Rosarito Beach Hotel

I love Rosarito! But if you camp on the beach, You will get robbed! I didn’t believe it until it happend to us. They come around 4am and take anything left outside your tent. They even open your tent to check for valuables. Be very careful everyone.

we went down for labor day weekend and had a great time. there were 4 couples and we all loved it here. I recommend the new tower and get the rooms between the 3^rd and 5^th floor because the elevator suck. (this is my only complaint) way too many floors for such small elevators and there are only three of them. the pool was great and the workers were all so friendly and very helpful. Make sure to get the fast pass the day before you leave don’t want until that morning because that morning we were leaving their system went down and everyone had to wait about an hour or two for the system to go back up. The pass works we were literally across the boarder in 25 minutes. We are going back this week :)

I spent one night in the old tower and two nights in the new Pacific tower. Two very different experiences. The old tower was dark. The rooms were small, the furniture was old and the balcony was tiny. The halls were also very dark most of the day and to be honest, it looked like the tower was turning to shambles. The pool was also dirty. I’d give the old tower 2 stars.
However, the new Pacific tower is a completely different experience. The hotel rooms are huge. A full kitchen, living room, sofa couch, huge bathroom, huge balcony, modern infinity pool with hot tubs. And it’s all very modern and sleek! If you;re going to stay at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, stick with the new Pacific tower. It is a far better experience and doesn’t cost much more than the old tower.
Another plus is the location. The hotel is right on the beach and within walking distance to all the restaurants and clubs in the area. Also check out the spa next door. Beautiful Mexican architecture, nice relaxation room, several kinds of massages offered as well as a hot tub and sauna room. Definitely worth checking out once.

From the San Ysidro border crossing you take a hard right and follow the border fence to the toll road. it’s basically one big right (west) and one big left (south). Follow the Ensenada and Rosarito signs (the same road). If you miss your exit/​turn GO BACK to the exit/​turn you missed. Do not try to meander your way and hope the right road will magically appear in front of you — it won’t, and you will get lost.
The hotel opened in 1925 when some wealthy guy purchased a hunting lodge at the location. I believe it’s been with the same ownership since then. The hotel is 18 miles south of the border, at the last (third) exit for Rosarito. You will see the 19 storey tower on the beach side, so it is easy to find.
The ocean pier is pretty cool. These waves will typically pound you, so people rarely swim here. The pier is how you will get your perspective view from the water.
We stayed in the (new) Pacifico Tower for two nights (Wednesday and Thursday) on the 11^th floor. The building was quiet, but mostly unoccupied. The Pacifico Tower is maybe five years old. I remember it used to be a large, open field. 24-​hour secure parking with a security guard gate.
Previously we have stayed in the old tower, which had much smaller rooms and old furniture and was nothing special at all.
THE ROOM
The tower has large kitchenette rooms with a huge balcony overlooking the beach. Climate-​controlled rooms. The floor was some kind of concrete tile, though it was not as cold as concrete normally is.
The kitchen area has a microwave, an electric stove and a small refrigerator. Plates and silverware, and some cups. No wine glasses, though.
The bed is good, and there is a bedroom T.V. A headboard with nightstands.
The bathroom has a large, clean bathtub, with rails on the side so you can relax with your legs out of the water so you can soak your full back and shoulders. The water is as hot as you want. The bathroom glass is part frosted and part clear, so you can watch the bedroom TV from the bathtub, just like in Vegas (WOO-​HOO!).
The huge balcony has no patio furniture. However, you can bring out the two leather desk chairs to sit on, and a coffee table if you want. You can also move the couch to look out through the glass doors. I wonder why they don’t buy supply some of those $ 5 plastic patio chairs.
THE AZTECA RESTAURANT
The Azteca Restaurant had excellent service — it could not have been better. I noted a prior negative review, but we had a great experience twice for breakfast. The machaca was good, as was the vegetarian omelet and the camarones (shrimp) omelet. Our table had a small plaque next to it on the wall that said Table 17 was the favorite of actor Robert Stack. The orange and cactus juice blend was great. The piano player said he was there from 10 to 3. The bar lets you take drinks to your room. We took a marguerite pitcher.
THE CASA PLAYA
The spa building used to be the mansion of the owner family in the mid-1900’s. The two-​sided staircase takes you up to the relaxation room and the massage & treatment rooms. The separate men’s and women’s spa had a Jacuzzi, a steam room, and a sauna. The one-​hour massage lasted 70 minutes. Contrast that with the usual fifty-​minute massage elsewhere that they call one hour. In your locker is a robe, sandals and a towel.
MY ADVICE: bring some bath salts and some wine glasses.
Incidentally, the best restroom break just before the border heading south is the San Ysidro McDonalds, which is on the right at the very last exit before Mexico. The freeway sign tells you it is the last USA exit. Don’t worry, it is not the same McDonalds where that crazy unemployed security guard shot 40 people in 1984 (killing 21). That one was of course razed a long time ago.