19 Best Hotels in Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, Mexico

The House That Sings clings to a cliff above Playa la Ropa. All guest quarters have lovely furnishings, folk art, down pillows, and generous patios with bay views, though the decor, especially the pink-marble bathrooms, is beginning to look dated. Suites have outdoor living areas and some have jetted private infinity plunge pools. The hotel's central infinity pool seems to be airborne; tucked into the cliff below, a saltwater pool overlooks the pounding surf. The Mar y Cielo restaurant serves guests breakfast and lunch; dinners here are more formal and are open to the public, offering breathtaking views of the sun setting over the bay. Service is warm, thoughtful, and hardly noticeable (in a good way); the only trace may be the intricate flower-petal mosaic left on your bed each day.

This hotel was formerly the Viceroy Zihuatenejo. The main draws at this luxurious resort are striking rooms with winning Mediterranean-Mexican architecture and the spectacular location on perfect Playa la Ropa. Paths meander through lush gardens, passing coconut palms, fountains, and ponds en route to the beach. Rooms are artistically and individually designed with bright but not overpowering textiles and folk art, cream-colored adobe walls, and vaulted ceilings in some units. All rooms have terraces or balconies; suites have private (and chilly) plunge pools. Service is downright deferential, with "beach butlers" delivering everything from sunscreen to fruit skewers to your palapa. For extra wellness, there's also a small Moroccan-themed spa, an octagonal fitness center, and vegan and vegetarian dining options at the resort's restaurants. Pricey though the place is, Viceroy offers numerous Web-only promotions.

Local architect Enrique Zozaya has created an unlikely rustic-luxury property with this six-suite boutique hotel nestled almost undetectably into the hills above Bahía Zihuatanejo. It's as if Gilligan won the lottery—which you may need to do to stay here for any length of time. An open-air palapa suite is surrounded by six air-conditioned units, all exquisitely appointed with furnishings and decorations of elemental stone, ceramic, and wood. Four of the rooms have their own private infinity pools, and there's also a small central pool for common use. The emphasis on tranquillity prohibits intrusive technology: there aren't any TVs, radios, or sound systems.

This gleaming new all-suites resort, spa, and convention center on Playa Linda offers rooms equipped with jetted tubs, private terraces, and rainwater showers, plus a nightly live show. For dining, three restaurants serve Asian, Mexican, and Italian cuisine, all included in the rates. For recreation you'll find three pool bars; tennis courts; miniature golf; and a spa with an extensive menu of treatments.

Once you get past its dull exterior, this high-rise resort turns out to be quite lively. There's a subdued elegance to its marble-floor lobby and a cheerfulness to the skylighted inner courtyard where long vines hang from the balconies of the surrounding rooms. The rooms are nothing special, but they are clean and comfortable; most have small balconies with ocean views (be sure to request one and opt for a higher floor to avoid noise from the pool area). The focus is on the outdoors, from the splendid pool and beach to a sprawling list of recreational options, all facilitated by a helpful staff. There's a quality live show six nights a week, and the hotel's Sanca Bar draws a nice crowd for dancing to Latin music.

The House of the Smiling Dolphin was one of the first hotels in Troncones, and it remains a small, family-friendly place with a bright exterior and personalized service. Downstairs rooms are sparsely decorated with Mexican crafts, but each is different. The two upstairs suites have chairs and shelves filled with books; they don't have air-conditioning, but fans and breezes off the water keep things cool. If you like, you can buy produce from the truck that passes in front of the hotel and prepare it in the communal kitchen. There are plenty of surfboards for rent, and it's a good place to take them out, since there can be excellent beach breaks.

Each bungalow at this homey haven has a patio with hammocks, table, and chairs, and there's also a house with a full kitchen, two bedrooms, two baths, and a long porch looking right onto the sand and waves—not to mention a coterie of friendly cats who call the property home. All guests have access to a communal kitchen and dining room, as well as barbecue facilities and a cozy reading nook with shelves packed full of beachy paperbacks.

This new seven-room B&B is one of the more remote in Zihuatanejo, and the location has its plusses (tranquillity, sweeping bay views) and its minuses (it's a long walk to get anywhere, so expect to take a lot of cabs). Suites are spacious and airy, nicely decorated in neutral tones and polished concrete, each with its own private entrance, though the cheapest garden-view room is a bit cavelike. The grand suites have vaulted, exposed-beam ceilings, outdoor showers, and bay-view terraces equipped with lounge chairs and hammocks. A tasty breakfast is served daily in a palapa overlooking the infinity pool and small sundeck; with only a few snack options available (guacamole, quesadillas), it's not the best place to lounge poolside all day, though there is an honor bar stocked with beer, wine, and juice for those who want to do just that.

There's a B-movie quality to this old hotel, constructed in an angular 1960s style and now surrounded by tall trees and thick vegetation; it was last renovated and expanded in 2011 and 2012. Guest quarters are plain but well maintained and priced according to the quality of the ocean view. The cheapest, boxlike rooms on the first floor have no view; the spacious ones on the top floor scan the entire bay from hammock-equipped terraces. Furnishings are nothing special; bathrooms are tiled in blue and green; and the quality of mattresses varies from room to room—give 'em a bounce before you decide. The crashing waves below may lure you down more than 200 stairs to beach level, where there are lounge chairs, a pool, and a bar.

