Matt B
Contributor
No, Look for Rockstar Divers
Blue Angel dive op?
- Thread starter ChrisM
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As best I remember it was La Perla when I considered buying it during negotiations with Javier, but not my cup of tea with road traffic, and questionable beach access (for I was not a Mexican citizen then). My X girl friend then talked my X wife into buying it and they renamed it "Hotel Lorena". I don't remember the years. During the same time frame I was in negotiating with Pam of Blue Angel Divers which operated out of the basement across the street, mainly to get a dock for the emerging Aldora Divers. That also fell thru because Pam's crew did not want to work for my partner Memo Mendoza. How Blue Angel merged into the hotel I don't know, as by then I was able, as a Mexican, to build the downtown Aldora Pier and open the Villa Aldora..that is a whole other story by itself!
Dave Dillehay
If you were talking with Javier about buying it, it was indeed La Perla.
Is Lorraine or Arlene your ex? The Lorena / La Reina years were... interesting.
Catito
Contributor
YES, LORENA/LORRAINE WAS MY FIRST X WIFE WITH 21 YEARS. ARLENE WAS MY SUBSEQUENT GIRLFRIEND WHO WAS WITH ME IN DISCUSSIONS WITH JAVIER. ONCE I RE MARRIED WITH A YOUNGER BEAUTIFUL WIFE IN 98…THE CLAWS CAME OUT! I THINK THEIR PURCHASE OF LA PERLA WAS SOMEWHAT A GET BACK. YES IT WAS AN INTERESTING TIME.If you were talking with Javier about buying it, it was indeed La Perla.
Is Lorraine or Arlene your ex? The Lorena / La Reina years were... interesting.
DAVE DILLEHAY
Lorraine and Arlene both are your exes? Wow, small world, or should I say, small island.
Yes, the period when Lorraine and Arlene ran the hotel and the short period after Lorraine left when Arlene had it by herself, from a long time customer's perspective, were "Interesting" to say the least. Things stabilized significantly when Alejandra and her dad took it over.
Sorry you had to endure that! Believe me, i suffered worse!Lorraine and Arlene both are your exes? Wow, small world, or should I say, small island.
Yes, the period when Lorraine and Arlene ran the hotel and the short period after Lorraine left when Arlene had it by herself, from a long time customer's perspective, were "Interesting" to say the least. Things stabilized significantly when Alejandra and her dad took it over.
dave
Been staying there at least once a year since 2013 and I was a client of Pam's at the BA dive shop back in the late 80's when I worked on the cruise ships as a band leader.
We love the convenience of being able to roll out of bed and onto the boat after breakfast and although we have looked at staying elsewhere, we never seem to pull the trigger. I agree that the price has increased (perhaps because of demand) to a point where the rooms and grounds should be at a higher quality for the price charged. The food is great but expensive for Mx and besides breakfast (or lunch on 4 tank days), we eat most meals off campus - but that also means a 20 minute + walk to town or a cab ride. There are now two nice food choices across the street but their hours and days vary so be aware. The rooms are very spartan and can indeed be noisy from the road. Ear plugs and a travel fan to make some white noise are a plus as is keeping the bathroom door shut. After so many years as clients we are super comfortable with the setup, know what to expect, and are friends with many of the longtime staff. We do find ourselves diving a few days during our stay with other ops since people that used to work there own their own operations now and we enjoy spending time with them and giving them our business.
I would describe the accommodations as basic and diver friendly. No carpet, basic shower/toilet and rough hewn furniture with a nice patio and wooden racks for drying gear. Beds are on the firmer side but that seems consistent with Mx. The dive shop has two large rinse tanks and racks for wetsuits and they offer valet diving where you bring your gear to Alfredo the first day - he transports it to the boat and cleans it every day, and then prepares it for the trip home after your last dive. My gear never smells as good as when Alfredo has been on the case!!
The rooms are kept very clean in our experience so it may have rough edges visually but we never feel its dirty or overtly falling apart. There have been some interesting choices made as to what was upgraded (do we really need a fire pit in the caribbean?) and I would have updated the rooms and lounge furniture before I spent money anywhere else but hey- it's not my business!! We have not had any issues with being limited to shallow or beginner dives and they do their best to put similarly experienced groups together or sending extra DM's out on the boats to accommodate different skill levels. I don't think there are many options on Coz that offer the complete package of what the BA offers (water front, on site op, good food, music 5 nights a week, ease of use, friendly faces daily including many returning customers that also become buddies, dive masters who have become dear friends, no morning drive to the marina and decent length boat ride to the furthest sites). If I was taking a large group of hardcore divers I'd not hesitate to stay there. However, I'd make sure that everyone understands the drawbacks as to manage expectations. As everywhere there are lovers and haters and individual mileage may vary!
We love the convenience of being able to roll out of bed and onto the boat after breakfast and although we have looked at staying elsewhere, we never seem to pull the trigger. I agree that the price has increased (perhaps because of demand) to a point where the rooms and grounds should be at a higher quality for the price charged. The food is great but expensive for Mx and besides breakfast (or lunch on 4 tank days), we eat most meals off campus - but that also means a 20 minute + walk to town or a cab ride. There are now two nice food choices across the street but their hours and days vary so be aware. The rooms are very spartan and can indeed be noisy from the road. Ear plugs and a travel fan to make some white noise are a plus as is keeping the bathroom door shut. After so many years as clients we are super comfortable with the setup, know what to expect, and are friends with many of the longtime staff. We do find ourselves diving a few days during our stay with other ops since people that used to work there own their own operations now and we enjoy spending time with them and giving them our business.
I would describe the accommodations as basic and diver friendly. No carpet, basic shower/toilet and rough hewn furniture with a nice patio and wooden racks for drying gear. Beds are on the firmer side but that seems consistent with Mx. The dive shop has two large rinse tanks and racks for wetsuits and they offer valet diving where you bring your gear to Alfredo the first day - he transports it to the boat and cleans it every day, and then prepares it for the trip home after your last dive. My gear never smells as good as when Alfredo has been on the case!!
The rooms are kept very clean in our experience so it may have rough edges visually but we never feel its dirty or overtly falling apart. There have been some interesting choices made as to what was upgraded (do we really need a fire pit in the caribbean?) and I would have updated the rooms and lounge furniture before I spent money anywhere else but hey- it's not my business!! We have not had any issues with being limited to shallow or beginner dives and they do their best to put similarly experienced groups together or sending extra DM's out on the boats to accommodate different skill levels. I don't think there are many options on Coz that offer the complete package of what the BA offers (water front, on site op, good food, music 5 nights a week, ease of use, friendly faces daily including many returning customers that also become buddies, dive masters who have become dear friends, no morning drive to the marina and decent length boat ride to the furthest sites). If I was taking a large group of hardcore divers I'd not hesitate to stay there. However, I'd make sure that everyone understands the drawbacks as to manage expectations. As everywhere there are lovers and haters and individual mileage may vary!
Matt B
Contributor
Very good and fair review!
mike_bayer
Contributor
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