on the dock to hang out on were taken. I am quite certain that many of the families were using a day pass so they would be there all day long therefore limiting availability. TO be honest, it is a great idea to get a prime location on the lagoon without paying the price of a room, but made the value of the resort go down for us.

Location is dreamy: a quiet spot on the Laguna, only 2km away from restaurants and bars. Staff was friendly. Room and facilities (e.g. common bathroom) were really clean. The breakfast is included and is very decent. They also offer paddle boards and kayak for free.

Only disadvantage: We chose to stay in one of their tent. The tent was really nice but it tends to get really humid and all our stuff were getting wet and smelly.

This rustic hotel is such a gem. It is right on a quiet and protected area of the lagoon, with a dock for swimming and relaxing and access to free kayaks and paddleboards for exploring. It is tucked away in a quiet area and is perfect for relaxing and spending time on the lagoon. We rented one of the cabanas on the lagoon, which was beautiful and comfortable. It had air conditioning, which was a definite plus in this hot and humid place.

The breakfast that is included in the price of the room was not very good. The rooms are very basic and do not have access to wifi or television. The bed is made only with sheets and not a quilt or blanket. Although the accommodation was very basic, it met our needs.

The staff and the place were both fantastic. The lagoon it's amazing. The part of the lagoon were the hotel it's located it's one of the best locations. You can jump in the water right there!

The room didn't have hair dryer. There was no place to dry wet clothes.

Very cute place to stay in Bacalar directly on the lagoon. I stayed alone in the dome, it was very clean and it felt safe. The only advice I can give is bring or ask for a blanket because it can get cold at night. Otherwise, Casa Shiva had many things to offer: kayaks and paddle boards for free for guests (highly recommend it), breakfast was delicious and the staff were very helpful and friendly.