Okay hotel, great service.

The four star rating is a bit high for this property. The hotel itself and grounds are solid 3 star but not much more. On the other hand, the staff is on the high end of 4 star. Emporio has really invested in their staff and it shows. Unfortunately, and this isn't the fault of the hotel, but the noise on the mountain view side of the building is unbearable at night. This would be a common problem to most hotels in the direct area. The night club thumph thumph from 10:30 pm until 3:30 am is just [... read more] incredible. I just don't know how this is permitted to continue.

JUST OK

This resort is advertised as a Mexican family resort and Mexican families come in by the busloads. We had booked this resort w. AIR CanAda Oceanfront rooms but due to software issues we were checked in to streetside which were fine as despite reviews there was little noise coming from the bars across the street. However after changing rooms twice we were given an oceanfront room free of charge 2 days later. ROOMS: Some smell of mould but the hotel will change rooms if available otherwise v [... read more]ery clean and beds comfortable. None of the rooms have balconies REstaurants: Sunset grill - delicious bbqd food with good variety of salads and desserts Buffet: Most times absolute bedlam, food is mostly Mexican and the same every day for breakfast and dinner. Lots of fresh fruit at breakfast and pancakes for the kids. Pool snack bar: hamburgers, hot dogs and french fries Pools: excellent small children's pool with slides and shade Main pool: Too small for the amount of guests at resort. Lots of children splashing and sitting at swim up bar Beach: Awesome - can walk forever, beautiful sunsets, soft sand and fun waves. Would definitely come back to Ixtapa but not this resort as way too many guests for a 200 room resort. Many large families with lots of children. Although all were very friendly, kind and welcoming and we did enjoy meeting many of them.

Good resort-if you know what to expect

Stayed week of Mar.3-10-oceanfront room, like others have said, noise can be a problem at night, and it does not matter where your room is located. The noise can come from other resorts having live bands or weddings etc. The noise was only an issue for 3 nights and we wore earplugs so not a problem sleeping. The room itself was older with a lack of power outlets-we could only use 1, the other was broken. The beds were some of the most comfortable we have slept on in Mexico and the A/C (controlle [... read more]d by a new digital thermostat) cooled the room better than any resort we have stayed at-so kudos to the hotel. The food was good, however like many resorts the buffet food got a little repetitive over the week. Friendly staff who worked hard to please the guests! The 2 a la carte's served Italian and the other beachfront grilled (serving steak, chicken, seafood) were good. The buffet was heavy on the Mexican dishes but the hotel was filled with more locals than Canadians or Americans. 9 yr old daughter loved the kids activities. There is a separate kiddie pool with water slides but the majority of kids were in the adult pool where the swim up bar is located. The hotel should post signs about children under 6 only being allowed in the kiddie pool as I saw many toddlers and even infants in the pool sans diapers... Beach was great and the ocean warm and rough the way I like it. Sandy bottom no rocks -no jellies. Would stay here again if the price is right!

Family resort lots of kids

Went on vacation with friends and overall had a great time. The food was good not over the top but acceptable. The rooms were fine but the bar fridge was rusty so not very appealing. We were to get 2 bottled waters and 2 beer every day - that didn't happen every day so we had to call front desk almost every day. We paid for ocean view and the couple we travelled with did not get one on checkin they did get one the next day. To me this is unacceptable you pay extra for ocean view and you don [... read more]'t get one? And they don't offer a discount or upgrade? Something is wrong with the way they do things. Also expect to have to get up early to put towels on a chair around the pool if you want a chair and expect very slow towel check in and check out. They manually complete a paper receipt everyday. Music starts promptly at 9 am so if you plan on sleeping in don't expect to. Did not spend any time at the ocean it was red flagged because of strong under toe. Almost got run over twice by the parachuters who land on the busy parts of the beach. If you have kids great but if you don't have kids travelling with you expect that the pool is always busy with kids who are allowed to jump in and splash everyone who is in the pool and they are able to use water guns and don't care who they spray. The resort is open to locals who do come in large numbers especially on the weekends. We went off resort twice and enjoyed local restaurants. Bar service at the pool bar was slow and they tend to serve the locals before you. It was strongly evidenced during our stay. The lobby bar should be open 24 / 7. There is an espresso bar in the obviously but tucked in the back corner of the lobby - disappointed that you had to pay. We've been at other hotel chains that include it. I highly recommend going for a massage on the beach - very good value and service. This resort communicates all activities in ONLY Spanish which is disappointing because you can't understand what activities were happening. The only entertainment on the resort was a Mexican night and 2 karaoke nights but all in Spanish. There are NO activities in English.

