Playa Viva
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Carretera Zihuatanejo-Acapulco Playa Icacos Juluchuca, GRO, Petatlan 40834 Mexico
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About
Location
4.8
Cleanliness
4.9
Service
4.9
Value
4.8
GreenLeaders Platinum level
Playa Viva is a sustainable boutique hotel with 8 rooms on a private beach located 30 minutes from Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa International airport. Play Viva is located on 200 acres with 1.3 kilometers of beach front. 85% of the property is in a Private Reserve for use of guests and includes a turtle sanctuary, archaeological site, working permaculture farm, forest restoration, estuary and much more. Come enjoy yoga, surfing or any of the many local activities. Playa Viva is off grid, operating 100% on solar power, solar thermal water heating, grey and black water management systems and built with local materials and craftsmanship. We specialize in farm to table, sourcing much of our food locally and can handle a wide variety of dietary concerns from vegetarian and vegan to many types of allergies.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Internet
Pool
Outdoor pool
Restaurant
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Currency exchange
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Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
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Carretera Zihuatanejo-Acapulco Playa Icacos Juluchuca, GRO, Petatlan 40834 Mexico
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We spent a week here with a our 1 year old son and had the greatest of holidays, i/we did as David suggested and deleted our social media and work email apps and switched off to relax to the sounds relentless breaking waves....that were only 200m from the end of our bed. I believe they have just finished a renovation to expand the capacity, and wow are the accommodations incredible, this hidden gem truly embodies their regenerative approach (its not just a bit here and there, its real) and yet the service and experiences is personal, homely, and frankly nearly perfect! If you like fresh, homemade, delicious food then this is your place....they will amaze you with the never ending yumminess that arrives from the kitchen three times a day! I find that in beautiful 4/5* hotels i get bored of the food in a few days because the menus never change...not our experience here at all....and first time we have never put on weight on holiday....hahaha! If you want to relax, do nothing, eat and drink, swim, sunbathe, read, detox from your screen, play with your kid in the pool or sand and just have a truly beautiful and different hotel experience that's truly secluded then this is for you. I rarely review and have traveled to more than 35 countries and with a 1 year old in tow you might have questions...call them and speak to them about what arrangements they can make for you...we did and put every fear at ease! Their carpenter even whipped up a brand new baby high chair in 24 hours for Hugo as they were short! WOW! David, Alfredo, Julia, Emma and all at Playa Viva thank you for making our stay so wonderful....and to receive my lost swimming 'turtle' trunks through the post today unannounced - wow, just wow! And to all the other guests we met...thanks for being so awesome, interesting and cool!…
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Date of stay: April 2022
Value
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Service
Room Tip: Remember you are on the beach, so its going to be noisy in terms of the waves....they dont go to...
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Helpful
This place is the place to go to disconnect and reconnect with yourself and the planet. The place is so beautiful, the food is fresh and delicious, and the owner and staff are so helpful and treat you like family. The farm is amazing - learn about regenerative farming. We enjoyed learning about all the ways to use the palm trees. as well as visiting the pigs and tasting the hibiscus. Don't miss what you can do to help turtles! In the evenings, you can participate in the group walk on the beach where you can help look for turtle eggs and protect them from predators. In the morning, you can release baby turtles and visit the education center of the turtle sanctuary and learn everything about turtles. The morning yoga and massages are so relaxing. The treehouses are beautifully designed with local materials and inspired by nature. Tip: Around dusk, put on mosquito repellent and change into long pants and long sleeve shirt. Thank you David, Julia, Jose and Fernando! I can't wait to come back!…
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Date of stay: December 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Playa Viva is a beautiful, quiet, discreetly luxurious place to relax and recharge, to spend time in solitude, to join a group of friends in the common areas, or to learn from the volunteers at the turtle sanctuary about the successes and challenges of the nature conservation program. Very friendly personnel who prepares meals using locally grown ingredients is ready to answer any question and to address various dietary needs. One aspect that causes my serious concern is the quality of drinking water that, I suspect, caused various intensity of gastro-intestinal problems in about 1/3 of the guests during my 5 day long stay there and thus prevented us from full participation in the program we came to Playa Viva for.
