Now that I've shared with you how wonderful Zihuatanejo is I must tell you about the most fabulous boutique hotel Tentaciones. Since I'm always reading travel magazines and scouring the various travel sites for new and interesting places to visit and stay - I already had so many places in mind when booking our last minute honeymoon. Once I have a place in mind I will typically do a scan over the reviews at Trip Advisor but I don't take that as the final word as it's really just one travelers opinion vs another. However, when I saw that 100% of the reviews on Tentatciones were excellent and not one negative comment from anyone that had stayed there...I figured it was a pretty good sign that this place would be, well...excellent! (TripAdvisor review)
All images {via My Guy}
After taking a load off with our beers in the lounge area he escorted us to our room - one of only four at the entire property. Sticking with the aesthetic of the rest of the hotel the room was inviting and evoked a sense of calm immediately upon entering. There was a great water feature that helped soothe you to sleep every night and a beautiful (and really comfortable) king bed that was decorated with flowers every single night when we'd come home from dinner. It also had a great little private balcony that overlooked the bay and my favorite feature - the outdoor shower. Who would ever shower inside again if you had one of these?
Every morning we woke up in time to enjoy the complimentary continental breakfast, coffee and fresh squeezed juices - we have a few special dietary needs and every day they fixed something new to accomodate and were willing to make just about anything you could imagine. I never tried the huevos rancheros and I haven't stopped kicking myself yet - I'm sure like everything else it was awesome.
Most mornings we would go for a short walk down to the beach just to work off breakfast and come back to lounge by the pool for the rest of the day. If you didn't want to - you would never have to leave the property and now that we've been there once and seen most of the area I'm not sure we would when we go back. Folks thought we were crazy to go to Mexico in June b/c of the heat but it was no warmer than back home in FL and there was always a constant breeze at the pool coming off the bay. There is not a typical "bar" at the hotel but a fully stocked kitchen and anytime you wanted a drink you just had to ask - Francisco and Pablo were right there ready to mix you whatever concoction your heart desired. Mine was usually wanting a margarita - the tamarind being my favorite from the trip! I've stayed at some amazing resorts in Mexico like Las Ventanas and One and Only Palmilla and while the service was great it was often over the top while Tentaciones made you feel right at home while still providing exceptional service.
Just a short walk down to the beach
Me with two great hosts - Salvador y Fransisco
A typical day at the pool
Ahhhh, can I go back...now?
And quite possibly the best thing about this place - the food. And a girl who has been counting calories to fit into a wedding dress is ready to eat by the time the honeymoon rolls around so I was happy. They don't have a restaurant per se - but breakfast is served in the common area and they convert the pool deck into a dining room at night and open it up to the public. They only have limited seating - about five tables so you must have a reservation but if you are a guest they will fit you in anytime. No one other than guests are allowed to be on property during the day before 6PM and even during the dinner hours it brings a lounge type atmosphere to the place while still maintaining its spa vibe. They don't serve lunch but any day you can request to have anything you liked at any time during the day. May I recommend the ceviche - shrimp, mahi, tuna - it doesn't matter...it's simply delish! Every day we had chips and fresh homemade guac by the pool and you didn't need lunch with the big breakfast. Dinner was amazing - the food was the best in Zihuatanejo and when we go back I think we'd eat there every night. They offer a prie fix five course menu and each course is better than the last. We ate there our first and our last night - both phenomenal meals from the shrimp ceviche start to the chocolate cake with coconut ice cream finish. On the last night they even asked if there was anything particular we wanted to see on the menu and they made it. The setting for dinner was so gorgeous with all the lighting and the water features that you could really sit there and stare off into the distance all night long.
All images {via my husband!}
Bottom line...even though I'd love to keep this place a hidden gem - if you are looking for a Mexico vacation you must check this place out. I have stayed at several Mexican resorts/hotels but none this special. And if it's your honeymoon prepare to be pampered!
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