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comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
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Mood: mellow
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Robbed at La Fonda
The following is from fred's forum:
Posted by Mandy Tucker on August 23, 2005 at 16:06:07:
After eating at the very delicious La Fonda Brunch, paying for and checking in to our 2 rooms, we "locked" things up and went down to the beach. A
little more than an hour later, I ran up to the room to grab my cash to purchase items from the local vendors. I had locked my purse in the car
(parked directly in front of my room #1) and hid my carkeys in the kitchen "silverware drawer." Well someone broke into our room and found my keys,
went onto steal my purse out of my car along with my daughter's hidden ipod, and my husband's cash. They then robbed our friend's room (next door) #6,
stole all of their cash and their daughter's ipod, some clothes etc.
The American owner's initially appeared very concerned and tried to figure out how on earth someone could have broken into 2 rooms right in the very
front of the hotel, in broad daylight, next to the office with 24/7 security.
Well the first clue was the demonstration of opening our door with a credit card... then of course the awareness of the lock being less secure than
the one on my bathroom door at home... Then meeting the head of security around the age of maybe 20, who could only manage a smirk and continue to
chew on a toothpick out of the corner of his mouth, and later seeing him working as a waiter.
This all was a very disheartening experience, as our families had been greatly looking forward to our Mexico getaway. But, to add to entire ordeal was
our later treatment by the owners (from Newport Beach). In fact, the robbery almost seemed less offensive after was all said and done.
We figured between the two families we lost approximately $500 in cash, along with $1000 in property, plus my credit cards, license, checkbook, etc.
How did the owner's treat us? Well they gave us two pitchers of margaritas. We had already each paid $150 for our rooms for two nights and spent over
$100 at brunch.
When we ate our dinner at the La Fonda restuarant later in the evening, they wanted to tack on 10% charge for using a credit card (one that wasn't
stolen), even though all of our cash was stolen out of their unsecured hotel rooms! We had many argumentative words about this.
We had had enough and decided that we didn't feel safe, plus the management treated us like we were Non-customers to say the least. When we were
trying to leave in the morning--leaving a day early (we had already paid for the next night), we were verbally attacked by the owner irately screaming
in my girlfriend's face that the "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, WE'RE NOT GIVING YOU ANYTHING ELSE, YOU KEEP WANTING MORE!!!" Well yes, we wanted more than 2
pitchers of margaritas and charged 10% more for having to use our credit cards--since our cash was all stolen... We wanted a refund for the night we
were not going to stay--that we had already paid for. We hadn't signed or agreed to any kind of "No Refund" policy, and none was posted. They said
they would give us a voucher to stay for free on some other night!!! Which they knew there was no way we would use!
So, live and learn from our naivete. Watch your valuables when in Mexico---keep them with you, and expect NOTHING from the owners from Newport Beach
of LaFonda Hotel and Restuarant, but complete lack of regard for customer welfare. And, when you go to sleep at night, put a chair in front of the
door, so you can at least hear when someone is coming in with their paper clip or my credit card...
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4459
Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
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Wow - thanks for moving it over here.
I think I'd be on the horn to the credit card co disputing some of the charges. Which is why it's better to pay by credit card than debit card. No
recourse with debit cards.
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
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What's new?
It is La Fonda's the most well known place along the Gold Coast and has been know thorughout Europe and the Swimming Kennedy even enbibed here.
But it has also held the record of crimes committed against tourists for more than 30 years that I know of.
Try the credit card thing before you leave your room. (Most of you who do not have a dead bolt at home with find the credit card works great there
also.) If you can bypass the lock by just sliding the card between the door, the lock and the jam and it opens this tells the average bozzo that
nothing should be left in the room unless someone is sitting on it.
Sorry that you got ripped off but you are in a very large company of people from the entire world.
PS we used to love the place when Eve STocker ran it--roughly from the late 50's thru the late 70's. Dimetri--forget it--I know he has a lot of
friends and a few on this board but he was not a nice person.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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pappy
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about a year ago i posted here about some friends being robbed at gun point in the la fonda parking lot.they eventually got their truck back(found in
mexicalli) but everything, and i mean everything else was gone.....
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
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Location: Bahia Asuncion
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I'm surprised anyone would have the stomach for margaritas after getting ripped off like that.
This sort of thing happens all the time in Latin America. You just have to suck it up and make the trip positive anyway. It's like montezuma's
revenge: you get it - you get it. You move on (a bit more slowly perhaps ).
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Frank
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Location: San Diego
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Mood: Is it time to leave yet?
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Wow, I guess Ill just keep driving south. 
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capn.sharky
Senior Nomad
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I hate to appear ignorant, but where the heck is this La Fonda place? I will never stay there for sure. Also, by sharing on this board we will all
learn what to avoid while traveling sur de la frontera. And, yes, the owners treated you very badly. They don't need my money. Could this be the
hotel resturant that is before you get to Ensenada and after Tijuana? Its right on the beach?
If there is no fishing in heaven, I am not going
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Frank
Senior Nomad
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Location: San Diego
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Mood: Is it time to leave yet?
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Yes, and its on the free road.
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Yes, at the Alistos, Plaza del Mar, La Mision exit... K-58+ on the old hwy.
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
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http://www.bajaquest.com/rosarito/lafonda.htm
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rpleger
Super Nomad
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Thank you so much for the information.
Sorry about your trip, Don`t judge all of Baja California by the border towns.
Richard on the Hill
*ABROAD*, adj. At war with savages and idiots. To be a Frenchman abroad is to
be miserable; to be an American abroad is to make others miserable.
-- Ambrose Bierce, _The Enlarged Devil\'s Dictionary_
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 2-2-2003
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I told you
this is better than TV!
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PacO
Nomad
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It's not really laughable. Don't be a dick.
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jrbaja
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All thefts are horrid!
And I'd love to cut off the hands of any thieves. But, for all the warnings about La Fonda, and all the people that have never had this negative
experience there, try Long Beach or Santa Ana to see what it's like. Because it might not happen at La Fonda!
And it probably will in Long Beach.
I'm just sayin, whether real or not, this medium is better than TV!
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PacO
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OK, I see your point. I must have not understood the delivery as such.
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capt. mike
Elite Nomad
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that place sucks.
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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Bruce R Leech
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Hotel/Restaurant La Fonda
Bring cash. No credit cards. B-, L and D daily. Dancing nightly. Just off the Rosarito/Ensenada Toll Road, La Mision exit.
Or KM 59 on the Old Road. (Free Road)
011-52-646-155-0307
kea word here is..Bring cash
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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capt. mike
Elite Nomad
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why go to that place when Calafia kicks their arse??!!
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
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Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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Pyramid resort rules
you will never have problems there.
why even try anything else
it is just a stop over it is a destination
[Edited on 8-24-2005 by Bruce R Leech]
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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eetdrt88
Senior Nomad
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sorry,but i totally disagree about la fonda
i've been going there for over 15 years and always had a blast either camping at alisitos or staying at the hotel...my kids really love the beaches
there and the waves are usually pretty good as well...as far as the person who got ripped off,well you can never be too safe when traveling...i
almost always assume when i'm traveling that the possibility of theivery is very high so things like cash remain with me at all times...the person in
the story is better to chalk it up to experience and move on with life rather than to dwell on it forever
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