We recently stayed at the Lindo Mar located on the south side of PV. ( Nov. 10- Nov. 17, 2007). It is a small, lovely quaint, older Mexican flaired Hotel/resort. It has 46 rooms and is set into the mountain. The lobby is on the 7th floor, open air. There is an elevator . I believe there are 2 floors above the 7th.

We arrived via car, parking in front of hotel, open parking lot but appears to be secure and someone is at front desk 24 hours. Had no problems with car. Parking is free. Check in desk just to the right as you enter lobby, and a nice seating area to the left. Check in went without a glitch , very speedy and quick. You can open a credit line at front desk at check in with an imprint of a credit card. Check in is at 4pm and check out 11am. We arrived 3 hours before check in time and there was not an iota of issue with that and we were immediately taken to our room. The bellboys carried our luggage in and placed in room as we desired.

This was a girls only vacation with just me and my mom. ( late 40’s, late 60’s in age). We shared a one bedroom unit on the seventh floor. We were on an outer unit, room 701. We walked to left of lobby , past elevator down short hall then to our room. You enter through a wood door into a wide hallway or foyer area, the first thing that catches your eye is the open doors straight ahead, the lovely table with 2 chairs on the terrace with wrought iron railings and planters with bouganvilla and wow, the incredible, view of the ocean. So if you walked straight in entrance to room, you would walk past bathroom on left, kitchen on left, dining room on left, right in to living room and right out to terrace/balcony. There was a lovely tablecloth on the balcony table and this balcony can be shut off with wood and glass doors that completely open so as not to obstruct any of the view. The doors were clean and functioanable, but did have many areas of shrinkage or cracks in wood, where if mosquitos or such were around would surely enter. We did not have an issue with such. Seemed to be no mosquitos at all. There were colorful, well made blue drapes to go over these doors for nighttime or to block out sun if you chose.

The Living room had two couches, made on cement slabs as is typical in many Mexican decors, with comfortable and colorful cushions. These couches formed an “L” shape with an end table in the corner of the “L”. There was a lamp and phone on this end table. A nice, very large, glass and wood square coffee table was in center. To the right was a dresser, with draws and hanging space, a mirror or picture above it and a small TV, with cable. Many channels were in English. Opposite this dresser on other side of room and above couch was another window, unfortunately there was an empty lot next door, but you could still see the ocean and mountains from this window, so the empty lot was not a distraction. Apparently there has been and continues to be construction in the area, we saw it but we never heard it while in our room or at the pool or restaurant.

Open to the living room and before it from entering is a dining area, with a round table with double overlayed tablecloths, blue and yellow, a bowl of paper mache fruit in the center and 4 wooden but padded chairs. Behind this was a counter open to kitchen area with 2 equipale counter stools, making a bar area.

Before this dining area was the kitchen, immediately to the left was a full size refrigerator, then a small, but adequate, 4 burner stove, with an oven I believe, directly ahead a sink, to the left of the sink a microwave and to the right a toaster, blender, and coffee maker. There was plenty of counter space, on quaint Mexican tiles, wood cabinets also plentiful, with lovely Mexican Dishes, Palomar I think , and sufficient pans, utensils and such. Even a filled salt and pepper shaker and coffee filters. Under the sink was a sponge, dishcloths, dish detergent ( the powder kind which is typical in Mexico) and the trash bucket. Opposite the refrigerator was a 20 liter garafon ( 5 gal. bottle ) of purified water with a tap, for easy access, it was replaced as needed. The kitchen was also replenished as needed with paper towels.

To the immediate left of the entrance and to the back was the bedroom. A good size room might I add. It had a large window, again with the colorful blue curtains, this looked out to parking lot and street, but was off an outdoor hallway of hotel, so not on the street, so safety not an issue. The bed was centered in the room to the right with two end tables, a lamp on each, a telephone, nice bedspread. In the corner by the window was a sitting chair and in front of bed was a dresser with plenty of draws, a dresser scarf, colorful, some decorative item on the dresser, forget exactly, a large mirror above dresser and a hanging lamp by the chair. To the right of the bed was a plentiful closet with hangers, an iron, ironing board, shelves, and the in room safe, free, but a charge if you lost the key. The closet closed with wood louvered doors. The bed was very comfortable, the pillows also. The linens were clean and changed frequently. There were sufficient blankets and such.

The whole unit was tile floors, ceiling fans in living room, and bedroom, as well as A/C throughout.

