Ever since watching the ending scene of "Shawshank Redemption", where Andy Dufresne escapes to…read moreZihuatanejo, it's been on my "places to visit" list. Even though I later found out the beach shown in the movie is actually not even in Mexico. None the less, I still wanted to see this town people kept referring to as "paradise". So after looking at a few different hotels I landed on Capella. And, just a short 3 hour flight from LAX to ZIH and a 25 minute cab ride from the airport, I arrived at Capella Ixtapa. Usually pictures tend to look a lot better than the real thing with all the photo retouching but with Capella the pictures online do not even come close to truly capturing this hotel's beauty and the scenery it has to offer. As soon as you arrive the hotel staff is outside expecting your arrival and ready to greet you with warmth and smiles. They are BIG on customer service here and you can see it the minute you arrive. Upon walking just 10 steps toward the main lobby your mouth will literally drop as you hear the sounds of crashing waves and you take in the gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean. I honestly took 5-10 minutes just to absorb it all... it's that beautiful. And, the hotel is a beauty all in itself. With only 8 years since it was built, it still feels very new, clean and definitely 5-star worthy. All the rooms at this hotel are very private and come with their own in-room, infinity pool! The rooms here are nothing short of amazing and all include an ocean view. They also feature a nice patio area with some comfy chairs to lay out on and sip on some of their thirst quenching Jalapeño Margaritas. I particularly love that the rooms have 2 huge glass doors so your view of the ocean is never blocked even when in the room. Nothing like waking up every morning to an amazing ocean view and the bathroom also has an ocean view! Every day at around 5pm, the hotel staff drops off some guac and chips with a couple of Coronitas in a mini ice bucket! Cool little treat! There are a couple of restaurants on the premises, a bar and 2 large infinity pools. The restaurants here serve up some very good dishes and everything I tried from the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus was very tasty, fresh and well presented.They have a daily event that starts around 6pm every evening where they bring in all the fresh catch of the day including shrimp, fish and lobster. You pick out what you want and they prepare it for you to your liking. Good stuff and it doesn't get any fresher than that! The bar offers a full variety of mouth-watering concoctions of which I highly recommend the Jalapeño Margarita. I think I ordered about 45 of them during my 5 night stay, including a pitcher which is not on the menu but they will make for you upon request. Capella also offers a Romantic Dinner which includes a 4 course dinner for 2 with a private table set up on their wedding deck overlooking the ocean. This package also includes a very romantic setup including candles, rose pedals and live saxophone musician! The dinner is private so it's literally just the 2 of you with your own table, waiter and musician who plays everything so i requested some Frank Sinatra of course! Capella even allowed me to alter the menu to my liking and all this for only $350! The food is delicious and the experience was well worth every cent or in this case, peso. I HIGHLY RECOMMEMD you do this if your budget allows. As far as location, Capella is just down the street (walking distance) to Playa Linda where you can take a ferry to Ixtapa Island and do some swimming, snorkeling, shopping, sun tanning, eating and a little drinking. The hotel offers it's guests complimentary bikes that you can ride down there if you prefer. In that same area there's a lagoon where you can find some large crocs, turtles iguanas and various other creatures. Just a 10 minute cab ride in the opposite direction from the hotel you have Avenida 5 de Mayo which is a cool little area packed with stores, restaurants and bars. There's plenty to do and if you need any help planning activities just talk to Connie Ochoa who is the Activities Supervisor and is there to help guests plan their ultimate Ixtapa experience. She's truly a huge help and super friendly. She's also bilingual so if you're not brushed up on your Español, no problema! Also, if you need to exchange money, you can do that at the hotel's front desk. Their rates are comparable with that of the nearby banks. So... next time you're thinking of heading South of the border for a little R&R, consider Ixtapa. And, if you're wanting to have an unforgettable and memorable experience, definitely stay at Capella. I honestly think I'll be making this a ritual yearly trip after this experience... see you soon Capella Ixtapa!

I have to praise the customer service at capellaixtapa, last night is asked what soups they were…read moreserving, My husband mentioned a Spanish meatball soup that was my favorite. 10 mins later the chef, Jesus Ordones, visited my table & asked if I preferred a white or tomato based soup. I said, I trust you! Can I share that this soup exceeded all expectations and has made the #hiddengem a new annual visit for the Friedmans! #capellaixtapa

2/17/23 3* La Casa Que Canta restaurant…read moreSince Covid, the place has lost part of its charm While there is a token Mexican presence, the restaurant caters to tourists The table side demonstration of homemade chile may be a novelty to foreigners, but not to natives and certainly not as good Overall, the food was bland. The tuna was really not fit to eat The service was okay, but the waiter was pushy in trying to get us to order Nice wines by the glass Tasty desserts. Probably will not come back

Beautiful stay, beautiful grounds and beautiful people! We had the best time at La Casa Que Canta,…read morethe grounds are so stunning. The real life Encanto house! Incredible food and the staff was so attentive. Wether we stayed in at our private pool with room service or dined in at the hotel restaurant the food was always too notch. Best hotel in Zihuatanejo! Five stars!

