Cool, Dreamy Oceanfront Villa... "Cristal" Famously Beautiful

• Christmas at Cristal

  Christmas at Cristal

  • Guest diane
  • Date of stay 12/15/12
  • Review Submitted 04/19/13
  After much research we chose Casa Cristal for our Family Christmas vacation. We were looking for a place that would accommodate our whole family (my husband, my son, his wife and our daughter who lives on the island). I did alot of correspondance with the owners to make sure that we were getting a place that gave us the space that we needed, a good area for group games and a nice setting for Christmas dinner. Our needs were certainly met and we had an excellent stay. Alex, the property manager was very helpful with all of our requests. During our stay, the dishwasher did breakdown and he showed up the next day to fix it. A couple of items to mention: more lounge chairs by the pool. There were 2 loungers on the roof but we did not want to have to carry up and down. And the 'bed' on the roof is in need of a new mattress and cover. But all in all - a great Christmas at Cristal. Thanks!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Delicious Experience

  Delicious Experience

  • Guest fern
  • Date of stay 04/22/12
  • Review Submitted 05/25/12
  Casa Cristal turned out to be an exquisite experience for my girlfriend and I. The house is gorgeous, well maintained, and with excellent service. The house itself was such that she and I spent most of the first 3 days, playing in the pool and well (let's just say it brought out the romance in us)...did I mention the candlelit, canopied enormous jacuzzi tub,,,yeah, I have to admit we did thoroughly enjoy the bathing experience,,,it added new meaning to getting clean. I should mention the master bedroom with this great view of the turqoise blue waters of the Carribean. Also, it had this home theater, surround sound, 96" screen that made us feel like the theater came to us. It rocked! We spent one night on the rooftop canopied bed , all stars, moon and beautiful vista. Alex was prompt with service and at our beck and call...always with a smile and friendly service. Would I return again? Absolutely! Oh, I almost forgot...the location is a great jumping off point to explore the Yucatan (and a 30 foor boat is available for snorkeling, scuba diving, or just cruisin' the Carribean). I can't imagine anyone not thoroughly enjoying Cristal.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Beauty the Beast

  Beauty the Beast

  • Guest JT
  • Date of stay 04/01/12
  • Review Submitted 04/24/12
  Get ready to feel like a celebrity when you enter this scintillating island charmer. The view of the Caribbean is breath taking from any of the numerous views offered on all levels of the house. While Casa Cristal is strong on style, she stumbles mightily with substance. The first three days of our seven day stay were a struggle and created the disappointment our experience left us to share with you and potential other suitors. We arrived with no one to meet us, as promised by the owners. We found our way to the house only to discover an unacceptable amount of mold in the first and second floor bathrooms. I work in public health and this was deplorable. My wife had to scrub the bathroom facilities. This, after we were asked to wait an additional two hours past our scheduled move-in time. The owners were contacted, apologized and agreed to a two-day refund. Against our stated wishes, the owners sent a cleaning lady to the house. She could not access the cleaning supplies and left. We again stated we did not want the cleaning crew in the house. We were told the cleaning would take place, and the crew came back. Understanding the owner wanted to “make things right” with us, we then asked that only the bathrooms be cleaned and the cleaning take no more than two hours. Instead, the entire house and all linens were cleaned with the resident manager in the house from 9 am until 4 pm. We asked that this day be refunded as well, but were told no. In an e-mail from the owner, we were told a mid-week cleaning was part of guest services. Please check this out in advance as we were not aware of this and strongly believe this was stated by the owners to escape refunding us a third day. During our first week of April visit, there was a substantial ant infestation in the home. The ants have bored a hole above the door frame leading to the first floor laundry/bathroom area from the kitchen/living room. This has clearly been a long-standing problem that has been allowed to continue. I imagine the owner will deny knowing about this. The ants were evident around the kitchen window, too. Also, we were never able to get the overhead lights and ceiling fan to work in the living room. The property manager couldn’t either. The owner will likely deny knowing about this. There were water flow issues with the second floor toilet; as the water control float constantly stuck, not allowing the tank to properly re-fill. And I imagine the owner will deny knowing about this. See a patt

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, families with teenagers, sightseeing.

