I bought a $5000.oo vacation package for 8 weeks a year, They never have the web site up, can never speak to the salesman or management. They were supposed to take $200 a month out, and instead are taking $212 to $216 month, plus a $ transaction fee. Just a complete. RIPP-OFF!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! About the the rooms smell damp, have to walk down then up about 200 steps to the ocean. Only way to see any thing is to take a cab. Buyer Beware!

I just came back from Ixtapa where I went to celebrate my birthday and I want to share an amazing experience with my fellow travelers. There is a hidden gem in Ixtapa and I happened to find it by pure coincidence. One evening my wife and I were walking on Paseo de la Playa Hermosa from Las Brisas towards the El Faro restaurant and we saw the entrance of Loma del Mar. I had already seen this resort from the main street, liked the architecture, and took one picture across the golf course through the fence; the hotel is separated from Paseo de Ixtapa (the main street) by its private golf course and I did not know where the entrance was located. So, I stopped to take a couple of pictures of the hotel/resort and a gentleman approached us and asked if we wanted to visit the resort. After a moment of hesitation (there are too many timeshare people harassing you in Ixtapa) we accepted. We got on a golf cart and went down a nicely lit path towards the pool area. When we arrived at the bar we met senor Abiudd Bracamontes, the food and beverage manager. Abiudd is the perfect host. I told him I was looking for a restaurant for my birthday dinner and he invited us to come whenever we wanted to enjoy the pools, the bar and the restaurant. I fell in love with the place right on the spot and I returned exactly on my birthday. Loma del Mar is one of the newest hotels in Ixtapa; it was finished in February 2007. It is comprised of 17 apartments with exquisite decorations and all the amenities one can think of. The sauna and the Turkish bath (hammam) are located right beneath the restaurant. There is an obsession for cleanliness. During the day a housekeeper washed the windows two times, in the morning and again in late afternoon. The gardener made rounds every half an hour to pick up the fallen leaves and keep the manicured grounds in perfect condition. The first thing you notice when entering Loma del Mar is the relaxing music (Buddha Bar and Cafe del Mar type). The speakers are carefully placed on the grounds so you can hear the music with the same intensity regardless of your location (pool, restaurant or restroom). There are 2 free-form pools and one small pool for kids. We spent the entire day next to the largest pool. In the proximity of the pool there are draped poster beds where you can lie down and read a book or simply take a nap. We tried their fish ceviche for breakfast and it was delicious. Next to the largest pool there is a swim-up bar and La Luna de Shiva restaurant. Between the bar and the restaurant there is a lounge area with comfortable chairs. After spending a wonderful day at the pool we went to change our clothes and returned for dinner. La Luna de Shiva has only 8 tables, serves Thai and Mediterranean cuisine, and faces the golf course, the pool, and the hotel. At night, the lights in the pool and the hotel change colors every few seconds and the effects are astonishing. The prices are very reasonable in comparison with the other Ixtapa restaurants (the main course is priced at $16-$20, a bottle of good wine is $20-$40). The personnel were outstanding. Senor Eric Pineda, the waiter who attended our table, is a real magician. My wife asked for a coffee and he prepared a special coffee with Kahlua, rum and a lot of fire. It was quite a show. Eric also prepared us Cucaracha, a special drink made with Kahlua, rum, tequila and brandy which also involved a lot of fire and pouring the components from one glass to another; very spectacular and tasty. This was his treat for me on my birthday. The chef was senorita Eyssel Segura Diaz. After having the main course I had to go to the kitchen to congratulate the chef because the food was awesome and presented in an artistic design. To my surprise the chef was a little smiley lady - Eyssel. The desert was pure heaven. While talking with Abiudd, we learned that they were about to open a new restaurant, La Pampa, which serves Argentinian cuisine. It was scheduled to open exactly on my birthday, but due to unforeseen circumstances it opened on Saturday. La Pampa is located about 300 yards up the hill from the Loma del Mar entrance. It is about 50 yards from the well known restaurant El Faro, but I think it has a better view, a far better wine list and is more reasonably priced. From your table (there are only 8 tables) you can see the lights on Playa el Palmar and the hotel zone in Ixtapa. We had the privilege to be the first customers of this restaurant when it opened on September 8. My wife had a steak called Bife de Costillas and I had Bife de Lomo. Before going to La Pampa you need not eat for the entire day because the portions are pretty large, 300 grams (about 2/3 of a pound), very tasty and cost about $18. We like Chilean wines and we had a bottle of their house cabernet (Punta Nogal) for $20 and a bottle of Baron Phillipe de Rotschild cabernet for $30. The gentleman who oversees the restaurant is senor Manuel Ortega from Argentina. He also decorated the restaurant and took care of the decorations at Loma del Mar. The lamps on the lawns are his creation and resemble the bird nests that hang from the trees on the property.