The nearly mile-long Playa La Ropa Beach.
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The Tides Zihuatanejo
(formerly Hotel Villa del Sol)
Playa La Ropa
S/N Zihuatanejo, Gro, México
40880
Tel: 866-905-9560
Tel: (52-755)-555-5500
Fax: 52-755-55-42-758
Email: info@tideszihuatanejo.com
Website: www.tideszihuatanejo.com
Overall Impression: 
The time was 1986 and there we were at the 400-room, Westin Camino Real resort in Ixtapa, now known as Las Brisas Ixtapa, a splendid resort to be sure, some 155 miles north of Acapulco, with a majestic view of the Pacific from our terrace, but a multi-storied elevator ride to a crowded beach where the swim-at-your-own-risk red warning flag was an omni-presence. Worse yet, my wife, a fearless devotee of ocean swimming, was sent butt-over-teakettle by a huge wave, swallowing a half-liter of seawater in the process. She has been less than bold about bucking whitecaps ever since. In our trip file, we carried a New York Times tear sheet of a review of a dining spot in Ixtapa’s twin city, the fishing village of Zihuatanejo. Since our meal plan at Camino Real was not much more than perfunctory, we decided to jeep over to Villa del Sol for dinner, where we were seated in an unprepossessing dining area of the then 17-room hotel, with an unimpeded view of a lovely sunset and Zihuatanejo Bay, whose granddaddy, the Pacific, lived up to its serene cognomen.
Strolling barefooted along Playa La Ropa Beach after an eminently satisfactory dinner, we determined to make reservations for the following winter and were introduced to Helmut W. Leins, owner of the modest complex. Well, we returned the following year and at least a half-dozen more times. And the main reason we did, were the reasons that attracted Leins (an Engineer from Munich) back in the ‘70s to the fishing village, a sheltered bay, an almost mile-long beach of pristine white sand in the generous beach front as well as the shallow bottom of the waters. No jagged stones, shells or unsightly jelly fish to impede your progress through the refreshingly temperate waters. As close to paraíso as one could wish. We made lifelong friends at Villa del Sol, Judy and Ken Mistry from Philadelphia, and traveled with good friends, Eva and Hal Lilienfeld (one of three co-editors of MyKindofHoliday.com) and Ruth and Ralph Schlossman (a frequent contributor to these pages). In 1990 or so, Leins advised us that he had to make a critical decision. He was faced with the prospect of having a major developer buy up property adjacent to the hotel and erect a high-rise condo, or finding the resources to purchase the acreage himself. Once having accomplished that financially burdensome task, the obvious next step was for Leins to expand the hotel with rooms, another restaurant, swimming pool, tennis court, and fitness complex. Leins collaborated with local architects to develop his property in the low-keyed intimate style of his original lodgings. During that protracted building phase, we cooled to the idea of re-visiting the area. Fast forward to 2004 and 2005 when mykindofholiday readers began peppering us with suggestions, comments and questions about this very hot resort in Zihuatanejo. Moreover, close family members inquired if we could help them obtain three rooms on their behalf during the Christmas holidays. We were able to do so through the immensely helpful efforts of Michael Cojocea, Director of Marketing and Sales for the hotel. Mike was kind enough to send me a CD-ROM of the new Villa del Sol, which was enough to convince Alice and me that it was indeed time to return to the West Coast of Mexico – after a dozen years – save for a stay at the Casa Magna Marriott in Puerto Vallarta (a sumptuous hotel and lovely destination but lacking ocean swimming). What awaited us at Zihuatanejo was not a frog who turned into a prince, but a prince who turned into a king.
1) Physical Plant -
When our cab arrived at the resort, we were immediately struck by a new reception building, a soaring 50-foot palapa (cone-shaped) roof housing a spacious lobby and concierge area.
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| Roberto Mendiola, who handles the tour desk and concierge duties and Micaela Peñaloza who is responsible for room assignments and guest relations were enormously attentive and helpful to us during our stay. |
With the recent completion of 14 new villa-style suites, Villa del Sol accomplished its two-decade growth from the original 16 rooms on 7/10th of an acre of beach front in 1978, to a total of 70 units (half of which are suites) today. “No más,” Leins told us, “we’ve got the perfect number.” The adobe-hued luxury units, with their Spanish tile roofs and supporting parota wood columns lie among gardens, paths, ponds and landscaped lagoons. Second-story suites have sweeping views of the Pacific. They are enhanced by multiple water images, here a plunge pool on private terraces, there a lagoon or a canal.
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| Ah… siesta time, amigos! |
2) Guest Rooms & Housekeeping
Outside and in, our accommodations were impeccable. Interiors were a heady olio of Mexican colors, crafts and foliage. The floors were hand-crafted with intricate inlaid pebble designs. The bathroom was bright, and spotless with a generous stall shower, though hot water became luked after 10 minutes, which annoyed me since I shave in the shower. The one concession to technology is satellite television, which is limited to local programming and the unwatchable CNN International. I don’t believe we had TV in our rooms on our first visits, but what charitably are gone forever are the squawks and screeches of the guard peacocks, that emanated from the governor’s residence next door (no longer, thank heavens). The king-sized mattress was oversized and ultra-firm, just the way we like it. And the housekeepers were not to be believed. Zip, zip and muy pronto you have extra pillows or plush white bath toallas delivered to your door. Buzz, buzz and there are a mountain of multicolored beach towels for your lounge chairs. And nobody counts the number of towels you take to the beach or records your room number like a safety deposit box. Turn-down service? But of course. And when you return to the room you are greeted by a charming rose petal display with your pillow as canvas.
