The Camino Real was fantastic! We love, love, love this hotel and would not consider staying anywhere else in Acapulco. The hotel was pretty crowded for the first few days of our stay, but after the Mexican holiday period ended on Jan. 6, it emptied out a lot and we felt like it was our own private resort. Even when it was crowded, there was almost always plenty of room for everyone.

We had booked our Club room three months in advance through a large Internet travel agent, for an average of $179 per night. This included all taxes and service fees. The resort did not charge us anything additional (except, of course, food and beverages that we charged to our room). We used the fitness center and business center for free. Our room rate for the Camino Real Club room was $30 more per night than the standard room, and for that price we were very happy we got the Club room. In addition to a better view and upgraded toiletries, the Club room includes daily breakfast for two at the buffet (normally $15 each). Because the hotel is somewhat isolated, it’s very convenient to eat breakfast there.

The Club room also includes beer, wine, and national brand cocktails from 6-8 p.m. in the lobby bar, along with free hors d’oeuvres. Since the hotel normally charges $7-9 per cocktail, this is a good deal if you enjoy a drink before dinner. Sometimes the drinks were a little weak, but it was no problem to get as many refills as we wanted. Don’t think you’ll make a meal off the free hors d’oeuvres, though. They are nice, but they are little pre-made plates of 4 bite-sized tidbits, slightly different every day-- usually one with shrimp, one with smoked salmon, one with cured ham, and one of cheese and fruit. You can also order tapas in the lobby bar.

One note about the Club freebies: it’s very important to the servers that you sign for them. They even chased us down when we started to leave the lobby bar after having our included cocktails. The lobby bar “check” they have you sign shows the drink subtotal, then “0.00” for the total. In contrast, the breakfast buffet says “Included buffet” and then the full price. We were sure we were going to have issues at checkout, but in fact our final bill was perfectly accurate. So don’t be worried by the odd billing procedures.

Our room was very comfortable and always immaculately clean. We were welcomed with a fruit plate. The bed was a bit of a disappointment to me, since I have a bad back and actually adore the hard Mexican beds that so many tourists complain about. The Camino Real bed was kind of mushy for me, but most people would like it. There was a loveseat, a table with two chairs, and a large balcony with chaise longue and two chairs. An armoire contained a TV with satellite reception (mostly Spanish stations, but they did put on ESPN on game days) and a minibar. Prices in the minibar were high for Mexico-- U.S. $3.50 for a can of soda! You cannot use the fridge to store your own provisions, because they will charge you for anything you remove, even if you don't consume it. You can bring in some food and snacks as long as you are discreet-- but don’t be like the woman we saw getting busted by the bellmen as she rolled a big, wheeled cooler into the lobby with cans and bags visibly poking out the top. The room came with a coffeemaker, but a 4-cup packet of coffee was $3.50. I would have brought my own if I’d realized that in Mexico, the presence of a coffeemaker doesn’t imply that coffee is provided! However, once I tasted the fabulous coffee they served in the buffet, I wouldn’t have bothered to make my own anyway.

The lavatory faced a large closet with plenty of hangers, and a digital safe big enough to hold a DVD player or maybe even a small laptop. Free toiletries included lotion, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, Listerine mouthwash, shower cap, shoeshine muff, sewing kit, and toothpaste. There is bottled water for purchase, but the hotel tap water and ice are purified, and we had no stomach problems from them. The shower/bath combo was in a separate room with the toilet, and had a retractable clothesline. We had three fresh towels every morning, and any towels used during the day were replaced during nightly turndown service. We didn’t get turndown during the first three days when the hotel was so busy, but we did every night after that. It included a yummy caramel chocolate. We left the housekeeper a couple of dollars every day, and she left us newspapers and little notes with smiley faces wishing us “Have nice day.”

The Camino Real is quite a distance from downtown Acapulco. There is a standard taxi rate board posted in the lobby. Taxis to the airport cost 170 pesos, to Barra Vieja or Pie de la Cuesta 250 pesos, and virtually everywhere else is between 120 and 140 pesos. The distance doesn’t seem to be directly related to the taxi fare. Maybe it depends on how likely they are to get a return fare? Coming back from town, you can take a bus marked “Coloso” or “Puerto Marques” for 35 cents, then walk several blocks from the bus stop down to the hotel. The walk is almost all downhill except for one short portion, but it’s still fairly steep and not for the sedentary. I did walk up the hill to the bus stop one day just to see if I could do it, and it was the equivalent of a good Stairmaster workout at the gym! Most people wouldn’t want to do this walk just to save a taxi fare into town.

