Capella Ixtapa

The Capella Ixtapa is a gorgeous, luxurious property with great little details that make a difference. Rooms are large and comfortable, with fantastic views and in-room little pools. There are three restaurants within the hotel. Sadly, the fish one (right above the beach) is closed in Summer, so that limits a bit the options. However, both the breakfast restaurant, by one of the pools; and the evening restaurant / terrace, offer very good, carefully presented food and fantastic drinks. Prices are not cheap, but the quality is very good. Annoyingly, though, all the prices are in US dollars, and (even more annoyingly) they charge a non-voluntary tip for anything consumed within the restaurants. I am not even sure either of these things are legal in Mexico. This was by far the most irritating thing in the trip. Other than that, the rooms are very well equipped (kettle, coffee maker, complimentary soft drinks), a good selection of TV channels in the (nicely stowable) flatscreen, correct toiletries (no hair conditioner, though, and no body lotion), bathrobes (but, surprisingly, no slippers), iron, safe, etc. Internet is ubiquitous throughout the property and very fast. Armchair are comfortable, both within the room and outside in the terrace. The bed is very comfortable; the pillows are feather-stuffed, which was not ideal; but in honesty, we didn't ask to see if they could change them. The bathroom is large and very well lit, the wardrobe has more than enough space and everything is very well designed with convenience in mind. They have nice little details, like a delicious bowl of guacamole and totopos (corn chips), with cold beers, that seem to appear magically in the terrace in the late afternoon; or a good supply of ice water by the pool, along with tasty amenities like ice cream. Francisco, by the way, made our (long, lazy) stays by the pool area a true delight with attentive but discreet and timely service. The hotel has a tiny beach; but guests are discouraged to get in the sea there, as it is very rocky and dangerous. There are two infinity pools with breathtaking views, besides those in the rooms. Other than poolside beds, there are more private nooks slightly higher up that are very comfortable. The hotel offers bikes to go around - there is a wonderful bike track just outside that passes through a nature reserve. There is also a "library" with complimentary coffee and cookies in the morning, fruit drinks later in the day, that is a welcome refuge when it rains hard. In general, all personnel are attentive and very helpful.

High luxury as close as you can get to Mexico's Pacific coastline, this stunning resort and spa wowed even the toughest of critics (myself!). Located in Zihuatanejo, the hotel was created around the rocky cliffside, giving you front row ocean views from every part of it. They had me at my room: the simple, chic room that opened up to my private outdoor deck, infinity pool, lounge area and of course, my own slice of that breathtaking ocean view. But they won me over again and again, with perfection like their open air bar, which served up delightful cocktails with an obstructed view of the entire bay. Or their Las Rocas Restaurant, which served ceviche, margaritas, tacos and fresh caught fish on a bougainvillea lined terrace. The main pool is the focal point of the resort with it's optical illusion edge that makes it seem to go right into the sea. Soaking in these waters, while gazing at that view is just what we needed after active days in the hot Mexican sun. While we enjoyed almost all of the property immensely, we didn't get a chance to try the Seafood Market restaurant, located al fresco, and closer to the water, nor the spa. Guess this Hotel Snob, will have to return... :)

So we our wonderful hosts wanted share the best of Zihua and some of Iztapa. The Capella in June does not open their close to the sea restaurant, but even the higher offered beautiful vistas. The food was quite good though pricey for this area. The seafood wonderfully fresh and the waiters quite professional. Highly recommended

We stayed at Capella Ixtapa for our 7 day honeymoon, and it truly exceeded every expectation that we had. The room was magnificent-- perfect views, comfortable, nightly turn down service. The resort was small, quaint and well kept. The plunge pool in our room was perfect, and the main pool was rarely crowded. The food and drink options were great. And getting recommendations from Connie, our personal assistant for in town destinations were great! Our only complaint was that this is NOT a destination to take children, of any age. We were there around Easter, and there were several families. The pool is not made to be a splashing fun place. There are several other resorts nearby (including a Club Med that caters to families). Outside of that-- it was beyond our imaginations,and we can't wait to head back!

Seeking a get-away for just my wife and me, we decided to visit somewhere we'd never been but in a country we love visiting and settled on this smaller resort area on the Pacific. My wife was a little concerned because she heard Ixtapa was "high rises and touristy" and wondered if we might want to stay in Zihua. From the moment we arrived on the property she repeatedly said, "You were right!" (A phrase every husband loves to hear and rarely does.) A great way to start a vacation for just the two of us. Where to begin? The staff - highly personalized attention while also providing all the space we could desire. The amenities - this company seems to have thought of everything -- every time we look for something , we find it .... from the extra towels at our own personal pool on our deck, to the waters brought to us when not even requested when at one of the main pools, to a place to store luggage out of the way .... this is no doubt a 5-star experience in a location that doesn't necessarily do 5-star well. The restaurant and bar ... magnificent and a surprise .... where else can you go point to the variety of fish you want grilled that were caught earlier in the day (my wife had octupus, red snapper and scallops; I had marlin and shrimp). And then there are the little things -- small but excellent fitness center, Coronas, salsa and guacamole delivered unrequested every day at 5ish .... a happy hour in the room while dressing for dinner, candles at night on our private veranda when returning from dinner, oh, and how could I forget the spa! It may have been the best massage ever! My wife is one of those "on the go" people .... other than the fitness center in the morning and dinner at night, we rarely leave our little piece of heaven overlooking the Pacific and crashing waves on the rocks as we sit on our patio or swim in our own infinity pool ... I could keep going. This place is amazing! Every couple owes it to themselves to aspire to this type of vacation. While all the staff are superb, I feel I must mention some by name ... Juan Pablo, the general manager who escorted us to our room the first night and encourages excellence in his staff, Connie, the concierge/personal assistant, who contacted us before we arrived and goes the extra mile to make all arrangements, Miguel and Alex at the bar, like your own neighborhood bar but in paradise. Francisco, Felix, and Benito at the Seafood Market. The housekeeping staff, the other waiters, Cruz at the entrance. All excellent, all remember your name and all want to make your stay perfect in every way. My wife and I have had the privelege of staying in some of the finest hotels in the world. We will stay nowhere else when returning to Ixtapa/Zihua. I should say, my wife was right about one thing: Ixtapa has many high rises and appears touristy. But Capella is north of Ixtapa by several miles and in a world all its own. This is the best of the best!