Casa Yvonneka – May 2017

I recently spent 8 glorious days at Casa Yvonneka (early May) and it has taken me a full week to come down from the high-level sensory onslaught of beauty, comfort and TLC I experienced there. Some thoughts, but where to begin? Casa Yvonneka is a modern, multi-storied villa clinging to the hills of Alta Vista with an absolutely breathtaking, knockout view of the old city, surrounding mountains and Banderas Bay. And the cool thing is, it’s only a short walk or brief ride to the “romantic” section of old town and the beach. It has all of the 5 star amenities one would expect, but there is nothing sterile or corporate here. Each room is distinctive; the walls are awash with vibrant colors and brilliant contemporary art work; beautiful woven fabrics abound. Everywhere one looks there is something interesting to behold; one wanders from level to level, stunned by the ingenuity and creativity that has gone into this concrete fantasy. But wait. There’s more. Casa Yvonneka’s secret weapon: the staff. Magdalena and her congenial crew just do it right. The food, drink and service couldn’t be better. They seem to sense what you want moments before you realize you want it. And here, too, there’s nothing stiff or formal. Before long you feel like you are one of the family.