Last year I know I raved about this place and the core of the review still stands. Our six year-old still loved Mini Club and now with child #2 along we loved all the options for the baby: Baby Club had milk, bottle steralizer, place to wash bottles, plus if you wanted to leave the baby there they had babysitting and even an baby-depth pool with adequate shade. And you have to love having a decent stroller and pack-and-play waiting for you upon arrival. We removed one star since the restaurants were all closed (and apparently were not open even during peak time) which reduced dining options to just the main building- that gets old.

This year we also confirmed what others realized: go off-peak. We went after Thanksgiving and that let us avoid the crush of people we experienced at the end of our trip last year. While it's great to have enough people to keep things interesting, at full capacity it was just plain crowded (put a towel out poolside by 7AM or risk no shade in the hot sun of Ixtapa). The trade-off this year was that it was so quiet that none of the restaurants were open regularly. In fact one was only open one day during our trip and the other not at all. This is a bit of a strike against the resort since always eating at the main building does get old (as cruise lines discovered long ago).

Mini Club and the people who work with your children are worth calling out for special attention. These people really do care about the children and enjoy working with them and that comes out in a great experience. Agustin Aguilar Ortiz, Jaime, Pamela and the others really made our son feel at home and were also great at comforting kids who had a bit of separation anxiety at drop off. The activities were great: trapeze as one highlight but even just pool time (special pool for miniclub) and Petit Chef were big hits. Next year he will be old enough to do sailing and archery and, if we remember his sneakers, rock climbing. They still have the two kids participation shows which he loved- yes, they should change the songs every couple years for the parents but the kids did not care. The other mini club shows (no kids performing) were also well reviewed by the kids even if they were a bit too silly for the parent who decided to stay and watch. Sign the kids in and go get something to eat/drink!!

The rooms we had (deluxe family room) were great. We really recommend getting a ground floor with deck so you can 1) dry your wet clothes (it will take days to dry indoors); 2) escape during naptime since the kids beds are by the front door. The rooms are all well maintained and though we never knew when it would happen it was nice that they did turndown serivce - even for the baby's pack-and-play -- including a chocolate square on the pillows. The only other strike were thermostats which didn't seem to do anything unless you played with the fan speed. So rooms tended to be on the cold side- or too warm.

The in-laws stayed in the suites. Even better rooms but not for families. This building is great for those who are okay with a kid-friendly resort but want an escape. They have their own stretch of beach, a quiet pool, concierge, pcs with internet in the room and just much nicer rooms overall.

The food is fine. You have a great mix of items so you will find something you like. The quality of drinks seems to vary based on the bartender- but that is expected. The wine remains a weak spot overall with still exorbitant prices if you want to buy a bottle (think $5 wine for $55) otherwise the red and white they offer are just so so. What was interesting is that there are more options than the waiters tell you about. I discovered they had a sparkling wine and a 2nd red option that nobody ever mentions. Neither were stellar but were good options after the original white/red options got old.

So overall another great trip. The people really remain the strong point of Club Med. They are friendly but still professional. The Mini Club people never fail to impress. If we can go back we will be going back again next year.

This is our 4th Club Med vacation, 1st in Ixtapa. So our review will reflect both our expectations (high) and our experience (good).

First off, we spent 2 weeks on grounds which is longer than anyone else we met while there. Most people either come for an extended weekend or a full week. During our first week (Thanksgiving), the chief of the village, Remy, was on his own vacation. We could tell. The whole club had a very lackadaisical feel. G.O.'s were scarce when not at their posts, the food wasn't up to par, and enthusiasm was in short supply. The second week was noticeably more in tune with our past experiences (although still not as sharp as Cancun or Punta Cana).

The grounds are beautiful, if a little run down. The beach is dark sand, almost muddy, but the views are incredible. We dabbled with the various sports offerings but spent most of our time at the trapeze. The guys there were fantastic. Gareth was a hoot, but he left a few days after we did, Brazilian Joe is a ham, gives the kids a lot of quality attention, and is always showing off for guests ;) Mexican Joe is a sweetheart, very earnest and professional, and Rolando is a little shy but no less attentive. All-in-all the best circus team we've come across.

Be sure to check out the sailing shack. The winds and bay are very favorable for beginners, and the guys are very easy to talk to. Diego is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, and Marcel can't stop smiling.

Excursions from the Discovery Center are a bit pricey (sorry Polo and Sandy), a snorkeling trip to the island (5 minutes by boat) was $40 each for about 2 hours including prep and travel. That said, there was a lot to see, and we did have a guide to point out the things we would have missed on our own.

The rooms are spacious and relatively clean. They share a bathroom which was our only complaint, but we never felt squeezed for space. Ours had an ocean view but no balcony so it was something of a wash.

The food was the biggest disappointment, and I mean that only in the context of our previous Club Med experiences. For one, they have a Mexican station for almost every meal. This was a surprise, given that Cancun had many more French options and almost no Mexican food. There are always several main courses in the buffet so it wasn't a problem so much as a limitation (yes, yes, I realize it's Mexico, what else would you expect). We were also stuck in the buffet for all but one dinner (make reservations for Miramar as soon as you can) due to renovations and low occupancy.

Lastly, on the day of our departure, they shipped us off at 11:30 for a 2:20 flight (30 min drive to the airport). This might make sense in Atlanta or Chicago, but the airport has 4 terminals, and you have to walk out onto the runway to get to your plane. We spent over 2 hours sitting there and were jealous of the masses who came 10 minutes before the flight and were no worse off for it.

In summation, if you like to travel with your kids, want to try new things (our kids are trapeze addicts), don't mind the campy shows, and want a tan, you can't go wrong. Club Med is unlike any other resort concept we've come across. On the flight home our kids were already planning our next trip, one wants Club Med in Malaysia, the other wants Club Med in Bali. We're hooked.

Staying with four child aged 2 to 7 year old, thanks to mini-club staff! Augustin, Veronique, Viktor and all other, you were fantastic.
Wagner and your cooking crew, thanks for the fabulous meal you served! Thanks to Daniel at the bar for the late mojitos!
All the staff at Club Med were very helpful, thanks to Polo for the surf trip!
We have traveled many places and Club Med Ixtapa have it all! We will be back!

Great family vacation, especially for active families with kids of 14 years and older, for safe entertainment in Mexico. Food and service were very good, entertainment was entertaining, and staff was very pleasant to the guests. I've never seen so much dancing in my life.

Only notable suggestion would be to have the tennis courts resurfaced as they are touted as being first class and there were too many cracks in the court to be considered in great condition.

Would highly recommend to another active family and would not be surprised to go back again with family or friends.