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Date of stay: November 2021
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Helpful
I have to travel in may, 2021 but since now they are asking me to pay in advance and if i cant go, they wont reimburse, i have never had to pay any hotel, in advance without providing the service. im dreading to get there even before i have to get ready for the trip, if they treat me with little courtesy in e emails i wonder when i m there
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Date of stay: April 2021
Helpful
Response from David Leventhal, Owner at Playa Viva
Responded Apr 14, 2021
Cristina, Thank you for your review. "Radical Transparency" is part of our ethos. Your review helps clarify this issue for any future travelers to Playa Viva. It is important to us that all guests be a good fit with the experience we offer. We are not for everyone. Over the 12 years we have operated, we have always asked for payment in advance. Our policies as published on our website see https://www.playaviva.com/rooms (in English) or https://www.playaviva.com/es/habitaciones (in Spanish) clearly states our Room Guarantee Policy as follows, "All reservations are prepaid." It further states, "We don’t overbook so when we take the deposit your reservation is guaranteed." We have operated this way since we opened in 2008 and have received hundreds (if not thousands) of guests, yet you are the ONLY guest who has had issues with this policy. We are sorry, but someone with trust issues is really not a fit with our ethos. We reserve the right to cancel and refund any reservation including yours. We are sure you will find a hospitality experience and many hotels that fit your expectations, obviously we are not one of them.
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Its like you are on a privateM90 island! The ranch and beach front is so expensive you feel like you are a million miles from the city life! The staff are so welcoming and friendly! We all got to know each other on first name basis. Alyra who managed the health and wellness, was so amazing! She would play her guitar and sing to us during yoga and at the bonfires. The resort is not just self sustainable but is helping the ecosystem in many ways through turtle rescue to reforestation. Food was so healthy and delicious farm to table!!!
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Traveled
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
I went here on a yoga retreat and really like the people, the fact that there were dogs on the property, the flowers around the property, and the yoga but I was not prepared for the environment and it wasn't what I was expecting. Upon arrival, there was bat feces all over and daily we had bats on the ceiling of our bedroom . I wasn't prepared for the environment. I wished I had long protective clothing and the mosquito ate me alive despite dousing myself with their recommended mosquito repellent. In addition it was so humid to wear it was hard to get clothes on without powder. and it was uncomfortably hot, and i tend to run cold. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. And it was served buffet style outdoors and sometimes the line never went down and food would run out. Also, we signed up for a surfing excursion and after driving for an hour, there was no beginning surf lesson as promised and no surf board. We had to wait hours for others to be done with their boards. As a result, we missed out on yoga for the day and we were extremely bored with nothing to do. It was a long drive for a terrible experience. And then we had to miss the meals at the retreat as well as yoga. We were still charged for the excursion. We were supposed to receive a credit but this didn't occur. Moreover, they added extra drinks to our bar tab and tried to charge me double but this did get sorted out. In addition we were kicked out of the retreat without warning for I guess complaining! I would never go back to this place. This was a decision of our agent, International Yoga, and I don't think it was the resort's decision. I did really like Julia, the property manager I will add. Go to Haramara in Sayulita if you want top notch service but still the secluded serene experience!…
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from leventhald, Owner at Playa Viva
Responded May 19, 2020
Jennifer, Thank you for your frank review of your experience at Playa Viva on a yoga retreat. We appreciate your kind comments about our team and the beauty of the property. We are sorry that you were, in your own words, "not prepared for the environment" and while I'm not sure what you were expecting, I'm sorry we didn't live up to your expectations. We appreciate your review particularly because it is important to us that guests at Playa Viva know what they are getting into. Yes, we are immersed in nature and so this will mean that you will have miles of private beach, no road noise, innumerable stars in the night sky and food direct from our organic farm. At the same time, this does mean bats, mosquitoes and immersion in nature. The good news is that bats eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes per hour, so we like having them around, while not in rooms, but in the bat houses we build for them. We don't expect to fully control nature, so please accept our apology about bats in your room. This is not the norm but the exception. As for your experience with the excursion, please accept our apology that it did not live up to your expectation. In speaking with our excursion team, they told me that you signed up for paddle board but upon arrival at the excursion destination you changed your mind and wanted to surf. We had planned enough paddle boards for you and and your partner but unfortunately we only had enough surfboards for those who signed up and so we did not have any left for both of you. We will do our best to bring extra's next time so please accept our apology about not having what you wanted once you arrived. As for getting kicked out of the retreat, I was not there during your stay, but I was told by all managers present (as well as the owner of the yoga retreat company) that you had agreed to leave, then you agreed to change your behavior (which lead to you being asked to leave), and so all agreed you could stay. Seems like staying really might not have been the best choice for all. I can't recall if we have ever had a situation like this where a guest was asked to leave. I also do not know if you have been asked to leave other hotels or retreats. While the fact that you were asked to leave may have tainted your review and your experience at our hotel, I will leave that up to all reading your review (and our response) to decide. Thank you for included the fact that you "were kicked out of the retreat" in your review. Either way, we appreciate your candid review and apologize for those items that we might have messed up. We appreciate all reviews, especially reviews with constructive criticism, as those allow us to improve our experience for future guests. We are lucky to have many return guests, so I guess we are doing something right and learning from each guest.