  Owner response: In 2 years of managing our property, Alex has never once missed a greeting at the ferry dock. But(!), that Sunday, he was coaching his youth soccer team in Cancun (playoffs), so he made a Plan B, which sadly (floabw), fell apart. This was to be a back to back guest transition, but the departing guests checked out very late and new guests arrived hours earlier than the check-in time. Alex’s new helper, Martine had difficulty managing the power-cleaning and laundering that occurs in the short hours between guests. He sent the maid home until the departing guests left, but she had difficulty returning as her husband was very upset about her time away from the family on a Sunday. Martine asks the arriving guests if they could delay check-in from 3 pm to 5 pm. He hadn’t realized they were arriving on such an early ferry so when they showed up at the house, he was surprised and apologized for not being present to greet them. They’d received directions to the house from their golf cart rental shop across from the ferry (they also had directions on their info sheet which comes with the agreement). The guests later informed us the cleaning was insufficient when they checked in. We refunded the guests 2 nights of their stay for that insufficient cleaning. We’ve since hired a cleaning co that can provide team cleanings for back to back guests. The free mid-week cleaning is easily negotiated from cleaning bathrooms and changing linens to whole house cleaning (and can be denied or rescheduled). It’s intended to be a blessing and I’ve never heard of it lasting from 9a to 4p. I can’t imagine what confusion occurred that would prompt this. All our feedback and experience indicates Alex would never over-ride a guest request. I wonder if Alex felt the same confusion and mixed signals from the husband and wife as we were experiencing. Regarding ants: we promise that there is no “infestation” (in our alarm we’ve had it triple-checked). The wee ants of Isla are part of life on the island. The house is sprayed every month, but if you leave food out, they will likely find it. No food, no ants, guaranteed. Storing open food in the fridge or large microwave solves any potential issues. Water pressure can be low at times on the island, but pressure is normally good at the house so we had Alex change the floats just in case. We want you to have an amazing Isla getaway with your friends, family or just each other. We will do everything in our power to provide you a wonderful space!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/5

• The best experience in island rental ever

  The best experience in island rental ever

  • Guest Vandy
  • Date of stay 02/09/12
  • Review Submitted 02/29/12
  Just got back from Isla a couple of weeks ago. Cristal is an exceptional value. We were there less than 3 hours when owner called to see if everything was okay. The answer was everything was perfect and just what we expected. We have rented homes in Cozumel, St.Lucia, Bonaire and Isla and Cristal is by far the best value we have ever had. Alex was there when ever we called. Alberto who was the boat captain treated us like royalty. The house was very clean and the landscaping was spotless. Everyone on the island knows where Cristal is and talks about it. Diving was great. Went to wreck and saw at least 30 eagle rays. What an experience. We will definitely be going back to Isla and staying at Cristal. Thanks for such a great time. Jim

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, age 55+, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• home away from home

  home away from home

  • Guest shawnda
  • Date of stay 12/08/10
  • Review Submitted 01/05/12
  My husband and I have stayed at Casa Crystal five times in the last four years. The Casa is the most beautiful house on the whole island. The location is conveniant to to all our favorite resturants, beach and shopping centers. Every morning we love to have our coffee by the pool and my husband goes to the beach (in front of the house) to collect sea shells. We never can fit them all in our suit case, but he tries. The master bedroom is designed romantic and entertaining. At the end of a great day we enjoy the jetted and watching a movie in our own little theature. Casa Crystal has amazing views inside and outside the house. The house is classy with great artwork and also has all the comfort of home. Isla is a nice friendly island with warm beautiful beaches. I would not stay on the island however with out staying at Casa Crystal. Thank you for making us feel at home.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• Casa Cristal is Amazing!

  Casa Cristal is Amazing!

