BajaNomad

Hotel Los Vientos - Bahia de Los Angeles

David Nuevo - 12-7-2019 at 03:26 PM

Hotel Los Vientos Nov. 28-29, 2019
Hotel Los Vientos (The Winds) Resort and Spa is a beautifully designed hotel situated right on the beach in gorgeous Bahia de Los Angeles; Baja California, Mexico. After enjoying a nice dinner there last June, my girlfriend and I booked a room for two nights over Thanksgiving, fully expecting the place to live up to our previous impression. Were we ever disappointed! The main issue arose as the result of a town-wide power outage Thanksgiving night – not the hotel’s fault, of course, but they were completely unequipped to handle the situation, even though power failures are not all that uncommon in the area. Most importantly, my girlfriend could not use her CPAP machine (needed for her sleep apnea), but even if there had been electricity, the wind (the hotel’s namesake!) was howling so loudly through the totally unsealed gap around our room’s door that we would not have been able to sleep anyway.
Okay; we could have tolerated one – even two - nights without power, but the problems just kept multiplying. After that basically sleepless night, I was looking forward to a nice, hot shower to perk me up. Guess what: The hotel’s water pump runs on electricity – no shower, no coffee maker, no heat or AC, and no refrigerator (that last item is irrelevant – there was no fridge in our $125/night double room). Then there’s the toilet (that wasn’t even bolted to the floor!), which was now unflushable.
As I was standing outside, Guillermo, the owner, came up with a “Buenos dias” and his solution to the toilet issue: a complimentary bucket of water to flush with. I asked him about their backup generator he said, “We don’t have one”. Not even a simple solar panel system, at least for the water pump? “We are a small hotel”. So wouldn’t that make it easier to upgrade?? No answer.
Numerous other signs of neglect and mismanagement were as follows: The ceiling vent fan in the bathroom didn’t work, nor did the “free WiFi”; the fixtures in the bathroom were barely attached to the wall with sheetrock screws into the tile grout; no little tubes of shampoo, conditioner or lotion (stuff you’d find in hotels not claiming to be 4-star resorts and spas that charge half the price) were provided. The noxious icing on the cake was the dozens of piles of dog chit scattered over the gravel in the cactus garden – right in front of the office! Sanitation alert, anyone?? Until these basic issues are dealt with, giving Los Vientos even one star is a stretch.
Obviously, staying a second night was out of the question, even if the power had been restored (and who knows when it would’ve quit again?). I politely informed Sr. Guillermo of all of the aforementioned problems and our disappointment in his hotel, and especially his wholly inadequate preparation for the power outage. His response: “That is not my problem.” Seriously?? You’re running a hotel but can’t be expected to provide liveable accommodations for your guests? Sounds like a problem to me. I had no choice but to ask for a refund, if only for the second night. “We do not give refunds; I will honor your booking for one year.” Not gonna happen, amigo.

mtgoat666 - 12-7-2019 at 06:02 PM

It’s rural baja fish camp town, you should lower your expectations. Sounds like you expected too much.

You are lucky the power was off. When on, there is an electrocution hazard :lol:

Never seen a BOLA wall or door without an air gap — building quality ain’t too good. Winds there blow like snot, so you should expect wind noise, and bring ear plugs if you are sensitive.

Re lack of water, in places like BOLA, bathing is uncommon, why would you want to wasH off the dust? The dust is part of the charm! :lol:


[Edited on 12-8-2019 by mtgoat666]

4x4abc - 12-7-2019 at 06:19 PM

Bahia de los Angeles - it is not the end of the world, but it feels like it.
remember the time well when the town's generator shut down at 10pm. If it ran past 10 everyone knew someone had died and they put him in the big fridge at Guilliermo's.
A good friend living there was very proud that they had power, water and telephone (not common in Baja 20 years ago) - but there wasn't a single day when they had all 3 working.

so, it looks like the town has kept its charm and spirit.
$125 is a bit steep though

David Nuevo - 12-7-2019 at 07:55 PM

Check their website, Trip Advisor page, etc. Does that look like what you
would expect in a "rural Baja fish camp town"?? I have a house in a rural Baja fish co-op town (in a very windy area) that doesn't turn into a giant train whistle when it blows. I had ear plugs AND a pillow over my head and it didn't help. There was plenty of water, just inaccessible, and no dust to rinse off after all the rain.

