It's all true -the good and the bad reviews. It just depends on how you "roll with it". We spent 2 weeks at the Fontan in February 2012 and were happy with our decision. Having read all the reviews prior to going, we weren't surprised as to what we got. Here's my long winded review. FOOD: True - there was a lack of fresh fruit and it is a small buffet with limited choices BUT we always found food we liked which was tasty and hot and it was always plentiful. The egg lady at breakfast did a fantastic job keeping up with everyone and the waiters were great. The hotel also cooked some sail fish that we caught at a cost of 50 peso per person. It was very, very yummy! True -There is a restaurant called the Miramar that is at the end of the pool beside the bar that is included in the all inclusive option. It's open from 1 - 5 pm and is a great little place with excellent service. AMENITIES: True - the hotel fills up with Mexican families on Friday - Sunday and there are line ups at the bar and buffet. Everyone is friendly but there are definitely a lot of kids. We made those days our exploring days and went to Ixtapa Island, Zihuatanejo, etc. We had breakfast at the hotel and then had dinner across the street at one of the fantastic restaurants. There is a show 5 nights/week that starts at 9pm and lasts close to an hour. They are really good and worth staying around for. Sunday night is karaoke in the lobby bar and Wed., I think, there's no show. True - no wifi in your room but it works well in the lobby bar area. The pool area and chairs are cleaned every night, the pool towels are clean. There is a Sports Bar attached to the hotel that has pool tables but FYI, any costs incurred there aren't included in your all-inclusive package. The Hacienda restaurant is a really cute place and the food is good. This is where your al a carte dinner is served if included in your package. Otherwise you can go there and pay the price on the menu. ROOMS: True - the beds are hard (they usually are in Mexico) and the rooms are quite worn and old. True - they are clean and housekeeping is awesome. True - there is a musty smell in the room but you don't really notice it with the AC on or the balcony door open. Most of the balcony rooms in the building above the office have a view of the ocean. True - not all rooms have balconies, blow dryers or mini-fridges but many do and you have to ask. True - there aren't any dressers to put your clothes in but there is shelving in the closet that works just as well. True - there is no clock (I brought a travel alarm), no iron (you can ask for one or bring your own), limited plug-ins (I brought a small extension cord). The beach is great and easy to walk on. We would walk the beach to the Marina area and then back on the street. A good walk in the morning. The market area behind the hotel has many good restaurants and shops. We bought water for our room at Scruples Market or the Mini-Super right outside the Fontan front door. The gift shop in the hotel is very expensive. AREA: Bus to Playa de Linda is 13 peso, bus to Zihau is 9 peso, water taxi to Ixtapa Island is 40 peso. Taxi from La Ropa to Ixtapa is 90 to 100 pesos. We ate at several restaurants, walked and explored a lot and spent a bit of time at the marina. If you have any questions, email me. All in all, don't expect a 5 star hotel - it's not. It is a good value. We felt safe and the place was clean. Thank you to all the Trip Advisor reviewers that I emailed prior to our trip. The information you provided was appreciated. Knowing what to expect made our trip very enjoyable. We would go back again.
Room Tip: Many rooms on the 7th floor (tower above the office) have mini-fridges and also some on the 6th floo...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.