Come morning, and a thermos of fresh-brewed coffee is delivered to your patio with a copy of TimesFax with the daily crossword puzzle. A great way to start the day followed by a blissful walk on the beach.
3) The Beach -
So this is what they mean by palmier days. The game of musical lounge chairs may be played at other resorts, where one vies for a rare snatch of shade with finite ocean-viewing. No getting up at 5 a.m. to stake out your claim with a towel and a book. Not at Playa La Ropa where palms and palapas are so ubiquitous you can take your morning constitutional on velvety sand have your breakfast and then casually select a brace of lounge chairs. “Weather-wise,” to paraphrase my old friend Sammy Cahn, “it’s such a lovely day,” with a prevailing tropical breeze to mitigate soaring noon-time temperatures.
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Feetured view from under a palapa, while sipping a margarita, listening to Shearing and
Torme on my IPod and reading David McCullough’s 1776. Somebody pinch me. |
Wading and swimming in Zihuatanejo Bay is like negotiating a mountain lake with saltwater buoyancy. But unlike a frigid lake, your body adjusts almost immediately to the warm water temperature, naturally sheltered from the Pacific. I even wore my big-brimmed Tilley hat in the water with no fear of losing it to a sudden wave.
4) Dining – As long as we’re still on the beach, let’s deal with a creature comfort that I’m hard-pressed to believe you’ll encounter anywhere else.
White Linen Table-By-the-Bay -
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Here’s the drill. You’re just awakened from a deep slumber, your finger book-marking Chapter 5 of Tom Clancy’s latest thriller. And you’re famished. Do you walk the 50 paces to the dining room? OR do you run it up the flagpole as we did every afternoon at 1300 hours? Yes, there’s a tiny yellow flag on the trunk of the palapa. Raise it and you’ll raise a bright young waiter who’ll set down a freshly laundered linen table cloth and cutlery directly aft of your lounge chairs. Our typical lunchtime fare: chicken quesadillas with iced tea for the madam and a bottle of Corona with lime for this reporter. Lunch is not part of the meal plan but after a bit of sleuthing, we re-learned what we discovered the first time we stayed at Villa del Sol: that there is simply no better eating place in the twin cities, so why be disappointed. Now that maxim applies unmistakably to dinner and breakfast which are components of the meal plan, of which I heartily propose your availing yourself.
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| Maestros de la Cocina (L-R) : Ramiro Patricio, Cook; Rafael Vásquez, Food & Beverage Director; Hector Valeriano, sous chef; Francisco Isordia, Executive Chef; Luis Perez, Chief Supervisor; Jose Luis Apolunio, Cook. |
Villa Del Sol Restaurant -
This is the original, palapa-topped dining room of the hotel, with its continental predilection, and I’m pleased to report that Executive Chef Francisco Isordia has raised the culinary standards from last we visited, to Zagat-worthy proportions – with the accent on portions, which are as generous as they are delectably imbued with creative sauces. As one who is now on a “healthy eating” regimen I opted on succeeding nights, for a filet-like venison, a delectable breast of duck, catch-of-the day fish, and a memorable South African lobster tail. Alice chose the filet mignon on two separate evenings. Desserts were uniformly excellent. Though I am not a fancier of live music with my dinner, I must say that the mariachi groups that performed each evening were proficient and restrained in their brass and timpani. Add candle-lit ambience, fine modestly-priced wine and exemplary service, and credit the oversight of the resort’s gifted F & D Director Rafael Vásquez.
La Cantina Restaurant -
The new – for us - informal La Cantina Restaurant and Bar is located at the north end of the hotel’s 600-foot beachfront. We elected to go there the Friday evening in which the Villa del Sol Restaurant was featuring its Fiesta Mexicana. The Cantina specializes in Mediterranean-style meals with matching wines. Seating is either alongside the beach or inside the restaurant itself, which is decorated with whimsical Botero-inspired murals. The appetizing menu includes buffet-style salads and vegetables.
5) New (for us) Facilities
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Four pools, including this beach-side Infinity Pool, which seemingly
goes on in perpetuity beyond the horizon... |
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... and this 60-ft Lap Pool. |
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Two all-weather, night-lit tennis courts, with the lap pool in the foreground. |
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Sleepy Lagoons and Awakening Fountains. |
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Air conditioned work-out center with ultra-new state-of-the-art equipment.
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Thanks to Villa del Sol’s remarkable Director of Marketing Michael Cojocea and PR whiz Pancho Shiell for their extraordinary help in provide information, CD-Roms and photographs which we supplemented with shots of our own. HD |
