We went to Ixtapa for four days to get away from the cold and snow in Colorado. It was 88 degrees each day in IXtapa. I picked the Holiday Inn because of it's low price, location, and because it is an international chain. Always remember that Mexico is different, with its own culture and standards. That's why we go there.

The hotel is nice with a great pool. Our room was pretty basic. It was roomy with tile floors, walk-in shower, central air, free room safe, TV, and king bed. The AC kept the room too cool at night. Miguel, the maintenance guy could not get the thermostat to respond, so he told us to turn the system to OFF when it gets to cold. Though I left a nightly tip for the maid, I had to track her down to get clean glasses and coffee for the room. All done with a smile and a gracias. That's Mexico.

The hotel is about a fifteen minute walk (not five or ten) to the main Ixtapa beach. There are two public walkways to the beach - the one by the Barcelo hotel is closest to the Holiday Inn. Walk toward the beachfront hotels and you will see the Barcelo to your left. Time-share hustlers are everywhere. We got a beach palapa , free snacks and drinks and four free meals for listening to a fairly low-pressure two-hour time-share pitch.

The hotel provides free transportation to and from two beaches - Playa Quieta and Playa Linda. But, you have to ask the concierge - they don't advertise the free rides. We had two very nice days of snorkeling by taking the free shuttle/taxi to Playa Linda and riding the water taxi to Isla Ixtapa ($35 pesos each round trip). Lounge in a beach chair with a table, drink cerveza, eat local food, and swim or snorkel. Water was surprisingly warm and comfortable. Visibility was about 30 feet. Plenty of fish and coral. Ask for a menu to verify the prices. Otherwise your waiter may charge you a few dollars more.

We did not eat in the Holiday Inn restaurant, though it looked nice. I recommend eating at "Mama Norma and Deborah's" restaurant at the plaza - about a ten minute walk. A good breakfast for $5 U.S.

Unless you just have to stay on the beach, I would recommend the Holiday Inn, expecially if you are on a tight budget.

A great Holiday Inn
The staff was extremely helpful and the rooms were perfect.We had a large balcony with patio furniture.The bathroom shower was an unexpected treat...glass surround with marble.The only complaint was the smell of the grill that permeated the air conditioning system into our room.
Eat out in town.....very inexpensive and lots of restaurants to choose from.
Can't wait to return..

Really liked this hotel. Good value for price. Rooms are nicely decorated and clean. Give big towels at pool that don't stink of detergent. Really, really nice baby pool and kid pool. Our three year old loved the pool. Never had trouble finding chairs in the shade at the pool. Nice family hotel- full of kids. If you don't want to be around kids, then go elsewhere. Nice location, but it's at least a 10 minute walk to beach. Although we took cabs to several other beaches in the area. Staff are really friendly, but it helps to speak Spanish. Nice play area for kids too.

We didn't like the food in the hotel though, and had almost all our meals outside the hotel. Luckily, we hadn't signed up for the all-inclusive option- so this wasn't a big deal. There are lots of restaruants around the hotel.

Would return to this hotel.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Ixtapa Feb 28 - Mar 7, 2006 and had a wonderful time. Never having been to Ixtapa and not sure of what to expect from an "almost all-inclusive" off the beach three star, we were pleasantly surprised.
The hotel is only a year old and the entire place is clean and well maintained. We brought our 4 and 1 year old with us and they loved the place. The freeform pool has a large, shallow area (6"-1' deep) with a fountain that was great for our toddler and a waterslide that endlessly entertained our 4 year old. While I did see several adults try the slide, I would think it could get boring for older kids. A few blocks away we walked by Magic World, a huge water park, which looks like it would be a lot of fun but we never saw it open. We never had to wait for chairs and the swim-up bar kept us plied with snacks and drinks. There was also a swing/slide play structure.
Ixtapa was beautiful and +30 deg.C every day; they said they hadn't had rain since October! The hotel offers cab rides to the beach, which was beautiful. Ixtapa does have a dangerous undertow and for small children is not the best. For calm ocean swimming and snorkeling, we took cabs to Playas las Gatas and to Ixtapa island. You have to take a boat to each of these spots, which my girls found fun, and they both offer sandy gentle beaches with plenty of chairs and food vendors nearby. The hotels offer packages, but with a cab and boat we got there and back for about $15 total.
The only detractor was the food. There was plenty of fresh fruit for every meal and lots of selection, but times were odd for us (lunch buffet only open 2-4; and supper only available after 7 or sometimes later). There was no entertainment, except for one fiesta which was pretty nice, so eating later was OK but it was hard to get our kids onto this schedule. The food is also quite Mexican, and we sometimes had trouble finding food the kids would eat. The pool bar also offered hotdogs (with cheese and bacon) and hamburgers during the day, along with Mexican side plates.
The markets are just across the street and offer everything from standard markets to high end resteraunts and Nautica,etc.
We'd definately like to return again!