I stayed at Hotel Puerta del Mar on May 5-12, 2007. When we first got there, I was surprised to see how small the 1 bedroom was, so my husband asked if we could be upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite, which they kindly did. The room made me feel like I was living with the Flinstones, because the walls were all cement. The room did not have the normal ambiance of a regular hotel suite. The room did have a mexican feel but it needs to be updated with a more modern decor. The staff was very nice and kind and catered to our every need. The hotel has the most beautiful landscaping, it was full of beautiful palm trees and flowers, which attracted all different kinds of colorful birds. I usually sat at the pool area and enjoyed the beautiful view. The pools were wonderful, my son spend hours in the pool. They had a small kiddy pool for children and there is where my son spent most of his time. I really did not mind staying there, only because we were not in the room long enough since we spent most of our time at the beach. Because we paid a very small fee to stay there, it helped us to accept the suite's cave like appearance . If you are a person, like my husband, who would like a more homey feel, then this is not the place for you. If you are like me a cheap scate, that just desires a place to lay your head, then this is a place for you.

We stayed at Puerta del Mar the week of Febuary 24, 2007. On a Scale of 1 to 10 I would rate them a "6". The rooms were clean but a little worn. The kitchen appliances were old. The refrigerator although working, was in need of minor repairs. Instead of a stovetop there was a plug-in two burner portable appliance on the counter that has seen better days. The beds were hard and the pillows were flat. The TV was about a 19" and didn't have many channels to choose from. We were pleased with the air conditioning units (one in the bedroom and another in the leaving room). They worked well. The grounds are well kepted so lounging by the pool was a nice experience. Overall, I think things could have been worse. I read other reviews prior to our stay and was expecting much worse. This resort was at least clean and not crowded and for us this is more important. The location was not bad either. We were directly across the street from shopping and restaurants which was very convenient. We went for walks on the beach every morning and the public beach access next to the Barcelo was about a 5-10 minute walk from our hotel. Although it may not be my first choice, I would stay here again because at least I know what to expect andf overall, it isn't that bad.

Had a great week while staying here. Close to town center,(Bars and Restaurants), with shopping
and 2-blocks from the beach. Very clean and well manicured facility. Take an air mattress to put on top of the bed, unless you like a hard bed. It's not the Taj Mahal, but it's nice and quaint.
Restaurant had excellent authentic Mexican food, and prepared the fish that we caught. We difinitely recommend dinner at the El Faro, with a view of the Sun Set on the Ixtapa Beach.

The Leonards
Loma Rica, Ca

From the moment my sister, friend and I arrived we knew it wasn't going to be the kind of Mexico experience we were looking for. First off, the lock on the door of our room was impossible to open. It took a number of trips up and down to find a bell man who could help. This event happened continuously. We never did get the door opened on our own. The next day, the ancient elevator was broken and no word on when it would be repaired. Our room was on the 6th floor so it was a number of walks up the stairs and then back down. The breakfast in the small restaurant was horrible and expensive. The toast was soggy Wonder bread and the coffee was weak. The inside of the room was clean but musty smelling, hotter than you could imagine and just worn down . It's apparent that the rooms were not maintained. The shower was a drip so it was impossible to get the soap off your skin and there was no hot water. The floors had cracks in the tile. After the first night , I told my sister and friend I was going over to the Holiday Inn across the street to check out the rates. We ended up moving all of our things that afternoon. This place was great, with wonderful and helpful staff , great rooms and a full breakfast included. The price was right too. Out trip turned out to be delightful after a horrible experience at the Puerta Del Mar. Be warned!