Dirty Dozen

Guest: Sherry (Seneca,Ks.)
Date of Stay: 01/21/12 Review Submitted: 01/29/12

Our group of 12 rented this house and it was amazing. I would recommend this to any large family or group. The owners are so nice and make feel so welcome. Close to beach and walking distance to everything you need. Had a great time and can't wait to go back. Your friends from Kansas!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway.

We LOVED Casa Pasalaqua!

Guest: Michelle D.
Date of Stay: 12/08/11 Review Submitted: 01/05/12

Thanks you Eleonora for all your help making our trip to Playa del Carmen a HUGE success. We all fell in love with the house and the area! It was an amazing property and working with you made planning the trip so easy. I cannot wait to come back!

Recommended for:

Great Place for Vacation

Guest: jim w.
Date of Stay: 07/06/11 Review Submitted: 07/13/11

I just got back from a 3 day trip here and wish I could have stayed longer. The house is beautiful from top to bottom and a less than 5 minute walk to 5th Ave. Every amenity you could possibly need is already there for you and the owner was incredibly friendly and easy to work with during the whole rental process. I would definitely head back again and would reccommend to staying here vs a resort as you will have much more privacy and comfort.

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

Beautiful, private but a close walk to everything

Guest: Boston winter (Boston)
Date of Stay: 01/31/11 Review Submitted: 02/09/11

8 of us just returned from a week in Mexico. We rented Casa Passalacqua and were not disappointed. The house is in a gated community, and and feels very private and safe. The money exchange made me nervous initially, but it was completely safe and professional, the owners of this property want the guests to truly enjoy themselves and are super accommodating. The beach is a 2 minute walk down the road, and it is beautiful, and far less crowded than any other beach close to town. You will not be harassed by merchants or vendors here. The walk into town is about 5-10 minutes, and there is a convenience store and a Starbucks 5 minutes away. We saw amazing birds and wildlife, and watched the sun set from the incredible rooftop after grilling delicious food outside. This is a huge and great place, and the family is wonderful! You will not regret this rental!.

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

New Year's paradise in Playa del Carmen

Guest: globetrotter (Seattle)
Date of Stay: 12/29/10 Review Submitted: 01/14/11

Casa Passalacqua was a great place to spend this past New Year's. The house was clean, airy and well laid out, especially considering the size of our group: 10 adults and 2 infants. The kitchen is well stocked with all the necessary equipment to do some serious local culinary exploration, which we did most of our 8 night stay. The master suite on the 3rd floor is unbelievable, amazing views and the Jacuzzi is right there on the deck. Carlos and Eleanora did a fantastic job with everything and the local staff was very helpful and friendly. Overall the experience was something my whole family would definitely do again. My favorite aspect of the house was the location: close to the beach (<5 minutes stroll) and within easy walking distance of downtown, yet far enough away from the crowds to remain quiet and relaxing. The community is gated and security is topnotch, something we hadn't experienced in Mexico before. It really makes a difference since everyone walking the streets is either vacationing or living within the community. In fact, if I had to point out anything "disappointing" it would be the stove/oven: it is underpowered by my (admittedly high) standards so be prepared to split large meals across multiple pans and burners. For example: cooking rice & beans for ten required three pots, not a huge deal but something to be aware of for anyone intending to self-cater, especially with a large group. Also, the grill on the top desk takes some getting used to, it is really windy up there so be prepared for a challenge when you go to “fire up the barbie”. I realize many people don't go on vacation to cook for themselves but it's important to me...if you don't care then there is literally nothing disappointing about the property. When you go (and you should, the house is fabulous) be sure to eat at El Fogon on Calle 6/Avenida 30. It is well worth the 20 minute walk. Also, check out the local grocery DAC (also on Avenida 30) for great local produce and an amazing variety of spices and dried ingredients. The selection at DAC will inspire you to whip up some truly amazing authentic dishes in no time! PS – the street tacos outside the bus station are to die for and at roughly 80 cents apiece are probably the cheapest meal you will find in Playa :)

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with young children.