Adequate hotel / great location

I was not impressed that we didn't get the room that we asked for via the online booking through Tripcentral.ca The room we chose about 3 weeks prior to our vacation was listed as a Superior Oceanview and the fact that management kept insisting we booked a mountain view when we got there even though we never even saw these words in the ad or on our voucher was very insulting. When we got the voucher and it only said "Superior room" I questioned the agent at Tripcentral and she said we would h [... read more]ave no problem getting the oceanview. We were put on the 8th floor overlooking the town of Ixtapa (with mtns. in the background) and it was so noisy that we didn't sleep most of the first night. We asked to be moved to an oceanview but were told by the manager that there weren't any available even though the other staff member a few minutes earlier had said there was one but that we would have to pay extra for it which we didn't think was right. We were then moved to a room on the 2nd floor. The room wasn't superior at all which we had paid for but it was good enough because we no longer were hearing the music from the discos across the road. We tried to express our dissatisfaction with not getting what we paid for with the agents from Tripcentral.ca but there was never any resolution to the matter. The 2 elevators on a number of occasions stopped at every floor even though no one had pushed any buttons on those floors. I was very happy to get onto the 2nd floor for this reason as we could then take the stairs most of the time. The staff at the hotel were really warm and friendly so that was all good, the buffet food was adequate, the sunset cafe was really good and the pool was okay but pretty packed most of the time. The fridge did not work which we mentioned to the management but was never looked at and we didn't get our quota of 2 beers and 2 soft drinks per day in fridge as was part of package. Minor details. Okay.... I have complained enough. It was a great location and I loved the beach. It was also nice to have the restaurants and little stores across the road and wasn't too far to go to Zihuatanejo. The waves were fine to swim in most of the time and the drinks were good. The rooms were clean and tidy every day and the beds were comfortable.

First time and would go back.

The food was really good and enough variety to keep it interesting. Beds and pillows comfortable.We had hoped for an ocean view room but ended up facing the road and the hotel next door, which by the way, had us up until 5:00 a.m., yes, 5:00 a.m. with their music. Way past the partying stage. After Friday night all good. Very clean, all staff so friendly. Watch out for every 5th or 6th wave though ...don't turn your back 'cause they'll leave you not knowing which way is up. Would I go ba [... read more]ck? ...yes.

A Nice Smaller Hotel in a Convenient Location

A little hotel on the long beach among several large hotels. Waves were big, tons of Pelicans diving. Lots of activities and hawkers on the beach but none were rude. Despite the busy beach, the hotel staff made us feel welcome and intimate. Perhaps it was because we did our best to speak and learn Spanish. The room we got was one of those facing the street and mountains on the 7th floor. The view was nice but the nightlife sounds always made their way into our room until the wee hours (the wo [... read more]rst night was until 5AM on Valentine's Day!). Food was good. The Sunset Grill was excellent. Drinks were spectacular. We give 5 stars to the staff and my husband still has a crutch on the house band's female singer.

Mixed feelings

Overall, we did enjoy our stay. The hotel is dated but the staff are very nice. We were there 10 years ago and some things have changed and not for the better. i.e. there used to be ice machines on every second floor but now these were removed and the only way you can get ice is at the pool bar and that is not always open and is a trek down ...you can get it from the room service but usually have to wait for an hour. frustrating. the food in the hotel is good. the beach is ok. very well located. [... read more] no more than a 3 star. hard to get a chair around the pool as people put their towels down the night before....