Despite the distance from town, the location of the Camino Real is its best feature as far as we’re concerned. We simply loved the tranquil little bay of Puerto Marques. It is so pretty and serene, and every room has at least a partial bay view. One of our favorite things about this hotel was the excellent snorkeling just a few steps off the beach. We snorkeled nearly every day, and always saw something new. So many colorful fish and pretty corals! Several times, we saw spotted eagle rays.

There are plenty of lounges both in the shade and the sun. A number of the umbrellas lack pins and/or tend to tip over, but we were always able to find some that worked. There are three lovely pools, and the hotel provides free beach towel check-out. All the public areas, even the interior areas between buildings, are beautifully landscaped and carefully maintained. If you’re a mosquito magnet like me, take repellent. Even though I wore Off with DEET faithfully, I came home with 14 mosquito bites. My husband didn’t use mosquito repellent and didn’t get one bite, but mosquitoes just don’t like him.

The gym is air-conditioned and has towels and a water cooler, but it is pretty basic. They have only one treadmill (with a broken incline control), which was really not adequate for the first few days of our stay when the hotel was crowded. We often had to wait. Once the hotel emptied out a bit, it was rarely a problem, but they could use 1-2 more treadmills, and a weight bench for the free weights they have. A couple of the weight stations were in need of repair, and there were no floor mats or Pilates balls. I get the impression that the majority of Camino Real guests don’t include fitness in their daily routines; people walking by the fitness center would sometimes gawk at me through the window as if I were some kind of bizarre video (“Woman on Treadmill—Who’s Chasing Her?”).

There is an ATM on the premises, but don’t depend on it. I tried it on three different days, using three different cards, all with logos that were on the ATM and plenty of available funds. Each time I got “System unavailable”. We used the same cards at shopping center ATMs and were able to get cash. The front desk will break large U.S. bills into small peso notes. There is a nice little gift shop on the premises, with souvenirs and toiletries and snacks. The clothing choices there are elegant and understated, not the traditional Mexican handcrafts that many American tourists are looking for.

The majority of guests were Mexican nationals. If you are one of those people who likes to vacation in Mexico without seeing many Mexicans, don’t stay here. Nearly all the staff members spoke very good English, much better than our Spanish. We tried to use Spanish, but it was comforting that we could fall back on English if need be. We never felt that we were treated any differently than the other guests. The service was always good. Bear in mind that most diners in Mexico don’t expect constant drink refills, and it’s customary not to bring the check until the patron asks for “La cuenta, por favor.”

The food at the Camino Real was good. Drinks were expensive by Mexican standards (U.S. $3.50 for a soda, $2.70 *per refill* for iced tea, $6-9 for adult beverages—we visited a convenience store and bought lots of snacks and three liters of drinks for U.S. $11). But the food was fairly priced. Our first night, we ate at La Vela, the elegant seafood restaurant by the ocean. It is so pretty! We had fresh rolls with some of the most savory butter I’ve ever tasted, two wonderful Caesar salads topped with fried calamari rings and artichokes, pasta with clams, shrimp, and a generous amount of bay scallops, rare tuna Mediterraneo, two teas, and a delicious chocolate cake with hazelnut meringue layers, all for $60 plus tip. We ate there twice more, for lunch and another dinner. Each time, the food was fantastic and the prices were reasonable. The last time we ate there, we spent our whole dinner watching two small and one large spotted eagle rays, as they hunted in the shallow floodlit water below the deck. What a dinner show!

The US $15 breakfast buffet at Cabo Diamante was also quite good. Every day, they had many different juices, boxed cereals, and milk, a station for eggs and omelets cooked to order, sliced cold cuts and cheeses, 4-6 different types of pastries including churros and a chocolate swirl pound cake to die for, 4-5 sliced fruits and prunes, yogurt both in big bowls and in two different brands of individual containers including Yoplait, granola, chilaquiles, refried beans, hash browns, bacon and sausage, two of: crêpes or pancakes or French toast or waffles (gotta try the caramel sauce!), a prepared egg dish, and 3-4 Mexican dishes that changed daily. The pork with green sauce was especially delicious. And the coffee!!!!! Best I’ve ever tasted.

