We just returned from our first trip to both Zihuatanejo and the Viceroy. We are avid travelers and are definitely nothing but the best when it comes to our travel. We frequent hotels such as the O&O Palmilla (many, many times), St. Regis Bora Bora etc. I say this because I am writing this review with a very specific experience of luxury and on most accounts the Viceroy is on par with the best of the best!
In all honesty, I gave the resort a 5 star rating but if I could give the hotel 4.5 stars I would. In some areas, most specifically the service, a definite 5 stars. In our short stay we were simply blown away by the service (most specifically at the beach!).
The beach is beautiful, busy and charming. We didn't go in the water but it was pretty and many others did, definitely looking calm enough to swim in. There are Hobie Cats, parasailing vendors, jet skis, you name it right in front of the resort.
The food at the resort was shockingly good and exceeded our expectations dramatically. We are vegetarians and not only did the resort have separate vegetarian and vegan menus, they also had many options to choose from on the main menu and were happy to create any special requests. Not to mention, in the evening, they dot the beach with tables and candles so you're dining with your feet in the sand just steps from the water's edge. Pitch perfect, casual beach chic!
The rooms were lovely. We were upgraded from a Lagoon Suite to a Beach Suite (we booked through whatahotel.com, which also got us free breakfast and other amenities). Both were lovely but I do recommend getting a Lagoon Suite at minimum for the space, location and private plunge pool.
I've read many reviews saying the Viceroy is expensive. We could not disagree more. Nearly any delicious cocktail, blended or otherwise, is around 90 pesos, coming in at about $7 usd. From 5-6 it's two for one! Not just in the bar but even at your beach palapa! At that point we're talking 3.50ish usd!?! I mean, I can't tell you how many $20 cocktails we've been served at other resorts. Lunch and dinner were also reasonably priced (per resort standards). Considering the quality of dining and the fact that you can have it served on the sand steps from both your room and the water, we were definitely not complaining in that department! There were many restaurants with in minutes walking distance on the very same beach. We thought they looked fun but ended up eating three meals a day, everyday, at the Viceroy. It was just too great to leave!!
There were a few negatives however.
- The bed. Awful. Hard as a rock and the pillows and linens were tired and needing replacing as well.
-This isn't so much a negative but a suggestion. Turn down service had no charm. We came back to bright lights and a barely turned down room. Little chocolates or something, dim lights or candles and slippers by the bed would be a nice touch. It's not that anyone NEEDS these things but they add up to a more magical experience.
-We had a couple of issues with our plunge pool. No big deal but would've been nice to have it fixed (we made multiple calls).
-Every night when the beach staff would take the cushions from the beach chairs and stack them, they would stack them in a very high pile in front of our room (BS 8). This totally blocked all and any view! My husband spoke to them each night and helped them move the cushions. Look, no big deal but those rooms are quite expensive if you're not upgraded to them and little things like looking at a stack of cushions instead of the beautiful ocean is a big detractor! I think they should be placed in front of/near/by the pool where no one's view is at stake. The instant they were gone we could see the moon dancing on the water.
Overall we were totally enchanted by the Viceroy and what we saw of Zihuatanejo. We will definitely return in the next couple of months! It's just too easy to get there and to us, we feel a great value for the experience. It's really a beautiful place.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
March 7, 2013
Dear Ms. sunandsurfgirl
I want to thank you for taking the time to write such a nice comment about your experience at our resort.
I am glad to learn that you enjoyed our services and facilities and please rest assured that we will look into your recommendations as we wish to continue providing the service that we are recognized for.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for your next visit.
Sincerely,
Carlos Blanco
General Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.