Our wonderful Mexican vacation at Casa Passalacqua

Guest: Dan (Pensacola)
Date of Stay: 06/19/10 Review Submitted: 07/06/10

Every aspect of our trip to Eleonora Passalacqua's beautiful villa in Playa del Carmen exceeded our espectations. From the very beginning Eleonora has been very helpful and responsive, and honest and straightforward. I would certainly return to her villa for an even longer vacation. We were a family of seven including two young grandsons. We did not feel crowded at all, and everyone enjoyed as much privacy as he/she wanted.The rooms are large and tastefully appointed wtih extensive marble treatments. The grandsons particularly enjoyed the rooftop jaccuzi. We had the Mexican chef Maria come and prepare a meal for us, and it was unforgettable. We all agreed hers was the best Mexican food we had tasted anywhere. Carlos arranged for a van to pick us up at the airport and return us there at the end of the stay. The driver was most courteous, and a good, safe driver. At our request he took us by the Playa Wal Mart after pickup at the airport so we could stock up on necessities. I found the most attractive aspect of Casa Passalacqua is its close proximity to downtown Playa. A walk of 5 - 10 minutes brought us to the famous 5th avenue where we found a plethora of restaurants, and plenty of shopping for the ladies. A tip to pass on: the further north you go on 5th avenue, the nicer the stores and restaurants. We didn't discover this until our week was almost over. I was frankly a bit nervous about going on vacation in Mexico, but we felt completely safe at all times. The crime you read about is way up north on the border with the USA. The Mayan Riviera is quiet and peaceful, and the people are courteous and friendly. I was also nervous about making such a transaction by phone and internet, and sending a large sum of money to someone I don't know. Eleonora has proved all my fears false. She is an honest and trustworthy person. Would I return to Casa Passalacqua? You betcha! Dan Pensacola Florida

Recommended for:Sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+.

Casa Passalacqua

Guest: txbrian (Austin, TX)
Date of Stay: 05/14/09 Review Submitted: 05/19/09

We had a wonderful time at Casa Passalacqua this weekend. The house was perfect for us! It is beautiful, spacious, comfortable, and the location is fantastic...right around the corner from a fantastic private beach and an easy walk to town. The jacuzzi is huge and the rooftop deck has great views. Eleonora arranged van transportation for us to/from the airport for a great price. Our flight to Cancun was delayed at the last minute, so I called Eleonora, and she was able to contact the van driver to make sure he knew about the delay and paid attention to the flight status. Despite a 2 hour flight delay, our driver was waiting for us as soon as we arrived. Great service! While in Playa, a simple phone call to Carlos had the van ready for us again for an early morning trip to Tulum. We had so much fun, and the customer service made everything very painless for us. Thanks!

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

Playa Del Carmen House/ Casa Passalaqua

Guest: Brasley (Austin,Texas)
Date of Stay: 04/06/09 Review Submitted: 04/21/09

We had a family reunion with 10 family members of all ages. From 16 months to 84 years old. The house was very nice, very clean and the entire trip was very relaxing and safe. I recommend trying the cook Sandra early in your visit, you may only want to eat out a couple of times, the food was great and very reasonable fees.. I look forward to our next visit.

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

Home away from home

Guest: Jason and Fam (Vancouver, WA, USA)
Date of Stay: 02/04/09 Review Submitted: 04/02/09

We rented this beautiful house for group of 7 people. Me, my wife, our 3 sons, and my wife's sister & mother. We had a fabulous time in Playa at this house. We really enjoyed the caring interactions with the villa owner. She made sure that every question or concern we had was handled. The internet works well, which is great for emailing her your questions. The house is large, so you can get privacy if you want. That is nice if you are staying for a while. There is a cell phone on site that you can load up with minutes at Walmart, which makes it very easy to function in Playa. We took the 1st class bus in from the airport. We later rented a van, and we highly recommend it! We drove to Tulum, Coba, and a wonderful out of the way cenote (I honestly can't remember the name) that was almost free, and was an awesome experience. The house staff is very typical to that area of the world, meaning you should be ready to tell them your needs. Even though you expect things like towels changed out every day, you might need to ask. You might even need to go down to the laundry and find the "hidden" washcloths in order use them. But that is not unusual for cleaning staff in Mexico. Don't let it bum you out, just speak up and everything you need will be handled. They are very nice. There's a very secluded beach about 3 blocks from the house. That is very hard to find in the Caribbean. If you walk into town and down to the beach there, you will see what I mean. Big difference in amount of people, volume of the music blaring from the beach clubs, seas of people tanning, etc. The beach near the house is different. If you're into the hotel zone experience, you can walk into town and find it, but you will always have the option at this beach of just hanging out and enjoying the beauty of the Caribbean. Carlos, the man who oversees the house, is a really nice guy. He carries a cell phone so you can always get ahold of him. He knows many restaurants in the area that taste great, but are more affordable than the tourist traps. He also knows the area if you have questions about things like cenotes, parks, soccer games or whatever might cross your mind. The roof of the house has a truly amazing view. It's just like the pictures. The barbecue is not in great shape, but we didn't care. We were happy to cook downstairs and bring the food up. The kitchen is in great shape. Very usable, if you want to cook and save money. Great vacation!

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

Great Location

Guest: Andre B. (London, Ontario)
Date of Stay: 03/09/09 Review Submitted: 03/12/09

A one minute walk to the beach and 7 minute walk to 5th ave. The villa was more than enough room for three couples. The roof top deck was a nice place for a late afternoon cocktail. The maid service was great. The only problem was lack of hot water. The taps in the sink were hot, but the showers were cold - weird. Overall a nice experience.

Owner response:We were not aware of the problem. Our property manager has identified the problem and repaired. Every thing works perfect now.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.