Great location

This hotel is a bit dated but would recommend it highly. The location is perfect; a bus stop right out front and numerous shops and restaurants right across the road. The food was mostly Mexican and was always fresh and delicious. Standard resort breakfast. They charge extra for coffee in the rooms, but water, pop and beer are refilled at no charge every day. The staff were all wonderful...very friendly and helpful. Never any problems getting a lounger in the shade at the beach. Around the pool  [... read more]wasn't as easy. The hotel is on the main beach in Ixtapa. Beautiful beach..rough surf most days. The biggest complaint would be the music. The evening entertainment was terrible.(sorry girls) and the music around the pool in the pm was awful. Rooms on the pool/ ocean side are quieter as there are clubs across the street that stay open late. All in all a great place to stay.

Boutique hotel right on the beach

We decide not to go to an all-inclusive resort this year. The Emporio was exactly what we were looking for. It is right on the beach, with plenty of palapas available for shade and a long stretch of sand to walk on. Our room was on the 10th floor facing the ocean, while my daughter's room faced the mountains. Both of us were delighted with our rooms. The maid service was thoughtful and friendly. The staff in all parts of the hotel was friendly and clearly demonstrated a pride in their work and  [... read more]employer. Our favourite places to hang out were the beach (with great bar and food service), the pool in the late afternoon and the lobby bar. Of course breakfast was always a treat and we usually sat at a table by the open windows. What we enjoyed the most about the hotel was the Mexican clientele. It was nice to hear them speak Spanish and we felt we were in a family resort where many generations were enjoying a holiday get away. If I were to make one suggestion, it would be to have a hot water urn and coffee urn available during the day and evening so we could enjoy a warm drink. And a small warning that the oceanside room does pick up the noise from the neighbouring hotel music. That might be a consideration in choosing your room location. However, the rooms were quite soundproof, so we did not hear our neighbours at all. One of the best things about this hotel is its location. We walked across the street to the village and found innumerable restaurants, bars and shops. We were not at a loss for new restaurants to try. My daughter took a bus to Zihuatanejo for a late lunch and we all visited Isla Ixtapa for a lazy lunch on the beach. My husband and I also rented bicycles from the hotel and rode to the marina and Playa Linda along the cycling path. Ixtapa has much to do, feels very safe and prices at neighbouring restaurants are quite reasonable. The Emporio is perfectly located to enjoy this lovely tourist area.

Clean, decent accomodations and nice staff

The hotel is older and somewhat dated but the rooms were very clean, the housekeeping staff did a great job. The bed was comfy but a lighter duvet would have been nice. A/C worked well. We didn't do the all-inclusive but had dinner one night, a lunch and breakfast on our last day. The food was good. Next time I think I'd opt for the breakfast plan for convenience. The grounds and pool area were nice and there were plenty of chairs and beach towels. Check-out was extremely slow, they could defini [... read more]tely improve on this. The staff at the hotel were very helpful and always had a smile. I would stay there again.

Beautiful Resort and Area

A small lovely resort meant for my 8o year old mother and myself. Very accommadating with her needs. We loved the pool and the beach was the nicest beach I've seen yet! The only thing I found difficult was communication. Not many spoke much English and the area only takes Pesos not Canadian or American money.. Otherwise a great vacation!

Great location, but lots of room for improvements

The hotel is in an excellent location, that's gotta be the best thing about this experience. The check in system could be improved, especially when they know that they have clients arriving. A specific check in for those arriving early would have been great. Fortunately there are better restaurants outside of the resort, Condimento is convenient but could definitely have an improved selection. A snack bar would have been ideal as well especially for those who would rather hang out by the palapas [... read more].