One day we had snacks at the pool bar: shark/squid ceviche and shrimp fajitas. The bill, with several waters and teas and tip, was U.S. $35. The food was quite good and the seafood was incredibly fresh, but Acapulco style ceviche is different from the lime and chili type I’ve eaten elsewhere. Everywhere we saw ceviche on the menu in Acapulco, it was served in a sweet cocktail sauce. I usually like fresh ceviche a lot, but I didn’t care for this style.

Overall, we loved the Camino Real for its beautiful location and grounds, excellent snorkeling, and gracious atmosphere. We hope to return some day soon. Our pictures are at http://travel.webshots.com/album/556994750URmFlF .

A wonderful place to stay in Acapulco! I was there over Christmas and really enjoyed the hotel. First, the hotel is very beautiful and almost every room as an ocean view. The staff was friendly and very accommodating. The breakfast is excellent and provides a variety.

The beach is small, but since it is not accessible from other beaches, no one hassles you to buy stuff. This seems inconsequential but it can be annoying and makes you a little nervous to leave anything lying around. We spent one day on the beach along hotel row and couldn’t wait to get back to our hotel. During our stay, there were few Americans and it was hard to get into to town because of the traffic. Neither of these issues concerned us and I was glad to be away from the craziness downtown. Overall, I highly recommend this hotel.

We had a great time at Camino Real Diamante. The hotel is lovely and in a beautiful spot. We selected a "CLUB" room to include breakfast and a cocktail hour. Unfortunately, they never seemed to recognize this, and we were always billed for the meals and cocktails - and then they needed to check with the front desk and get them reversed. This was not really a big deal, but a constant annoyance. The staff was very friendly and nice. The room itself was very nice with a fabulous view and nice amenties. The bath was also lovely. We enjoyed the restaurants and found them to be reasonably priced. There are several pools and they are beautiful. All in all it was a great time -I would have rated it "excellent" if it weren't for the confusion with the charges. We used a very good driver both from the airport and for a tour of Acapulco. His name was Roberto Alarcon and you find his phone number by searching on the web.

Having read dozens of reviews of the Camino Real, we really didn't know what to expect, but as we have discovered in the past, the "Trip Advisor" reports generally paint an accurate picture, if not one tempered by a single positive or negative experience.

Acapulco is a hate it or love it kind of place. It's crowded, dirty, crime-ridden, but at the same time, beautiful, active, and of course tropical. We absolutely didn't care for the city, and after a run-in with the local traffic cops, who, after stopping us for unknown reasons, had to bribed so we could continue on our way. We wisely decided to spend our long holiday weekend in or around the resort.

Upon arrival at the Camino Real we upgraded our room to a suite on the 8th floor which is located on a building separate from the main buidling. The suite was huge, impeccably clean, and with lovely views towards the Bay and the beach areas to the East.

The two tiny beaches in front of the Camino Real are quite a delight compared to the usual Acapulco fair - they are nearly private, with gentle waves, and devoid of the incessant beach peddlers who will pester you nearly each minute. One day we visited the large beach over at the Acapulco Princess for a change, but we eventually beaten into retreat by vendors and huge bone-crushing waves!

The La Vela restaurant was excellent and we ate there every evening. The food was well prepared, tasty, and a delight to enjoy while overlooking the bay. Prices were moderate compared to American fair, although a bit high for Mexico (typically running $50-60 dollars a person with wine or drinks). The other restaurants were pleasant, and we usually ordered lunch and drinks while lounging around the pools or beach area. As others have mentioned, once you understand the layout of the resort, it is possible to nearly always find a quiet or private area to relax.

Our only real complaint, and it is a serious one, is the indifference of the staff. Rarely did any of them seem interested in our well-being or desire for prompt service. The room service staff rarely got our order correct, and the beach/pool people seemed more attuned to the wealthy Mexican families around us, and would often ignore us unless we went out of our way to try to snag their attention. There were some exceptions, namely Tomas who brought us plentiful margaritas and wonderful seafood preparations for lunch each day.

Would we return?... no, but only because we didn’t think much of the city and there are so many other places in the world where the beaches are nicer, the prices lower, and the staff a bit more friendly.