The Chef de Village and the GOs at Club Med Ixtapa made our visit really wonderful. The weather was wonderful every day, and the rooms were excellent with great beds, shower, and A/C. The food was excellent with fresh fruits, vegetables, and fish every day. The chef Sheik provided great variety so we enjoyed Mexican, Brazilian, Japanese, Indian, French, Italian, and Moroccan dishes as well as all the dishes that the children love. We enjoyed a variety of cooking classes and dance classes as well as trapeze, tennis, and the beautiful never-crowded shaded beach. Many thanks to Flavia and her amazing team (Nicholas at El Encanto, Antonio at the beach bar, Behind the scenes with Leticia, Cesar, & Rafa, Chucho on the trapeze, and many others) for making this a great 3-generation family trip!

Clean rooms, excellent food and a fantastic bunch of G.O.'s. A great place for families. As is typical of club med, the food selection and taste was second to none. The G.O.'s made us feel like family and were excellent with the kids. The rooms were clean and quite modern. This was our 5th different club med and we will be back for more. We don't bother with any other resorts.

Having been to Club Med Punta Cana in 1991 and Club Med Ixtapa in March 2010 with our then 13 year-old son, we didn't waste a second deciding to go back to Ixtapa for the American Thanksgiving Week in Nov 2011. All five in the family gave it "two thumbs up" and three of those were our 15 and 21 year-old sons and 24 year-old daughter.

The change from the Club Med (CM) experience of the early 90's to the two recent CM experiences is significant and I know that Punta Cana has been upgraded from its former self. In researching CM Villages, I've noted that the rankings of CM Ixtapa (CMI) on Trip Advisor have kept it at the top of the CM reviews for other villages (although some others rank pretty high too). CMI works because you have the right blend of staff (otherwise known as GOs) interaction with the guests (GMs) so that you always know what is going on and be entertained if you want to. The last two Village Chiefs in Ixtapa, Eduardo and more recently, Flavia Bove, have done an exceptional job and both were blessed with great "wingmen/women" in Nat and Guga on our first trip and more recently, Mourad and Lauren. As many have said, CMI is a family resort, so expect this angle to be focused on... it is like a "summer camp" for the whole family with many age-appropriate activities.

Both times we stayed in the suites and were glad that we did as we had gotten very reasonable deals. On this last trip my wife and I enjoyed one of the 15 adult suites and put our three kids in one of the 15 other family suites. The adult suites with one king bed room, king-sized bath and shower and large sitting area which was great for the whole fasmly to gather in, was fantastic. Everything was in good working order and the concierge service really adds a great touch with morning coffee and pastries and then various snacks later in the day with all kinds of beverages available all the time from 7am to about 10pm. The staff are fountains of information too. An important note on booking here: depending when you book, check in once in awhile on the 1-800 CM# to see if deals have changed. For this past November's trip, I booked in February and then checked back in June. Boy was I surprised when CM very graciously gave us a significantly reduced rate on our reservation. This was huge and was another example of exceptional service and treatment by CM. This is how brand loyalty is built and this was not lost on our kids either.

The beach out in front of the suites was perfect and there was always plenty of room. We did experience some of the local staff who live at the far north end of the beach, turn out in a good-sized group with friends one day, but they were not in front of the suites or disruptive in any way. In fact, they added nicely to the beach that day and were friendly. Thus, it was a great way to meet some new people.

Many have commented on the shows in the past and all this 53-year-old can say is, "Remember, it is a summer family camp." Thus, some show themes may seem hokey. The GOs have tremendous energy and go out of their way to be engaging, so for those who are more extroverted, you will not be disappointed! For those who are more introverted, this may not be the place as CM can't be all things to all people, so that is one thing to keep in mind. The spirit and energy of this place are wonderful if you are looking for this kind of experience.

The food was great on both visits and Luna Azul really seemed to hit its stride on the more recent trip. All of the family liked signing up for it and did so as often as we could. We also went to Ixtapa Island for the better part of a whole day this last time and that was fun. You can arrange through CMI or you can hoof it about 15 minutes down to Playa Linda (out the driveway and to the left or north) and book you own boat passage. Playa Linda is another good cultural experience what with its Crocodile Lagoon and long paved bike/walking path that goes off the main road right at Playa Linda into the wooded interior. Eventually the path loops around to the town of Ixtapa which is a few miles south of CM or to the right when you go out the driveway. Bikes can be rented at the Hotel Melia next-door if desired. Playa Linda is a beach for the locals and has all kinds of food and retail stands with very reasonable prices (a good place to buy a "boogie" board if you did not bring your own). There can be decent surf at times at CM for kids to ride boards.

Another excursion aboard the 75-passenger catamaran, "Picante" was fun as we sailed for a few hours at sunset out from Zihuatanejo, up past the Ixtapa beach front and were right off Capella, the "Number 1" ranked hotel in tha area. (Capella is about a 15 minute walk from CM to the right when you go off the property and is a very different kind of place; all built into a steep hillside). The views from the water were striking in many spots from Picante and we sailed around some cool rock formations off of Capella. For those liking to get out on the water, this was fun. People come from different hotels, so this is not an exclusive CM cruise. Food and drinks are supplied and I would say everyone has a good time that wants to.

Some other items I've not seen addressed much and as some inquiring minds might want to know, here goes.... (my humble opinion only).

How safe is it to let kids (say 12 and over) roam around on the CMI property?

I'd say it's very safe. There is no regular public access from the outside. Local staff live at the extreme north end. There are security staff posted at each end of the 1/3 mile or so beach just for good measure, so the one at the north end is posted between the suites and the staff housing. On our first trip when our son was 13, we did not worry about him.

How it is walking off of the property?

Again, I walked without worrying about where I was. While common sense would dictate not letting (say a 12 year old) walk off on their own, familes can go in either direction and see something new; one should not feel like they must stay on the property (although it is a great place to hang out!) My wife and I walked through Playa Linda and went a fair way north on the beach (not nearly as clean as CMI, but hey, why not see what true life is like here? This is NOT in a part of Mexico where violence and crime have been a problem.

How about medical attention on-site?

On our first trip to CMI, our 13 yr-old went to the infirmary a few times for some minor stuff and all was handled quickly and professionally.

Is there an ATM on-site? (Pesos are handy for off-site trips, although American dollars are accepted about everywhere)

Yes, there is one just off the lobby now that was not there on our first trip.

What kind of content is in the shows and are they family appropriate?
For every family, the definition of "appropriate" will vary. The climate is hot and humid, not cold and snowy, so figure what clothing goes with that and that is all day long. Is anything like a Las Vegas show? No. Can there be some suggestive humor? Yes, remember that CM is a French Company and they are striving to provide travelers with a fun experience (and I think they do a fine job at it).

Do the GOs respect the GMs and add value to the CMI experience?

Absolutely!!!

Now go to Club Med Ixtapa and HAVE FUN!!

We just returned from 9 days at Club Med Ixtapa Pacific and we had a fantastic time. Our girls aged 12 and 16 had so much fun with their respective groups that we had to make appointments to see them. The variety of food was not as extensive as Cancun Club Med but the quality was great. I also love the style of the family rooms at Ixtapa. Lot's of space, privacy yet you know when the kids are home. The weather is totally reliable (as in perfect all the time) and the views from the resort are spectacular. The best part for us is the staff: friendly, caring, customer service oriented and fun and informative. The sports team is excellent - thanks to Javier and Jesus for excellent coaching, we can't wait to go back. One caution: if you are single and / or don't care much for babies, don't go there. They have a fantastic baby club (take babies from 2 months old) so a rare find for families with little ones.