“Pío Pío” means chirp, as in the noise that a bird makes. For aesthetic reasons, the moniker was shortened to Casa El Pío (Chirp House). It’s not grammatically correct but we like the way it looks.
No. We have a very strict no children policy. Our hotel is very unsafe for small children – we have a rooftop with no railing, lots of stairs, lots of concrete, a pool in the courtyard, etc… We appreciate if you respect our adults-only policy.
Yes there is. Sort of. It’s not the fastest in the world, you will often not be able to get it in your room and sometimes it will go out unexpectedly. Hey- we’re on an island in Mexico! but you will be able to stay in touch via email, Instagram and Facebook. If you absolutely cannot live without the internet, you may not want to stay here. Also you probably should look at vacationing somewhere other than Mexico if you need it that bad.
We have a very small staff that wait for your arrival and we must know when to expect you in order to meet you for your checkin. If you do not provide this information, no one will be at Casa el Pío to meet you when you arrive. If you show up four hours after you say you will, we may not be here. We request that you please get settled at the hotel first and then go get food and go shopping.
Again, we have a very small staff that all work six days a week. We must give them one day of rest. Even if you are a returning guest and wish for us to just leave the keys for you, there still needs to be a housekeeper on duty to turn your room over in the event of any Sunday checkouts. We appreciate your understanding in this matter. In the event that you absolutely must arrive on a Sunday due to travel plans, you may book the Saturday night previous in order for the housekeepers to make up your room and we can leave a key for you to conduct a self check-in.
We can not accommodate check-ins on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.
No. Our manager is on site from 9am until at least 2pm each day. After that he is close by and can come to the hotel for emergencies and may be reached by cell.
Yes. We require stays of three nights or more. Stays over two weeks receive a discount.
Yes! We would love that. We do have a few ground rules: If you need more than two rooms, you must rent the whole hotel (10% discount is given). The official occupancy of the hotel is 10 persons but we can accommodate up to 16 (when sharing beds – email for more info). There is a USD15 per person, per night charge for each additional person over 10 persons. You may read more about groups in our Hotel Policy. The no small child policy still applies for groups due to safety however well-behaved children over 13 years old can be considered.
No. There is an additional 19% Mexican lodging tax in addition to our room rates.
Not indoors. We are 100% no-smoking of anything in the rooms. You may smoke in several outdoor areas – we provide ashtrays – but any rooms that have been smoked in will be charged a cleaning fee of $250 USD.
No. You may not flush any toilet paper or feminine products in any toilets on Isla Mujeres. The plumbing is an antiquated system and if there is a clog, large portions of the property must be excavated. Garbage cans are provided in your room and are emptied and cleaned daily.
Housekeepers, maleteros (luggage handlers at the ferry) and waitstaff on the island all rely on tips. A good idea is 50 pesos per day ($3) for your housekeepers, 100 pesos ($5) for your luggage handler and a minimum of 10% at all bars, beach clubs and restaurants, more if it is higher end.
Yes, our awesome staff cleans the guest quarters everyday except Sunday when they take a day of rest. They are like ninjas and wait until you leave for the beach to clean so no worries about 7am knocks on the door. Chances are you won’t even see them but you’ll know they were there when you return to a sweet-smelling, tidy room with cute bath towel animal shapes on the bed. PS In Mexico, it’s customary to leave a small tip for your housekeepers each day.
Le ayudaría, pero no es obligatorio.
Most of the restaurants and commonly tourist-frequented businesses here employ people who speak enough English to get you what you need.
Yes. All the rooms have wall-mounted safes, where you can fit the basics: passport, Rolex, cash, iPad. We will show you how to program your own personal code.
No. There is a small coffeemaker, a petite fridge, two spoons, two cups, two shot glasses, a water carafe, two mugs and a knife/cutting board. Enough to make coffee and cocktails.
We provide all your linens, including two beach towels, soap and shampoo. The rest is up to you. Remember to bring your passport, sunscreen, a bathing suit, sunglasses, toiletries and enough garments to get you through half of your stay. You can get your laundry done at any of the laundromats on Isla Mujeres for about $1.50 a pound. It comes back to you dried and folded in a plastic bag, and it smells wonderful.
You can exchange your cash for Mexican pesos at the bank. There are also two ATM machines within 5 minutes walking distance from Casa El Pío. There is also Western Union for up to $500 a day. We prefer the ATMs but it’s personal preference. Remember to let your banks know you will be out of the country before you leave your home.
Not really. Once you arrive on the island you won’t need a car. If you want to leave the downtown area, you have the choice of a few modes of transportation: taxi, golf cart or bus. The first option varies from US$1.50 to US$12 in cost, depending where you want to go. Golf carts cost no more than US$60 a day and provide the most flexibility and fun.
Unlike large hotels that can handle last minute cancellations, we are a small business of only five rooms. Our survival depends on your arrival. We appreciate your trust in us. We also have a pretty strict cancelation policy for the same reason. Please read the Hotel Policy over carefully before booking
- Call your bank and let them know you’re traveling so they don’t freeze your card
- Get your cell phone figured out for international roaming
- Print or screencap a map to Pío from the ferry terminal on Isla
- Book your transport in advance from the airport to the ferry so you don’t experience delays at the Cancun airport
- Make copies of your passport and driver’s license to bring with you.
Because you’re the first to ask it!
Write to us at hola@casaelpio.com and we will be happy to help you.