Rufus T. Doofus - 12-8-2019 at 07:02 AM

My wife and I stayed there just before Thanksgiving for 2 nights. It was a wonderful experience. The power was out for about 3 hours our second morning there. We chose to use that time to drive out to LanGringa and scout for camping sites.

The internet at Los Vientos worked great for us when the power was on. Surprisingly fast service. However, we didn't expect it would magically work without power.

We did notice a few piles of dog poo on the crushed stone areas there. Wasn't surprised though. Baja seems to be covered in dog poo. It feels like we're always within 50 feet of a pile of poo everywhere we have traveled in Baja in the past 4 weeks. Stray dogs apparently have poor manners.

The food is very good in the restaurant there and the margaritas were tasty and strong.

Yes, $125/night is a little steep. But they can charge those prices because it's the best place in town which says more about BOLA than Los Vientos.

bkbend - 12-8-2019 at 10:29 AM

All of the above are what gives BdeLA its charm. It will never be turned into another Cabo and overrun by tourists.

David K - 12-8-2019 at 10:42 AM

David Nuevo, welcome to Nomad (interesting choice of handles)! You say you have a home in Baja (Punta Abreojos?). So, this shouldn't have been that much of a surprise on how some businesses operate in Baja. Los Vientos has had similar horror stories, including theft. How does one not see them when searching on places to stay? In any case, sorry that happened! Costa del Sol seems to be the highest rated place, but ask for the original rooms if they are available. We stayed in their new building in 2009 and the bed was harder than concrete, lol. Stayed at Las Hamacas... great shower! I also stayed at Casa Diaz on my last trip there... only $20 and nice soft bed, hot shower, ocean view.

David Nuevo - 12-8-2019 at 02:36 PM

Thanks for the welcome - not my first post, though. Normally I'd be in my camper in Marv's yard (walking distance to the hotel) for Thanksgiving, but that's no fun in the wind either. You people seem to have the impression that I'm some tourist who's never been to BOLA, which is not the case at all - I've been surfing, camping and fishing in Baja for almost 50 years. I guess my error was taking all the hype at face value and thinking it would be a nice place for a couple to stay for a couple of nights, which it certainly was not. I have no complaint about the restaurant and bar, but I can't drink enough Margaritas to stay next to a dog toilet...at any price. Oh, and RTD: Great idea to go scout La Gringa for campsites, I assume you didn't go at night, which was when our power quit.

[Edited on 12-8-2019 by David Nuevo]

PaulW - 12-8-2019 at 03:58 PM

Been there done that. Now we stay in town.

advrider - 12-8-2019 at 06:14 PM

Always good to know what others experienced, so you can make up your own mind. We have stayed at Costa Del Sole for years and been very happy. I have read that others were not happy with CDS, thank you for taking the time to post about your trip, good bad or other wise!

Terry28 - 12-9-2019 at 11:08 AM

My wife and I stayed there for two nights in October....No issues. you can't blame the hotel when the whole town is without power.....We did think the room we were it could have been a little cleaner but that was all....The owners,Guillermo and Rosa were great, food was good and well priced....And we had a dog and cleaned up after.....we will go there again....Not the hotels fault.....be fair....

David Nuevo - 12-9-2019 at 01:10 PM

Terry 28: I stated in Line 5 that it wasn't the hotel's fault that power went out. Now, whose fault is it that they had no backup power to deal with it?? Fair enough?

David Nuevo - 12-9-2019 at 02:02 PM

DK: I did - they were mixed. I chose to stay there because it's so close to my friend's house, and I never imagined that a functional hotel wouldn't have a plan for power failures; definitely won't make that blunder again! At this point I just hope my review steers others away from that disaster.

mtgoat666 - 12-9-2019 at 02:08 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David Nuevo  
... and I never imagined that a functional hotel wouldn't have a plan for power failures; definitely won't make that blunder again! .


doubt you will find any hotel in baja with backup generator to power the hotel. perhaps a generator to power the office or refers, but not the whole hotel. that would be costly generator to power entire vientos hotel.

i always carry a headlamp. if you aksed, i bet ofc could have scrounged up a candle or 2 for you.

