Ixtapa is the newer of the two. It's a planned resort, conceived and developed by the Mexican government. The destination has an east-west orientation, with most of the hotels situated on a wide, sandy beach, facing south. Ixtapa also features two world-class golf courses, tennis, and a variety of water sports, including ocean swimming (usually safe), diving and deep sea fishing. Nightlife, per se, is a bit limited, particularly when compared to other Pacific coast destinations. The Mexican Fiesta at the Hotel Dorado Pacifico, however, is one of the best in Mexico.

With a completely different atmosphere, Zihuatanejo is only seven kilometers away. It's a very typical, small Mexican town, complete with a variety of open-air markets and restaurants. Whereas Ixtapa's origin is in the 1970's, Zihuatanejo's heritage dates back to the beginning of civilization. The original town is built around a small, sheltered harbor. The harbor is part of a larger, picturesque bay with numerous sandy beaches and scalloped coves. There are a number of small hotels and restaurants in Zihuatanejo, and more scattered around the edge of the bay.

Ixtapa has more hotel rooms and newer, deluxe facilities. Zihuatanejo's hotels are smaller, family owned properties, each with its own unique idiosyncrasies. Most visitors stay in Ixtapa and make one or more day trips to Zihuatanejo. Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo: "one destination that's two places at once."

Following is our list of recommended hotels.

Ixtapa

Dorado Pacifico: This hotel is 20 minutes from the airport and is one of the most popular hotels in Ixtapa. It has an excellent location on the beach, and it's easy walking distance to shopping and a variety of restaurants. The Dorado Pacifico also has an impressive open atrium lobby. The building is an 11-story high rise with 285 rooms, including 60 adjoining rooms, ideal for families. Additionally each floor has two corner unit suites. The décor combines marble flooring with wood and rattan furniture. Rooms have one king size or two double beds. All rooms have an ocean view with balcony. The pool area is one of Ixtapa's best, with two swimming pools - one Olympic size pool with water slides, a swim-up bar and an tropical lagoon feel, and a separate children's pool. There are two lighted tennis courts, children's playground, a new massage center and five restaurants and three bars located on the property. Meal plans are available. 20% discount on green fees at La Marina and/or Palma Real golf courses. Air conditioning, shower/tub combination, phone, servi-bar, and satellite TV. Click here for more photos.

Nightly Rates: (per room, for one or two adults, tax included)

Standard
$134 January 1 to January 27, 2006.
$148 January 28 to February 24.
$134 February 25 to April 7.
$162 April 8 to April 22.
$106 April 23 to December 15.

Suite
$204 January 1 to January 27, 2006.
$232 January 28 to February 24.
$204 February 25 to April 7.
$240 April 8 to April 22.
$170 April 23 to December 15.

Two children, ages 12 and under, can stay free with their parents. Triple rates are available on request. Roundtrip transfers and discounted rates on Alaska Airlines are also available. Prices are based on availability and are subject to change.

Reservations or more information:  info@mexico-beach-hotels.com. Please include names, dates in and out, and hotel (with type of room).

Melia Azul Ixtapa (All Inclusive): The Melia Azul is located 25 minutes from the airport. This deluxe, oceanfront resort is a nine-story high rise with 250 rooms. The Melia is all-inclusive: all meals, snacks, domestic drinks and activities are included in the price. Standard rooms are spacious and have either a king size or two double beds. All rooms have an ocean view, some with balconies. Amenities include a two-level shopping and entertainment arcade, game room, the Kids Club, fully-equipped fitness center, spa, tennis, a number of water sports, including wind surfing, kayaking, pedal boating, and water polo. There are two swimming pools and a children's pool, two grass tennis courts and discount rates for golf. Additionally, a complete activities program is available daily, as well as live entertainment shows each evening. Five restaurants, two serving a la carte, one serving buffet style and one serving both a la carte and buffet, plus a "Pizzeria" snack bar are choices for dining. Two bars. Air conditioning, shower/tub combination, phone, servi-bar, satellite TV with remote, and in-room safe. Click here for more photos.

Nightly Rates: (two adults, double occupancy, all inclusive)

Deluxe: Contact us for 2006 rates.

Superior: Contact us for 2006 rates.

