Casa de Mar Hotel and Villas

There's nothing like a surf trip with two old friends and with my 17 years old son. I am 61 and had the privilege of staying for 10 days in this incredible hotel, just in front of an incredible point break. Nice hotel, very very warm and a caring staff, good food (fresh fish as a highlight), just the perfect balance between a roots surf trip and confort. I loved El Salvador people, the traveling surfers we met there, I loved the waves that broke with some size. We had a very good time. I left my heart at El Salvador. God bless this beautiful country and the warm and smiling people that we met.

-Views The views of the Pacific Ocean were absolutely breathtaking. -Customer Service The staff was friendly, welcoming and helpful. -Location El Tunco is the nearest village, approximately a 25-minute walk on a road without any sidewalks and heavy traffic. Private transportation, typically cost an average of $7 to $10 for a one-way trip to go eat or pick up supplies there, this is arrange by the hotel. Uber does not work in this location. There is a group of about 10 drivers that park their cars next to a bike repair shop near the hotel and wait for the phone calls. There’s nothing steps from the hotel, it’s isolated. -The Room Toilet paper in the hotel is rough and thin, and it should be disposed of in the trash rather than the toilet. The king suite has two full beds placed together, I found it inconvenient as one of the beds is positioned directly under the air conditioning unit. Furthermore, if you try rolling over, you may end up falling in between the two beds. The mattresses are firm. The suite had an outdoor soaking tub. No phone in the room to reach hotel staff. No refrigerator. The guest room had hot running water. -Vegetarian Options Minimal vegetarian options available at the hotel. The options we tried were just okay. -Sidenote During our stay, we couldn't help but notice the prevailing atmosphere of patriarchy. The clientele consisted mostly of middle-aged foreign surfers. Among the various instances of patriarchy that we witnessed, perhaps the most alarming was the sight of two local teenage girls, accompanying male guests to their rooms. This incident served as a stark reminder of the power dynamics inherent in a patriarchal society, where young women are often subjected to exploitation and vulnerable situations. We understand this has nothing to do with the hotel, however, it was part of our experience while there.

Beautiful grounds, kind, welcoming, and friendly staff. From the moment you walk in, you are greeted by friendly staff ready to assist. The rooms are a bit basic but not bad for the price. Both rooms we were in had air conditioning and warm water. The only thing to point out is that given the topical climate, do not leave food anywhere as bugs can easily come in. We unfortunately left some food and were welcomed by huge ants. The beach is steps away but be mindful as it is a rocky beach.

This was a great place to stay on the coast! The room I had was basic but definitely clean and comfortable. I wasn't there for the room though, I was there for the pool, the waves, the bar and the restaurant. The landscaping down to all of that was gorgeous. The pool was so refreshing and I enjoyed sipping beverages while watching surfers and dipping back into the pool to cool off. The other guests were friendly and staff were helpful and attentive. They can arrange tours/day trips to other parts of the country and hikes, surf lessons, board rentals, massages, etc. A great place to stay!

We stayed at Casa De Mar from Dec 29- January 2. We loved our stay here! All of the staff were incredibly friendly and willing to help in whichever way they can. Our room was very spacious, with two comfortable queen beds, and a couch. The bathroom was very large. We had a deck with an ocean view. The room was clean. There was a restaurant on site and the food was great. You can also order food sitting by the pool which was great. Breakfast is also included here! We don’t surf however it was a great spot to sit and watch the waves and the surfers. The location was good, we could walk down the beach to El Tunco where there were a few more restaurants and some great pupusas!

Well, after 16 years since visiting Casa De Mar at Sunzal El Salvador, all I can say it may be even better now than back then. They have expanded the resort with new ocean front units, added an upper deck to the bar on the ocean, and there was at least 6-8 of the staff still working there after all this time with huge smiles, service etc. The owner Alphonso and the GM David make every effort to make your stay is fantastic and safe! We checked out some of the hotels down the beach, and sure they may be a little cheaper but they are nowhere as nice. I injured myself surfing and they did everything to help and make sure I was OK . Consuela, Blana, Jimmy, Daniel and the whole staff obviously love taking care of the guest. We did go to a few other restaurants nearby, and food at Casa de Mar was just as good and reasonably priced. Our group ages are in the 60's, and would not of enjoyed staying at one the surfer hostels on Sunzal Beach. I highly give it 5 star rating for price, the views, food, sevice, and staff. Thank you for another unforgetable stay and memories for myself and friends. We will be back!!! Mike Fleming OC Travel Company Ocean City, Maryland

This was our first trip to El Salvador. Looking at other reviews I decided on Casa de Mar. After staying there for 5 nights I would definitely stay again. I am used to 4+ star hotels and resorts when travelling. Although this is listed as a 3 star hotel -- do not let that dissuade you from staying here. The room was spacious and clean. Yes, it does appear sparse compared to north american standards -- but you are not in north america! To have a gecko in your room is not unusual. I've had it happen at hotels in Florida, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Jamaica etc . They give you a large bottle of water in the room every day. We used it to brush teeth etc. as I wasn't going to risk using the tap water. This is no different than some other resorts in the Caribbean. We arrived around 6pm and the gate guard was great and let us in and was able to get someone to help us checkin. The onsite restaurant is surprisingly good. I say that because I didn't have great expectations but I was so pleasantly surprised by the food. The breakfast is included and was wonderful! The ice is safe to use in your drinks. The view of the beach and surfers while eating is such an added bonus. We were able to walk the beach down to El Tunco when the tide was out. It was very safe to do so. Locals are happy to have tourists and treat you well. The staff at the resort will help arrange tours if you want. The pool is lovely and the grounds are so well maintained. The shower had hot water -- but you do have to wait 2-3 minutes for it to get hot and for a good stream to appear. There is a little note on the outside of your door that you can turn to say "please clean my room" or "no, my room doesn't need to be cleaned". They didn't seem to follow the sign as I always had , "No, my room doesn't need to be cleaned" and yet they came in and cleaned anyway. Not really a problem -- but, I would have preferred they followed my request.

The staff is super friendly. And the views amazing. Food is good. I felt safe the whole stay. The location is strategic for surfing, dining and such. I will recommend the stay among my friends and family. Saludos desde Mexico. Nos veremos pronto

I recently stayed at Casa de Mar. The hotel is small but very beautiful, the rooms are great and well maintained - I was really impressed with the decor and just the overall flow of the rooms. The grounds are kept manicured and you will not find a piece of trash ANYWHERE, I saw a few guys walking around ALL DAY picking up leaves that were on the ground. The service was excellent, everyone was super nice from the guy opening the front gate at the main entrance to the pool bar employees. Every employee made me feel like I was the only guest in the hotel. The pool was small but it did the trick, the food at the hotel was good but could use some work, The hotel gives you access to the restaurant next door which was very convenient. Not once felt unsafe or uncomfortable at Casa de Mar. This place does have a few cons, one is the beach, you really have no beach where you can swim, the beach is right there but there are tons of rocks and not very pleasant. The second part was the location, you are a bit far from the main drag where all the nightlife is, but I knew that coming in so I was kind of prepared for it. In conclusion, if you want to have a great room, EXCELLENT service and a relaxing time, this is the place for you or if you are a surfer since the break is right outside the gate and you can rent surfboards from the hotel. I personally think that for the price, you could find a hotel somewhat comparable and closer to the main action to have the real "Tunco" experience. If I go back, I would go back for the service, one of the best crews I have experienced.