Only home five days from our stay at Casa Don Francisco and I’m already “homesick.” My boyfriend has been discouraging me from writing this review because he feels the hotel (and area) will become too popular if too many people review it positively. Our stay was so special that I believe we owe it to the owners to spread the good word.

We were looking for a relaxing getaway and didn’t want to be surrounded by people or involved with the tourist scene. With only eight rooms in the hotel, it felt as if we were in our own home. The grounds were immaculate and beautiful. Our room, El Olstion, was spacious and had an amazing balcony with incredibly views. We sat outside every morning to read and then again at night to have a cocktails and enjoy the city lights. Beer from the mini bar was so cheap, it was almost free. Breakfast was delicious and the staff could not have been nicer. After traveling extensively to various tropical locales, we have found our new home and no longer need to explore any place else.

Just a few notes: We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and as we approached the hotel’s driveway we were both alarmed at the sight. There were cars and people everywhere! It just so happens that this is shadiest part of the beach and there are no restaurants or lounge chairs rentals, so it was packed with local families. A short walk down the beach there are a few restaurants and hotels. Many rent chairs, umbrellas and have bar/food service. Our favorite was La Perla and happens to be owned by the same family as the hotel. A day at the beach includes two beach chairs, a lounge chair (or two), a table and umbrella and terrific service…..all for less than 4 American dollars.
Several people have mentioned the stairs and they are worth mentioning again. They can be killer and this hotel is not kid friendly or for anyone who has issues walking, let alone climbing. La Ropa Beach is not for the party seeker, in fact everything on the beach seemed to close at 10pm.

Casa Don Francisco and La Ropa Beach is the perfect getaway for the anyone who wants peace, quiet and relaxation!

We stayed there last week! Only three rooms (of 8) filled. So quiet and serene! We stayed in the El Dorado suite with a little plunge pool and a large balcony with hammock. Every day we drank a few beers from the mini fridge while sitting on our balcony overlooking the bay. Splendid!!
The room was spacious with a big closet. It was pretty neat to shower...it is open to the balcony and separated by a screen. So even the shower had a view!
The bed was comfortable. Must have got new mattresses since some reviews were wrote a year or so ago.
There were a few noisy birds and dogs barking...but with the AC on and the ceiling fan on high, our sleep was not interrupted at all! Staff was nice and friendly...breakfast was good, too!

Let me start off by saying that if you're the type of person that wants to go to Mexico to eat burgers and go to Senor Frogs and Squid Row, you probably don't want to go to Zihuatanejo, or especially this hotel. And this is exactly the reason we loved it so much. When you're in Zihua, you definitely feel like you're in Mexico. The hotel is on the south end of Playa La Ropa, up a short incline from the beach and off by itself. For being so close to everything, when you're at the hotel, you definitely feel like you're secluded. It's very tranquil and relaxing. When you feel like going into town, you just have someone from the hotel call you a taxi and it will be there in less than 5 minutes every time - for a very short ride into town. Also, the staff at the hotel is EXCELLENT.

First off, the property itself is beautiful. My wife and I were very impressed by the architecture and how clean everything was. While we were there we stayed in two different rooms. The first was La Almeja, which was on the first floor up with a HUGE patio and its own dipping pool. It was awesome. Beautiful room. The patio had two huge cushioned lounge chairs, a hammock, a table and two chairs, and a pool. I mean really what more do you want?

We then swtiched to El Ostion, which was on the third story of rooms. Not because we didn't like our original room, but because we wanted to have a view of the bay for several nights. This room was also beautiful with the bed looking out on the bay, and another huge deck with all the amenities of the prior room, minus the pool. I will say that on the second floor there are rooms with private infiniti pools, which we might look at staying in next time.

Back to the hotel staff....Erica, the hotel manager was extremely accomodating in every possible way. She helped us with absolutely everything we needed, be it at the hotel, or anywhere in Zihua. She does a great job of being both hotel manager and concierge. The rest of the staff is also excellent and was ready to help us with anything we needed. Which reminds me, one of our favorite attributes of the hotel, was the free breakfast from 9-11 every morning on the large patio looking out at the bay. Our morning usually consisted of waking up, looking at the ocean, going for a run on the beach, and then heading down to breakfast. They have anything you could possibly want. From my wife's all-bran cereal, to homemade Chorizo con Huevos. And the homemade tortillas! Wow! I couldn't get enough of those. I lived in Mexico for several years of my life, so I know my Mexican food, and these tortillas are something special.

Overall, this place was great and we definitely plan on going back sometime soon.

A couple more recommendations:
--Go to La Perla on Playa La Ropa around 11am. Get yourself an umbrella and some chairs. And layback as Miguel will bring you ice cold coronas, and great food until it's time to go back and take a dip in the pool.
--Kau Kan Restaurant -great views. great food.
--Il Mare - Kind of wierd having Italian food in Mexico, but the restaurant is one of the most beautiful I have been to.
--Los Brasseros - Best tacos Al Pastor I have ever had.

I can't say enough about how wonderful this place is. My brother got married in Zihuatanejo on Jan 12 2008, and we basically booked out the whole hotel (which is very small and has only 8 rooms). I stayed in one of the lower rooms with no view, but we had a plunge pool. As my brother and cousin had the top floors with the incredible view, we were able to have cocktails and take in the sights from their rooms. I would recommend staying in one of the higher rooms with a view as it is a stunning bay and watching the sun go down is a great experience. The staff could do no wrong and no request was too much for them. The other advantage of staying here is because the hotel is so small, it feels like you have the place to yourself. We loved the crystal clear swimming pool, which is well shaded with umbrellas and great lounges. Breakfast is not until 9am, so too bad it you are an early riser, but you can take a walk on the beach (which is at your doorstep) and work up an appetite. The rooms were nicely appointed and the cleaning staff were fantastic and extremely thorough. We loved the semi-outdoor shower, but can be a problem if you are having guests over and you need to use the toilet or shower as there is no privacy in the lower rooms. This is not a problem in the upper rooms. The rooms have great black out venetians, so you can sleep in late if you have had a big night on the tequila! The photos on their website do not do them justice, and this lovely hotel is much better than it looks online. Enjoy!