Great location close to the beach. The hotel it self has many ammenities. Very fun…read more Rooms were clean. Price was great. I have no complaints.

We just wrapped up two weeks at our favorite resort in the Zihu/Ixtapa area and it was amazing as…read moreusual. We have been coming here for more than 25 years, stayed on the 20th floor with the Brisas Beach club deal, did not do all inclusive, and ate most of our dinners in Zihua. Your experience may vary. CheckIn/CheckOut - this has been a pain point in the past but this time both were fast (not chain hotel in the US fast but still not bad) Rooms - the rooms remain the same and are large with a seating area and short bench seat (could be a kids bed). Lots of drawer space and closet space with a safe in the closet. The beds are good and firm with a pillow top that worked well. Nice pillows and floating night stands on each side of the king beds. The cooling can be challenging in some rooms but ours was great with a silent ceiling fan. The balcony's are huge with two chairs, a table, and a hammock. The bathrooms are large with double sinks and a walk in shower with a bench and shower head and wand. Beach - the beach is private with no vendors, music, or water sport sellers. The palapas are large and there are enough to minimize the need to wake up early to grab a spot. The water is clear, but the waves can be large. You need to be careful if they are. The lifeguards (Victor and Arturo) do a great job of watching people and warning about large waves inbound. Pools - the pool area is above the beach and has 2 good-sized pools (1 adult only) and a smaller family and kids pool. The pools need some work on tile replacement but the lounge chairs are pretty new. Food and Drink - we mostly eat our dinners in Zihua but had dinner at Bellavista (big buffet, decent menu, nice kabob). This is also the breakfast spot with a huge buffet. We ate once at Las Brisa's II (awesome setting, good service, and likely good food). We had two things that were not good, but heard from others that they enjoyed the food. The Beach menus is limited but had great burgers, quesadillas and guacamole. No food service at the pool, but a buffet and larger menus at the Solarium next to the pool. The Lobby Bar is a great place to watch the sunset and gather at night, but generally has no entertainment. The Property - the resort is large and built on a hill so there are a lot of steps but elevators eliminate most of them. This is really not a great spot if you are mobility challenged. The place is beautiful and has kept its modern Aztec feel with amazing views framed by all of the openings. The Staff. - to a person, the staff is great. They are friendly and helpful and all smiles. Be aware that most do not speak much English, but it is México. A few shout outs to some amazing people. Sergio at the beach is outstanding and does an amazing job of anticipating what you need. He really makes the beach special. In addition, Margurita and Naftani also do great job of keeping you comfortable. In the Lobby Bar, Rosario has been amazing since we have been coming here. She is great at making everyone feel welcome. Bladamir, Lidia, and Manuel all make you feel welcome by providing great service. Leslie, the Concierge has great suggestions and will take care of reservations and other requests for you. In the Beach Club, Victorino and Osanti are great. If you want quiet relaxation in a comfortable older school setting, and are willing to do a little walking, this is your place.

las brisas. This is not a good place to stay. They discriminate if you are wearing sandals into a…read morerestaurant knowing it's a beach area not everyone is bringing running shoes to this place. I forgot my suitcase and they still did not care to let me in after paying $23,000 pesos for just a family of 4 If I am paying that much for a place like this I expect to be able to have dinner where I would like. If you wanna have a fun time do not go to this place.

This place is definitely NOT a 5 star resort. It's a decent place to stay, the entertainment is ok…read moreand like the rest of the people have said, their food is nothing special. They have the option to upgrade to the "premium" category and dine at their specialty restaurants every night, but not even those are worth the extra price. All their activities are on the tv schedule, there's no way to access them on their app or their website, so you will likely miss 90% of that. We stayed at a "family villa" and the room was very outdated. There was also a big storm and there's no way to go from there to the main building without getting soaked. We called a couple of times to ask for umbrellas but never receive them. I would suggest to book regular connecting rooms in the main building if you are traveling with children. On the positive side, I did really enjoy their room service, the menu and the food was much better than anywhere else. Their spa was small but beautiful, we had massages with Lilibet and Yolanda and they were absolutely fantastic!

