Hotel Caleta

What People are saying

Interesting, great views, massive suites, but needs renovation

Bo_Dukeon 17/02/2010 23:30

The Caleta is one of the grand old hotels of Acapulco, one of the first available in the heart of Old Acapulco, where the whole resort sprang up from. In fact in the dining room there are some fascinating photos of the hotel taken from the 1930's through to the 1970's that show how it grew over the years, and Acapulco with it.
We arrived here having fled from a nearby hotel that was just unacceptable, and it seemed like an oasis in comparison. After two days staying here one could see more clearly its flaws, it's a hotel that needs some TLC, but for us it really did the job - a place to flop down after a long day on the beach with the kids, a spectacular view from our room (really and truly an unbeatable vista I defy you not to relax with a beer out on your balcony), a shower that works, and a kitchenette to prepare snacks and breakfasts. Just what we wanted.
We got a really good rate to stay here from room touts nearby that work the plaza just as you turn into Caleta beach. The walk-up rate was around 80 dollars for a double room, but the room touts were offering the same for around 45. I checked it all out with the hotel beforehand and it's all legit, the "mayoristas" block-book rooms at a much cheaper rate and sell them on at a modest profit. Plus they come to the check-in desk while you book and pay, which was reassuring. And this hotel was good value at 45 dollars, but I'd have been less happy with the hotel if I'd paid 80 dollars.
There are just two types of room. Standard has two double beds, a balcony and bathroom, and the one I saw looked perfectly acceptable. They also have suites, which are two standard rooms knocked together, that is, they have four double beds split between two bedrooms, a bigger balcony, two full bathrooms and in middle a small kitchenette with fridge and microwave and a few utensils. And they charge exactly double for the suite (ie. we paid 90 dollars). These suites are *huge*, two king size beds are swallowed up by each bedroom easily - a big family group of 10 or 16 could fit in fine and not be treading on each other toes, just bring a few inflatable mattresses and folding chairs and you're away. The downside is that they are a little shabbier than the double rooms I saw, but not by much, just be sure to check your suite before checking in. Also the air-con was hopeless in our suite, but the rooms are so big we didn't find it a problem.

Hotel facilities:
Swimming pool: Good size, deep with a roped off shallow end for the kiddies. It was clean, although all around the pool gets hot in the sun, you need sandals to walk around it. Noisy (sometimes annoying) music played all day, but this is normal for any Mexican family hotel.
Salt water pool: Closed for renovation, and that looked like it could take some time...
Bar: Pool-side bar
Restaurant: Nothing-special meals but good value if you go for the set menu (and are plenty hungry). Spectacular view from restaurant.
Gardens: Very pleasant and well kept.
Squash court: open air, didn't try it but it looked OK from outside.
Private beach: Not a beach at all but a rocky cove, good for escaping the crowds but not exactly an inviting place to spend your time. Not good for kids.

Best of all you have a small path beating down to Caleta beach which is the best beach in Acapulco for children, especially youngsters, gentle waves, no currents and the rest of the beach will be full of other kiddies for them to play with. Rent umbrellas and chairs for
small fee, take a bottle of water with you and enjoy the fun! There are restaurants along the beach, La Cabaña is the best, the rest are run by a collective (that is, no point shopping around for lunch, they all charge the same and not much less than La Cabaña). Waiters patrol the beach and will bring you food and beers all day. Very relaxing.

Final tips: weddings, events etc take place on the bay side of the hotel, which can be noisy and last well into the night. If you want peace and quiet, get a room towards the Caleta bay end of the hotel. You'll also be away from the noisy pool area. The higher the room, the further from the mosquitos you are.

To sum up:

Good points: Huge suites, acceptable doubles, unpretentious, good pool, bargain if you can negotiate a decent rate
Bad points: Shabby in parts, average restaurant, steep climb from beach, a three-star hotel at best.

great value for money

emilie_fron 30/01/2010 19:16

We spent our new year's eve holidays in this hotel. We booked a room for 4 people.
The room was very spacious, clean and quiet. We had a spacious private balcony with incredible views on the ocean, perfect for breakfast and to watch the sunset. The hotel has 2 good size pools and a restaurant.

Caleta beach is on the doorstep of the hotel. You can also take a boat from there to go to the rocket island. But you would need to take the car to go to other beaches or to go to the city centre.

Downsides: You can' adjust the air conditionning yourself, you need to contact reception. There was no safe-deposit box in our bedroom. Because of the traffic, each journey to the city centre took around 30 minutes (probably because of the high season).

Sad Deteriorating Hotel

jadekimon 07/07/2008 08:00

It is very sad to see this hotel in its state now. I'm sure in its heyday, this was a great hotel for its location and its huge terraces. Now, the place is just deteriorating and not much maintenance is going on. The gardening is well kept but the hotel itself needs a lot of major work. All the phones were not working so if you needed something, you had to go downstairs to the frontdesk. The ceilings and terraces were leaking. The walls all have some kind of leak or damage. I would have liked to have seen this place when it was new There are sections of the building that did not have electricity and the lights were all out. The elevator buttons did not light up so it felt very uncomfortable being in it if it were not maintained well. I felt it will trap me anytime soon, while I was in it.

The rooms all needed some kind of maintenance but since the clientele is not there, there's not much done to upgrade it. I know this because, I had to change rooms 2 times before I settled to 1 that is more livable, even then the light in my bathroom and the shower door were not working. The tv remote is also not functioning. This was better than the other 2 rooms I was given prior. One just smelled as if someone just finished smoking in the room before we got there. It was suppose to be well ventilated according to the front desk who checked us in, because I specifically asked for a non-smoking room, but when I got there, I could not believe that she had the guts to give me that room.

