I used to be a big fan of Las Conchas, the residential area where a lot of rental homes are located. My friends and I would pick a different home to stay in each time, but the problem was you never knew what you'd get - could be great, could be lousy. And the ones we could afford were always set back from the beach and you'd have to schlep all your gear a block or two to the water.

But with the Sea, I always know what to expect - comfy accommodations, a fantastic kitchen and views to die for. And I'm really lucky - a close friend bought a condo there last year so WE STAYED FOR FREE!!

For those of you who aren't so lucky, it's still a great place to stay. You've probably read already about how every condo has a great view, there are several pools plus a swim-up bar with "hora feliz" every day, and there's a wide stretch of sandy beach for shelling, walking, swimming or just hanging under the palapa. And it's all right there - no schlepping necessary.

So here's what's new: the onsite restaurant has improved greatly under new management. (I think it's called Richard's restaurant.) For lunch one day, we had chicken mole and breaded shrimp with mango salsa - yum. They have set up patio tables outside facing the sea. I had one margarita and it was decent. (I'm pretty picky - must have fresh lime juice or else!)

The fitness center is very modern and there's free wi-fi in the building (although it occasionally fails).

We stayed midweek and it was extremely quiet. I've been there in the past on weekends, and there's a great vibe. People always seem to be smiling and having fun. There's invariably a group playing sand volleyball in the late afternoon - very entertaining to watch. But at night it would usually quiet down and you didn't have to worry about drunken partiers keeping you up all night. And of course, the security is top-notch and 24-7.

Keep in mind that each unit is privately owned and some have better decorations and furnishings than others. My friend has not yet put his home in the rental pool, and I think it would be a popular place as the decor is really, really nice. I'm planning a return trip in June, my favorite month.

I want to mention the local restaurants, since that's a huge factor when you're on vacation. But because we had a beautiful kitchen with awesome views - and because I love to cook fresh fish - we only ate out twice. Once we stopped for lunch in town on the way in and the other time was lunch as I mentioned above. So, if you are looking for great Baja-style fish and shrimp tacos, you have to try Mariscos El Conchal in town. That's where the locals go (and you can get by with English or poor Spanish like me.) The view is of the street, but the food is fantastic and we always get it to go. First thing we do when we get to the condo is pop open the champagne and enjoy lunch on the patio. El Conchal is at Benito Juarez Blvd. and Leon de la Barra y Sonora. (It's on the main street before you get to the split at Las Conchas.)

My only knock against the Sea was that the onsite bodega was closed during normal business hours. But again, this was midweek.

Being from San Diego, to find such a wonderful beach, clean with warm water so close to us is just awesome!!! This is a 5 star luxury condo outfit, and no lazy people there is no maid service because you are renting private first class condos with ALL of the amenities you would have at home...Anyone who gave this place a bad review is either smoking crack, or brain dead, or just a stupid tourist who does not know how to be a traveller. We have been here five times!! and each time is better..Caifornia wishes they had a beach like this and such a wonderful warm tranquil place, liek I said a piece of paradise!!

My wife, teenage daughter and four year old son stayed at the Senoran Sea resort over Oct. 2nd weekend. We went for the Rocky Point Beachfest to play a little volleyball and enjoy the ocean. The room we reserved (412) was very nice, clean and offered a great view of the ocean. Since this is not a resort with service we had to clean the rooms ourselves. Not an issue with a dishwasher and washer and dryer in the room and taking out the trash is no big deal. We stopped just before the border at a grocery store and picked up food for the week in Ajo(??), which I recommend. I also recommend a company we rented out of Phoenix called Head Out that drove us down and picked us up. It was well worth the price and cheaper than renting a car. Didn't know until the last day but at the front desk you can ask for a container of culligan water and keep in your room in the water stand. I would suggest a room on the ground or first floor. There is an elevator but it's located in the middle of the building and it's a little out of the way and with small children even two floors can be tiring carying them after a long day in the sun. Had no issues while on our vacation in Mexico so don't listen too seriously to CNN. Weather was great and am planning to return next year.

Went with my boyfriend, another couple and another friend and his nephew for the RCPM show which was in the empty lot adjacent to the property. We had a room on the first floor which I was VERY skeptical about but turned out to be one of the best features. Mere steps to the pool! The way that the architect designed the patio spaces was very smart - you can't hear ANYTHING from the other rooms or patios until you step out on to the grass. The little on-site bodega is good for ice cream and sodas but if you are looking to shop for groceries forget about it. Here's how we did it and it worked out great - we landed in Phoenix and immediately went shopping at a huge supermarket, got snacks and booze and some basics (like bottled water!!). There is a swimup pool with awesome tacos. Everything fresh and they make this fantastic guac (not chunky, but thin like a sauce). I highly recommend the happy hour specials too.

Some caveats: There was no maid service for the entire 5 day stay. I did not mind hauling our trash out but (a) I'm pretty low-maintenance and (b) we were on the first floor so it was only steps away to a big communal can where I tossed out our bags. We ended up washing all of the towels at least once since we had no towel refresh. So if you think of it more like a vacation rental house and less a hotel then your expectations will be met and you wont be disappointed. Also it seemed to attract a very "party" crowd at least when we were there, so if you are going for a quiet retreat it might not be the best choice for you. I woudl absolutely return for a trip like we took but if you had very small children or were elderly it might not be your thing.