Junior Suite: Contact us for 2006 rates.

Reduced rates for children, ages 7 to 12, staying with their parents (maximum 2). Children under 7 are free (maximum 2). Single, triple and quad rates available on request. Roundtrip transfers and discounted rates on Alaska Airlines are also available. Prices are based on availability and are subject to change.

Reservations or more information:  info@mexico-beach-hotels.com. Please include names, dates in and out, and hotel (with type of room).

Posada Real: This four-story oceanfront hotel has been recently remodeled and is an excellent value. Located 20 minutes from the airport, it's the last hotel on the beach before the entrance to the marina. Posada Real has 110 standard rooms with ocean or garden views. Rooms feature tiled floors, bleached wood furniture, a king size or two double beds, and a built-in sofa. There are two swimming pools, one brand new overlooking the beach with jacuzzi and swim-up bar, and a third pool for children only. One beachfront restaurant, with panoramic ocean views, one snack bar and three bars are on-site. Meal plans are available. Air conditioning, shower/tub combo, phones, and satellite TV with remote control available upon request from the front desk. Click here for more photos.

Nightly Rates: (per room, for one or two adults, tax included)

Contact us for 2006 rates.

Reservations or more information:  info@mexico-beach-hotels.com. Please include names, dates in and out, and hotel (with type of room).

Puerta del Mar: This is an all-suites property and is located 20 minutes from the airport. Although not oceanfront, Puerta del Mar is only a 10 minute walk (two blocks) from the beach. The hotel also offers free shuttle transportation to the beach throughout the day. This property is an excellent choice for anyone on a tight budget or anyone interested in an extended stay. The décor of tile floors and wood furniture evokes typical Mexican styling. Suites are spacious and can sleep from 4 to 6 persons. Jr. suites have one private bedroom, master suites have two. In each suite there is a king size bed, two sofa beds, private balcony, two full bathrooms, and fully equipped kitchenette. Master suites have two single beds in the second bedroom. Two pools, one for adults with swim-up bar and a separate one for children, are centrally located on the property. Daily activities are offered and there is a personal gym on-site. Also on-site is one restaurant, two bars and a mini-mart. Air conditioning, phone, and cable TV. Click here for more photos.

Nightly Rates: (per room, for one or two adults, tax included)

Junior Suite: Contact us for 2006 rates.

Master Suite: Contact us for 2006 rates.

Two children, ages 11 and under, can stay free with their parents. Triple and quad rates are available on request. Roundtrip transfers and discounted rates on Alaska Airlines are also available. Prices are based on availability and are subject to change.

Reservations or more information:  info@mexico-beach-hotels.com.
Please include names, dates in and out, and hotel (with type of room).

Zihuatanejo

Catalina Beach Resort: This hotel sits on a hill overlooking La Ropa Beach and Zihuatanejo Bay and is a 30 minute ride from the airport, 10 minutes from downtown Zihuatanejo. All rooms have bay views, private terraces with hammocks and chaise lounges, and are furnished in typical Mexican styling. This hotel is quite rustic. There are four categories of room and pricing is based on size and location. The Catalina has one pool located bayside. Also on site are one restaurant and two bars, beach area with palapas and chaise lounges. There is no air-conditioning, no TV, and there are phones in some units. There are ceiling fans in the rooms and showers in the bathrooms.

Reservations or more information:  info@mexico-beach-hotels.com. Please include names, dates in and out, and hotel (with type of room).

Hotel Irma: One of the originals in Zihuatanejo, the Irma is perched on a steep hill overlooking La Madera Beach. It is located 25 minutes from the airport and is within walking distance of downtown. A moderately priced property, the Irma was renovated in 1992 and has 72 rooms. Rooms have modest furnishings, with top floors having high wood paneled ceilings and views of the bay. The large sun deck and two swimming pools located on the water side offer wonderful views of the bay. The Irma has one bar and two restaurants with a terrace overlooking the bay. Meal plans are available. Most rooms have air conditioning, ceiling fans, shower/tub combination, phone, and cable TV.

Reservations or more information:  info@mexico-beach-hotels.com. Please include names, dates in and out, and hotel (with type of room).