  • Guest Krystal
  • Date of stay 05/27/11
  • Review Submitted 01/03/12
  Casa Cristal was absolutely gorgeous. It has breathtaking views of the ocean. The house was immaculate and the design is very modern. The spiral staircase makes you feel like a movie star. It is right by the ocean cliffside similar to Santa Cruz, California but of course the ocean is warmer and prettier in Mexico. The amenities were excellent; the house has a pool, roof patio, kitchen, Ipod hookup, BBQ, etc. The owners also rented us their boat for snorkeling and scuba diving. They were very helpful in providing information about the island and how to get around. I would recommend this place for anyone’s future vacation! Isla De Mujeres (Island of the Lady) is an excellent place to for vacation it is great for relaxation and has all the activities you could ask for. I wouldn’t stay anywhere else but Casa Cristal and will definitely be going again.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Casa Cristal - oceanfront luxury house rental price, for oceanview 3 star accomodation

  Casa Cristal - oceanfront luxury house rental price, for oceanview 3 star accomodation

  • Guest Expat in Yucatan
  • Date of stay 12/17/11
  • Review Submitted 12/27/11
  We spent the Christmas holiday at Casa Cristal in 2011. Be aware before renting, this property is NOT oceanfront. Nor is there an accessible beach close by. The house sits on a very, very busy street. The pool area is streetside and offers no privacy and tranquility. We were very disappointed when we arrived by these facts and feel the photos in this listing are misleading. Inside, the house was not very clean and some amenities were missing, old or shabby. We found it bizarre that the owners had a huge movie screen a leather couch, but there were no non-plastic dishes, no wine glasses, stove or toaster, taps did not work etc. We did contact the owners with a list of our concerns. They were not very responsive and unhelpful. On a positive, the beds are very comfortable and the water pressure in the showers is good. There is a local house contact, Alex, who was wonderfully helpful and accomodating. He arranged for a cleaner and even found us a dentist for a tooth emergency! The rooftop deck offers amazing views of the ocean and Cancun skyline. Overall, I would NOT recommend renting this house at the price the owners have set. We have rented several houses in Mexico and the owners are charging oceanfront luxury house prices, for oceanview 3 star accomodation. Hopefully they will make some improvements for future renters. Isla Mujeres is a lovely little island with some great restaurants and people watching. I would specifically recommend trying Bastos grill (which is close to this house), the Villa Rolandi (we went to the spa and restaurant both of which were excellent) and Picus Cockteleria (right on the north beach).

  Recommended for: Sightseeing.

  Owner response: We’ve received nothing but glowing responses to the house so I’m a bit traumatized by this one. Couple points to clarify: The house is ocean front and the cliff overlooking the Caribbean is less than 30 ft in front of the property (the views are spectacular) and there is a path to the ocean below. It’s a unique, private little area down there. It has a rocky shoreline, but there are sandy spots (more sandy in the summer) and little caves and tidal pools. There is a stovetop, but no oven as I didn't know what I would ever want to put in an oven in the Mexican Caribbean. If you would like to cook a chicken or a pie, just let me know and I'll have Alex deliver one to you! There’s a bbq built in at the patio/sitting area in back as well. We replace items damaged by guests (or missing) quickly, but it’s trickier with back to back guests. Alex (who gets rave reviews!) delivered a toaster and wine glasses immediately. He also makes sure the house is cleaned and well-maintained before every arrival. We gave the guests a 2nd cleaning, but never understood what was amiss. If you need something, just ask Alex, he’ll make it happen! These guests were the first (and last!) to reserve via a 3rd party. The referral came from a local guy who has his own site and somehow the guests were accidentally misinformed about the location of the house. It’s clear they believed they reserved beachfront property (yikes). We had no idea of any confusion. The map here clearly indicates the house is located on a corner lot of the perimeter road and it’s never been an issue. They reserved the week of Christmas (very popular/ high demand) so I imagine the traffic was heavier, but in lower seasons, its mainly local scooters and taxis traveling to the quieter, residential end of Isla. We built the house as a retreat/love nest, not a rental property so we don’t treat it that way. There’s art pieces, high-end furniture, pretty new rugs, comfy beds, etc. It’s cool, modern décor. We think you'll love it!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/6

.. Regular Rates ..
March 01-Dec 15 .. $350/night .. $2350/week with $100 discount
.. Holiday Rates ..
Dec 16-Feb 29 .. $425/night .. $2899/week with $75 discount

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.