I'm really excited to be bringing you my second Roatan Review!
Casa del Sol is a guesthouse located just outside the entrance of West End in Roatan that can accommodate short-term or long-term guests. I personally have been staying here at least once a month for the last 8 months every time I go into 'town' because I have been living too far away to go home after a night out. Casa del Sol used to be managed by my friend Laura which is how I first ended up there, but has been taken over by my new friend Mark. Mark does a fantastic job of running the place and is a super cool guy to have a beer with to boot.
There are many old reviews circulating out there about burglaries at Casa del Sol. The owner, along with management have worked really hard to address these issues by improving security lighting/cameras, installing bars on the windows and changing the locks to double-key (no deadbolt). There are also three dogs that live there that bark and come down to investigate every single person coming and going - personally I love Topaz, Shylee and LouLou, but if you're scared of dogs I don't recommend this place for you. Anyway, I would not have recommended Casa del Sol in the past due to the burglary issues they had, but it has remained incident-free for quite a while with the new safety measures so I am confident anyone taking regular safety precautions will not have any issues. I have never had any issues here and have been staying here once a month for 8 months now. I also have several friends who live here full-time who also have not had any problems. Onwards and upwards for Casa del Sol!
There are a few different options for rooms that include various kinds of bed configurations, kitchenette options, 2nd floor decks vs. 1st floor patios, etc. so there's really something to suit all kinds of travelers here. I always stay on the first floor, and the rooms have basic mini-fridges, a bit of cutlery and crockery, a kitchen sink and a two burner countertop stove to cook on.
Rooms are painted cheery colors which I think is cute. The beds are nice and firm, loads of pillows are supplied, nice clean towels and even a bathmat and hand towel (good luck finding that at other budget accommodation here). The toilets work well, the hot water is seriously hot with good water pressure, and the rooms are clean. There is air conditioning in every unit, but that is an extra $15/night charge (which is worth it in summer, trust me). Try to snag #6 on the ground floor - it's the farthest away from the entrance and a corner unit so windows on three sides!
My only gripes: the wifi only works in super weird locations out on the patio on the first floor. I've heard from friends that stayed upstairs that it works fine up there. If wifi is incredibly necessary in your room, book upstairs. Also, the curtains in every single room on the ground floor rooms are too small and don't cover the windows (see first photo). It is super awkward getting changed in there at night with the light on and everyone walking by to their rooms can see you naked. And I really feel like in-room safes should be standard in every hotel everywhere, but that's just me.
All in all, this is a really decent budget choice in the West End area (and budget choices around West End are seriously limited). The long-term options are really affordable by West End standards as well, and worth looking into if you can deal without a proper kitchen.
What you need to know:
- check the website for current rates - contact Mark via the Casa del Sol Facebook page or by phone if you're already here: 9961-5260. Tell him Rika from Cubicle Throwdown sent you, maybe he'll give you a deal if you're lucky :)
- bring your own toiletries - hand soap and dish soap are provided but that's it.
- if you have a combination lock, the ground floor rooms (not sure about upstairs) have lockable cupboards under the sink for valuables.
- see reviews from others: TripAdvisor.
- be smart - don't walk from West End late at night to the hotel. I know it looks close, but just take a taxi. It's like a dollar, you can afford it.
Rika's Rating: solid choice for the price in that location!
Disclaimer: I did not, nor have I ever received a complimentary stay at Casa del Sol. Actually, I don't even think I told Mark I was going to write this.
If you are a Roatan business (dive shop, hotel, restaurant, activity provider, etc.) that would like to be featured in my Roatan Reviews, please contact me for details!
Guys, make sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter ... there's lots of extras posted there that don't make it onto the blog. (I also have Google+ if anyone even uses that?) Plus it makes me help Mark sort this curtain situation out. So there's that.
