Aura del Mar

Came for a short 3 night visit beginning of October with husband and adult son. They had just reopened after being closed for low season and we were the only guests there for the first day. Stayed in room 12 which had a pool on balcony and small kitchen area with microwave, stovetop, mini fridge and utensils. K-cup type coffee maker and large jug of water. We had a king bed and two sofas which could be used as a bed. Awesome view from balcony. We never ate at the restaurant but did happy hour every day. Grounds are gorgeous, all staff very nice. First day we sat on beach but if you want sun, you won’t get any — all shade. Pool area very nice, great view. If you have mobility issues, probably isn’t the place for you. I counted about 85 steps from beach level to our room. Would not hesitate to return.

My friend and I were staying Troncones for the week but wanted one night in Zih to take advantage of the Dia De Los Muertos activities. Found this place as well rated and well priced. It was an excellent choice. Beautiful, lushed terraced property with wonderful views of the bay. Service was outstanding, Roxy and team were very accommodating, kind and professional. Rooms were very clean, beds comfy, private veranda with the bay view and a good sized bathroom with plenty of hot water. Pool was nice but hanging out in the bugalos on the sand right next to the bay was perfect. Breakfast was very tasty and open late, until 11am. Also very centrally located, about a 10 minute walk to the heart of Zih. Do be aware (as noted in other posts), there are many stairs. Overall, an amazing experience - we will be coming again, for sure!

Review: A Beautiful, Rustic Escape with a Few Quirks We recently wrapped up a stay at Hotel Aura del Mar, and overall, it was a fantastic experience. The hotel strikes a great balance between traditional charm and modern comfort, though there are a few things future guests should keep in mind. The Room & Comfort The rooms are charmingly rustic with beautiful tile work throughout. Our AC worked incredibly well, and the fridge kept everything ice-cold. We especially appreciated the real coffee maker with actual ground coffee provided in the room—a huge step up from the typical instant packets. The bed was very comfortable with plenty of pillows, and the nightly turndown service (complete with a piece of coconut candy) was a lovely touch. * The View: Our large balcony featured loungers, chairs, and an umbrella. The view from the balcony and deck was absolutely stunning. * The Lighting: The indoor lights are quite bright and "cool" toned. It would be nice to have some warmer lighting options for the evening. * Sound: The walls are a bit thin; we could occasionally hear our neighbour's TV at night. * Stairs: Be prepared for a workout! Our room was at the top, and there are lots of stairs throughout the property. * Slippers: Since the rooms are all tile, bringing your own room slippers would be a good idea for added comfort. Dining & Service The staff were friendly and professional across the board. The housekeeping was excellent, keeping the rooms and the lush, plant-filled grounds spotless. * Breakfast Buffet: This was a highlight! There was a great variety of fresh salsas, excellent juices (jugos), and solid fruit options. Pro tip: Ask for the tortillas! Some items change daily, so it never felt repetitive. * The Restaurant: We enjoyed a nice Christmas dinner here. While the prices are on the higher end (similar to other beachfront spots), the food and service were good. That said, we found better value by walking into town, which is to be expected. Amenities & Grounds The grounds are very well-maintained and feel like a tropical garden. We appreciated the water refill stations located near the rooms and the two complimentary bottles of water provided daily. * Pool & Deck: The pool was a perfect temperature with well-balanced chlorine. We actually preferred the sun deck over the beach because of the great breeze and view. There is plenty of shade and umbrellas on the deck. * The Beach: The beach loungers fill up very quickly. Despite a "no reserving" policy, spots were basically full every day. * Connectivity: The Wi-Fi was solid in the room, but don't expect a signal by the pool or beach. * Showers: There is a convenient shower near the pool and beach, though the one right at the beach is a bit hidden and has lower pressure. Important "Heads Up" Items * The Slide: Use caution! The slide is dangerous for adults—it basically launches you toward a concrete wall. I walked away with a nasty bone bruise. Supervise children closely and, if you're an adult, just skip it. * Water Pressure: The in-room shower has very hard water pressure. It’s great, but use caution at full power! * The Parrots: They are very cool to look at, but they are quite noisy, especially if your room is located nearby. * The Plunge Pool: We found the private patio pool/tub to be a little gimmicky and didn't end up using it. Location The location is perfect. It’s a very easy walk to town via the boardwalk or the street, making it simple to find local food. If you're up for it, you can even walk over to Playa La Ropa. Bottom Line: A clean, friendly, and beautiful hotel with amazing views. Just watch out for the slide and be ready for the stairs!

