This was my first time in this part of Mexico, and when I was searching for a relaxing/romantic getaway for my husband and I, I decided to try Zihua and Brisas. I'd read the excellent reviews and seen photos, the price during the off season was more than reasonable (115/night), and so I booked it. Weve been to various parts of Mexico in the past, so I thought we'd try something a little different to what we are used to (Cancun, Riviera Maya, Tullum).

If my husband were writing this review, he would probably rate the hotel and the experience a little lower on the scale than I would, but I will try my best to be as honest about the good and bad things.

What we really liked: Our view was fantastic, food was great and relatively cheap (in most of the local restaurants..more on food later) , staff was extremely friendly and accommodating, pool area was clean, beach was usually empty and clean (soft sand, nice waves), scenery around the hotel was beautiful and the walkway from the beach to the town was very convenient.

What we didnt like:

The Shower:
The shower in our bathroom looked pretty gross. It was a yellow tile which looked like it just hadnt been cleaned or maybe it was permanently stained, i have no idea. The grout was dirty and there was some hair and what looked like streaks (like when theres mildew/dirt on tile). Again, this takes getting used to because I am used to thorough cleanliness in my home and the hotels I stay in.

Cockroaches in our room:
We killed 2 large cockroaches that were probably at least 1.5 inches long. I told the hotel about the cockroach problem after we killed the first one and i didnt want to make a fuss about it and didnt ask for any reimbursements or perks. They sent someone up to check it out and the following day we had another cockroach. I know this isnt the US, and it is a warm climate and bugs are inevitable, but it just freaked me out to see a huge cockroach jump out onto the wall behind my bed. Kinda puts you on edge and it hindered my experience. I told the hotel about the second cockroach and they apologized. I didnt seek to change rooms because we only had a couple days left and they did not offer this either.

Noise:
Maybe it was the location of our room, or maybe that they do most of their construction during the off season, but this hotel was noisy! Every morning there was drilling and hammering and my husband is a light sleeper so this affected him more than me.

Bad smell in the morning:
For some reason every morning around the same time our room kind of smelled like sewage. We tried various things to get rid of the smell. We closed the balcony, then we tried airing it out, kept the bathroom door shut, etc....but it still smelled bad.

No bathroom vents:
The bathroom also has no vents and boy---that can be a problem in very close quarters, and after a very spicy meal.

No iron or ironing board in the hotel:
We brought some dressy outfits that naturally got all wrinkled during the flight, but realized we couldnt wear them because there was no iron or board. I asked for an iron, and they happily brought me one (i assumed the board would come with it) but they only brought an iron. I ironed our clothes on the floor. This may seem like a trivial thing to most people who may not even wish to bring dressy clothes on vacation, but for others it may be a problem.

So it may seem based on this review that my husband and I are just being nit picky and could have easily overlooked some of these things. I dont want to give the wrong impression--i really did enjoy my experience here and the hotel was not bad overall. I just wanted to point out some of the negative things in case these things might be deal breakers for someone else. Maybe it was just the accumulation of things that turned this experience from fabulous to just average or a little below average.

I did accomplish my mission---we relaxed, had fun, went sports fishing, ate a fabulous dinners at Casa Que Cante and Kau Kan, Arcadia and of course breakfast was fabulous at La Casa Cafe. The hotel restaurant was good, although they had a small selection of items and their prices were a bit higher than some of the other local places. However, the scenery was beautiful and service was great, so it all evened out. We enjoyed our evening walks along the beach, visited La Ropa, Las Gattas, Ixtapa Island, and enjoyed the fabulous weather. Las Gattas (sp?) was a great beach. We got an awesome deal from a guy named Moises (captain of the boat Goyita) who took us out for 3 hours for only $80 (for 2). We caught 17 huge fish and had a restaurant on Las Gattas cook 2 of them fresh for us and they made fresh sashimi which was delicious too. Beware of tour guides that will try to trick you into going fishing on "their boats" and ask for a down payment. We almost fell for that trap, but later found out that one guy in particular was taking "down payments" of $20.00 and never showing up. My husband liked Ixtapa a lot better than Zihua (because it was cleaner, more developed, etc), whereas I liked Zihua better. I got a chance to practice my spanish, as most of the locals did not speak/understand English and really take in the culture. The markets were great and you must try the local pastries for as low as .50. They are amazing. There is a sewage line that runs close to town which probably explains why the downtown area smelled very bad some days...but I got used to it after a few days.

