Calle Igualdad s/n, esquina Secundaria Técnica, Holbox Island, Mexico | (618) 248-8274
On a quiet white-sand beach with bar, cushioned loungers, and palapas
Rustic-luxe rooms with handcrafted art, some with ocean views
Small
pool with loungers and beds, plus a pool bar
Free
buffet breakfast
Restaurant
with themed Cuban nights every Saturday
Golfcart and bicycle rentals available
Free Wi-Fi in communal areas
No in-room TVs or Wi-Fi (pro or some)
No
gym or business center
Nearly
three hours from Cancun via bus or private transport
Nearby
club can sometimes have overwhelmingly loud music
An upscale
vacation spot on the secluded island of Holbox, the 18-room CasaSandra
is a boutique hotel where art and music are a primary focal point. The hotel’s location is ideal, on a nearly private beach just minutes away from the heart
of the island, and the owner and hotel staff have earned a reputation over the years as reliable
and friendly. It's an excellent pick for a romantic getaway, thanks to its rustic-luxe suites, gardens, pool, handcrafted art, and a restaurant that serves what some call the best seafood
in the Riviera Maya. It's one of the nicest and priciest hotels on the island, but there is some minor wear and tear; some may prefer the slightly cheaper, but also charming, Holbox Hotel Casa las Tortugas.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
An upscale boutique hotel set just minutes away from the heart of Holbox Island
The boutique hotel CasaSandra (named for the founder, Sandra) originally set out to provide visitors to the remote island of Holbox an unplugged upscale getaway characterized by personal artwork, music, good food, creative vibes, rustic rustic wood-and-thatch palapa style, and epic views out over the Mexican Caribbean. And while it accomplishes its mission, the wear and tear over time has added a bit of
roughness around the edges -- expect the occasional door
to stick, and some wood warpage here and there. The restaurant is a surprising high point, with truly excellent seafood and a home-away-from-home
living room feel, thanks to the rustic wood furniture and the piano. Although the hotel is tranquil and quiet most of the time,
with the in-house music carefully selected to inspire a creative mood, some guests have
reported excessive noise from the restaurant and bar next door, where dance
music can sometimes override the calm. Outside,
the pool and gardens have loungers and beds for relaxation, and beyond that,
across the small sand-packed road that runs the length of the coast on the
island, is the beach itself with more beds and loungers for guests. And while
the beach may be lacking shade, with a sparse selection of palm trees, it
nevertheless offers up sweeping vistas of the Caribbean and morning sunrises.
Location
Minutes away from the center of Holbox Island, with sunrise views and a romantic garden setting
A sandy dirt road runs the length of the coast between the beach and any of the hotels, and CasaSandra sits across this road from a nearly private section of beach, alongside a beach bar and other restaurants and hotels. The downtown heart of the
island is around 10 to fifteen minutes away on foot, with the rest of the
island can be explored via golf cart or bicycle. There's not a lot of infrastructure on the island, which for many is part of the appeal.The possible downside to Holbox is that it’s nearly three hours from the airport in Cancun, and
the only way to get there is via ADO bus or by contacting the hotel to arrange
for private transportation (for a fee). Renting a vehicle is not advised, since you
can’t take vehicles to the island, and must take a ferry from the mainland
town of Chiquila.
Rooms
Rustic-luxe rooms with handcrafted art either garden or ocean views
CasaSandra
has 18 room plus a Villa on the property, all with rustic-luxe decor and plenty of island charm. Expect touches such as gauzy mosquito netting over the beds, wood-beam ceilings, painted ceramic basin sinks, and rustic adobe tile floors. There are no TVs, alarm clocks, radios, or
even Wi-Fi in any of the rooms apart from the Villa.Superior Rooms are the entry-level category, and come with either two double or a king-size bed. These have a large shower with painted and plain tiles, with age showing
in the coloring of the grout joints in some areas, and shared balconies with a
hammock for relaxation. The Suites feature an
additional sitting room plus a rain shower. The Master Suite adds a dining room, along with a stand-alone soaking tub. All rooms have garden or ocean views, and can be booked by view type. The ocean-view Villa
is the top option, and is a spacious, two-bedroom apartment that can sleep up to five
adults between its master bedroom with the king-size bed, and second bedroom
with two full-size beds. It has a living room with flat-screen TV and
Sky satellite (the only TV available in any of the rooms), walk-in rain
showers, and a fully furnished kitchen. All rooms are air conditioned and come with slippers, caftan bathrobes, in-room safes, and evening turndown service. All have balconies with hammocks; note that the ocean-facing rooms will often have sand within the rooms from the wind.
Features
An excellent seafood restaurant, pool with adjacent bar, and white-sand beach
While not
an all-inclusive hotel, CasaSandra does offer free buffet-style breakfast at its on-site
restaurant every morning. The free options include fruit, pastries, and coffee, and special hot a la carte dishes can be ordered for a fee. The restaurant also serves dinner every evening: The menu is mostly seafood, though there is a Cuban atmosphere and theme every Saturday night, with an entirely Cuban menu and beers
served all evening. Although free room service is not offered, guests can order
food up to their room for a fee. The restaurant cuisine garners many rave reviews from guests. The lovely freeform pool, surrounded by stylish cushioned loungers and daybeds, is open 24/7, and there's a pool bar open from late morning to early evening. Note that you can't really see the ocean from here, but the beach is just across a sandy road from the hotel and has more cushioned loungers, palapa-style umbrellas for shade, and a cute bar with a tin roof, decorative dangling ropes, and a couple of tables with wicker seating. The hotel also offers bicycle and golf cart rentals for those who wish to
explore beyond the hotel grounds. The hotel strives for an unplugged atmosphere, and Wi-Fi is only available in common spaces, such as the lobby and pool area. The signal can be spotty.