We love this place, it was our 3rd time, people there are so nice, you can tell they really care about it & are always cleaning & upgrading things. Rooms are great, great bar for sunsets, perfect location fir beach & downtown. We will keep going back to this wonderful hotel.

The hotel is in front of Madera Beach, beautiful atmosphere with gym, pool, restaurant, and even little shops inside. The staff is lovely, room service multiple times a day and beds beautifully decorated. Everything is done for your ultimate comfort. I loved Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo and want to come back to this hotel just to experience this again!

Excellent customer service! My room had a magnificent view, and the hotel has direct beach access. They also offer convenient currency exchange and have a great on-site restaurant. Everything was very clean. Highly recommend!

We have stayed here 4 times and will return again. The hotel is beautiful, great pool, and restaurant. But what really makes this place is the staff. Rosy, at the front desk, sets the standard and is such a genuine person. We will surely be back.

Very nice quiet family hotel. Pool area was great for my 2 year old - he loved the slide. Beach was amazing and there were always beach chairs available. They have two parrots that talk to you and my son also loved them. They also had a real crib that they provided to our room that was very comfy for my son and he slept well. The hotel is close to many restaurants- some touristy ones and some authentic Mexican places that are much cheaper down the road. There is also a nice coffee shop and grocery store right by the hotel. If you have a young child who naps during the day - be sure to ask for a room not right by the parrots .. they can be loud when people walk by!! Otherwise rooms were very spacious and balcony was huge with amazing view. We would love to come back :)

This is not a "modern" hotel, per se. It has all the modern amenities but is designed to feel like you have stepped back in time to a tropical paradise. The Garden of Eden comes to mind. The staff was excellent, esp the wait staff in the beach front restaurant! Martin is an amazing head chef and was very attentive. He gave us a cooking class, which was a total blast! We booked a cooking class with Martin and it was soo fun to walk to the local farmers market with him, pick out all the fruit and veggie ingredients than go back to the hotel to have him cook it all for you. Then - you get to eat and drink everything you made as a group! The beds were super comfy and each room has an ocean front view. The pool is also beautiful and immaculate. It's huge, with a slide and plenty of chaise lounge chairs. They even have some hammocks and chaise lounge chairs facing the ocean, on the 2nd level of the pool deck area. Every room has a private hot tub, but you must re-fill it daily if you want it to have hot water. There is a store right across the street to buy beer, wine, booze and water from. Cabs are incredibly easy to get out the front of the hotel lobby. Downtown Zihu is just a 15 minute walk (or less, if you are a fast walker) along the beach. There is a cement path that will take you straight there. Loads of shopping and restaurants are there. It is also where you will find the best deals and a pier, to watch all the fishing boats and yachts come in and out. Going the other direction, you can walk to Playa La Ropa Beach, which is also loaded with restaurants and some shopping. You can't get there by beach, but a road right out front of the hotel. There are stairs and a very steep hill, so if you have a hard time with 1 mile hikes you would want to take a cab. That would cost you about $3 USD. I would not advise booking your transportation through the hotel. That will cost you $48 USD, instead of $15 USD from the cabs at the airport. I'd also recommend getting your beach massages on the beach, 100 feet from the hotel restaurant, because they are $10 USD and the hotel charges $50 USD. They have a loud, onsite parrot, so if you are a light sleeper, ask for a room far from it's habitat. She is huge and absolutely beautiful, but becomes talkative at about 9:30 am. If I was to come back to Zihu, I'd definitely stay here again. It's in the middle of everything and right on the beach. The staff doesn't get any better either.