The bathroom between the kitchen and the bedroom was small but sufficient and very quaint Mexican. Sink with mirror, open shelves, toilet, and shower with Mexican tiled tub. The soap was replaced as needed as well as tissues and toilet paper. No shampoo was provided. Do not recall if there was a hairdryer. The toilet, sink and showerhead worked great. The water pressure was excellent and the hot water was always plentiful. There was no exhaust fan in the bathroom but there was a small slated window, allowing light in to bathroom and also to serve as ventilation I assume. Behind and attached to the bathroom door was a full length mirror, a commodity in Mexico and many resorts LOL. We always had sufficient towels, hand towels and facecloths.

The view from the terrace looks straight out onto the pacific, if looking down it overlooked the pool and the rocky cove and restaurant below. The sunsets from here were wonderful as was the sound of the crashing waves. We ate breakfast on this balcony every morning and many lunches and suppers, as well as enjoyed margaritas and such.

The maid came in daily to clean room and I must say in all of the hotels/resorts I have stayed in throughout Mexico these were the best. The room was always meticulously clean , tidied up and replenished with paper towels, TP, soap, towels etc. There is a 75 peso charge if you wish the maid to do dishes for the week, we chose to do our own. The maid did put the dishes away and such though. The whole resort was well maintained and spotless.

From the lobby and straight ahead is the concierge desk and behind that a very small gym, the use of the gym is free, but we did not use it. We also neglected to check out the spa area which I have heard is very small. They do give you a price list for spa usage upon check in and there are specials Monday through Friday. . Mon/Tues. was a massage for two for 680 pesos, Tuesday a manicure-pedicure & facial for 650 pesos, Weds. Massage and manicure or pedicure for 570 pesos, Thursday a manicure-pedicure for 330 pesos, and Friday a massage & facial for 690 pesos. There were also special price massages at 450 pesos, manicures at 165 pesos, pedicures at 195 pesos, and facials at 330 pesos.

The elevator was functioning perfectly, had mirrors on walls and took you down to first floor where there is a sitting area, some shelves, with a book exchange, a bathroom, and then you entered outside to the pool area. The pool, though quite small, had a lovely Mexican fountain on one end. There was a hottub, quite large aside of pool. The pool and hotub were spotless. There were lounge chairs around the pool with covers that could be pulled over top to block the sun. There were also tables and umbrellas around the pool. There is another fountain in the middle, round and Mexican in charm and shape. The pool is open from 9am to 10pm. Towels are provided from 9am - 5pm at the towel booth by the pool. Very laid back, no big issue if you lose a towel or such stated. The waiters from the restaurant would bring over drinks or food if you wished or you could bring down snacks and drinks of your own. Again, very laid back and homey.

To the right was the Oceanside restaurant “La Playita”, which is open daily from 8am to 10pm. It is in levels, with wood chairs and tables, right on the ocean. You can also receive room service from the restaurant. The service and food were good. They have a happy hour each day from 12-1pm , then again from 5-6pm. They ring a cow bell to announce happy hour! We ate there twice. The restaurant is open aired with ceiling fans I believe and ocean breezes of course. There is also a smoking and non smoking area, but since it is outside, smoke is not an issue anyway. The spinach stuffed enchilada and the fajitas were great. The lobster stuffed chile relleno, spinach and shrimp enchilada, and coconut shrimp with mango sauce plate was very tasty and plentiful. We each got two meals out of our meals that night, leftovers back to the room LOL.

The beach is not a walking beach, more like a cove surrounded by rocks which break the waves, making for some snorkeling opportunities or wading in ocean, without fear of drifting or undertows. There are loungers and tables with palapas on beach but it is a small area and in high tide it literally disappears.

There were no real activities planned, just happy hour and sitting watching the sunset. It seems to be a place where many are owners and return yearly. There were a lot of readers and relaxers by the pool, and many people, snorkeling or just wading in ocean and such. There were a few, like two venders on the beach area selling blankets, some silver and such.

We did meet with Javier, for a no gimmick, 15 minute, no pressure timeshare presentation for a $25. Gift certificate to use on site at spa or restaurant. He showed us a two bedroom, which was more spacious than the one bedroom with the master bedroom and living room each having balconies, also two bathrooms., otherwise essentially the same. The price was really good and maintenance reasonable but maybe edging toward higher side considering the size of the resort and amenities and such. I declined his offer and said I would think about it and that was it. No pressure whatsoever. I much preferred the two bedroom over the one bedroom, just for the extra balcony and more space, although the one bedroom was quite ample in size and could easily accommodate 4 people.

