Have you ever seen a hotel deal that seemed almost too good to be true? We found the real deal when visiting Manzanillo, Mexico this past March. The place: Hotel La Posada in Las Brisas. It is a small hacienda-style inn with 23 rooms. And, although it turns 50 next year, it’s full of charm and is truly a diamond in the rough.

That’s not to say that things could still be improved. But Juan and Lisa Martinez, owners/innkeepers, have already done much since they purchased La Posada five years ago. The first things improved include re-tiling all the floors and purchasing new bed mattresses, replacing most of the doors and windows, and replacing the toilets; not to mention re upholstering and updating all the common area furniture. No small feat when the daily price for a room is extremely low. The current major projects for 2008 include updating all the bathrooms (plumbing and painting) along with re-surfacing the pool. They were in the process of activating their wireless system so you could, if you needed to, sit by the pool and work instead of using their on-site internet café located in the office.

For all room rates, check out their website: http://www.hotel-la-posada.info/ For example, our room (during the high season) was $78/per night for two people and there was a 10% cash discount on top of that. Off season would have only been $58/per night for two. Plus, you receive a complete breakfast. You actually get to order off a menu. Usually a cheap continetial breakfast is what you’d find included, but at La Posada it includes fresh squeezed orange Juice or Fruit plate, along with two Eggs to order, two strips of Bacon or Ham, and Toast, Pancakes or French Toast plus all the Coffee/Tea you can drink. It’s a large, fulfilling breakfast – every morning!

The street entrance to La Posada might not look like much, but the brick archway leads you into a stone courtyard with a beautiful old fountain surrounded by lush, green vegetation and looking directly out to the beach and Manzanillo Bay. The bougainvillea and coconut palms are background to the other vibrant, tropical foliage throughout the property. And you can’t help but notice the PINK. La Posada is a bright pink. It doesn’t take long to get used to it and the vibrancy actually feels like old Mexico full of charm and hospitality.

La Posada has a ‘great room’ or sala which acts as a general sitting area, the breakfast and lunch restaurant, and the bar. Mixed drinks were available during the evening hours and Monica (an incredible, personable staff member that I could go on and on about) was constantly working the blender making pina coladas or serving shots of tequila. That’s the other wonderful aspect of this inn. All of the staff was friendly, professional and treated you like a family member instead of a guest. But, you’ll always felt like a valued guest – never like a tourist.

All rooms offer a view of Manzanillo Bay, the harbor, and the Pacific Ocean. Rooms are simple, but very clean. They are filled with hand-made furnishings, antique chests and colorful Mexican rugs and blankets. Fans or air conditioning plus screened windows and doors allow you to feel the ocean breeze and fall asleep to the sound of the pounding waves.

Remember, this is not a resort (hence the great pricing) so you’ll need to provide your own shampoo, toiletries and hairdryer. I loved that there weren’t any TV’s or phones in the rooms. You can use their office phone if necessary but there was good cellular/mobile coverage throughout the area. Keep in mind you’re on vacation – and this is a great place to let go of the worldly trappings of constant communication.

It doesn’t really matter which room you choose. All of them easily link you to the pool and the beach. The pool has a couple of thatched-roof palapa’s along with some umbrellas to help shade you from the sun. Or you can enjoy the pristine and unspoiled beach that stretches for miles to the north or a few meters south to the rock jetty which protects the shipping channel and leads to the port. It’s fun and entertaining to watch the freighter traffic, huge cargo ships and the occasional cruise ship coming in to dock.

If you choose to swim or snorkel, the jetty provides a view of many tropical fish and very active marine life. The water is a comfortable temperature and very clean and clear. But, if you’d rather sit by the pool, you can enjoy your beverage of choice with an inexpensive, simple lunch ($65 pesos) of a cheese burger, a fish sandwich or a pulled pork barbecue sandwich. Our meal was served with beans and coleslaw. Yummy!

For dinner or any other meal, there are several options. Our favorite was a short walk away: CUALATA Café where everything was incredible and, yes, they made the absolute best margaritas! But, if you want something a bit fancier, the staff at the hotel will gladly give you a printout of various eateries in the area. The staff can call you a taxi, but we found the bus system very easy and cheap for short jaunts. I even got my 75 year old mother to take the bus and I don’t think she’s used mass-transit since high school!

Another added benefit is that La Posada is at the end of a dead-end street, surrounded by the Naval Base and the Military. So, besides being in the lowest crime state in Mexico, your abode is as safe as it gets. But, you should know that this is not a party place either. Go to the north end of Manzanillo if you want lots of activity and nightlife. La Posada is perfect for R&R and a quiet bit of paradise.

A unique aspect of La Posada is the use of the ‘Honor System’ for many things. For example, the ice box in the kitchen is filled to the brim with beer, water and soft drinks. Above, on the shelf, are red clay jars with your room number painted on them. You simply drop your bottle cap into your jar and then settle up when you check out. Same thing when you use their internet café. Depending on the length of time you’re online, you take the appropriately colored poker chip and put it in your bowl.

The ‘trust’ they instill along with the genuine hospitality makes you feel like family and also allows them to keep the prices low.
Alright, it’s now time for the ‘opportunities’. Everyone wants to know what the best rooms are. Know that if you book well in advance, you’ll have a much better chance of getting one of these rooms. Last minute reservations most likely will limit your choices, especially during the high-season.

Room #6 is closest to the beach, is on the ground floor and there isn’t a second story to this section of rooms. It’s the most requested room and has two double beds.

Room #25 is on the second floor at the end of the hall. It’s a large room with a king size bed and wonderful view of the pool and beach. It catches the afternoon breeze and has wonderful sunset views out over the bay.