Paco Facullo - 12-9-2019 at 02:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by David Nuevo  
... and I never imagined that a functional hotel wouldn't have a plan for power failures; definitely won't make that blunder again! .


doubt you will find any hotel in baja with backup generator to power the hotel. perhaps a generator to power the office or refers, but not the whole hotel. that would be costly generator to power entire vientos hotel.

i always carry a headlamp. if you aksed, i bet ofc could have scrounged up a candle or 2 for you.



At $125.00 a night they sure SHOULD have back-up generators... as this happens quite regularly..

Bajazly - 12-9-2019 at 02:39 PM

Sounds like you were in the midst of an Excellent Baja Adventure.:bounce:

JZ - 12-9-2019 at 03:03 PM

Op, I'm gonna give you some sage advice that your momma should have when you were in the 7th grade.

Use paragraph breaks when you write. It's much easier to collect your thoughts, and much easier on the readers' eyes.

JZ - 12-9-2019 at 03:06 PM

Quote: Originally posted by advrider  
Always good to know what others experienced, so you can make up your own mind. We have stayed at Costa Del Sole for years and been very happy. I have read that others were not happy with CDS, thank you for taking the time to post about your trip, good bad or other wise!


I like CDS a lot. The owner can be grumpy though. She's been mad a me since one of crew hooked up with one of her waitresses years ago.




[Edited on 12-9-2019 by JZ]

AKgringo - 12-9-2019 at 03:54 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  


I like CDS a lot. The owner can be grumpy though. She been mad a me since one of crew hooked up with one of her waitresses years ago.



Pictures? If not, it didn't happen! :o

David Nuevo - 12-9-2019 at 04:33 PM
Quote:

i always carry a headlamp. if you aksed, i bet ofc could have scrounged up a candle or 2 for you.


Ever try to flush a toilet with a candle? Look - the place is a disgrace; if you guys want to put up with that crap (no matter what the rate/night is), go ahead.

David Nuevo - 12-9-2019 at 04:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Op, I'm gonna give you some sage advice that your momma should have when you were in the 7th grade.

Use paragraph breaks when you write. It's much easier to collect your thoughts, and much easier on the readers' eyes.



Wow - you're pickier than I am...you should probably stay out of Baja altogether! ;)

a) My thoughts were collected before I wrote anything.
b) The paragraphs were spaced fine in the Word DOC...sorry I didn't notice the difference when I posted.

Paco Facullo - 12-9-2019 at 04:44 PM

You won't catch me paying anywhere close to $125.00 and night in Baja....

I have WAY better things to spend my money on like Pacifico's, Taco's and fishing !!!

[Edited on 12-12-2019 by Paco Facullo]

JZ - 12-9-2019 at 05:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David Nuevo  


Wow - you're pickier than I am...you should probably stay out of Baja altogether! ;)

a) My thoughts were collected before I wrote anything.
b) The paragraphs were spaced fine in the Word DOC...sorry I didn't notice the difference when I posted.


You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him thirsty.

Try taking sound advice, is my final advice to you.


Don Pisto - 12-9-2019 at 05:31 PM

thanks for the heads up david nuevo...:D

David Nuevo - 12-9-2019 at 05:35 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Quote: Originally posted by David Nuevo  


Wow - you're pickier than I am...you should probably stay out of Baja altogether! ;)

a) My thoughts were collected before I wrote anything.
b) The paragraphs were spaced fine in the Word DOC...sorry I didn't notice the difference when I posted.


You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him thirsty.

Try taking sound advice, is my final advice to you.




Is that a promise?

airmech - 12-9-2019 at 09:57 PM

David,
Thanks for the update. I totally get it what your saying. You wanted to enjoy a nice Turkey Day so you decided to splurge on a hotel that basically false advertised and wasted your money. You feel you could have enjoyed a much cheaper hotel with less expectations and probably would have had a nicer Thanksgiving with, at a minimum indoor plumbing. I feel your pain because I’ve been there.

Thank you for the update; It is always a hit or miss with that hotel. They change owners every so many years so it
can be night and day so it’s great to hear the current situation.

