We spent a christmas in Hotel Villa del Mar and enjoyed our stay. Here are some facts anyway:
First night we were given a small, shabby room, which had not a safety box. We insisted on to change the room because it was unsafe to keep the money, credit cards and passports in a room, as since they do NOT have any safety boxes in reception!
Changing the room was difficult, and they tried to insist that the room is like this because we had made a booking in internet.
But finally we were given an other room which was nice and Ok, even with unworking safety box....
The rooms are basic, some with carpets, some with tiles. Bathroom is Ok, not luxury. A/C-machine makes very bad noise and all the talking and noise from outside disturbs too. The laundry lady woke up every morning at 9:00 asking the laundry.
Breakfast (7-12:00) is local type buffet; enchiladas, beef/chicken, scrambled eggs, bread, juice and coffee. We liked the breakfast to be OK.
The staff was nice and friendly for us.
The hotel's garden and pool area are nice. Distance to Veracruz city is short, but not really a walking distance. Taxi to centrum costs 30 pesos. Buses drive just front of the hotel to Veracruz and Boca del Rio.

We had a great time in Veracruz during Semana Santa 2007. Holy week is not a good time of year to play it by ear traveling through central Mexico, but we managed to show up at Villa del Mar at exactly the right time to get the single remaining room -- so we were pretty happy to have found a hotel room at all.

For the price, it's a great place, but don't expect major luxury here. There's a nice pool, lots of staff, an outdoor and an indoor restaurant, tennis court -- plenty to be able to spend a nice day at the hotel itself as well as at the beach across the street. There's a large parking lot, too, if you're driving.

Finally, if you find the Villa del Mar beach too packed, and it was *packed* while we were there, take a trip towards Boca del Rio. Across from the Holiday Inn are some quieter beaches, just a bit more isolated.

I found the Villa del Mar online while searching for a place to stay during my trip to Veracruz. I arrived late at night, oddly enough the lobby was rather busy. The night shift front desk clerk seemed almost perturbed that he had to check me in. When I asked whether or not my breakfast was included, he told me to come back later. At just before 2 AM I decided later would have to be in the morning.

My room was decent but it reminded me exactly of a room I had once at a Motel 6 outside of Pittsburgh. The air conditioning was strong if a bit noisy, and the hot water was plentiful. An ample selection of toiletries were provided, and there were at least 50 tv channels, many in English.

Oddly for Mexico, the floors were carpeted, and the carpet had definitely seen better days. In a hot humid climate like Veracruz I would have definitely preferred tile floors.

The service from the staff was very hit or miss. The staff in the restaurant was very friendly. The front desk people were either sullen or extremely accomodating and pleasant. Don't count on getting much information from them though--no one at the front desk knew how much a taxi to the airport would cost. In most hotels in Mexico when you pass staff in the hallways and on the grounds, the staff always smile and say "Buenos Dias" Here most of the time they looked down and avoided eye contact. I got the feeling that this hotel just might not be a happy place to work.

However the hotel did have some plusses. The grounds were pleasant and lush. It had a nice pool and the seating area around the pool never felt crowded. Breakfast was indeed included and it was pretty good. The hotel is right across from the beach. The beaches arent great in Veracruz but there is always a lot of activity around there. There are plenty of bars and restaurants in walking distance. It's also a short bus ride to downtown or the Boca del Rio shopping area.

This hotel was hardly a deluxe establishment but I felt it was a good value for the price I paid. I just wish they would get rid of the nasty carpeting in the rooms!

This is a very good hotel if you enjoy swimming and partying in the beach. Please take note that the name of the hotel is "Viña del Mar", not "Villa"