CasaSandra

Press Reviews

Travel + Leisure, March 2008
"The island of Holbox (pronounced “Ole-bosh”) is a tiny spit off the Yucatán Peninsula with sand roads. At the chic 16-room CasaSandra Hotel, Cuban-born owner and artist Sandra Pérez wanted the property to feel more like a residence. So she spread CasaSandra out over five compact buildings and filled each of the spaces with one-of-a-kind regional pieces: rough-cut antique wooden tables from Guadalajara; rattan furniture; hand-woven linens; and bath products created by local artisans. Outside, a collection of palapas and breezy bales dots the sand, and the azure water's edge is 50 uninterrupted steps away."

The New York Times, July 2007
"Though the island measures about 25 miles in length, it is less than 2 miles wide at its broadest point, and only a small portion is inhabited... At low tide, the receding waters reveal tide pools and ripples in the wet sand. Sandbars emerge like a mirage, a haze blurring the outlines of pelicans and other seafaring birds that congregate on the temporary islets... By general consensus, the best restaurant on the island is at CasaSandra hotel, where diners sip mojitos by candlelight and the Cuban chef visits each table to describe the specials... Sandra Pérez Lozano, Casa Sandra’s owner and a writer, came to Holbox looking for solitude close to nature and in 1999 built her two-story thatched-roof hotel with a full-length front porch and a second-story terrace to take in the ocean."

Guest Reviews

Reviews are only from people who have stayed there and booked through i-escape.

• “A very beautiful hotel on a calm and relaxing island. Casa sandra has a quirky but friendly atmosphere, full of art, artefacts and music. The staff and owner are very welcoming, knowledgeable and helpful. The only downside to Casa Sandra is that it is a little expensive, whilst we were happy to pay for the great service, pool, surroundings and food (which was amongst the best on the island) we did feel that a few things should have been taken care of by the hotel which stops this review being short of 5 stars. The things which were slipped or not taken care of were: 1) We were vegetarians, I asked during my booking but received no reply whether we would be catered for OK, I also had to remind the staff 3 times whilst we were there. 2) Our balcony patio door to our room wouldnt lock, whilst we didnt feel unsafe, and didnt mention it, we did feel it was a bit slack of the hotel to not have checked. 3). Our air conditioning unit leaked throughout our stay, whilst it caused us no problems, we werent told or communicated about it, an engineer went into our room throughout one day but we were not kept in the loop. 4) We felt at times that the owners of the hotel were a little preoccupied with their visiting friends than the customers. We felt that small details, such as the above were overlooked and we werent really checked up on during our stay.
  
  Despite this, we had a good time, we were upgraded to a suite on arrival, the people were friendly and food was good if a little expensive. The island is beautiful but it is an eco preserve so its not maintained and manicured in the way some luxury hotels are due to rules. We would recommend Casa Sandra but we would also be keen to check out what the rest of the island has to offer.”
  Kalpesh, United Kingdom (31.07.11)

• “Wonderful 5 nights spent here. CasaSandra is lovely and the staff cannot do enough for you and make you feel so welcome.
  We found it also has the best food on the island!
  Holbox is well worth a visit.”
  Ann, United Kingdom (23.03.11)

• “We travelled to Isla Holbox in February and were at Casa Sandra for 6 nights. We got the 40% discount deal and I wouldn't have paid more for this time of year. Our room was upgraded and was stunning. I would have been inclined to give the room a 3/4, if we hadn't been upgraded (even with the discount). The service was exceptional and the food was delicious. The atmosphere in this hotel is really relaxed and the restaurant and lounge area are beautifully designed. The pool area is lovely too. It was cloudy and rainy when we were there and we still enjoyed ourselves. I imagine the higher prices are more justified during high season. This is perfect for people who are looking to get away from it all.”
  Sara, United Kingdom (13.02.11)

• “We enjoyed our stay at Casa Sandra overall, but relative to the cost the hotel did not meet our expectations and we were a little disappointed. In terms of location it was great; right on the beach (which is beautiful when not stormy and full of seaweed!) and a short walk into the local town. The rooms were fairly basic, but the beds were comfortable (but your feet will poke over the end of the bed if you’re 6ft or over) and the room was spacious (we were upgraded to a suite). The bathroom was definitely in need of an upgrade, it was pretty damp and dark.
  
  The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful but we felt the main problem with the hotel is that it was not managed properly. The service was inconsistent and it felt like the presence of a manager was needed to ensure the smooth running of the hotel on a day to day basis.
  The food at the hotel was disappointing. Although staff made efforts to be helpful and provide a good service, we found the menu very limited and expensive. We ate far better meals out in the local town and in particular would recommend the Argentinian roof top restaurant “La Pappilla de Juan”.
  These problems aside, we did enjoy our stay and the island is beautiful (just try to avoid the storms, as there is little to do when the weather is bad and the sea and beach is churned up!).”
  Nicky, United Kingdom (12.02.11)

• “Breakfast has room for improvement but overall we had a lovely time and would recommend it to anyone.”
  Giselle, United Kingdom (03.01.11)

• “We had a beautiful in the main hotel with views of the beach and the sea. It had its own private balcony, bathroom and dressing room giving it a very spacious feel. The bed was particularly comfortable, large and with very good quality bed linen.
  We ate in the hotel once for dinner and the food was excellent if a little pricey. The lunch was also excellent and the staff were extremely friendly and attentive.
  The hotel had an overall feeling of tranquility and relaxation that we loved and the pool and poolside area were a lovely haven.”
  Hannah, United Kingdom (05.06.10)