The one thing to note if staying during the off season is if you are an Amercian tourist, you will likely be approached twice as much and all of a sudden prices will be higher for things. We talked to locals and they said that in the off season the place is filled with Mexican tourists from the richer parts of Mexico who bring all their own stuff with them (food, drinks, etc) and know how to navigate the markets, etc. so they dont buy much there. As a result, tourists outside of Mexico get approached twice as much and prices are always higher. We definitely experienced this first hand.

All in all, I would say the vacation was a success. We likely will not return to this area/hotel because weve experienced other parts of mexico that have the complete package of what we are personally looking for in a vacation....but to each his own, I guess.

Can't express how perfect this place is. This is a little family-owned hotel with friendly staff and great accommodations -- beautiful rooms -- and great location. We went in low season, and not only was the place fully staffed but the prices were incredibly low. Some small hotels are fine but neglect some of the details -- this hotel seemed to have it all together -- from the perfectly designed little workout room to the towel sculptures on the bed every day. Manager Janet Nava and her staff treated us like royalty. There is not too much to do in Zihuatanejo, so we spent a lot of time at this hotel just reading and getting sun, and we couldn't have had a better place to do it. Highly recommended!

Just got back from staying here. If you are looking for pampering and plasma tv's in the room, stay somewhere else. If you are looking for a friendly staff and quiet atmosphere, stay here.

I have to admit that it took me a day to get used to the accomodations as I have been used to Americanized hotels. But Brisas opened my eyes to a new brand of hotels, localization. From the hand crafted tile work on the floor and in the bathroom to the "permanent" furniture, my stay for 4 days was great.

Be warned: This is not an ideal hotel for small children as there are many steps from the beach to top floor and the railings on the balconies are dangerous in my opinion. I can't compare this hotel to others in the area but I will stay here the next time I return.

Say Hi to Santiago at the front desk.

We just got back from a 10 night stay at hotel Brisas Del mar.
From the airport it is a short 15 minute cab ride. Arriving at the hotel the receptionist desk couldn't be more accommodating. We didn't care for the room we chose, which was the junior suite, it was a little to small for us and the view wasn't what we expected. However, the hotel graciously changed our room to a family suite and we coudn't have been more pleased. Our balcony over looked the pool and ocean, with a breathtaking view. The room was cleaned twice a day with daily "towel art" on a very comfortable king size bed. The hotel is kept immaculate.
The pool was nice, clean and never crowded. We spent most of our time on the beach which is Madera beach, under a palapas, if you prefer shade. It felt like our own private beach. The waves were nice and refreshing.
Given the great location of this hotel you are able to walk along a "sea walk" about 1/2 mile into town. Well lit at night and safe.
The hotel restaurant is right on the beach. We had breakfast and lunch there often. The food was good and moderately priced with a fabulous view.
There a two other beaches to go to.
La Ropa: a 20 minute walk or a 4 minute cab ride for $3.00
This is a bigger beach with whiter sand. The waves are smaller with more people around. We liked both La Ropa and Madera Beach very much.
Las Gatas Beach: we took a water taxi for the day. It was very different from the other two beaches. The water is aqua and Caribbean like. Stay the day and sit in lounge chairs, for just the purchase of a couple of drinks.
For breakfast: we loved La Sierena Gorda, Daniels, and our Hotel.
For Lunch: our Hotel, Otilos (in Las Gatas), La Perla and Rossy (in La Ropa).
For Dinner: we enjoyed Las Casa Vieja, Porto Di Mare, Jarocho (for shrimp) and Caprichos. We weren't impressed with ll Mare, the Matred'd was rude, however the view is breathtaking.
Shopping for Silver: Lupitas (gave the best prices that no one well beat)
We took a bus ride to Ixtapa and was not impressed, too many highrise hotels, looks like Cancun.
To sum it up:
This was a wonderful vacation and can't wait to go back next year.
Likes: All the rooms faced the ocean.
Dislikes: Nothing