Hotel Imperial las Perlas

The staff were great, and the marina setting is a nice touch, with sailboat trips and scuba diving nearby. There’s a pleasant pool, a small bar and restaurant, and the prices are pretty cheap. The rooms are okay but could use some updating. Honestly, you probably won’t spend much time in them anyway, just enough to sleep.

Clean, cheerful, and inexpensive, with a lovely view and kind, helpful staff. It worked well for staying near the airport. The food wasn’t great, and the bed felt much too hard to me. I’d stay again for a short visit.

The staff were nice, but I definitely wouldn’t come back. The beach was dirty and poorly maintained, and there’s no entertainment. Food at the only restaurant wasn’t good, and the one bar had lousy hours. Our shower drain was clogged, the bed was very uncomfortable, and the TV was messed up. For the price, it was really disappointing.

We had a great time with the staff. Everyone was welcoming and worked hard, and Evan at the bar deserves a shout-out for making the best Pina Colada's and always serving with a smile. The bar had great drinks, lots of choices, and a really good vibe. The music and noise stopped faithfully at 10:30, and it felt like a family place rather than a party resort. We felt safe here. I’d heard comments about people being offered drugs or sex workers, but we saw none. Common sense still applies anywhere. There was no latch on our room door, which bothered me, and there’s no safe, so we carried our passports and money with us, as we do even at nicer hotels. This is a very basic, budget friendly, quiet hotel, and it’s dated. There were hardly any Americans or Canadians, mostly Mexican guests, which made a nice change from the usual all-inclusive resorts. Our room was motel-like, with a very small bathroom and no mini fridge, my one real complaint. Room 723 was clean and had a great view, close to the restaurant and bar. We knew the rooms were basic and weren’t picky, but guests used to nice all-inclusive rooms may have a problem with them. The pool is very small, and we didn’t use it. The beach also wasn’t good, which we already knew, so we went to Dolphins beach behind the Coco Bongo club instead. Food choices are extremely limited, six at most, so don’t expect much variety. What they did serve was authentic and good. The Pebil was juicy and delicious, and the fruit, tomatoes, and salad were fresh. The natural juice in the morning was amazing, one option each day, orange or mango. There’s a woman selling delicious tacos outside the hotel each morning if you’re tired of breakfast. We found some excellent, cheap places to eat off the resort. Mercado 23 has delicious tortas at Paisano Deli, especially the Carnitas Tortas, two for $10. Near Parque de las Palapas, Los Porkis Tacos tasted just like Mexico City tacos, and were the best around, hands down. Ask locals for directions, they’ll know exactly where it is. Enrique, the guy playing guitar in the park, knows good places too. He’s a great guy, take care of him. There’s also a GOMART about a five-minute walk away, with a patio and good sandwiches, drinks, and hot food. The R 1 bus stop outside takes you to Mercado 23, Centro, and the hotel zone. R 2 goes to the hotel zone, Mercado 28, and Walmart. A ride costs about $1 and felt safe, though those drivers are hardcore. The pool gets some sun but is tiny. This hotel suited us because we didn’t care much about the room and wanted a quiet, cheap stay.