Hotel Santa Maria: we stayed one night in this hotel. $550 MN or there-abouts. Very clean and going through a refurbishment - but not so much as
it's a bother. New beds (we think) and paint. maybe 20 other cars in the parking lot by late evening. Lots of new palms being planted or huge holes
dug, waiting for palms or unsuspecting strollers. Bar opens at 3pm, serves their giant margies with Don Julio. SWMBO, against my recommendation, had
two. Muchos Gracias, Sr Bartender.
Restaurant was surprisingly good. I had the stone crabs, better than Cielito Lindo IMHO. SWMBO, only partially recovered from the margies, dined on
pasta w/ shrimp. She ate all of it, which is unusual. Wine list was Chilean/Argentinian based. I made the fatal error of ordering an Argentinian
Merlot only 3 days after the match - won't do that again.
They have recently built a large, wide berm all around the front of the property, presumably to protect the hotel from high tides and storm surge; ice
plant has started to grow on the berms. Should be nice in few years. All the rooms are the same size, face the ocean with a small balcony but the
upper rooms in the center have much larger balconies with tables and chairs, same price so go with those. Unbelievable, almost painful, water
pressure in the shower.
Pyramid:
$90 + $5 key deposit 'merican for a 1 bed suite. Kitchen was very sparsely furnished: no coffee filters or wine glasses. No big as the office lent us
2. Didn't see another guest. Grounds and ambiance was very nice and wife-worthy. The key deposit thingy just doesn't work for us - we leave at
6:30am and I'm not going to ring someone's doorbell, get them out of bed for $5. Just doesn't seem the right thing to do.
I've always thought of the Pyramid as a good stop for the first night with Baja newbies, you know, La Fonda for dinner, coffee on the balcony watching
dolphin the next morning. No sense handing them the TP and pointing to a large cordon until day 2 or 3. Ease 'em in slowly.KASHEYDOG - 7-10-2010 at 03:57 PM
I love it at the Hotel Santa Maria in San Quintin too. Here's a picture from last year taken from the beach.
Bajahowodd - 7-10-2010 at 04:04 PM
Glad to hear about the landscaping upgrade. Since this was originally part of a chain that was primarily designed to offer overnight accommodations to
Baja travelers in the day when there was little available, it's good to see the folks at Los Pinos investing in what will make this place a
destination, as opposed to an overnight.capt. mike - 7-11-2010 at 05:51 AM
do the los pinos cannery and growers owners also own the old la pinta too?
what the 'ell does SWMBO mean??
i agree on the Pyramid resort - for what they get i'd expect better furnishings and the key thing is way out of line since EVERYONE else has upgraded
to keyless rooms.
we stayed there at one of those book parties and ours was lacking in all the basics too.
the jacuzzi is nice there however.Santiago - 7-11-2010 at 08:27 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by capt. mike
do the los pinos cannery and growers owners also own the old la pinta too?
what the 'ell does SWMBO mean??
She Who Must Be Obeyed
Hotel Santa Maria is the old La PintaDavid K - 7-11-2010 at 08:37 AM
Located at or near a parador (rest stop/ travelers service center) built soon after the opening of Highway One in Dec. 1, 1973.
The San Quintin hotel was called El Presidente, La Pinta, Desert Inn, Santa Maria, all the same place over the years since it was opened in 1974 to
serve travelers on the Transpeninsular Highway. The other hotel locations at Paradores on south are Cataviña, Paralelo 28º (Guerrero Negro area), and
San Ignacio.
