The luxurious DCO Suites in Mancora, Peru makes you feel like you are in a personalised beach side relaxation retreat. What more could you ask for? Attentive staff cater to every whim without being intrusive, the rooms are amazingly private and perfectly comfortable, the food is “que rico” (delicious) and the beach is literally a stones throw away. Actually you could roll a stone to the beach it’s that close.
On check-in we were presented with a glass of champagne to wash away the dust of our travels, seriously there is a long and bumpy dirt road leading to the hotel so you will emerge a little dusty. Just think of it as a little roller coaster ride to your secret paradise, relax in to the bumps and enjoy the ride. The lobby is beautifully decorated with some interesting modern art with a beach side twist and this theme is repeated throughout the hotel creating aesthetically pleasurable surroundings to immerse in as you soak up some sunlight and indulge in tropical cocktails and spicy Peruvian food.
Besides the amazing aesthetics of the hotel and surroundings the staff are really world class. We were given a little care pack upon check-in including a walky-talky and were told to radio if we needed anything. Being a little peckish as we settled in to our room we radioed through a round of pisco sours and BBQ seafood skewers which arrived within minutes. Manuel seemed to be our guy and he was always there with a big smile when we needed him. Attempting to tip him at the end of our stay, he replied “no senor, we do it for the love.” This really sums up our stay, you get the feeling that the place has been designed just for you, your own little personal beach side paradise.
I was a little concerned about staying so close to the beach, being from Australia a room like that would be full of all sorts of bugs within minutes, but we had no trouble as long as we were vigilant about keeping the fly screen closed. A beautifully soft bed was accompanied by the sound of the gentle wash of waves on the beach and made for an excellent nights sleep. The shower was large and water flow plentiful. The only tiny downside is that the toilet door is frosted glass that doesn’t go all the way to the floor or roof. I won’t go in to details here but I may have made the fatal error of eating some roadside ceviche on the drive to Mancora and I (more so my travel partner) would have appreciated some extra privacy. On that note the staff were quick to sympathize with my plight and provided plenty of the universal local remedy, chicken soup, painkillers and electrolytes!
Don’t hesitate to book yourself in to a spa session, up on the roof there is an ultimate pamper setup with steam room, sauna and massages. We absolutely melted away after our 2 hour relaxation session, sipping champagne gazing out over the azure sea at the golden glow of sunset, it was one of the most memorable moments in my life.
To top off the most hedonistic day of relaxation possible, I organised a romantic beachside heart shaped candle-lit dinner for that night. There is quite nothing like sharing a meal encapsulated in a bubble of orange light with the gentle sounds of the sea permeating from the darkness, sand underfoot and the salty aroma of the damp sea being carried by a warm gentle breeze across your skin.
I’ve stayed in some fine hotels over the years but this one shoots right to the top, it was so enjoyable that we tried to extend our stay but alas it was booked out. So now I just need to somehow plot and plan my way back there for some more lasting memories.
