Bahia vs Colonial vs Plaza

[deepsea21]

I say if at all possible spend the extra few bucks and upgrade to the Casa Mexicana (don't pay up for a "delux ocean view" room, just stick with the lower-priced a "city view" room). When you book or check in simply request a southern facing city-view room on 4th or 5th floors. Those balconies offer clear, high southern water views facing south all the way down to the southern cruise port. Can't beat them for the $ in my opinion and the 30' long breakfast buffet is just an elevator ride down. 3P's dive shop is also a short 5 min. walk around the corner to the back of the block for free 7:40AM transport to the boats and back (sorry all, I had to get that in).

The dive/stay packages 3P's has with the Casa are tough to beat and I've tried to beat their negotiated prices every way I can without success. In fact, one year I booked 3P's for 2-weeks of diving only hoping to wait for a Casa Mexicana last minute deal I could book myself. As the count down clock was runnign down one day Casa prices shot through the roof! I immediately emailed Jeanie at 3P's with my tail between my legs and was like, "Umm... Jeanie... Casa Mexicana didn't offer the great last-minute discount I was hoping for... are your package prices prices still good?" Yup! Long story short... No more screwing around for me. I just book all through Jeanie and everything magically falls into place at a total price I can't be beat with endless shopping (including my southern city view room requests on the top floors).

In fact, I'll share our 3P's/Casa Mexicana pricing we have booked... Arriving December 10th, departing December 25th with 10 days of 2-tank diving (can add more dive days at the same max discounted multi-dive price if we wish and availability allows as we dive every day the weather is nice). Remember, X-mas week prices shoot up for the Casa and since X-mas falls on a Sunday we are getting stung the week of the 19th as X-mas closes in. We could have saved a great deal moving all back 1 week but Coz for X-mas is pretty cool! Anyway, try $2,810 total for us both all taxes included. 2 divers, (10) 2-tank dives each, and 15 nights at the Casa on those dates. How can ya beat that for those dates? Obviously, if you're willing to dive in the summer or the middle of hurricane season (which we did for years during hurricane season without incident until a tropical depression decided to park itself over the island for several days one October) it is easy to beat. For an X-mas Dive & Stay package when the weather up here is getting cold and we want 2 more weeks of summer in December before Jan and Feb set in it's a steal.

I figure there are lots of other opportunities the rest of the year I can save a few bucks so I'll pay up for the Casa and skimp somewhere else back home.

 

[DandyDon]

Let's group it all under personal hygiene. In addition to brushing teeth and taking care of nature's calling, my wife won't go to breakfast in her bathing suit, so she needs to return to the room to change.

Gotcha. A 6:30am breakfast in the same building as your room would be better. Last year, Casa Mexicana breakfasts were starting after 7am for my week, and I hated that.

IMO too!

Last year I was close to the elevator at Colonial, this year at the end with a balcony overlooking 5th ave, and I was concerned about noise - but never heard any. Fifth ave is open to pedestrians only that close to the square, so it was quite.

What I didn't like about Bahia is the inside rooms have a view of a wall 2ft away from the window and the stain looking glass from your room looking in the hallway, you can see figures walking by.

I hate those.