I was in Zihuatanejo for 3 days and I had one of the best times of my life. I've been traveling around Mexico and the U.S for the past 3 years and I have to say that Zihuatanejo is definitely on my top 10 favorite places. The hotel is absolutely amazing and it really feels like paradise. The rooms were clean, nicely set up and the views were breathtaking. If you travel with little kids I would recommend to always have an eye on them. My sister and I were approached by an older man who offered us to take us to a different beach to "see baby turtles hatch" he looked really suspicious and under the influence of drugs. Other than that, this hotel and the area around it seemed really safe and friendly. I made a little video about it in case anyone wants to check it out. https://youtu.be/XgJwITTp48I

Hotel Aura del Mar went far above any expectation I had of it. The property oozes with lush foliage and a welcoming atmosphere. I was greeting by friendly staff, a Corona, and whisked off to my room. I stayed in a Junior Suite with a Jacuzzi which was spacious and decorated authentically to the local area. My primary concern is always cleanliness which was a nonissue. Everything was sparkling clean and beautiful. The service crew did a fantastic job each day cleaning the room - and even leaves you with 2 bottles of water. You also get coffee and tea. During my stay I heard ZERO noise from the rooms around me, which I know were occupied. The rooms are well insulated keeping the warmth and noise out. There is also a great air conditioning. I thoroughly enjoyed the patio. I spent a lot of time in the jacuzzi and lounge chairs enjoying the ocean and reading. Each room has a beautiful view of the bay. A above mentioned the property is stunning. Tons of native plants and local decorations. The only warning I would have is for someone with mobility issues, there are a lot of stairs. For me, it was nice because I was so lazy on vacation it was at least nice to know I would have to walk up and down stairs daily or else I would've gotten no exercise at all. There are a few common areas to kick back and relax. The pool is well maintained and there is an awesome water slide. Your stay can come with breakfast for a little extra, which I recommend. The staff is friendly, and the food is good. I tried a number of dinner items during my stay which were also nice. They have plenty of beach chairs you can hang out on and order food/drinks from. The beach the hotel is on was hands down my favorite in the area. The water is calm and good to swim, and it wasn't too crowded. When I come back to visit there is no doubt in my mind I will stay at Hotel Aura del Mar. I could not recommend it more.

Paradise.... when I think of Mexico.... this is it! I don't even know how to begin saying how wonderful this place is. This trip was our second to this wonderful hotel and it will not be our last. I want to start off by saying this is a traditional charming Mexican hotel. It is not fancy. You will not find modern décor or amenities. You can't drink the water. There is no elevator and there are lots of stairs. There is no room service, and most of the time no pool service either. So if those things are things you are looking for - look elsewhere. However if you are looking for a small charming hotel, where you are greeted as family when you return. This is your place. The staff here is amazing, from the time you book until the time you check out they are always looking to make your stay the best. You are greeted with a shot of tequila or a corona when you arrive along with smiles and you are taken to your room. The rooms are decorated with Mexican style and tile details. They have a real coffeemaker (no Keurig here) in each room so you can enjoy coffee every morning on your balcony and enjoy the view. There is a refrigerator for drinks and snacks. And they give you two bottles of water each day. The hotel is built into the hillside (hence all the steps) but the bonus is that almost all of the rooms have amazing views. We don't mind the stairs at all and got a room high up - amazing view! The patios feature chairs and loungers and there is a hammock that can be hung up also. Some patios have hot tubs. The common areas are very lush with lots of greenery. The pool is somewhat small, but it was never crowded. The chairs are nice and there is plenty of shade if that is your thing also. There is also a waterslide at the pool. There are loungers on the beach which is nice. There is a restaurant down on the beach and we had breakfast included in our rate, but that was the only meal we ate there. The location of this hotel is perfect and there are so many wonderful restaurants within walking distance that you can enjoy. You can walk the beach to a small boardwalk to town, or down the hill and through the side streets. There are taxis nearby too. There is a small store across the street that has all of the things you might need to stock up your little fridge for your stay. I can't say enough good things about this hotel - top notch in my opinion! Can't wait to return!

We loved this place. The front desk guy was very helpful, the staff friendly. This place is beautiful and well kept. We came back to flower peddles on the bed every day, pretty cute.

Magic place! Very clean, super nice staff and fantastic balconies. The restaurant offers delicious food in an astonishing location. Highly recommended!

Terrible hotel. I got food poising eating their steak also their fruit. When I got to the United States, my doctor said I had salmonella. Waiters do not wash their hands. They would fail a health inspection test. Waiters take advantage of American money, they over charge. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone. Their employees scam tourist. I paid $100 USD for a 1 hr boat ride per person. They said that the boat ride would include a meal and free drink. They never did. Absolutely horrible. However, their housekeeping staff was wonderful! Once again, I would not recommend this hotel to anyone.