David F.
Google
Forgive me if I wax too poetic about this place, but IMHO, it is a gem in the rough. Actually, a rough gem in the rough.
Keeping in mind, we are elderly birdwatchers and swimmers with those two goals for most of our travels, we have come to Hotel Laguna Bacalar many times over the past 20 years. It has always been, and still is, run down, lacking in basic upgrades, bathrooms that need attention, slippery floors, a scantily attended bar and restaurant that barely qualify as such, an unchanging office area that gave up offering ice cream bars for sale long ago. The list goes on: at water’s edge, there’s a decaying pier and a challenge to enter and exit the water for a swim (slippery stairs or uncomfortable pipe ladders guarded by overgrown aquatic vegetation).
But, Oh My! . . . Hotel Laguna Bacalar is all more than worth such minor inconveniences! Consider it the Gran Dame of Bacalar lodgings, still bathed in its regal splendor! The view is breathtaking from all the rooms. The cleaning lady has been there 20 years and does a great job. The rest of the staff is helpful and friendly. Once in, the water of the lake is silky smooth and always just the right temperature (we typically have an early morning swim to bring up the sun (occasionally as a skinny dip)). Meanwhile, out along the street in front of the hotel, the birds are many and active.
What more could you want??