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The stairway to (cocktail) heaven!

The saying “don’t blink or you’ll miss it” truly applies to Hotel Luna & Eclipse Bar, a narrow and unassuming 2 story building adjacent to the Giggling Dolphin Restaurant & Dolphin Dive Center, 1 block west of the Malecon on Benito Juarez street.

I remember the first time I walked upstairs to investigate the Eclipse bar, a cozy little hide-away with a warm and welcoming ambiance. The proprietor, Alberto Besomi, greeted me with a warm smile and treated me as if I were a guest in his home. Alberto promptly presented me with a menu of cocktail, beer and wine selections along with a plate of snacks including his home made salsa.

I figured “so far so good…the service is outstanding and the chips and salsa are great…I wonder if he knows how to make a decent margarita?”  I quickly discovered he makes a Fabulous Margarita; in fact I think they are the best in town! They are not too sweet or too tart with just the right balance of lime juice, liqueur and tequila. I enjoyed the margarita so much I thought I might venture into something a little more obscure. I remembered not having a Mai Tai in a long time so he prepared one for me and it was every bit as delicious as the Margarita. I quickly decided “this is my favourite place for a cocktail” and in subsequent visits I discovered that he makes killer Mojitos and just about any other perfectly prepared concoction you can think of!

The pride with which Alberto served me prompted me to ask about his background as I knew I was being served by a real pro. Alberto is a Swiss-Italian and was born in Lugano Switzerland. He studied the ”hoteliers” program for 3 years and when he received his diploma, Alberto furthered his education in Hotel and restaurant management. Alberto worked as a sous-chef then as a chef in some of the finest restaurants in Switzerland and Italy specializing in Mediterranean cuisine. Alberto is a stickler for details with a great deal of pride in his work and it shows.

“I would much rather serve a few patrons who appreciate quality and service in a quiet atmosphere than have a room full of 2 for 1 happy hour rowdies!” Alberto says.

I asked Alberto “So how did you end up in Loreto?” He replied “it was really a fluke…My wife Karla (born in Monterrey Mexico) and I were living in Switzerland at the time and we decided to fly to Mexico, jump in a truck and tour the country. We were travelling the mainland and decided to take a ferry from Mazatlan to La Paz as we had never been to the Baja before. Someone told us about a “town” called Puerto Escondido and when we got there we quickly discovered there was no “town” at all so we headed up the road to this place called Loreto”  After spending a few days during Semana Santa (Easter holidays) Karla and Alberto discovered “this is the place we will call home from now on!” “The mountains make me think of Switzerland but Karla and I always wanted a place near the sea. We love this town and the relaxed pace of life here. In Europe, we were living to work…now we own our own business and enjoy a much better quality of life”.

Alberto and Karla show equal pride in Hotel Luna below the Eclipse bar. Three impeccably clean air conditioned rooms with Spartan yet elegant modern decor are offered at the extremely reasonable price of $59 U.S. including taxes based on double occupancy. Whether you need a place to stay while in Loreto or just looking for a great place to have a drink and relax, I’m sure you will enjoy Alberto & Karla’s hospitality as much as I do!

For more information, visit www.hotellunaloreto.com or call 613-135-2288 (If calling from the U.S. dial 011-52-613-135-2288).

Bob Pendock, bobp@liveloreto.com

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