My husband and I have been to this hotel 4 times in the past three years. It is a very small hotel that is directly on the beach. All of the friendly staff bend over backwards to make you happy. The outdoor restaurant has a great menu and the prices are the best you will find on the beach.

My friend and I stayed here for the first time for 2 weeks in Jan. 2009. Extremely clean. Lovely decor. Good bar and restaurant with a beautiful view of Acapulco Bay. The only problem was the mosquitos that bit us. Maybe it was all of the trees and flowers that drew them. There were alot of plants right around our balcony. One night they were fogging with a machine into the trees. Clouds of insecticide. A little scary.

Acapulco is traditionally a vacation spot for Mexicans and the Malibu held true to this tradition. It seemed as if we were the only Norte Americanos in the hotel, although there were some Germans, so I know there weren't only Mexican families.

The hotel was very family-oriented. The pool was full of children at all times, which was perfect for my 7 and 8 year old. The Mexican kids taught my children some Spanish and got to practice their English skills with my family. Guests and staff alike were nice and helpful.

The hotel offers poolside food service which we used quite a bit. It costs what a restaurant costs and can get pricey if you're just sitting around the pool drinking and snacking all day. There are refrigerators in the rooms which was handy for snacks and beverages for when the pool was closed or we needed a break from the sun. We were also able to keep breakfast in the room as well.

The hotel is directly on the beach. Guests can have a cabana set up on the beach . We never had trouble with getting a seat by the pool or a cabana in the three days we were there.

The water at this beach is not for "swimming." My family had a great time body surfing and letting the waves smack us around, but it is not like a pool. The ocean can be rough. If we wanted swimming and playing underwater, we used the hotel pool.

The hotel was perfect logistically for what we wanted. We had just spent five busy days in D.F. and all we wanted out of Acapulco was sun and water. The hotel was perfect for this. It was basically in the middle to eastern part of the bay. We could reach shopping, restaurants, or a grocery store by walking, although we did use the bus (cheap!) during the day when it was hot.

The hotel is a small structure. It looks like it must have been one of the first ones on the beach before high-rise hotels and condos became the norm. This is not to say it out-dated. It simply isn't tall. My family did not have problems with that and because traditionally lobbies and hallways are not air conditioned here, it was nice to be able to easily walk up to our room. The room itself was nothing fancy. Travelers with experience outside of the U.S. will not be surprised by the simplicity of the room. Our room had a balcony with a small view of the bay and a small view of the mountains--we liked it. The bathroom did not air condition well, so we just kept the door closed. We had no trouble with the air conditioning and in fact, sometimes we turned it down, it worked so well. Beds were comfortable, towels were big. The maids had our room cleaned so quickly each day; I was truly impressed.

Although I think I would try to experience a less-touristy coastal city the next time I visit Mexico, I would definately stay at the Malibu again if I visit Acapulco.

I was a little leary about this hotel because there were no pictures and very little current information on trip advisor, so here is a rundown of what I think others would like to know:

The room- it was pretty large, adequate space, adequate bed. Nothing luxurious, but if you're like us, you aren't holed up in the room all day. It has a mini fridge, television and balcony. It DOES NOT have a hairdryer, microwave or in room safe, so make accomadations for that if needed. We got lucky with a top floor room with an ocean view, which was amazing, but I know that most of the rooms did not have ocean views.

The location- Wonderful! It is basically right in the middle of the main street in acapulco and nothing is very far away. The luxury hotels like the princess or the Mayan hotel are about a 45 minute drive and there is nothing over there. Those people that spent a lot of money on those hotels have to take 45 minute cab rides over to the main area. So the Acapulco Malibu is very conveniently located, only a few minutes from the hustle and bustle.

The beach-EEK! It's gorgeous, but the tides are pretty strong and the sand is like gravel. It made it really hard to walk on. It's about as grainy as what you would put in a fish tank. It's newer natural sand, so it hasn't been quite pounded away yet. Make SURE, to get a "casita" (canopy) on the beach early in the morning because the shade is much needed midday. There are NO TREES for shade, so you really need something.

The restaurant- Fantastic! Excellent service, inexpensive (meals are from 5-9 bucks), good drinks, good food. It's not a four star or anything, but neither are the prices. The breakfast egg dishes are delicious as well as the nachos and ceviche. The blended drinks are very good too. We sampled a lot over the week, and it was all very good. I would skip the chicken tacos, only because they're boring.

The Staff- very friendly and helpful. The money exchange rate is pretty decent as well. At least a few of them speak pretty good English, if it's needed.

Overall pros- the hotel was adequate and nice, the food was good, and the view was gorgeous. It gets the job done on a budget.

Overall cons- no hairdryers, no microwaves, not really a fun pool, grainy sand, pool towels have to be returned by 6 pm.