After going all the way downstairs and explaining to her that my asthma will not tolerate that room, she gave me the option to pick from the rooms in the famous (from another traveller's review) 5th floor. These rooms were better smelling but the terrace door of the 1st room did not open so, so much for a nice terrace that you can't go to. But the main door's safety lock is busted so the security is messed up in this room. Also, this room had a really loud air-conditioning unit that it literally sounded like it was going to explode anytime soon. It sounded like the plane taking off when you are right behind the engine, that loud! We knew we could not sleep in this one, so we had to take the least bothersome of the 3 rooms.

Room service was quite interesting, we had a tissue holder with an empty tissue box when we got there. I figured, honest mistake, it was missed during the cleanup so I purposely took it out to show the maid service that it was empty so she can replace it the next day. Well, when we got back the next day, it was not refilled, the holder was placed back without the tissue. Unbelievable!!!

Lastly, the all-inclusive option that's been written about is not at all worth it. First of all, it should have never been offered when all the bars were closed and when the restaurant is barely open. The restaurant was closed when we got there the first night, and we were told that it closes at 9pm. I was down there at 8:45pm the next night and still did not find someone to get me some food. All the bars were closed during the day, the pool was dirty and the 2nd pool was drained the next day for some reason. The place was dead. The other families that were there used the dirty pool but the bar was not open at all, to even enjoy any poolside experience.

I complained about being charged all-inclusive and asked the front desk for a refund. The front desk lady said she was going to take care of it and will talk to the manager. We had to leave the hotel that night, for some food but when we got back, there was a different person at the front desk who claimed that he did not know what we were talking about. We were told to wait till the next day at 10am to talk to the hotel manager. We planned on checking out early and did not want to be in the mercy of some manager. We asked to have him called and after talking the front desk into it, he woke him up in the middle of the night to hear our story as if it were new news to him. I'm sure he's been told but just did not want to deal with us in the first place, hoping we'll go away.

After the explanation and I mentioned how Frommer's has misrepresented the hotel and that the review in tripadvisor is not quite right, he agreed to give us a refund. This might be because he knows that I will be writing this review as well. Nonetheless, his refund did not in anyway affect my decision about this place, I'm just telling it like it is, it might be great for them to fix some of these things that I mentioned, here if they did not know about them yet or just chose to ignore them.

When we checked out, we got our refund but it was less than what I expected. There was no explanation of how he got to the amount of the refund but I just wanted to get out of there as quick as I could so I did not bother to ask for it anymore. I'm sure they were banking on us wanting to leave, so it worked out for them to not give us a clear explanation and just charge us more.

In summary, obviously, they needed the money to keep the place running but I hope they get it the right way and not by dupping customers.

My favorite place to stay

willemton 07/01/2008 06:44

I have stayed at this Hotel for 11 vacations and have seen it change names from the Grand Meigas back to the Caleta and of course now the Caleta Pseidon. I came the fist time on an all inclusive stay which was a great introduction to the majestic old hotel. In the early Acapulco this was the area and place to be. To me it is still like moving back in time some what. I love the people that work there and learned to know all the staff although they do come and go a little, the main body of staff is always there for me. I always like to stay on the fifth floor for the view and of course to stay away from ground level insects as mosquitos .This time I emailed the manager Manuel directly and he confirmed my stay was again possible. At the front desk works Tobias who will do what ever it takes to make my stay a pleasure. Staying on the same floor and room number gives me the same maid each time which is also a benefit as extra towels etc. come automaticly when she knows I'm back. I get an unbeatable deal for what I get out of the place. Just out side the Hotel is a beach called Playa Caleta where I spend most of the time with real Mexican folks who all live off the Oceans fish and of course the tourists. They are so friendly that tears have flowed when its time to go back to Canada. Don't be afraid of learning the ways of the people and you will build lasting friendships there. Just ask for Tito. He will start you out on the right path. Back to the Hotel you pass by the Salt water pool where Jesus will greet you with a friendly wave and a Corona if so inspired. You can also get a snack there made fresh on the grill. Further up the path is a wash spot to rinse the sand of your feet or salt water from your skin from pool or beach. Then up the steps you will be greeted by Federico or Arturo who tend the Mango Bar by the fresh water pool. The food is a little up and down due to Hotel population at the time but if you don't desire the buffet Breakfast is made fresh on the grill and lunch can be ordered from a menu. I would like to stress the fact that if you want to live like you are in Canada or America then stay there but if you really want to be in Merxico, especially in a beautiful old but well kept place stay there. There is also a private beach where hardly any one goes as the Mexican visitors usually cant swim and can be a romantic or quiet spot as you wish. The snorkelling is also great there and is like an aquarium near the rocks.
I dont know how to add photos but have hundreds to share if you have an interset.
Email me at bill@downritedrilling.com

okay, but not the rci standard

Sonyason 03/01/2007 05:30

We were staying in this hotel in january 2003, so they have mightdo some renovating there. but when we were there rooms were a bit old and they havent done renovating since 80`s or 70`s, and we had to change our first room, because our shover didnt work. And in the second room out a/c didnt work. but the rooms r huge.
Staff is great in this hotel, everyone was very polite.
Hotel is in the caleta beach, witch is very popular with local people.its about 10 minute cabride from the tourist centre and 5 minutes cabride from zocalo. Food and drinks in zocalo r much cheaper than in tourist centre. So if u want to experience real mexican neighborhood this is the place to go.