La Joya - Penthouse Unit - Partial Ocean Views

The host was pretty good and available when we landed. The location was okay and is within a block of an OXXO convenience store, which we took advantage of once. It’s about 10 minutes from the main road and a few decent restaurants. We had good fish tacos and cervezas just 10 minutes away, and another five minutes gets you to some pretty good spots. The swimming pool is small but fine for older people who just want to hang out in the water. There is a partial ocean view, even though it’s mostly looking through the hotels lining the beach. The property itself is spacious with a full kitchen minus dishwasher and garbage disposal. We used the coffee maker, toaster, microwave and fridge. The beds are comfortable and the master has a safe. 2 bathrooms were adequate but the shared bathroom needs maintenance for small things. The showers were good and the AC worked. The security was pretty good and there was someone at the front desk all the time. We had a garage door opener to park our rental, which worked well. The spaces are small for an SUV but we lucked out that there were no other people parked around us during our 3 nights.

Decent space and security with basic amenities, but for $200/night the value feels borderline due to an overstated location, mediocre beach, noise issues, and a not‑very‑family‑friendly vibe. The location wasn’t as good as the listing implies. While you are a couple of blocks from the beach, the beach in this area is just okay compared to other areas. The sand is deep brown and the beach is not recommended for swimming. When we tried it on the first day, it was steep with strong backwash and an undercurrent. This is not an ideal spot for kids or families, as it feels like you’re intruding on long-term residents. It’s about a 30-minute walk from the main Romantic Zone, so driving or taking an Uber is better. This is a pretty noisy neighborhood. The roosters are awake and crowing from early in the morning (4:30-5am ish) I used earplugs after the first morning but the rest of the family suffered through it. There are locals playing loud music when they get up around 6am and a couple of nights we heard tourists partying late into the evening 11-1am. Ironically, the property is proud of their quiet rules and they ask you to be quiet after 11pm. The laundry door practically fell off while we were there. The host had multiple requests to come and place chairs or perform maintenance. We forgot our drinks there on our way to the next spot and requested to get back in... one hour later I came back to find the host had helped himself to one of my beers already. He was a good host but I would have preferred to give it to him rather than have him help himself.

Great pool, great proximity to a (shady morning) beach spot, big living space. It was a great stay.