Izla Hotel

The employees are what make this hotel shine: Reyes and Gerardo at the pool bar, Noemi at the cafe, and Carolina and Yaiyme (Jamie) at the front desk. Drinks, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic, were excellent. The hotel is on the quieter side of the island, good for rest and relaxation, and a taxi into the main downtown area costs $200 Mexican Pesos ($7CDN). There are plenty of island restaurants. We had a great seven days. Our fourth-floor room faced the pool and beach, with a comfortable king bed, huge bathroom, balcony, and cold 🥶 AC, which you definitely need in the high humidity. Despite what others posted, our room wasn’t damp, probably because the air conditioning worked so well. Food and restaurant choices were the low points, though apparently improvements are planned for later in the year. The beach was alright, with lots of natural sea grass, not sargassum. Take a cab to Playa Norte for the best beach. The rooftop hotel area is adults only, and the main pool is adequate. This place seems geared more toward adults, since there aren’t children’s facilities like a playground.

Izla Hotel is undeniably beautiful, with a modern, inviting design and a large, impressive pool. Still, I wouldn’t stay again. There’s no hot tub, and a cocktail costs an extremely steep $32 USD. Gratuity is included in every purchase, but the bartender pushed for an extra tip. I noticed the drinks seemed noticeably weaker when I didn’t tip more. Even when I ordered a double, it definitely wasn’t one. The beach is small and rocky, so water shoes are a must if you want to get in. The ocean was calm, which was nice, but the beach doesn’t compare with Playa Norte. My room’s linens and pillows smelled musty and mildewy. I asked to have them changed, but either housekeeping didn’t replace them or the fresh ones smelled the same. The rooms also stay quite humid, which may contribute. Mosquitos were bad in the evenings, and the hotel doesn’t provide repellent or control them in outdoor areas. At this price, I’d expect that. The hotel is far from the island’s main activity. I’ve stayed near Playa Norte before, and that’s definitely the place to be, with a beautiful, soft beach that isn’t rocky. Lesson learned!

The location is lovely and quiet, the rooms are above average, and the pool, beach, room quality, and staff were all above par. The restaurant menu could be better for the prices. Because the hotel is transitioning to a new owner, there was construction, and I didn’t know that meant I couldn’t have a ground-floor room. They gave us a second-floor room a long way from the elevators. Had I known we’d be on the second floor, I wouldn’t have booked.

The location on the south end of the island was calm, with a great beach. Front desk and restaurant staff were amazing, and I really enjoyed my stay. This would have been an easy five-star review if getting towels hadn’t been such a hassle. Getting them for the pool, our room, and the gym was awful. We only got pool towels right away on one day of the stay. I was considering four stars, but the towel problem kept happening and became really annoying.