[Edited on 7-11-2010 by David K]Ken Bondy - 7-11-2010 at 08:50 AM
David wasn't (isn't) there a La Pinta in Loreto also? I seem to remember one at the north end of town.David K - 7-11-2010 at 08:57 AM
YES! I took over the former PLAYAS DE LORETO HOTEL... A place we stayed at on two trips (July, 1973 and again in 1974)... The only place in Loreto on
a big sand beach.capt. mike - 7-11-2010 at 09:20 AM
"The only place in Loreto on a big sand beach"
not correct - the Oasis has a great beach in front too.David K - 7-11-2010 at 09:30 AM
When I visited the Oasis in 1973, it had almost no sand... That is why I said BIG sand beach... back then.Ken Bondy - 7-11-2010 at 09:32 AM
Is the La Pinta in Loreto still there/open? Is it still called La Pinta?Ken Bondy - 7-11-2010 at 09:42 AM
This was taken in 2004 from the Oasis bar. The beach looks pretty good!
David K - 7-11-2010 at 09:44 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
Is the La Pinta in Loreto still there/open? Is it still called La Pinta?
From Carlos Fiesta's BajaExpo.com:
DESERT INN
Telephone 011-52 (613) 135-0025.
Ensenada main office 011-52 (617) 176-2601.
Main office fax 011-52 (617) 176-3688.
Toll free (800) 336-5454.
Corporate address: Avenida Floresta at Bucaneros, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.
Web sites: www.lapintahotels.com.
On the beach.
On a big beach, north end of town.
Number of rooms: 49.
Big rooms / restaurant / pool / air conditioning / TV / all rooms facing the beach.
The hotel sits q-u-i-t-e a ways back from the beach, and most guests usually hang around the pool.
An easy walk to the marina.
[Edited on 7-11-2010 by David K]bill erhardt - 7-11-2010 at 10:22 AM
The Desert Inn is at the north end of the malecon in Loreto, The Oasis is at the south end. Both have a "big beach" with plenty of sand.David K - 7-11-2010 at 11:12 AM
Again, my observation was from 1973... sand moves.Bajahowodd - 7-11-2010 at 03:32 PM
As I recall, when the Mexican government was paving highway 1, there were two fundamental concerns. First, there needed to be enough available fuel,
located not too far apart, and there needed to be some places where travelers could overnight. the Mexican government basically picked up the cost of
building the Presidente hotels in exchange for their being able to rely on a well-known, successful operator to keep them up and running. Presidente
made a killing when the sold the hotels to la Pinta. that said, given the initial reason for these places explains their hacienda-cum-industrial park
ambiance. I wish the Los Pinos folks well, because they have a place that really represents the first destination location in San Quintin.Bajahowodd - 10-16-2010 at 02:39 PM
We stayed at the Mission Santa Maria on Tuesday. We were last there about eight years ago. While I have read about the new owners and refurbishment,
perhaps I'm just not all that observant. From what I encountered, as far as the rooms go, there is new bedding and drapes. The beds are excellent. The
rooms are spotless. But, the furniture and art work is definitely a holdover. The TV could be quaintly referred to as a period piece.
That said, for less than $50 a night, right on the beach, it represents true value. I was, however reminded of my past observation, in that unlike
some of the old La Pinta hotels, this one uses its space very inefficiently. In the lobby area, the dining room is spacious and contains a bar.
However, right across the courtyard is their lobby bar that is at least as big as the dining room. Then, there is that big 1st floor space that
appears to have been originally designed as a banquet room.
My nitpicking aside, those of you hotelling it, this place offers very good accommodations right on the beach. And given that it's a mere 1/2 hour or
so from El Rosario, it offers a nearby alternative especially when the Baja Cactus fills and you have no made a reservation.capt. mike - 10-16-2010 at 04:49 PM
i love that place but it is the "shining" hotel for sure.
it is now owned by the cannery folks. good deal beats the dump of CL, but i like the CL bar better!
you can have the red claws tho. hahahahahahaDianaT - 9-22-2011 at 08:45 PM
The Hotel Santa Maria Mission in San Quintin is great. Jardines changed their dog policy,my sister was not home in Vicente Guerrero, so we tried
this and we were VERY pleased. Great location, good food, super friendly people.BornFisher - 9-22-2011 at 09:44 PM
And they have free Wi-Fi.
And a great cook (fried tacos for lunch).