The staff throughout the resort were helpful, friendly but quiet, responsive, and not overbearing.

As stated above the resort is on south side of PV in Conchas Chinas area. There are taxis available for reasonable price right at hotel as well as buses for barely nothing from all parts of PV to the resort. There is a convenience store called OXXO, just a short walk from hotel, maybe 5 minutes.

Upon check out, there once again were no glitches, we returned the tv remote, the safe and room keys and
got our credit card imprint back, no additional assessments or such., bellboys loaded our car and we were off in a matter of less than ten minutes.

The hotel/resort is very laid back, displayed a mature clientele mostly, there were a few kids though. It is a bit away from the hustle and bustle of the malecon or hotel zone and closest to Old town. It is a great hotel/resort for relaxing, lounging, getting away from it all. Excellent for honeymooners looking for romance and peace and quiet. Good for those who just do not want to deal with lots of tourists and loud parties and noise and such. Perfect for those who are not looking for glitz and glamour but Mexican ambiance, charm, and serenity with fabulous views and the lulling sound of crashing waves each and every moment. I would not recommend this hotel/resort for those wishing to do a lot of partying, or who want a lot of activities. Would recommend for families with small children, as very enclosed and safe, maybe not ideal for teenagers or such. I would and probably will return to this hotel/resort for relaxation and laid back vacation in a clean, well maintained place, with incredible views. The only negatives I can give on this resort for a laid back vacation would be only one tv, and a small one at that, would like a tv in bedroom as well as living room. The 7th floor is street level, so you can hear the traffic at night and such, so would suggest a lower level room if possible. Nothing major with the noise but at times you could hear buses or cars with music and such.


Now just a bit on the vacation…my mom and I are Americans living in Mexico full time, so have a great appreciation for Mexican hospitality and charm. We do live about a 6 hour drive from PV, so visit often. We live at 5000 feet altitude in Lago de Chapala, so the sea level altitude was great. Lots of oxygen! We are both fit and we walked just about everywhere. One day we walked from hotel to beginning of malecon all the way to and from hotel/resort, shopping along the way of course. We almost daily walked in to old town and shopped or dined. It would be a hike for those not fit or not acquainted with warmer climates. The weather was wonderful, sunny every day in the 80 or maybe even 90’s, little to no humidity.

We one day went to an update timeshare presentaton at Mayan, also at Velas both of where I am an owner. Sales pitch and presentation medium in pressure. Also attended the Playa Del Sol Grande Sales presentation in Nuevo Vallarta, which was high pressure and almost relentless. Neither of us upgraded or bought any timeshares but we did get some great insight in to what is being offered now, prices, etc. and made some extra cash in the interim. I would not suggest doing this to anyone who is on a limited vacation schedule as they can be time consuming and such. Unless of course you are interested in buying, resale of course LOL.

We did a lot of shopping…we did the whole malecon essentially touristy items but pretty and fun to walk. We talked to many locals , tried many different types of tequilas, including some quite smooth cream ones, did not buy any but of course we are from the same state of Jalisco so can get lots of tequila at home as well. We shopped mostly in old town, getting some unique decorations for house, mom had a dress made in two days from Manta, at Lolitas on Basilllio Badillo, for only 400 plus pesos.

We had a couple mishaps, mom losing her diamond from its setting, but no where to be found and her shoe falling apart, but that was not a problem, a kind Mexican shoe salesman, taped her shoe together and then directed us to a cobbler just a few blocks away. We found a cobbler in old town and they quickly repaired her shoe and off we went. We took a drive one day all through town, went to Walmart, etc. There is a lovely mall with a Liverpool new to PV and not all stores finished yet, but wow has PV grown.
Another day we drove all along the southside ending up at the Botanicial Gardens, which was nice but more for a tourist as we were pretty familiar with all they had. They do sell orchids and cactus and baskets and do have a restaurant and river on site. This would be a perfect , laid back excursion for tourists . There was a really nice gift shop there as well. The ride was lovely with spectacular views and such.

We ate mostly at the hotel/resort restaurant, in the room or just wherever we ended up at any given moment, a taco stand or what have you. We did check out many restaurants along Los Muertos Beach but found them to be quite expensive and just typical fare of what we are used to, now for a tourist, the palapa styled restaurants right on the beach would be a treat I am sure. The beach in this area was packed with people, noise and lots and lots of drinking.

