Just recently got back here from a vacation with my family. Can't say enough nice things about Casa Don Francisco. The value was incredible considering a room could be had for roughly a third of the price of places like Casa Que Canta. I stayed in the Almeja suite which had a huge patio and dunk pool and a gorgeous bathroom. My parents were in the Pez Vela suite upstairs which had a private infinity pool, hammock and amazing view.

It's a short walk down a hill (less than a hundred yards) to the very south end of La Ropa beach... the nicest less-crowded part of the beach is just a short walk north, but I appreciated the proximity to all the beach-front restaurants. Breakfast was included... full continental breakfast plus dishes like eggs with chorizo which were awesome (best tortillas I ever had). Only wish they started serving a little earlier (breakfast starts at 9 AM).

Erica and Miriam are the two primary managers and concierges. They were SO nice and accommodating and knew about every restaurant and activity in town. They handled all our reservations for us and made everything seamless. There's also a very nice night watchman named Juan who makes sure everyone gets in safe (I always felt very safe in Zihuatanejo and didn't witness any crime while I was there).

The landscaping, grounds, rooms everything were always clean and immaculate. (And free wi-fi in the lobby).

It's not a full-service 24 hour kind of hotel... the only meal served is breakfast. There's no room service or anything like that (although the mini-bar is super cheap which is a plus). But that shouldn't matter to most people because Zihuatanejo is the kind of place where you can just step out and explore and eat somewhere different every night. A cab to downtown cost only about $4 dollars and when they call a cab it arrives in like 2 minutes!

It was one of the best vacations I've had in a while and I would definitely return to Casa Don Francisco.

My wife and I splurged for one night here after a week in Troncones. Well work the money. A beautiful property ( though a bit hard to find for our taxi driver, as they have no sign), with amazing rooms. We had the El Dorado Suite, with a large balcony (with hammmock and plung pool) overlooking Zihua bay. We basically had the place to ourselves, but it was difficult to leave the room. At night it's an especially great view of the bay- great to fall asleep to with all the lights of the city.

Despite it's comparatively grand appearance, this is a B+B- not a full service hotel, but the staff seemed willing to help with whatever we needed (though we didn't ask for anything).

I would definitely recommend Casa Don Francisco to anyone looking to stay on Playa La Ropa.

We spent our honeymoon at Casa Don Francisco (CDF) for 8 nights in August. As others have mentioned, it is tucked away at the far end of Playa de Ropa beach. This area seemed to be extremely popular with the locals; their presence will certainly remind you that you are in Mexico. The taxi drove us over a rocky unpaved road and then up a steep incline to arrive at CDF. Once there, CDF impresses immediately. There is a lot of thought placed into the landscaping - a large tree adorns a mini-courtyard that ushers you past two massive wooden doors and a lovely swing. Stepping through the doors, you enter the foyer which is open air with a thatch-like roof and a little cascade of water into where the community pool empties.

Walking out of the foyer to get your room, you see further care placed into the landscaping in the surrounding garden - flowering bushes and plants, large and small trees, and potted plants placed throughout. We splurged on the Pez Vela suite which is located on the second floor of the complex. Our room was fabulous with a huge Infinity pool, hammock and two beach chairs for laying out on the porch. The porch is half covered by the patio from the above suite - the pool is under the sky which was fantastic even when raining. The view is spectacular, overseeing the landscaped garden, the entirety of Playa de Ropa and all the way to Zihua. Despite this, since the room and the hotel is elevated (the result of the steep incline and the stairs to your room), we had a tremendous sense of privacy. Of course, for most of our stay we were the only guests. Pez Vela's pool is the best at CDF. We were able go look at most of the other rooms. The other comparable one - the Dorado - the room and patio are much bigger BUT the pool is akin to a plunge pool or jacuzzi. You can actually swim around in the pool in the Pez Vela. Everyday we saw butterflies fluttering past our pool.

The room itself is also very nice and definitely well kept. The bed is firm but comfortable. There is no TV but there is radio that is already set to a really nice radio station that plays Spanish music (Madonna sings in espanol??) but for one hour a night, the station also plays really nice classic songs in English like Nat King Cole. There also is no clock; there is a clock on the radio but it was not set and I think this was done purposefully to maintain the sense of isolated comfort. The bathroom is nice as well as it is basically open air with a huge screen to keep out insects. For some reason, showering at night, hearing the lapping water of the Infinity pool and the crashing waves from the beach and with a view of the lights of Zihua, is extremely soothing. There also is a small fridge, a safe and two really large closets.

The people who work at CDF couldn't have been more pleasant. We did have issues with the AC for the first few days - it would start working then stop. They would repair it but it would later stop working. But after the 3rd day, we had no problems (I believe they needed to replace a part which they had to go buy or order). They were very responsive to our calls and the AC was repaired promptly. One issue for many is that at night the security guards speak no English. One time, the AC broke at night, and somehow, my 5 years of high school Spanish managed to convey our need for immediate AC help. But everyone, from the maid, to the owners to the guards, were extremely friendly and helpful.

CDF is not a complete resort like Villa del Sol (its called the Tides now). CDF does have complementary breakfast which you can eat on their terrace (again, with an amazing view) or have it brought to your room. You can ask for any or all of: juice, cereal (really good!), scrambled eggs (three ways), fruit, tortillas, toast, and coffee. Very tasty way to start your day, But you have to venture out for lunch and dinner which is no big deal as there are restaurants a-plenty on the beach and within 5-15 minutes walking distance - however this means you can't simply stay in and lounge by your pool for the day. One of the charms (or drawbacks depending on you view it) is how close CDF is to the local population. CDF is close to seems to be residential housing - a few nights we heard a dog barking for about half an hour. However we rarely saw anyone in at the houses. The strip of beach directly in front of the hotel is basically the local hangout which takes away from any feeling of an isolated getaway. One really cool perk: walking through this area, we were offered fresh oysters that had been harvested that morning by the local fisherman. Walking over to the Tides, the difference is startling. There were absolutely ZERO locals on their stretch of beach which is surprising because the entire beach is public. If you go to the Tides and spend your entire time on their strip, you might see the passing locals selling their wares or renting our jet skis. Otherwise, it definitely felt more pampered and catered to American tastes. Just a thought for those considering where to stay.

We would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a luxurious, well-priced and beautiful getaway to consider CDF. The property and the Pez Vela room are simply beautiful. Be aware that you will not have all the amenities of a full resort and the location might be off-putting for those looking for complete luxury and pampering. Otherwise, CDF was the perfect place for our honeymoon.

Amazing staff that helped us with getting around and making sure we were safely back to our room every night. If you enjoy being away from the comforts of western amenities (like dominoes, mcdonald's, burger king, etc.) this quaint hotel is perfect. Stayed at the El dorado with a beautiful ocean view and our own pool. Would highly suggest this place for people who are looking for a great deal for a luxurious stay in zihua.