My husband and I stayed for 2 nights in a Captain's Suite at the Sotavento and and we loved it. The Sotavento is located on the very pretty La Ropa beach. Gilberto, at the front desk, was wonderful and very helpful. The room was newly renovated (I believe it had been completed about 3 weeks before we arrived), the view from our terrace was spectacular. The bathroom was also new and very clean - it had 2 lovely painted, ceramic sinks and a very large shower. The free breakfast was delicious (it inlcluded fresh juices, coffee, fresh fruit, eggs, beans, a meat, salsas, chips....) and it was served on a terrace with more spectacular views. The pool was very pleasant, there were plenty of palapas and lounge chairs on the beach. And, although there are a lot of stairs, there is a golf cart that can be called if you don't want to do the stairs (I don't know if there is a fee involved, but if there is, it is minimal). There is also FREE wireless internet at the sotavento (or you can pay a very small fee to use the hotel computer). Overall, this hotel was clean, super friendly and very well maintained and I felt like it was a really good "bang for your buck".

We paid $95/night for the Captain's Suite, but the rest of our party stayed in the Oceano rooms for $65/night and they were also quite comfortable - just not as new.

I really enjoyed this hotel, and I would plan to stay here again if I return to Zihua.

The cost was incredible for what you get. Friendly helpful staff, breakfast with a VIEW. Enormous room and terrace with hammocks and beds to soak up the sensational surroundings. I have never seen a more wonderful view. Can not wait to get back and this time we will be spending more than a few days.

Positives:

-unbeatable price for la ropa, $70/night. great views, listen to the crashing waves at night

-very good breakfast buffet which included pancakes, french toast, eggs, fresh fruit and fresh squeezed juices.

-the beach area is very nice. we spent a lot of time under their palapas. courtesy beach towels are available, as well as massage service and drink/food service delivered right to you on the beach.

-friendly and helpful staff.

Negatives:
-the open air rooms mean you hear everything around you. we came easter week and I knew it would be busy but the noise level was absolutely unbearable. kids screaming and families yelling all day and throughout most of the night. I expect that any off time would be a little better.

-the hotel is old and the bathrooms are run down. there’s very little water pressure in the shower and rarely any hot water. since it’s usually very hot there, warm showers should suffice.

-you’ll work up a sweat walking up the stairs. I included some pics for you to get an idea. if you are in ok shape, you should be fine. just pack light or else when you leave, you’ll have it rough lugging all your luggage up.

the bill:
the hotel tax is 15% which you probably know about, but there is also a 2% fee per day for the maids. that's prefectly fine but they don't tell you about it so if you don't know you'll end up tipping them twice.

also they'll put 2 nights deposit on your card about a week before you get there.

overall:
we tried to make it work since we were staying a week and wanted to save on hotel costs. the rooms are perfectly fine, but the noise was tough to handle. if you want to spend the least amount of money possible and still stay on la ropa, this is the place.

misc:
shuttle from the airport 115 pesos per person

taxi to the airport 220 pesos

taxi to downtown 30 pesos

there's a grocery store behind paty's mar y mar and also at the flea market a little ways down the beach. these are the closest places i found for bottled water and snacks

Hello,
We just returned from a wonderful stay at Hotel Sotavento! The fantastic central location on La Ropa beach is ideal with beautiful hotel grounds and amenities along with the wonderful made to order breakfasts and friendly staff made this hotel a spectacular bargain at $70 a night. See photos in public gallery. The rooms are older, rustic and plain but we spent very little time in them. The large patio outside our room with palm trees, bouganvilia, hammocks, lounger chairs, and tables was perfect for relaxing, people watching on the beach and viewing the sunset. There is also a pool and palapa area right on the beach along with a spa for massages and beach equipment rental. At night the hotel lobby restaurant has live entertainment.

It is my hope that Hotel Sotavento will not be demolished for a newer, luxurious, but expensive alternative, diminshing the choices on La Ropa for the budget traveler. We stayed in the cheapest rooms on the second floor but also viewed the newly renovated rooms on the 7th floor. They were up to date and very nice. This hotel is a wonderful value and deal. The review previous to mine compared the hotel to camping, I have done a whole lot of camping and this was unlike any camping experience I have ever had. Possibly this is what camping in paradise would be like. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone who wants a reasonably priced room with wonderful grounds, a great breakfast on the best beach in Z. See our photos at this link: http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/kustritz