1. Hotel is very dated 2. Villas for family are smaller…read morethan regular room . Just get two rooms 3. Restaurants bookings are daily at 9 am. If not in line before 830 you will be eating buffet. We ate dinner elsewhere $$$ 4. Mexican smoking laws are ignored here.. cigarette smoking and butts are everywhere and their smoking section is right outside the buffet eating area with doors wide open so smoke is sucked into the hotel. Smells like a casino at the beach and just about everywhere 5. Margaritas are horrible. Just drink your fave alcohol on rocks. Beer is limited to Coronas .... 99. Screaming amplified poolside guy

Not a luxury hotel, but comfortable and worth the value. The hotel is located in a very walkable…read morearea with shops across the street as well as local transportation and taxis. Due to the humid nature of the area, the hotel and rooms smell a bit humid and moist. The food is a mix between authentic and Americanized Mexican food, see pictures attached. The menu changed daily. We had the all inclusive package with food and drinks included. There is a separate kids pool. The other pool being with a bar. Note that people will spend hours in the pool without ever leaving for a restroom break. The customer service was fantastic with the service members being attentive and answering any questions about the amenities and local activities available.

Worst place ever. The receptionist named ANA was very rude. This is not all inclusive; you're…read morebetter off at Hilton in Zihuatanejo.

This is a great location to just unplug and relax and that's just what we did…read more Service here is 5-star. Every staff member that we interacted with was more than helpful and went out of their way to assist you. Since the property is built on a hill overlooking a beautiful beach you will get your steps in each day. There is a gondola that will whisk you to and from the beach. We walked a lot and our route to our building took us past several pools. Nothing like going for a swim to break up your hike! The beach is beautiful and you can walk about 5 miles end-to-end. There is ample seating shade and sun and it's easy to get lost in your book or have a quick snooze listening to the waves. The food at the beach is OK not great. Now the cocktails are very good and the service is wonderful. It's easy to get 2 or three margies deep before 2 PM. Also, the prices are beyond reasonable. There is an open-air beachside restaurant if you need a break from the beach. We only did their breakfast buffet once and it was off the charts. There were the usual gringo breakfast selections but there were also several Mexican stations. My huevos divorciados were cooked perfectly over easy and the salsa roja and salsa verde gave me a nice little morning kick. Sunsets are beautiful as you would expect and we were lucky enough to see whales one evening. The accommodations are OK the rooms could use an update and it took us a few days to figure out how to get consistent hot water for our showers. Our room had a large bedroom, 2 baths, a kitchen, and a spacious living room. Being up high on the hill we got wonderful breezes and we left our windows open each night and fell asleep listening to the waves and woke up to chirping birds. Our deck overlooked the beach and it was perfect for morning coffee and nightly cocktails. There is a coffee shop onsite and a minimart. We needed "supplies" and I was pleasantly surprised at the mini-mart prices. This is a great location and if you don't want to deal with hiking every day then there are plenty of other lodging options right on the beach. Yup, we are already planning our return next year!

This is the best resort I have EVER been to! So we came in…read morehere, and we went down to the buffet, which was incredible. Now we walk in the room, and there is a pool in the room! It's also very big, too. We did the turtle hatch, and it was very fun. Some of the nicest people l've ever met in my entire life! I will recommend!

16 years ago this place was built, 16 years ago was the last time this hotel was deep cleaned, or…read moreeven updated. The food and the room were the biggest disappointments, followed by the crappy drinks and 4oz non recyclable cups for beers. We even saw staff dumping unfinished drinks onto the beach. The Tesoro really seemed to like " hotdog wieners" and used them in array of dishes, from scrambled eggs with hotdogs, hotdog salad?, pasta with hot dogs and even stir fry with hot dogs? This hotel was not an all inclusive resort. It was a budget inn. And they even charged for wifi?so upset we stayed here. Soooo upset.

Good hotel. Nothing fancy just a average hotel here in ixtapa…read more Pros: close to beach, airport, and stores just outside the hotel( oxxo,farmacy, etc.. Cons: food is terrible! No flavor just not good. Wifi is not free,

If you are visiting the small, quaint, semi touristy town of Ixtapa... the Holiday Inn Resort is a…read moregood choice for accommodations. They have a few pools to choose from but not heated... they are family friendly with a kids pool area. Lots of photo opportunities or fogey your phone and just relax :-)

The only good thing about this hotel is housekeeping. There were cockroaches in our bathroom it was…read moredisgusting. We didn't have any hot water for showers. The restaurants are not worthy of five stars. It almost like they use the cheapest ingredients. The food was very repetitive and bland, not to mention how weak the alcohol drinks were.