Very nice clean hotel. Not handicapped friendly. Stairs everywhere. (Down 2 flighrs to the only breakfast lication.) I was overwelmed by the "automatic extra charges". like Maid service, bellboys, There were 2 charges for food service that I did not approve, but had to pay.

The last meal we has was a excellent buffet. Good was great. However, we both got sick. Nothing worse than Montezumas revenge while on airplanes.

Location very out of pocket. Everywhere you want to go you must drive or taxi.

This is a nice property and we enjoyed our week here.

We stayed on 20th floor as part of the Brisas Beach Club package. The rooms are beautiful, large, well appointed and extremely clean. The best feature are the large terraces overlooking the Pacific Ocean. These terraces are extremely private and a great place to watch the sunset.

The network of paths and steps surrounding the hotel are scenic and well maintained.

Some common areas, e.g. stair and elevator landings, seem a bit dated.

The BBC package was a very good value for cocktail hour if you like drinks/snacks. For us, it was less valuable for breakfast. The hot items – eggs and potatoes -- were so-so, though the selections did change daily. Tthe dampness of the ocean air meant the breakfast cereals tended to be stale. But the service here was excellent, as staff – particularly Luisa – went out of their way w/hospitality, always offering mas: More coffee, wine, margarita, etc.

In general, the hotel service was excellent. Everyone went out of their way to be helpful and ensure we enjoyed our stay.

What was less appealing: Pools: Skimmers didn’t seem to be working, and w/so many trees / shrubs around, lots of leaves, twigs and bugs wound up in the pool. I only saw a poolboy skimming once, on the weekend. The adult pool also needed some cleaning attention. I noticed a thick, scummy yellow buildup on the tile – sunscreen buildup maybe? Yuck! Scrub that tile!

Prices: It’s a resort, so you should expect things to be expensive. The food is OK – nothing spectacular, but it was good.

It was easy to get cabs @ the bellboy stand and it was nice that prices were posted – no negotiating.

There wasn’t tons of stuff to do – this is more of a relaxing place. We went snorkeling @ Los Gatos and Isla Ixtapa, which was very nice. If you go to Los Gatos, snorkeling is best near the pier, but for fewer crowds and better food, head further down the beach away from pier to get beach chairs.

Weather: If we go to Ixtapa/Zihua again, I'd prefer to do it earlier in the year, e.g. February. It was pretty hot in late April/early May and breezes were often few and far between.

Restaurant reccomendations: La Villa de Selva (next to hotel), Kau Kan, the formal restaurant @ The Tides in Zihua.

We stayed at Las Brisas four nights (June 23 - 27) for our honeymoon. Most of what I have to say has already been said and then some (gorgeous views, great service, quiet, etc) but I have a few things, mostly reactions to what other travelers have said.

1. I think the food was priced very reasonably -- ex. $10 salad at lunch (I want to know if the people complaining about food prices have been to a local Applebee's or Olive Garden lately, it's the same prices!!!). My husband and I spent $260 on food in 3 1/2 days and we ate out only once (hamburgers at Ruben's in Ixtapa -- delish!)

2. If they offer you the "Brisas Beach Club" option, take it! We had a free breakfast buffet and happy hour every day and GREAT service from Luisa. Granted, they don't have as much selection as the $20 breakfast buffet for everybody else but it's freakin free! We ate (ahem, and drank) so much at happy hour we skipped dinner once! Cha-ching! saved us $70.

3. My only issue had nothing to do with the hotel really, but the season. Even though I found the June weather beautfiul (not too hot and only rained one night) there was NO ONE at the hotel. My husband thought it was cool but I was creeped out. Also, the main restaurant is closed which kinda sucked.

4. We took a tour to Isla Ixtapa offered by the American Express tour counter -- definitely recommend although slightly pricey ($100 for two, includes lunch and all transportation). Miguel at the tour counter was very nice as was Juan, our tour guide.

5. OMG people, the walk to the pool is nothing and it's kinda neat like you're walking through a rainforest exhibit at the zoo. Besides, we thought the pools were nasty anways (lots of debris and hot and there were people doing dirty things --- ewwww!) The beach is much nicer.

6. The nuts in the Lobby Bar are awesome. As were any and all forms of avocado. You should leave this place pumped full of unsaturated fat!

All in all, we say GO! You won't be disappointed, unless you're a party pooper, in which case, you don't deserve a vacation.

My wife and I have been to Mexico many times, but never to Ixtapa. The Las Brisas hotel is located between Ixtapa and Zihuatenejo and has it's own private beach. The hotel is built into the side of the hill, shaped like a wedge down to the beach level. The lobby is on the 18th floor with the rooms and beach being below. Everyone working there could not have been nicer and accomodated us in the few requests we had. We only ate two meals there, a brunch on Sunday and a beach lunch the other time. Both were excellant. The resturant offered excellant service, but we found ourselves going into town to try to get a local feel.
The town of Ixtapa is really just a collection of resorts, nice restaurants, and a Marina at the end. A true sense of Mexico can be found in the other direction in Zihuatenejo. Taxis are easy to get from the hotel in eather direction and are everywhere for your return.
Our room was wonderful and every room in this hotel has a water view. The service was outstanding with again, all people we came in contact with being as nice as they could be.
If I had any complaint at all, there were two. Unless you venture out in either direction to explore, shop, and eat, it is expensive to eat and drink at the hotel. I had read a review of this hotel and was somewhat prepared. It is not excessive, but a bit more than what I was used to for Mexico. Going out is fun and we did explore. That leads to the next complaint and it is not with the hotel, but the car rental service there. We rented a car for the day and upon receiving it from the company, it had no gas! The answer to my question was "we rent them like this all the time". The instructions for the gas station were wrong and I found myself coasting down hills to conserve fuel until we found a service station. Word to the wise.
In all a wonderful experiance and highly recommended for all occasions. Watch out swimming, the undertow is bit strong at the hotel beach. Explore, there are numerous beaches all around you.
Finally, go deep sea fishing. I caught four sailfish, releasing two. My wife wanted to release all four as did I, but the hook placement prevented it. Have a great time, we did!