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We decided stay at Playa Viva due to its remote location and sustainability credentials. It is not often that a hotel goes beyond these expectations, but Playa Viva did just that. They are doing amazing work with the land, sea, staff and local community. The established permaculture farm provides much of the food at mealtimes. The rooms are made from natural materials, they are much more beautiful and well appointed than the pictures on the website suggest. The natural swimming pool is a joy to swim in as the sea was rough when we stayed and had strong currents. The food surpassed exceptions, we had a great selection of vegan and vegetarian options each day. There is a wide range of tours and activities to choose from, but you may just find yourself wanting to chill and enjoy the wonderful space. Digital detoxing encouraged and easy to do! Staff are super friendly and the daily yoga was a huge highlight of our stay. Overall one of the best resorts we have ever stayed at around the world. Would highly recommend.…
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Date of stay: May 2019Trip type: Traveled
Value
Cleanliness
Service
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
+1
I left my heart and soul in Playa Viva...at least that is what it feels like. WOW!!!! From the seamless transport to this magical location, the delicious basil margaritas, the food, the beach, the amazing staff, the turtles and the bioluminescence. I think I could write a whole book on things to love about Playa Viva. We hosted a Filmpreneur Summit in May at this amazing location. The size of the resort was perfect for our small group and we are already making plans for our 2019 Summit!
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Date of stay: May 2018Trip type: Traveled
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: All room have an amazing ocean view
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Helpful
+1
Playa Viva is a “regenerative hotel” in every sense. Before visiting I thought this would mean I would leave regenerated (which I did!!) but didn’t realise it refers to a style of hotel that doesn’t damage the local environment but goes a step further to repair and contribute positively. I have never seen such attention to detail and commitment to mission / values before... it’s incredibly inspiring. And it’s just a beautiful place with THE BEST food I have had at any hotel (I really mean it, the best) great massages and a special yoga hut. We stayed in the treehouse - very cool and I felt so lucky to have the opportunity but didn’t sleep very well - the energy of the ocean is big. We went into town to do a Zumba class - and it was clear how much Playa Viva is a part of the local community. The baby turtles could melt anyone’s heart The tour to the family farm was amazing. A lovely family and utopian home. A truely unique experience …
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Date of stay: May 2018Trip type: Traveled
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from leventhald, Owner at Playa Viva
Responded May 18, 2018
Thanks for your wonderful review. Yes, regeneration can be as simple as lying on the beach and regenerating your spirit. Yet, the more you do, the deeper you engage in the community and the more you regenerate everything around you. So thank you for being so engaged in the landscape and local community. Plus, I'm sure you felt the same way as I did, Zumba was never so much fun! We hope you will come back and visit. David
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Wow! Playa Viva just blew my mind! Everything there was intentionally designed to be ecologically and culturally sensitive. The food was amazing, The staff and owner were kind and generous with their time and knowledge. I cannot wait to go back!
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Date of stay: May 2018Trip type: Traveled
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ALSO KNOWN AS
playa viva hotel petatlan
LOCATION
MexicoPacific CoastGuerreroPetatlan
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Playa Viva
Which popular attractions are close to Playa Viva?
Nearby attractions include La Chole Archeological Site (1.3 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Playa Viva?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a pool, an on-site restaurant, and free parking.
What food & drink options are available at Playa Viva?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant during their stay.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Playa Viva?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Are pets allowed at Playa Viva?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Does Playa Viva have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.