Vacation Rentals by Owner

Great Place

Guest: JB (Milwaukee, WI)
Date of Stay: 02/28/12 Review Submitted: 04/06/12

This is a great property, on a great island. The house is fantastic, and owner Ron was very helpful and available. We had a great stay. My only comment for potential travelers is that it is not a perfect set up for young children (our youngest is 4) because of a large (and quite beautiful!) staircase that does not have a railing. Overall, though, we would definitely return to this fabulous place and to Isla!

Recommended for:

Paradise!

Guest: Prescott & Rena (Tofield, Alberta, Canada)
Date of Stay: 09/17/11 Review Submitted: 11/14/11

This is the first review my husband and I have ever done in our many years of traveling.We had such an amazing vacation in Isla Mujeres at Casa Zama we felt we needed to share our amazing experience. We researched many houses before making our choice with CasaZama.We were in need of a nice relaxing vacation after having a very stressful year at home.Casa Zama seemed to have everything we were looking for so we booked it for two weeks.This was our first experience renting a house in Mexico, we had always stayed at all inclusive previously so we weren’t really sure what we were getting ourselves into with renting a house.Ron and Mel (the owners) were very helpful in answering any questions that we had prior to the trip.Everything from how to transfer from the airport to the ferry then once on Isla how to get to the house, what to bring, and even having a few groceries picked up for us that was waiting at the house when we arrived. Ron was waiting for us at the house when we arrived.He gave us a run down on how everything worked and a list of important phone numbers that we needed during our stay. Ron also gave us a map of the island with recommendations to restaurants and what to see and do. The house was absolutely gorgeous and it was even more than we imagined it would be.The house is decorated beautifully and has everything that you need and more.We especially loved the sound system that can be played all through the house and at the pool.The view was breathtaking and can be seen from everywhere in the house.It was amazing to see schools of dolphins swim by every day! We were greeted with a huge smile and “Buenos Dias” every morning by Millie and her daughter who came in and made us breakfast every morning and did daily cleaning.The breakfast was delicious, we especially loved the Mexican breakfast! We also had Millie cook us dinner which was amazing and we wished we would had it more than once! We can’t say enough about Casa Zama and the owners Ron and Mel. They have thought of everything and really do their best to ensure you have everything you need and want for your vacation.We truly experienced Paradise! Thanks Ron and Mel, see you in a few months!

Owner response:We are so delighted that you so enjoyed your stay in Isla Mujeres and the services and amenities at Casa Zama. We are so grateful for your kind words and we look forward to making your next vacation at Casa Zama truly unforgettable!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Damon P.
Date of Stay: 03/05/11 Review Submitted: 03/18/11

"I just wanted to say again that we really enjoyed our time at Casa Zama. It is a place that we would certainly return to and we will tell our friends about it as they are already starting ask how we liked it. Isla provides a perfect destination for those looking for a local experience with luxury accommodations and excellent staff/service."

Recommended for:

I don't want to leave!!

Guest: Kristy (Texas)
Date of Stay: 01/29/11 Review Submitted: 02/02/11

We have been to Isla Mujeres numerous times and were excited to find Casa Zama. This house exceeded our expectations and the pictures, as beautiful as they are, are unable to convey the magnificence you will encounter. The unique design of the house, with interior waterfalls and plenty of open air living space combine to provide truly gradeur living quarters. The suites are spacious, tastefully decorated, and comfortable. The host, host, and staff provide exceptional service and are happy to cater to your needs. They have a good working knowledge of the island that will save you time and money. Millie makes an outstanding hot breakfast every morning and will even return for gourmet evening meals if requested. We had her make dinner for a large group at the end of our stay and would have had more meals at the house if we'd known what we were missing out on. We will absolutely return, bring friends, and spread the word about this truly unique treasure. If you are looking for a relaxing vacation in a beatiful setting (who isn't), you will not be disappointed with Casa Zama.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Casa Zama will take your worries away

Guest: Leslee (Austin, TX)
Date of Stay: 01/24/11 Review Submitted: 02/02/11

The first place to begin is that we returned home a few days ago and here I am, sad that we had to leave. I wish I had just one more day in beautiful Isla Mujeres. The staff and owners of Casa Zama were so welcoming and helpful. Driving to CZ we were greeted with a brilliant fuchsia sunset on one side, and a gorgeous cerulean ocean on the other. Oh yeah this trip was starting off amazing. Casa Zama is absolutely gorgeous. The grounds are impeccably clean and well maintained. I am quite the germaphobe and did not feel the need to clean everything again before I touched anything. I'm known to sterilize everything and rip the covers off the bed and inspect everything. I didn't feel the need to that one bit! I started relaxing right off from the time we walked in. But enough about that, back to how wonderful of a time we had and our 5 star treatment. The water is filtered at Casa Zama, but there is also a big water cooler so you can refill your water bottles. Millie made us an amazing breakfast overlooking the ocean every morning. Ron and Melanie gave us great restaurant recommendations that were amazing. Olivia (mediterranean cuisine), Rolandi's (great Italian), and a great local place on the beach called Picu. Order the whole fried fish and a Sol chilada! Sigh...Why am I not still there? My husband and I slept better than we have in years. Sometimes we take Ambien several times a week. Not at Casa Zama. We slept like babies. We laid by the pool. We sat in the hot tub. We strolled the beach. We laughed. We laughed. We laughed. We smiled. The people of Isla Mujeres are very kind. If this is your first time traveling to Mexico I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I found the restrooms at all public places even cleaner than most US places! I bought food from street venders and they don't touch the money which is full of god knows what. They just motion you to a bowl to place your money and make change. So I ate everything. Drank margaritas everywhere and did not have any Montezuma's revenge at all. And if you live in the US, Mexico is just simply too close and too easy to get to. If you plan to visit you will be in great hands at Casa Zama

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

so disappointing!

