HotelChatter

This is especially true on the string of beaches in the Acapulco Bay itself. This is still far from the cleanest water in Mexico and while the beaches themselves are impressive, the hotels along the main drag don't do much to stand out. You can see our review of the Crowne Plaza and you'll get a similar experience at the Hyatt Acapulco, the Fiesta Americana, or the many other big box beachfront high-rises. The plus here though is that you're not an hour away from the cliff divers, shopping, the first-class bus station, and all the restaurants and discos. Plus the views are great. The downside is, you're far from the airport and this town's traffic has outgrown its cliff-hugging roads.

The Playa Revolcadero area (pictured here) fronts the Pacific directly and is home to strong currents, lots of surfers, and construction crews seemingly trying to turn it into another North Miami Beach. The huge Fairmont Acapulco Princess Hotel and the smaller sister Fairmont Pierre Marques (once J. Paul Getty's getaway mansion) are located here. This area is a short drive from the airport and is far less congested, but it also feels more sterile and restaurant prices are far higher than in the city itself.

In between are the steep mountains that are home to the romantic Las Brisas Hotel and the wealthy neighborhood of Diamante. The latter is home to two secluded hotels we reviewed here: Quinta Real Acapulco and Camino Real Diamante. There's a nice calm beach a short taxi ride away from either one called Puerto Marques--on the same bay as the Camino Real. It's kind of a local secret and is jammed with reasonably-priced seafood restaurants geared to families.

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