Furnishings are an adroit mix of rustic and modern in this midsized, 11-story resort. Rooms are simple but bright, done in mostly white with a few earth-tone accents. Junior suites have views from both the living room and the bedroom. There aren't any private balconies, but windows that reach nearly from the floor to the ceiling open to the sea breezes. A children's pool with a slide lures kids away from the palm-shaded main pool, which has a swim-up bar. Emporio offers frequent Web-only promotions.

Gorgeous views of Manzanillo Bay, a beach that has both a nice point break and calmer areas for swimming, and large, cheerful rooms have earned Hacienda Eden a loyal following. The property, which is surrounded by palm trees and gardens, has a two-story house with ocean-view rooms and hammock-filled terraces; one-room ocean-facing bungalows with patios; newer air-conditioned suites that can accommodate families, and a small swimming pool in the middle of the property. Throughout, you'll see beamed ceilings, Talavera tile details, and splashes of purple, yellow, and turquoise. The restaurant is one of the best on the beach. While credit cards are accepted, they are discouraged.

This is almost as enchanting as any of Zihua's luxury hotels—and at a price that won't haunt you when you get home. Rooms and services aren't extravagant, but there are many nice touches, from the lobby's unique wood-inlay floor to the staircases that wander the lush cliff-side grounds. Rooms have Talavera ceramic sinks in wooden surrounds, carved doors and furnishings from Michoacán, molded plastic bathtubs, and large balconies with hammocks, jetted tubs, and fabulous bay views, especially from the higher floors. Situated right on La Madera beach, Bistro del Mar offers simple, delicious Mediterranean food, a wonderful view, and a welcome breeze.

This intimate property above La Ropa beach has some terrific bay views from its infinity-edge pool. An all-white motif is brightened by colorful throw pillows and terra-cotta accents, as well as a few whimsical touches. All rooms have terraces with ocean views and heated plunge pools. The Grand Suite has an open-air living room with even more expansive views of the water and the countryside.

Though the namesake owner of this small, sharp hideaway overlooking Playa Madera passed away in 2005, the family has stayed true to the founder's high standards. Rooms have pristine white walls, tile floors, and balconies. The little suites still have wonderful sitting areas, bedrooms, mini-patios, and small dining areas (toasters, blenders, and coffeemakers available upon request).

The balconies of this pyramid-shaped resort are reason enough to stay here—sunbathe or sip cocktails from a deck chair during the day and stargaze from your hammock at night (junior-suite balconies also have hot tubs). Las Brisas is at the secluded southern end of Ixtapa away from the main strip, so there's nothing but blue water to gaze at. The resort is built into a hill and has a slightly awkward layout (it's a bit of a hike from the main building to the pool complex), but who needs gardens to stroll through when you're on the best stretch of beach in Ixtapa? Standard rooms are a little narrow, but they have heavenly pillow-top beds and small sitting nooks with comfy window-seat-like couches.

This hotel about 6 km (4 miles) north of Troncones is best suited to travelers who want seclusion; there are few neighboring hotels. But with a bar and a restaurant (that mainly serves fresh seafood and Mexican dishes), many guests feel they have everything they need on the resort grounds. Even the simple, clean bungalows feel private, as they're in palapas separated from other palapas by redbrick footpaths and well-manicured lawns.

This small resort specializes in yoga, which is performed in a handsome pavilion facing the beach, but there are other offerings, including meditation, qigong, horseback riding, hiking, and kayaking. You can also arrange for on-site massage therapies. Sand paths lead to inviting, palapa-roof bungalows around a small pool. The rooms are decked out in antique furnishings and tropical hardwoods, with rustic patio chairs and comfortable pillow-top beds, some with romantic canopies. The restaurant serves fresh, healthful spa cuisine, with many items available in vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free iterations.

This small, cheerful beachfront boutique hotel owned by a mother and her two daughters sits right in the center of town, across from the wonderful La Mexicana restaurant. The atmosphere is laid-back and sociable: an outdoor wood-burning oven is fired up for community pizza nights, and an intimate palapa lounge near the small infinity pool encourages sunset socializing. Rooms are done up in bright colors with wood furnishings and open-beam ceilings; each one has its own small patio and private open-air bathroom.

This chilled-out, eco-friendly compound near a top surf spot is an affordable and sociable alternative in Troncones. Partially off the grid, the hostel has solar panels for electricity, outdoor showers, composting toilets, and a gray-water system for watering the plants. If the bunk-bed dorms aren't your style, there are also two private rooms with a private en suite bath and their own patios and hammocks. A tiny camping area offers a "luxury" tent for rent—complete with deluxe queen-sized blow-up mattress—as well as room to pitch your own. The lofted ocean-view communal palapa is the perfect spot to cook a group dinner, grab a beer from the honor bar, lounge with a book, or check out how the waves are breaking.