CasaSandra

Rooms

CasaSandra has grown gradually and organically since its opening in the early Noughties. Each of the 19 rooms and suites is individually styled, but all showcase Sandra's excellent taste. Walls are crisp white, floors are cool tiled terracotta, and cushions and runners embroidered by an artist in Mexico City give a sophisticated twist to a traditional craft.

All rooms have sea and sunset views (with the exception of the second bedroom in the Luxury Villa), plus balconies or terraces festooned with bright hammocks. Beds are kingsize doubles (apart from a few twins in the Luxury Superior categories); in the suites, they're muslin-draped. All are extremely comfortable and just perfect in firmness; linen is 500-thread count Egyptian cotton. Larger rooms have luxurious walk-in wardrobes or dressing areas.

There's both air conditioning and fans - very necessary in the height of summer. Our only complaint about the lovely suite we stayed in was that it didn't have enough meshed windows to allow the breeze through, and it did get uncomfortably warm in the afternoons.

The main building, once Sandra's personal home, now houses most of the Luxury Superior Rooms. On the first floor above the restaurant, these share a balcony overlooking the ocean and the beachfront lounging area. A further Luxury Superior Room is in its own little casita in the garden, close to the pool. Some have kingsize beds and some are twins; all have a bathtub with a shower overhead.

Over time, other 2-storey dwellings have been added. Nicely spaced apart, these are all white with palapa roofs and strong gnarled beams. One houses the 2-bedroom Luxury Villa on the ground floor, with separate sitting and dining areas. It also has a simple kitchenette with a microwave and fridge. Above is a Master Suite, which has an additional sitting area and 2 divans that could work well for a small family. It can be connected to a Luxury Superior Room next door to create a proper family apartment.

The palapa next to the main house holds 2 suites with stunning views across the beach towards the setting sun; their seating areas have built-in sofas with cushions. Another 2 buildings were completed in 2008, housing more suites which we have not seen yet.

Bathrooms feature hand-painted bowl sinks and conch shell shower heads. You get bathrobes, a hairdryer, CasaSandra-branded toiletries, incense and mosquito repellent (although we never saw any mozzies).