We read the reviews prior going and we thought that people were exagerating. Unfortunately, they were not! The hotel was packed with locals all week. We saw mexican families of 14 people. One day, I counted 42 kids in the pool. That also makes it a bit difficult for line up for the buffet. Which is basically the same thing all week. Meat and potatoes with a mexican flavour.

There are not enough chairs by the pool and on beach. If you want a chair, you have to set up your alarm clock for 6am which we refused to do for the first three days of our trip and we then had to sit on the sand all day. They are also very limited amount of beach towels. We had to keep the same towels for two days as they were running out.

Evening shows are ridiculous. I had no interest in watching a guy dressed up at Witney Houston doing lipskink or fake Disney Character dressed is very old costumes. Every shows were 100% in spanish. Which is another issue on the resort. Every announcements, activities, posters, etc. is completely in spanish. I felt very out of place.

We only got one A la carte evening at the restaurant next door. Food was good there. Besides that, we did the buffet 3 times a day for 6 days. It got really boring and felt like I was going to the soup kitchen.

Another major issue for me was that they did not include the bottles of water. If you request water with your meal, you were charged 2,50 a bottle.

We loved Ixtapa. It's a very beautiful place but I will NEVER go to Fontan Resort ever again. Even the Air Canada guy told me that he was shock that Air Canada Vacations were still sending Canadians to this resort. When we spoke to Lise Trottier (Air Canada rep ) she was really rude to us and instead of fighting with her, we decided to suck it up and stay the whole week but I learned a very good lesson. Three stars hotel in Mexico can very well mean less than basic.

Food weird meat with brown sauce, same thing every day dessert is good
Personal needs to be motivated by tips

Pools: Too many kids no place to relax

room smelled like mildew, rooms were comforatable

beach big waves

if you dont want to spend more money and you dont mind kids feel free to go to Fontan Ixtapa or else spend a little bit more and treat yourself.

OK Just like the reviews I read before I left this is a clean hotel with adequate food and the spa is great- 20 USD for a massage on the beach how can you go wrong. The food is meat and potatoes with a mexican flare. If you cant find something to eat you are too picky. The smaller restaurant beside the beach is quieter and the egg lady makes a mean omelette. The restaurants seem to have a time schedule and being this week is easter the lines have begun. But no worries as they move quite quickly. Cant comment on the drinks as I do not partake. But the coka is good. Service is always quick and with a smile however English is a problem.
Hotel is somewhat dated but what do you want for 700 CDN week all in. Beds are a bit hard but you get over it.
Rooms are large and mainly tiled with a nice balcony. Lots of towels. Maids do a dandy job and tipping is a good thing.
Beach is awesome -lots of palapas to right -tents to the left and 3 pools. Everything seems to shut down a sunset.
Evening shows are pretty good. They CAN Dance!
Shopping right accross the street and vendors are not too pushy. They get your attenion but if you say no they do not press. Same with the hawkers on the beach.
Ice cream shops, clothing and of course silver. The pizza guy on the far right hand corner makes a good pie and speaks fluent english.
Took a trip to Isla Ixtapa island -booked with Guilllerimo at the Park Royal booth across from the hotel by the bus stop for 30 USD- transportation, lunch and chair with umbrella. Good deal and family operation. They walk you though it step by step so you are taken care of most excellently. DO NOT RECOMMEND this trip for people with mobility problems as the small boats are in choppy water and it is difficult for boarding and disembarking.
Other tip Catermarand for snorkel/tour/swimming/kiting was very good. Nice lunch 76 USD.
Last trip was the country/ city tours of Ixtapa and Zituaanijo (sp?)most excellent and good
tour operator.
Stayed for a week and that is long enough for me for the 1rst time. Definatley worth the trip it is a beautiful place.

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.