Hotel Zihuatanejo Centro: The Centro is located on a side street in downtown Zihuatanejo about two blocks from the beach. Only a 20 minute taxi ride from the airport, the Centro has a great location for shopping, waterfront restaurants, access to the beach and harbor, and all the pleasures that the small town of Zihuatanejo has to offer. This is a budget hotel with 69 rooms located on four floors with no elevator. The rooms have either a street view or a swimming pool view and small balconies. The recently added Penthouse (Honeymoon Suite) is on the rooftop and has a view of the Bay. Standard rooms have either a king bed or two double beds. There are two bars and one newly remodeled restaurant adjacent to the pool area. Meal plans are available. Air conditioning, ceiling fans, most rooms shower only, the rest have shower/tub combination, phones, and TV's with local channels only.
Click here for more photos.

Nightly Rates: (per room, for one or two adults, tax included)

Standard: Contact us for 2006 rates.

Penthouse: Contact us for 2006 rates.

Above price includes American breakfast. Two children, ages 11 and under, can stay free with their parents. Triple and quad rates are available on request. Roundtrip transfers and discounted rates on Alaska Airlines are also available. Prices are based on availability and are subject to change.

Reservations or more information:  info@mexico-beach-hotels.com. Please include names, dates in and out, and hotel (with type of room).

Royal Sotavento: This property, situated high on the hill overlooking La Ropa Beach and Zihuatanejo Bay, is a 30 minute ride from the airport and 10 minutes from downtown Zihuatanejo. Most rooms have bay views, furnished in typical Mexican styling and are quite rustic. While expansive, many of the deck areas are shared. The Sotavento has 61 large terrace suites with hammocks, and 24 standard rooms with terraces and bay views. It is a many step walk down to the beach. The hotel has one pool, one restaurant and three bars. Meal plans are available. There are screens rather than windows in most of the units. There is no air-conditioning, no TV, and there are phones in some units. There are ceiling fans in the rooms and showers in the bathrooms.

Reservations or more information:  info@mexico-beach-hotels.com. Please include names, dates in and out, and hotel (with type of room).

Villa Mexicana: Villa Mexicana is on La Ropa Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Mexico. Thirty minutes from the airport and 10 minutes from downtown shopping, it overlooks Zihuatanejo Bay. Remodeled in 2001, the hotel has two-stories and offers 64 units with ocean and garden views. Oceanview rooms all have a balcony or terrace and some gardenview rooms have a terrace. Rooms are basic, with one king or two double beds, a built-in table with open shelving and a small open closet. Terraces have a table and chairs. Rooms are decorated in a Mexican color scheme, with tile floors and built-in furniture. The small pool is in the garden area, surrounded by palm trees. Directly in front of Villa Mexicana is a sandy beach that the hotel has furnished with palapas, lounge chairs, and umbrellas. Bar service is provided from the hotel. There is casual beachfront dining close by – the sun, the surf, the sand, a palapa and a cold cerveza – it's the quintessential Mexican beach experience. One beachfront restaurant, one poolside bar. Air conditioning, shower only, TV (local channels), phones.

Standard Plus
$102 January 2 to January 19, 2006.
Free Nights Special, Jan 2 to Jan 19: 7th night free.

$112 January 20 to February 28.
Free Nights Special, Jan 20 to Feb 28: 14th night free.

$102 March 1 to April 7.
Free Nights Special, Mar 1 to Apr 7: 7th night free.

$126 April 8 to April 15.

$112 April 16 to April 22.
Free Nights Special, Apr 16 to Apr 22: 14th night free.

$92 April 23 to July 7.
Free Nights Special, Apr 23 to Jul 7: 7th night free.

$112 July 8 to August 19.
Free Nights Special, Jul 8 to Aug 19: 14th night free.

$92 August 20 to December 18.
Free Nights Special, Aug 20 to Dec 18: 7th night free.

Two children, ages 9 and under, can stay free with their parents. Single rate is slightly lower. Triple and quad rates are available on request. Roundtrip transfers and discounted rates on Alaska Airlines are also available. Prices are based on availability and are subject to change.

Reservations or more information:  info@mexico-beach-hotels.com. Please include names, dates in and out, and hotel (with type of room).