Imperial let down

While the staff did their part to keep the common areas clean, that was the extent I witnessed as far as customer service. Maybe the fact I was staying as a single had a bearing on this, but ate all my meals mostly on the resort and had a waiter ask me about a drink only once. I got offered coffee once for breakfast during the entire week. Also the all-inclusive bracelet was only good until 11 pm for drinks at the bar. After that I was forced to pay, additionally though the package indicated roo [... read more]m service was included I was charged for it and only after a lengthy discussion was the charge removed. The same went for water as my mini bar was not open my first day and I had to take water from the "replenish stock" pile in the room and they tried to charge me for that. The food itself was bearable in taste but extremely generic, everything was meat in a sauce..all done in roasting pans. Mostly flavorless, and the line-ups for the griddle got huge because there was only a single cook top to service the entire restaurant..similar issues with the lobby bar, one single bartender to serve the entire crowd..10 minute waits at the bar for a drink. In short, will not recommend and will not return. Service poor, food acceptable but nothing to tall about. Biggest disappointment I could have imagined based off previous experience in mexico.

Awesome stay

Loved the beach, free bikes to use on an awesome 10 klm bike path through jungle, friendly staff, food always good, rode city buses - safe and so convenient, ixtapa island snorkeling was amazing!! Quiet laid-back small resort ... Would definitey return.

Hotel Emporio

This is a nice small resort. We were there the last week of Jan 2015. The rooms are small but clean. It can be noisy from the parties across the street if you are on the mountain view side. So bring ear plugs or invest another $25 a night for ocean view rooms. The service is good at the bars and buffet but if you want a wake up call to go fishing ,forget it.. Also they do not exchange money at the desk , but the banks are just across the street. The food does need improvement , as you get the sa [... read more]me muck every day. The beach barbecue is good though and you get 2 every week included in your all inclusive. We went to dinner across the street as there are lots of good places to eat there, The beach is very nice and the pool is nice to but you have to watch out for the T shirt police as your not allowed to wear them in the pool.

Perfect resort

The staff , food and room were all outstanding. I wish I would have stayed longer. The locals, town, stores and service was great . With the beach , pool, and restaurant & bars so close - made it perfect to get some Sand ,Sun and Suds. I was treated like a king

Don't Buy All-Inclusive!

This a very average hotel, more of a 3 star than a 4 star. PROS: Service - The service is excellent - all the staff do a great job of looking after their guests and keeping the hotel and grounds clean. Location - This hotel is located in the heart of Ixtapa directly across the street from many shops and restaurants with a bus stop right out front. The beach is absolutely beautiful, great waves, fine sand with no rocks or seaweed. Bikes - There are bikes available (free of charge but not advertis [... read more]ed) and I highly recommend the fabulous bike path through the jungle up to Playa Linda. CONS: Rooms - The rooms are basic and bit dated but they are clean. There were very few electrical plugs available for charging phones/tablets so we had to take turns. Showers had adequate hot water but no bathtub. Senor Frogs and the hotel next door were noisy at night so we had to keep the sliding door shut. Food - The food is rather basic. We bought the breakfast only and we were very glad that we didn't buy all the meals because the selection was very limited and repetitive. There are many restaurants within a couple blocks offering seafood, Mexican food, pasta and pizza. You will get far more variety and value for your money by purchasing the breakfast only or no-meal plan. SUMMARY - To sum up, I would stay at this hotel again if it is offered at a good price. However, if there is only minimal price difference to other hotels, I would prefer to stay somewhere else.

Wonderful trip!

This was our first trip to Ixtapa. The beach was gorgeous. We really enjoyed our stay.we spent a week at the Emporio January 11 to January 18, 2015. The staff were great. Our room was on 6 floor, clean and everything in great condition. upon arrival and to the day we left, it was a great stay. We always had hot water, internet and never an issue with anything else. The housekeeper is great. Also check out is at 1pm. It was very convenient. The food was good. There are no balcony, but it was fine [... read more] we had sliding door opened. Walk around, it is a safe and there are a great restaurants around. We did a day trip to ixtapa island and day trip to playa la Ropa and Las Gatas beach. It was amazing. Overall this resort is well worth it's money. Highly recommended.