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I know this may ruffle many feathers, but we recently spent a night at Serenidad, and I have to conclude that I cannot consider staying there any time soon. I realize that this is an iconic property owned for decades by a great fellow who has made many friends over the years, especially among pilots, as there is a first-class landing strip at the property.

However, our recent experience reveals a property that is quite long in the tooth and does not provide value for the money. We arrived late in the afternoon. I was shown two different rooms. First one adjacent to the pool had a very strong open sewer odor. Second one, in a building closer to the river was the one we chose. The towels made me think that they were the originals from when the place opened many decades ago. They were grayish and very stiff and scratchy. Not to mention being small. The bed sheets, although having been laundered bore the remnants of numerous stains, including blood. They provided one 200ml bottle of water. It was very humid and in the upper 90s. I went to the front desk to ask if we might have a second bottle, inasmuch as I felt a room with two beds for at least two people should have more than a single 200ml bottle of water. I was immediately told I could purchase water at the bar. When I persisted about the unreasonableness, she relented and told the bartender to give me two additional bottles.

The rooms had several cobwebs and the switchplates were very dirty. The A/C barely kept the room comfortable.

The charge was 988 pesos.

To be fair, the restaurant and bar staff were very friendly and efficient, and the public area, (lobby, restaurant and bar) were very welcoming.

I stayed there 20 years ago. I have not stayed there since their dustup with the ejido, so it's been awhile.

Truth is that I find myself more sad than anything about the condition of the place.

Never been there. Do you have any photos of the place???

Didn't think it merited photos. But they abound on the internet. They have a web site. BTW, this is a fave of the bush pilots, and surprisingly, it continues to this day to be Trip Advisor's #1 hotel in Mulege. Maybe I was just dreaming.....

There are not any trendy or first class hotels in Mulege. It is a town that doesn't pretend to be a "resort". I do agree that the rates at The Serenidad are too high for the room accommodations. It is a nice place to hang out though; restaurant, lounge, pool, proximity to the river/beach and of course, its airstrip.

I would say to be prepared to lower your expectations and then their rooms would be about standard for a typical Mexican hotel room...but with superior amenities. Bedding and towels must be clean of course, but their condition plus the skimping on the water bottles probably is indicative of leaner economic times. Mexico is very good at making do.

For many of us who have homes there, the fact that Mulege is not a big development resort really gives it the rustic charm that we appreciate.

In earlier times I have lived in towns on the mainland that I liked better. But I tell ya, Mulege grows on you when you settle in for at least a year. The people, the river and it's lush palm forests, the Bahia de Concepcion, the fishing, the weather (except for the very hot summers and falls) and some excellent restaurants makes it a fantastic place to live (in my case, part time).

Rustic charm isn't on top of everyone's list. However, Mulege and the Serenidad have there loyal fans. Case in point: Arriving shortly after us at Serenidad was a van. A couple 30-ish with three kids, toddler, infant and approximately 3-4 year old. He told me they were from San Diego. Said that he'd been coming to Serenidad for 20 years (which meant he must have been visiting with his parents). I asked if they had made the trip in a single leg. He replied that when they didn't have kids, they would, but now, they stop in El Rosario on the way down. $25 for a Baja Cactus room. At breakfast the next morning, I mentioned we were heading North. He told me that they were going back the next day. OK. For them, four days of driving, two nights and one full day at Serenidad. They really must like it.