Life's a Beach | Expat Life in Playa del Carmen

As many "Life's a Beach" readers will remember, Rob and I brokered the sale of Casa Ixchel, a lovely boutique hotel on Isla Mujeres last year. Last Thursday, on special invitation from the new owners, we made the trip across to Isla to attend the Grand Opening of the hotel's new restaurant. Never one to pass up an opportunity to visit the island, we had happily adjusted our schedules for the event a few months back! After dropping the kids at school, we headed up to Puerto Juarez, boarded one of the shiny new Ultramar ferries and made the 17 minute crossing to the island.

As is almost always the case, we ran into friends along the way, on their way to a sun and fun-filled day! Our friend Beth and a few of her gal pals from up north joined us on the ferry and then on to Ciro's to pick up our golf carts. It was a beautiful sunny day and we sent them off in the direction of Zama, our favorite beach club, to spend the day in style. We checked into our room at Casa Ixchel and then headed to Jax for some good old fashioned bar food and adult beverages. Let the mini-vacation begin!!

After lunch, we meandered back to Casa Ixchel for a swim and some prep time before the big party. I wandered down to the water to collect beach glass and shells for the kids and enjoyed a rare hour of quiet time on the beach. We met up with Frank, his cousin Emilio and his wife from Brooklyn and one of the partners, Frank Flood and his wife, visiting from Beaver Creek Colorado. More beers magically appeared from the bar upstairs and soon we were all in full party mode! One by one, smartly dressed island residents and members of the local press began streaming in, eager to check out this new casual yet elegant dining destination. Frank, Miguel and Head Chef Joel were on hand to greet the guests and welcome them to Casa Louise Ixchel. Named for Frank's wife, this intimate restaurant perched above the 12 bedroom suites, looking out west to the Caribbean, is the culmination of a year of careful planning, design and construction orchestrated by Frank's trusted team of consultants, architects and chefs. From the renovated dining area to the new kitchen to the bar every inch of previously under utilized space has been painstakingly reconfigured to get the most use out of the existing structure without changing its footprint or detracting from the original design. A new staircase has been built from the street level, leading up over an elegant new water feature, to a welcoming full service bar and lounge area. Guests can enjoy their cocktails either inside on the comfortable built-in sofas or outside at a table overlooking the sea. Up just a few more short steps is the main dining room with sweeping 360 degree views inviting diners to enjoy spectacular sunsets from this stunning vantage point. The restaurant now boasts attractive handcrafted windows that can either be left open to take advantage of the cool Caribbean breezes or closed against the elements in case of a tropical rain storm. I think we were almost as excited as Frank to see it completed.

The bartenders were certainly put to the test on this evening and the spirits flowed freely. The musicians knew just how to the the local ladies up and dancing and Chef Joel's crew efficiently put out platter after platter of artfull tapas and hors d'eouvres and bite sized deserts. The party was a huge hit and carried on well into the evening.

New friends Ashley and Curtis, proprietors of the B&B Villa las Brisas, famous for "Beer so cold, it'll make your teeth hurt!".

Rob, Frank and Chef Joel

As the party wound down to a close, a few of us old timers convinced Miguel to pack us into a cart and take us out for late night tacos. I have a picture of that merry crew, but I have promised not to post it. Really.... you can't make me. Let's just move on to the next day, shall we.

The next morning some of us slept in (Rob) while those of us who managed to not drink ALL of the beer on the island got up for an early swim and a walk on the beach. We rendezvoused for breakfast in the dining room with Patty and Frank Flood and reviewed the highlights of the night before. Breakfast was delicious with piping hot coffee, fresh orange juice, sliced fruit and regional favorites such as chilaquiles and huevos mutulenos. Despite all the tapas and tacos we had consumed just hours earlier, we were still ravenous.

Among the less obvious rewards of the sale of this hotel was a new friendship forged with the new owner, Frank, a fellow New Yorker and like-minded adventurer. His unbridled enthusiasm and persistently positive spirit carried him through the hotel deal and now on to a successful launch of the new restaurant. If you liked Casa Ixchel before, you are going to love it now. Miguel is still a constant presence onsite in charge of daily operations and making sure each guest feels right at home. The addition of the bar and restaurant can only serve to make guests of the hotel feel even more comfortable and pampered. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Happy Hour from 5pm to 7pm offering free tapas appetizers, Casa Louise is a nice feather in the cap of this already popular hotel. Judging from the great turnout and the positive remarks from the guests, Frank has already begun to endear himself to the residents and fellow business owners of Isla Mujeres who will help insure the success of this new endeavor. Rob and I are looking forward to many more wonderful nights and wonderful meals at Casa Ixchel!

Frank, Miguel and Rob

For more information about Hotel Casa Ixchel and the new restaurant, email to reserve@casaixchelisla.com or call (011-52) 998-888-0107. Miguel speaks excellent English and will be able to assist you in making a reservation for lodging or dining. When you go, and you will, tell them Big Rob and Michele sent you!

Looking for Real Estate on Isla Mujeres?
Visit our website www.BuyPlaya.com or send us an email BuyPlaya@gmail.com.