Guest: Susan (Knoxville, TN USA)
Date of Stay: 12/17/10 Review Submitted: 02/01/11

We were bitten horribly by bedbugs. Coverlets and pillow shams weren't laundered between our arrival and the prior occupants' departure. There were blue (still wet) bleach spots where attempts to spot clean stains had been made. The couple travelling with us were also bitten in their room as well, and said that they had tiny blood spots on their sheets. Owner admitted that there was only two hours to " turn the property around" for us after the party of six prior guests departed. Our mattress and pillows were filthy when sheets were removed. Bites were completely congruent with all information available about bedbugs. (I have photos) We should have left, but tried to make the best of it, since we had booked this 9 months prior for our special Christmas trip. Huge disappointment, as this is a beautiful place otherwise.

Owner response:Casa Zama was examined by exterminators on December 26, 2010 (the day after these guests departed) who found absolutely no evidence of bedbugs or any other infestation. These guests left their bedroom doors open the evening they arrived and mosquitos entered the room and likely caused the bites. The staff promptly examined and removed all mattresses and bed covers in the presence of the guests, with absolutely no telltale signs of bedbugs and perfectly clean mattresses. The manager came to visit the guests every morning of their stay and they never indicated any issues with alleged dirty conditions despite multiple opportunities to do so. They seemed to be enjoying themselves every day except the final departure day, when one of the guests received bites (possibly sand fleas from the beach or mosquitoes). It would stand to reason that guests who complained of filthy conditions would have chosen to leave the property the first day. Casa Zama has a full time staff and daily maid service. The sheets and coverlets were laundered prior to these guests arrival and sheets are changed and towels laundered on a frequent basis. It is very unfortunate that something caused these bites in our tropical environment, but to make a statement that there are bedbugs in this property without any true evidence is defamatory.

Recommended for:

An Architectural Masterpiece!

Guest: DD (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 12/10/10 Review Submitted: 02/02/11

Casa Zama is a true Architectural Masterpiece perched on the shore of Isla Mujeres. The photos can only give a glimps of the true beauty of the actual space. Our family had such a wonderful time! Breakfast every morning poolside was delicious. The owners were swift and attentive to all of our needs. Our stay was everything we could have hoped for. Thank you! Overall, highly recommended!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Casa Zama - Isla Mujeres

Guest: Sue (Pewaukee, WI usa)
Date of Stay: 12/01/10 Review Submitted: 02/02/11

My daughter had a week's vacation and asked me to join her. I researched and found Casa Zama. We have stayed in many very nice villas throughout Mexico and the Caribbean over the years and this looked like a very nice one. I flew in from Milwaukee-Cancun; my daughter flew in from Chicago-Cancun. We arrived within 15 minutes of each other. Arranged a taxi and were on the way to avery nice ferry to Isla Mujeres. We got a taxi immediately and arrived in a few minutes to our villa. Oh my, it was even more than we expected - beautiful top of the line villa. Ron was there waiting for us to show us around. A cute little cat came with the place and made us feel right at home. We were spoiled the entire week. Homemade breakfasts every morning; beds made; villa cleaned. We rented the golf cart that came with the villa. We took walks, golf cart rides everyday. The people on the island are so friendly. We shopped; ate out a few times, but were so happy to be at our villa, spent alot of time there. We also arranged a personal tour to to Chichen Itza that was recommended by Ron and Mel - it was a long, very worthwhile day that we will always remember. One of the reasons we chose Casa Zama, besides being a great place, was for internet access. My daughter and I had to check in with work while we were there. We both brought our Ipads. Ron has the entire place set up for WiFi connection - separate routers in each bedroom as well as downstairs in the livingroom area. We also were able to call on Skype back home. I could access my computer in Wisconsin! When we had to leave, we both admitted we could have stayed much longer. Ron/Mel took care of having their taxi driver pick us up to take us back to the ferry. I don't remember his name, but he was so friendly and we hated to leave. One of my nicest vacations, of course with my daughter, that I will always remember. I am recommending Casa Zama to friends/family and want to return myself.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Susan S.
Date of Stay: 12/01/10 Review Submitted: 12/13/10

"I can't tell you how much Lucy and I enjoyed your beautiful villa, the island, everything. I am recommending Casa Zama to my friends and hopefully we will be back."  