On this forum, unfortunately, its the same old grumpy people that have nothing to do but troll. Same set of people over and over. Its too bad because I know many people over the years that just will not comment on here because of the trolls and we miss out in a wealth of information about hotels, restaurants, etc.

BYW, congrats on getting JZ to stop giving you advice. You have passed a mile stone! If only you get get a couple of the others to promise that!!


David Nuevo - 12-10-2019 at 07:39 AM

Airmech,
No worries - I can "old grumpy" right along with 'em. I've been following this forum for years and was well aware of what to expect, and from whom; it's just comedy to me. (hope everybody appreciates the ample spacing to follow)


Gracias for your rational commentary!

[Edited on 12-10-2019 by David Nuevo]

David K - 12-10-2019 at 09:29 AM

;):D:light::bounce:

bajatrailrider - 12-10-2019 at 09:32 PM

:bounce::bounce::bounce: More like old and grumpy baja blow hards yes the trolls. Good luck David K and David Nuevo. This site has been useless for years now with Trolls. Sorry all

David Nuevo - 12-10-2019 at 09:47 PM

No problema- without them I never would've made "Junior Nomad". :spingrin:

motoged - 12-11-2019 at 07:59 AM

Ya gotta remember....some folks' lips move when they read a stop sign....:biggrin:
Quote: Originally posted by David Nuevo  
Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Op, I'm gonna give you some sage advice that your momma should have when you were in the 7th grade.

Use paragraph breaks when you write. It's much easier to collect your thoughts, and much easier on the readers' eyes.



Wow - you're pickier than I am...you should probably stay out of Baja altogether! ;)

a) My thoughts were collected before I wrote anything.
b) The paragraphs were spaced fine in the Word DOC...sorry I didn't notice the difference when I posted.

4x4abc - 12-11-2019 at 08:41 AM

it truly is an old people's forum
no posts between 8pm and 6am

I was stuck in a hospital bed some years ago and needed help
could not raise any staff
not with the bell, not with screaming
I wasn't able to leave the bed
I had no phone
But I had internet
thought of posting a HELP sign on Bajanomad
but then I remembered that nobody would be watching at 3 in the morning

found a solution on the internet

so, when you are stuck in Baja and thought of using you inReach to raise help from Baja experts - don't try at night

Archie - 12-11-2019 at 09:45 AM

Brudentravel - 12-7-2022 at 06:52 AM

Just stayed here a week or two ago. Clean rooms, yes the fit and finish is not up to USA standards but it was a very nice and large room with a nice view. Walked in and asked how much, they said $140, I went to leave and the woman asked how much I wanted to pay, I said $80, ok she said. Restaurant is pretty good. Ramon took me out fishing $350, caught tons of fish, humpback whales swam about 50 ft from the boat, sea lions too. Looking out the window during breakfast I saw lots of dolphins playing just off the beach. Great beach. I really enjoyed it and would go back......for $80 not $140 though.

Cliffy - 12-8-2022 at 07:50 PM

Stayed at Diaz when I parked my airplane in front of my room
Slept on folding bed on the porch in the summer No A/C
Hot water for a shower? Only when the sun was shinning
Pangas were $60/day
Momma Diaz cooked a good dinner.
Generator shut off at 10_PM Then it was flashlights and candles
All quiet on the Western Front unless someone without a muffler was coming down hill into town from miles away on top.
One hotel in hotel in town had the electricity connected to the water system so you got a shock when ever you showered

Nice to see things haven't changed except prices :-)

David K - 12-8-2022 at 09:32 PM

Stayed at Casa Diaz in 1967, and it was exactly as you described.
In 2017, I spent a night in a room by the beach. Chubasco Diaz only charged me $20. The room was very basic, a light bulb above, nice soft bed, and 24 hot water! Not the old solar heated tank on the roof, like in the 60s.
The really cool thing about the power going off at 10 pm was seeing all the stars, sleeping outside on the cots in the summer.

RFClark - 12-10-2022 at 05:21 PM

We always carry camp kitchen lights and flash lights. As to why the power in BofLA goes out often blame CFE they put the poles in so shallow that they blow over in a strong wind! Since everyone knows that most have a backup generator!

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