Las Brisas Ixtapa

We celebrated my wifes 70th birthday - and never had the urge to leave the hotel. Friendly staff, great beach (and probably pool), excellent food, excellent drinks. We also liked that most of the guests turned out to be Mexicans, together with a handful of Americans and Canadians. It was just loveable ....

The hotel was beautiful, peaceful, clean and very comfortable. It is built into the mountainside so it doesn't feel so overwhelmingly large. The private beach is SPECTACULAR! The only (small) downside to our entire trip is that we felt the food at the hotel itself was very disappointing. {Especially for the VERY HIGH price}

Great hotel. Excellent service and staff. Great beach and facilities. Rooms were fantastic.

This was our 10th visit to Las Brisas, and that alone speaks for itself. Hotel is immaculate and grounds are reminiscent of a botanical garden. Beach is private and clean. Because of the hotel's location on a hillside, there are many steps -- not for the handicapped. Service is impeccable. I highly recommended staying here for a relaxing, low-key vacation in a little paradise. We also participated in a turtle release and saw dolphins swimming near shore one day.

Walk, swam, ate, relaxed, interacted with the local residents...enjoyed every moment. Las Brisas was more than we expected but what we certainly hoped fo.

This was my 11th trip to Mexico, 5th trip to Ixtapa, and 4th stay at Las Brisas. It is by far my favorite place to relax. The staff is very accommodating and unobtrusive. Service when you need it, no cajoling to get you to join in stupid activities. I don't think this would be the best place to travel with small children who need constant entertainment, which is perhaps why my family enjoyed the stay so much with my 50-something parents, 28-year old sister and her friend, and my 30-year old self and husband. Absolutely perfect.

Was absolutely dead since it is the low season at the end of August. Was still treated first class and the setting is beautiful. Staff is friendly and prides themselves on good service Small complaints are the cost of the food and drinks at the hotel and also the music at happy hour was a little dated. Otherwise, no complaints and a great place to stay.

They have a great little private beach, which was very nice. They also have an "adults only" pool, and we appreciated the option. The rooms are clean and nice. The views from the room are spectacular. Service was impeccable.

no problems

We chose to go to Zihuatanejo / Ixtapa in the off season (August) to avoid the winter crowds. Although the area is hot and humid then, we're from S. Texas so it wasn't much of a change. First things first. At the airport, avoid the time-share folks and insist that you want only a taxi to your hotel. Oddly it's significantly more expensive to get to your hotel from the airport than back to the airport from the hotel. The Las Brisas is acknowledged by the locals as the nicest ocean-front property in Ixtapa, and the only one w / a private beach. The hotel is built into a mountainside facing the ocean. The entrance and lobby are actually on the 18th floor. Our room was on the 20th floor, the "Beach Club". This is an upgrage that includes breakast (a real spread, not just coffee & donuts) as well as happy hour w / beer, wine cocktails and snacks. Definitely worth the money, especially when you factor in the menu prices of the other on site eateries. The room was very nice wih a great ocean view, private balcony with a hammock and patio furniture. The bed was large and comfortable and there was a sitting area. The bathroom was large and a little bit dark. Our room had a safe and the obligatory mini-bar for guests that think paying $4 for a Snickers enhances the taste. Ixtapa and Zihua are two separate towns. Ixtapa was built by the government specifically as a tourist destination, so there is a high concentration of hotels and restaurant / bars there. Las Brisas is at the far end of Ixtapa on the way to Zihuatanejo, and is away from the crowds and noise. This is nice, but it means a cab ride, or if you don't mind a little local culture, a bus to get around. We rented a car and looked around a bit. Zihua is an older fishing village that has grown outward from the bay. It has it's own feel. There are street markets that are good for negotiating prices. We did well on some local silver jewelry. The marina area is fun. Troncones is a must-see, and there's a wildlife refuge / rehab facility called El Refugio de Potosi near Barra de Potosi that was a nice stop. Playa Blanca and Playa Largo are pretty as well. If you have kids that go in the water, keep an eye on them until you get a feel about how rough the waves are. Some areas are not great for swimming very far out. The water is not as user-frindly as say, the Bahamas. (More Like Kauai). Since we spent time in the outlying areas, we didn't take in what looked to be the tourist traps, Ixtapa Island and Las Gatas Beach. We heard they were OK, but crowded with lots of competition for your pesos. The main drag of Ixtapa is crawling with hawkers trying to get you to look at time-share properties. I would stay at Las Brisas again. That being said, you should know going in that it sits off to itself, leaving those choosing to stay in-house for meals confronted with expensive dining options. We had better luck eating elsewhere. Also the beach there is one that is not ideal for young swimmers, but there are several nice pools. I give the trip a B+.