Room #19 is also on the second floor and has a king size bed AND a kitchenette. The bathroom is extra large with two sinks and, with a full size refrigerator, it’s a great deal!

For privacy, ask for Rooms #13 or #14. Room #14 is the better of the two. Both are on the ground floor overlooking the courtyard towards the pool and beach.

Rooms you hope you don’t have to take are #17 & #18 and especially #12 which is up against the laundry facilities. Still, if these are available, you might be able to negotiate a deeper discount.

Finally, the only real negative to the Manzanillo area is the energy plant which is south o f town behind a hill … but the pollution from the power plant brings a haze to the area that is really a shame. Luckily most of the time the wind takes it out to sea and around the bay to the north end. Still, the smoke stacks give off almost constant pollution and a dense line of haze across the bay. Not to say that there aren’t clear days in Manzanillo – we just didn’t get to experience it. But it never smelled, so that’s a plus.

Some people complain about the property next door which is an all inclusive hotel. They had music off and on during the day as well as in the evening. The music usually isn’t loud, but sometimes the D.J. gets a bit too boisterous. Good news is that stop at either 10:00 or 11:00 at night and, since Juan lives on-sight, if it gets obnoxious he’s the first to call and address the issue.

Besides the updates they currently have scheduled, they could also use some more umbrellas … maybe on the beach like some of the other hotels. They should consider implementing a check-out/check-in towel system. They had nice blue/white oversized beach towels, but the number available for guest use kept getting smaller and smaller – maybe due to people taking them home with them? The honor system is a nice concept, but when you provide nice beach towels it might be just a bit too tempting!

Diamond In The Rough? You bet. If you’re looking for a great value, don’t forget to check out La Posada as its being polished to a rare gem!

We came from a morning departure from washington state of 18 degrees F,..we got to Mexico, and I took in my first breath of hot, humid, tropical air,..what a relief, but i sure needed to change from a sweater into a t-shirt!
I rented a car on line through Thrifty, for 8 days, and was told on-line my total would be $163.50...when we got there, it was $300.00!! US)
I don't know how that worked out, but you have to let your regular stress go once you arrive..
Hotel La Posada is just what it says, and so much more..Please don't worry about horrible service and bad beds,..the beds are a simple mattress, so if at home you sleep on a pillow top extra fluffy, well, get a grip, this isn't the Hilton..you'll survive just fine- my gosh- we went to sleep every night to the sound of waves crashing on the shore,..you really are RIGHT next to the beach, and although there are plenty of other hotels, they are small too, so don't worry about feeling overwhelmed by people- we made friends with other Posada guests the moment we got there.
Okay- there is a hotel next door with a nightclub, but the music isn't so bad, and isn't every night-and believe me, you will love MONICA for her "no nonsense" when it comes to getting them to close the music down if they don't respect her requests.
Now, there is one thing that is kind of sad, but it has NOTHING to do with the Posada- Manzanillo has an electrical plant across bay that runs off of coal..so you will always see some smoke in the distance..but Mexico is going to transfer that plant to natural gas by 2010 so that's great- you won't smell the smoke, and sometimes it's actually a benefit because it makes the sunset have this amazing glow..yes, it's pollution, but again, it won't effect you at all, so don't worry.
THe continental breakfast is great- but unlike America, they don't give you one plate with enough food for 8 people, you can get a cheese omelette, fresh fruit (papaya, pineapple, banana,etc),..and pancakes, frenchtoast, bacon,ham..You will want to save room for all the local food anyway-believe me, go to the little taco stands, they rock, you won't get sick,.
Anyway- my only warning--
DO NOT USE THE HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM WHO OFFER A FISHING CHARTER, THEIR NAMES ARE MARILYN AND SAM, THEY COME FROM TEXAS, AND THEY TOTALLY RIPPED ME OFF $50 US DOLLARS AND NEVER SHOWED UP..make sure you ask Monica or Juan at the hotel for their recommendation..I caught a 48" Durado and the kitchen staff cooked it so nicely with lemon, garlic butter and cilantro, plus beans!! YUMMM>>
the location is so so so nice- we tried to snorkel, but we didn't see anything but some old shell pieces, i was nervous about going near the jeddy so it might have been just me..go for it!
to the owners- keep up the great work- you have such a wonderful team working for you, any thing i could say for improvement? ummm,....no.
God bless and have fun!!
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We originally showed up for 3 nights, but the warm hospitality of the staff and the laid-back feel of this place kept us there for the whole week. The service was excellent and our room was very comfortable (I wish I was there now). The west-facing aspect of this part of the beach (Las Brisas) makes for amazing sunsets. Although "snowbirds" make up a large portion of the clientel here, this place is ideal for younger folks alike who are looking for a welcoming place to chill out.

We spent 9 days at La Posada in February and totally enjoyed our stay there. The rooms and grounds were clean and comfortable. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The location on the southern end of Las Brisas beach, next to the entrance to the Port of Manzanillo was mostly quiet and it was fun to watch the ships coming and going.

The beach, just beyond the patio of the hotel, was nice for sun bathing and swimming, but not for playing in the surf, as the waves break right onto the beach. We took a bus to Playa Miramar for that. There was one day, toward the end of our stay when the beach was covered with trash that had blown ashore, probably from one of the ships that pass through "accidentally " dumping it overboard.

It was nice to be able to have coffee and breakfast at the hotel every morning, and there were several decent places within walking distance for other meals, if you:re not looking for anything terribly fancy. Even those are easy to get to by taxi or bus (which is actually a very inexpensive and convenient way to get around town).

La Posada is a great and economical place for some warm weather R&R.