We meant to go to Barcelona Tapas, but got derailed and never made it. Also meant to go to Red Cabbage as have heard they have awesome Chiles en Nogada, next trip. We did eat at Café de Olla. Mediocre meal and food, decent margaritas, not much ambiance. We got a combo plate which had dry chicken, tough steak and ribs that were decent, included a half a baked potatoe. ( none of the restaurants offered us topas ( tortilla chips) and salsa before our meal, which is pretty typical in Mexico and usually free) we did ask though and they were promptly delivered to our table. The seating is very close in this restaurant and it was quite busy as we were there. The check was placed on our table without us requesting it, again a faux par in Mexico. We encountered a very “ugly” American tourist sitting next to us, who was with his girlfriend and another couple, probably in their late 50’s or 60’s. We asked nicely where they were from and general comraderie conversation. They asked about us, we told them where we were from and we lived in Mexico. One of the men asked how hard and how to go about legally living in Mexico. I attempted to explain a bit to him and then the other man decided to veer off on to the Mexicans in US illegally and politics. We felt this was an inappropriate setting for such, so we just said well guess the US allows it so what can you do. The girlfriend was talking quite a bit to my mom. He got very belligerent and nasty after this, swearing and yelling and such at my mother. I told him this was unacceptable behavior in the US or in Mexico and in Mexico the mother was sacred and to please stop his swearing at my mother , at this point he decided to stand and grab my arm and continue to rant and rave. His friends told him more than once “sit down enough”. This whole experience really turned us off to tourist areas, but to top it off apparently, they left before us and he told the management ( owner or captain) we had bothered him and thus he was not paying for his meal and such. Who knows what else he told them. Anyway , management came back and asked us if we wanted anything else, we said no we were just going to finish our drink and then leave as we were upset over all this and he rudely said I do not like you
bothering my customers and he comes here every year and did not pay his bill. We tried to explain our side of story in English and Spanish, but he was having none of it, said I am not getting in to middle of this. Well I have never been treated as such in Mexico by a Mexican. Unfortunately in our distress over all this we were thinking like tourists I guess and intimidated by this rage ridden man and no Mexican clientel in restaurant, and no defense from anyone who observed this man assault me and with horribly foul language speak to my mother. The management should have intervened immediately as I have always seen in any confrontations where I live in Mexico and in all my travels here in Mexico 8- 12 weeks per year, to coastal areas, issues as such immediately nipped in the bud. We should have immediately called the police and then this “ugly” tourist would have gotten a REAL Mexican experience in jail. Oh well, we did not let it ruin our time.

Why do I tell this, so maybe when people travel they will remember , you are in a foreign country, you represent your country, the laws are different here and should your behavior be inappropriate you could be put in to a situation which you will not understand , could be very costly and also shows the humble, hospitable Mexican countrymen, what type of people come from your country. Try to be happy and friendly when in Mexico, do not get in to politics or border issues etc. and well treat people with respect and you usually will get it back ten fold. Unfortunately for the restaurant, I will never go there again, after telling my husband, father and sons they were appalled that the management did not help us, and that we did not call the police.

My sons who grew up here, one still here, asked were there no Mexicans in the restaurant as that is like a mortal, life threatening thing here, to insult with foul language and such a mother or grandmother, they are sacred in Mexico and usually Mexicans will fight to the death for a mothers honor. As well as assault being a jail sentence here with the law being guilty until proven innocent, not vice versa. Anyway this restaurant lost out as we do go to PV frequently so thus they have lost our respect and business. A heads up for all travelers, should you encounter an issue while in Mexico do not be afraid to call the police, they do not want disturbances or bad reflections in Mexico especially in tourist areas.

Despite this we had an awesome time, and hubby and I are returning to PV in Feb, for 2 weeks. We will embrace more of PV, dine out, and we are even meeting up with some Mexicans we have befriended in PV as well as hoping to meet another Mexican man, who we were supposed to meet this past trip but did not.

I hope to in the near future take my husband to this hotel/resort, as think he would like the laid back atmosphere and enjoy snorkeling in the protected cove. Give this resort a try for a different ambiance and type of vacation. I think you will like it.


If you are looking for major party time, lots of activities, lots of noise, and glitz and glamour then this is not the resort for you, but if you want quiet, relaxation, beautiful views, Mexican touches and meticulously clean, this is the place.