La Vita e Bella

[beachreader]

Just thought I'd go ahead and post the pics of the rooms at Vita e Bella that I took on my last trip. Who knows, maybe it'll help someone?

Contact information on the little bit of mini-brochure I picked up says www.lavitaebellahotel.com (http://www.lavitaebellahotel.com), or reservations@lavitaebellahotel.com, or telephone (0052) 984 871 3501. Room #1 was quoted to me as 1200 pesos for high season. Taxes were included, I believe, but not breakfast.

Pros: Nice large rooms for good prices, great beach with somewhat more reef-protected water than down south, good brick-oven pizza (according to my British friend) in a cool sand-floored palapa restaurant. Also, walking distance to Nacho's (Mayan Grill) and Mezzanine and a few other places. I ran into the gal who used to clean the rooms up at Hemingway, and I know she's good and very friendly and a genius with the towel creatures (she was doing a mermaid when I saw her), so I count that as a plus.

Cons: If you want a completely empty beach, head south. Bella now runs their beach area as a beach club, and while it's not nearly as crowded or spiffy as the neighboring Nuddy Beach Club, it does have people. Plenty of chairs, though not in the greatest condition.

I don't know any other cons because I didn't actually stay there. No one I met there spoke much English, might be an issue for some.

OK, pics:

Room #1:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd29b3127cce82420f8d4f3c00000016108Aas2rVo2ZuS

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd29b3127cce82420ea90f8000000016108Aas2rVo2ZuS

Apologies to the people whose stuff this is--I was feeling rather bold this day (basically I went in when the maid was working)--but it's a nice closet:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd29b3127cce824209524fe000000015108Aas2rVo2ZuS

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd29b3127cce82420e550f7c00000016108Aas2rVo2ZuS

The bathroom (and there is a full door on it, fyi):

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd29b3127cce82420f374f8600000015108Aas2rVo2ZuS

Ceiling fan and light:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd29b3127cce82420f794fc800000016108Aas2rVo2ZuS

[beachreader]

And here are some pics of another room I checked out. I don't know the number, but it was on the south side of the restaurant (number 1 was on the north side).

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd29b3127cce82420c320f1a00000015108Aas2rVo2ZuS

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd29b3127cce82420f874f3600000016108Aas2rVo2ZuS


Here's a unit on the north end of the property (unit #1 is two to the south of this) that was blown over during Wilma and looks like it's being rebuilt:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd29b3127cce82420dedce6d00000016108Aas2rVo2ZuS

Another 100 yards or so to the north, now on the Paraiso property, is the XTC kiteboarding school.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd29b3127cce82420b6acee900000016108Aas2rVo2ZuS

[beachreader]

Anyway, just thought I'd post the pics for reference purposes. Bella is on my list for my next trip because of all the reasons listed above, but I can't say that I recommend them fully because I did not actually stay there.

[procrastinet]

You are absolutely hilarious - I love that you just took pictures of the rooms while people were staying there! Nice work!

[minniemex]

You are absolutely hilarious - I love that you just took pictures of the rooms while people were staying there! Nice work!

I am so glad you weren't around to take pictures of my room !! http://www.smileyarena.net/Library/words_library/laughing/default/hehe_red1.GIF (http://www.smileyarena.net/download.aspx?id=7773)

I do think that Azul Blue uses them for their beach area - I think I read that somewhere - I have so much useless info stored in my brain, I sometimes wo[/URL]nder where it comes from! It may have come from a post on this board[URL="http://www.smileyarena.net/download.aspx?id=7552"]http://www.smileyarena.net/Library/words_library/exclamation/default/smilie.gif (http://www.smileyarena.net/download.aspx?id=7552)http://www.smileyarena.net/Library/words_library/exclamation/default/smilie.gif (http://www.smileyarena.net/download.aspx?id=7552)

[PhyllisB]

Hey BR -- thanks for the info! Kevin and I ate there last fall (yes, I'll vouch for the pizza too) -- it's a quite extensive menu. I'm glad to see what the rooms look like - we wandered through the property thinking that it looked like it had excellent potential for a place to stay for us too. Although I am a bit partial to the empty beaches further south. :)

I couldn't believe how empty the restaurant was when we were there - might be part of the reason they're having the Azul Blue folks hang there. But the food was good and the beach looked wonderful, as did the rooms!

[beachreader]

Azul Blue has the choice of three beach clubs these days: the new Ana y Jose beach club (where I did meet a couple from Azul) and Nuddy Beach, both of which I think would suit the tastes of Azul Blue guests better than Bella's older chairs and lower levels of service.

I'm sure AB guests were there, but if I were an AB guest, I'd want the fancier chairs and beds and every-minute service of the newer places than good old Bella.

A chair at Bella is 30 pesos a day, and after the first query about a drink I never saw a waiter, but I'm sure I could have found one if I wanted. They don't have tables or fancy beds, though perhaps those are coming down the road.

A chair/bed at Nuddy is I think 50 pesos a day (if they even do it for a single and don't require the double at 100) and the waiters give constant service.

[beachreader]

You are absolutely hilarious - I love that you just took pictures of the rooms while people were staying there! Nice work!

Well, I went in while the cleaning lady was there, and I did ask if I could take pictures (of course, I'm asking her, not the guests). It struck me that I could be concerned that people were so easily in and out of my room, but knowing I'm a good person I dismissed the concern. ;)

When I came out of the second room and headed back down to the beach, I actually met the people who were staying there. A really fascinating older (and I mean well over 70, possibly on the 80 side) couple who said they just loved it there. We chatted for quite a while, so I guess they didn't mind the fact that I'd just been in their room.

At Lamar, she only let me see rooms when people had checked out and they were doing the final cleaning, so I guess the level of security changes from place to place.

[Gale in KY]

I got the Azul Beach using Vita's beach from a TA reviewer who stayed at Azul and didn't like being shuttled down there, or the condition of the chairs, or being charged for them when the beachclub was supposed to be included in her Azul rates..she was warning everyone to bring cash with them when they went to the beach just in case they had to pay...and also was complaining about the LVB staff telling them after they paid that the chairs were for hotel guests only. I would suspect that AB will find a more organized place that is less confusing for guests to beach in time.

Are those cabanas as spacious as they look?

Great undercover work BR!;)

[beachreader]

They are quite large. My first impression on walking in the door of #1 was "wow, this is big", even though the beds take up a lot of the space. Since when I don't travel alone I'm usually with girlfriends, I really liked the extra bed idea and think it would be great for couples with kids. The bathroom wasn't huge but it seemed very clean and well designed, rather like a compact bathroom at home. I was impressed that they had a ceiling fan and a full closet and, of course, the door on the bathroom, one of my own particular pet checkpoints.

Beautiful large terrace with chairs and a hammock (though I think only one hammock).

Overall, the style was pretty plain and basic, not the fancy beds or high design of a Casa Violeta, but it's also only 1200 pesos which, for beachfront in high season, is more than fair these days IMO.

I'm keeping Bella on my list, along with Casa Violeta and Hamaca Loca and maybe the new place Zulum and four or five other places. I have a lot of trips I'll need to take in the next few years!

[akumalbride]

i'm happy to see the hobiecat in your picture! we love to sail but havent found much in that area. we're heading to tulum for part of our honeymoon after we get married in akumal.
do you know if the sailboat is owned by the kiteboarding school? looks like it from the pic.

[beachreader]

That's what I would assume as well. If not them, then the Nuddy Beach Club, but either way I'd imagine it's for rent.