Recommended for:

James

Guest: James (Texas)
Date of Stay: 09/03/10 Review Submitted: 02/10/11

Casa Zama is a must stay destination on Isla Mujeres. The architecture, staff and owners are out of this world. Our rooms were clean everyday after returning from the days adventures. The meals were as good as the 5 star establishments on the island. Watching the sun rise in the morning and seeing schools of dolphins swim by in the evening as we dined was straight out of dream. They treated us like family the whole time we were there.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Aaaaaahhhhh-mazing!

Guest: Ari (Texas)
Date of Stay: 08/06/10 Review Submitted: 02/02/11

Casa Zama provided the best vacation experience we could ever ask for. We loved being able to see the ocean from almost every space in the house. We spent many hours a day lounging at the pool watching the ocean. Sometimes it was hard to leave Casa Zama to go do the "tourist" thing. Where Casa Zama really shines is in the personal service. The breakfasts served there were a great way to start the day. My husband availed himself of the scuba services, including an orientation in the on-site pool, as well as opportunities to dive in the ocean with a certified instructor. I enjoyed a private, poolside yoga lesson (not to be missed). We will definitely be back.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway

Guest: Katy H.
Date of Stay: 07/01/10 Review Submitted: 09/21/10

My group of three women stayed at Casa Zama from June 27 to July 3, 2010. This was our first experience with renting a house so we really weren't sure what to expect. Casa Zama truly did exceed our expectations. The house was absolutely wonderful. We were a little worried that we wouldn't like the location of Casa Zama because it is on the South/Caribbean side of the island. The beautiful beaches of Isla Mujeres are on the far north side of the island and the ocean is much rougher on the Caribbean side of the island. There was no need to worry. Casa Zama has one of the very best locations of the entire island. We could not have found a prettier place to be. We arrived in Isla Mujeres just as Tropical Storm Alex was passing over Belize and bringing a lot of rain with it. Luckily our first afternoon on the island was the only real rain that we had but the seas remained rough for the remainder of the week. This created the most beautiful setting for enjoying our week at Casa Zama. The ocean was the prettiest that I had ever seen it. Within walking distance of Casa Zama is Punta Sur, the southern most tip of the island. Punta Sur is breathtaking and should not be missed if you are planning a trip to Isla. Ron, the owner of Casa Zama, had thought of every little detail to make our stay perfect. The house was beautiful and the pool overlooking the ocean was awesome. Millie the cook made us a wonderful hot breakfast every morning and we even had her return to make us a delicious dinner one evening. If we had it to do over, we would have had Millie prepare us dinner at the house on several evenings. I highly recommend this house to anyone looking for a perfect place to stay in Isla!

Recommended for:

Just like home...

Guest: Ryan (Kansas)
Date of Stay: 06/26/10 Review Submitted: 02/02/11

When my family told me that they wanted to go to Mexico I had some intitial concerns about giving up all the "comforts" of home for a week. But from the moment that we arrived I could tell that we wouldn't be missing home at all. Thanks to the super fast wifi connection and satellite tv I didn't miss a beat. The staff did a wonderful job making us feel welcome and were very maticulous about the cleaning and maintenance of the property. What a great vacation!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

Guest: Renee
Date of Stay: 05/01/10 Review Submitted: 09/21/10

"Heaven on Isla!" We stayed here during the first week of May and loved our experience. The photos do not do this property justice. When we walked through the doors my shoulders dropped 4 inches. I was immediately relaxed which usually takes me several days to achieve on vacation. Our hosts were there to answer any questions or to arrange any excursions we desired. This was our 8th trip to Isla so we didnt need much direction but they did make a dinner reservation for us. I recommend renting the golf cart through casa zama for your entire stay. The price and convienence are a bargain. The included breakfast was very nicely done. They were agreeable to our requests for tradition Mexican food vs french toast and pancakes. We loved the path along the ocean leading straight to the ruins. We spent most of our time by the pool. However, the rooftop patio should not be missed. The stars at night were amazing! We will definately return.

Recommended for:

Guest: Chris
Date of Stay: 05/01/09 Review Submitted: 09/21/10

I feel compelled to sit down and write this review because out of many well planned family vacations this one was by far the BEST!!! We stayed at a beautiful house on the island called Casa Zama. The Owners Ron and Melanie along with their staff really know how to take care of their Guests. We had a party of 6 and when I tried planning outings or excursions no one wanted to leave the house, for almost a week. Do yourself a favor and visit this fabulous place its well worth it!!!

Recommended for:

Impeccable

Guest: HollyMoore (Philadelphia PA USA)
Date of Stay: 02/06/09 Review Submitted: 02/09/11

I have been a guest at Casa Zama a couple of times, 2-3 weeks each time. I could not imagine staying anywhere else when visiting Isla Mujeres. The house is spectacular - the architecture, the decor, the view of the Caribbean. Hosts Ron and Melanie define hospitality - they and their staff could not have been more attentive. I was tremendously upset by the one less than five star review for Casa Zama. The situation described could never have happened. Melanie and Ron are far too conscientious and take too much pride in their home to ever permit such a lapse.

Owner response:Thank you so very much for such a warm review. We have certainly enjoyed sharing Casa Zama with you and we hope to host you again sometime soon. Warmest Regards, Ron and Mel

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.