Hilton Grand Vacations Club Zihuatanejo

The ocean-view suites have beautiful views, and the club has access to a very sandy beach. Just outside the security doors, there's a private shaded area with tables and chaise lounges, and the wait staff are diligent about taking food and drink orders. Back at the resort, there are two restaurants, plus food and drinks served poolside, and all the food is good. Lots of people mention the happy hour from 3:00 to 4:30 as a highlight. You can sit on underwater stools right at the bar. The one downside for us was the pool temperature at the end of October. It was way too warm, like a bathtub. Everyone works hard to make members and guests feel at home. Hugh kindly arranged some special requests before we arrived, which helped a lot. We've been longtime Intrawest/Embarc members and have visited several of the original club locations many times. We're pleased with what Hilton has done at all the club locations. It still feels like home, with more amenities than before.

I love the North Playa Ropa location, with its shady beach, adult pool with a swim-up bar, and cabanas at no extra charge. The staff were friendly and helpful, and we had a great time. There are lots of stairs, but I counted them as my workout. The view is wonderful, though I hate the wooden shutter doors in the room. You can have the view or air conditioning, and they should install sliding glass doors.

The view is nice, and the food was pretty good. You can find ceviche and aguachile plenty of other places, though. For me, this was a 'Grand' Hilton that wasn't grand at all. It felt like camping at resort prices, around 150-200 a night. There are no real doors between the rooms and balconies, so wind and noise pour in, and even rain gets inside. You hear the reception phone and restaurant glasses clinking, with no privacy. Bugs get in too. Staff talk loudly among themselves and seem indifferent to guests' peace, and the reception staff were incredibly rude. At the pool, prices felt like Vegas, and they aren't clear, so you may not realize the cost until later. There were no pool towels, so bring your own. The shower water was tepid and had no pressure. The air conditioning blew directly on us, leaving us either too hot or freezing. The layout is a nightmare, with endless stairs that are often uneven and unsafe, making it hard just to get to your room. Pool music was Pitbull on repeat. Bring bottled water, since the tap water comes out warm. It felt like a very inauthentic Mexico experience, basically a bad Vegas resort. There are much better, kinder, and far cheaper experiences nearby, so I wouldn't recommend this hotel. The average guest age seemed to be 73, and there are a lot of older guests. If you're 75 and don't care about sleep or privacy, want to hang out only with Americans, sleep outside, and pay a ton, this might be your place.

The location on what I consider the area's best beach is amazing, and the rooms and service are excellent. The amenities feel crowded all the time because they're too small for the number of rooms.