Costa Real Ixtapa

We stayed at the Costa Real Ixtapa from March 27, 2005 to April 3. We met people there and the seven of us all had a great time. The hotel is nice and has an open air concept that makes use of the ocean scenery. The staff is exceptional and waits on you with a smile. It is not necessary to tip but we did and it was appreciated as they do not earn much and work hard. The hotel is kept very clean from the rooms to the dishes. The beds were pretty comfortable for Mexico. The evenings offered lots of entertainment for all ages. The drinks were tasty and abundant. The town is right behind you for shopping and the market full of neat things to buy. Careful with your bargaining - they are tricky. Walk away a couple of times to bring the price down. Shopping is much more pleasant at night when it cools down. There is a huge buffet everyday with a large selection to choose from. They seem to put sauces on everything though and I think they need a big B.B.Q .There is a little room right behind the outdoor grill by the pool that has extra food and drinks on hand 24 hours a day and it took us a while to find it. Also my family of three all got very sick at the end and we only ate at the hotel. Do not take Imodium because it traps the bad bacteria in there. Do start taking preventative pills a week before you go. You can go on a free bike tour through the jungle to Playa Linda to see the crocodiles. It is an hour and a half ride and very hot though. They also feed the crocodiles at 3:00 at the very south end of the beach . This is free to watch except there are salesmen there. We did get up early to save 7 seats in the front row of the palapas but you dont have to for less prime spots. We brought our own towels for this because it has happened at he last two resorts we have been at. We used the hotels boogie boards (free) but they only have 5 of them and they need more. Be careful not to burn yourself as it is very hot there but the ocean breeze cools you off. Our twelve year old kids had lots to do day and night. You can paint your own pottery, boogie board, build sand castles, play water and land volleyball, fun water aerobics, take long walks, watch the parasailers etc. For single adults you can walk down the beach to Carlos and Charlies. It is a big open aired bar right on the beach and we never felt nervous walking around late at night or any other time. Hope you have fun. Sunseekers

We went to the Tesoro Feb 16-23/06. This is our 4th trip to Mexico and this was the best resort so far. The food was very good and a very good assortment. The staff were very friendly and lots of fun(except Jessica. The area was very safe and we all(6 of us)were very comfortable walking around at night. The townspeople were super and shopping was a blast. Lots of markets. The only "problem" was we had to plead to be allowed to wear our t-shirts in the pool as we were so burnt. The sun is more intense than we realized. Perfect holiday and the Ecco tour with Pablo is a must!

My wife and I stayed at the Tesoro and had a wonderful time. We have stayed in Cancun

-Cabo - Mazatlan and would rate this hotel average. We treated the employees with respect and received it in return. I believe the negativity surrounding this hotel is due to

the lack of travel sophistication - YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR - also if you go with an attitude people will pick up on it. I always tip, even if we go All Inclusive and get first rate service. The employees work hard, and if you insult them with a measly tip or none at all-then you get what you deserve.

I am back to work the first day after returning from Ixtapa. We were there from 3/19-3/27/06 and stayed at the Tesoro. The staff is very friendly. Our room was very clean and every morning, the cleaning lady had a surprise with the towels for us. We did leave her a daily tip. The waiters at the pool area and the lobby bar were very friendly and always willing to get you a drink or answer your questions. We did go to the breakfast buffet daily and the fresh fruit was great. We did eat out several times but that was because we had never been to Ixtapa and were told to try Beccafino's at the marina which was pricy but worth it. We also ate at the restaurant El Faro, lots of people hipe it up, I thought it was ok, food was good but the staff was a little stuffy. My husband and I took this trip alone (my Christmas gift) and we had a wonderful time. At the airport we both said we wished we could stay a few days longer. We also would like to return to Ixtapa with friends. The beaches are clean and it is a very safe area. The only thing the Tesoro needs to do is better explain the all inclusive and let you know where things are in the hotel. We had a sheet in our room but since this was our first time doing all inclusive we found most of our info from other vacationers. We would return to the Tesoro and definitely return to Ixtapa. Enjoy-can't understand how people can be negative about the area-it is so beautiful and we found most of the people very friendly.

Hi!! We just came back from our stay March16-23 2006. We had an absolutely fab time. We went with a 6 mth old and a 21/2 year old and could not say better about this hotel. We arrived in the afternoon greeted by two lovely girls named Allison and Lauralie who where Canadian gals dressed in Mexican dress costumes. We had instant check in with a lovely Pina colada drink apon arrival and a very friendly welcome. We were checked into our room immediately. We had an Ocean view room which was beautiful. The service was amazing. They couldn't do enough for us. Room service was once per day and wad quick and hot!! A nice variety of food. The Foood!!! Was amazing . Breakfast was such a big variety. We recommend the make to order omlettes and quesadillas yum. I recommend this resort to anyone. Especially travelling with young chn ps. Give tips beacause they desevere it they do not expect it!!! Zihua and ixtapa are great for shopping esp at the nearby market but be of course be careful as you would at home. Beaches were great..ocean rough for swimming and nice palapas for relaxing under. Overall Awesome Vac!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe all the bad reviews I'm seeing. I went to the Tesoro with my wife and another couple. When we arrived at the Tesoro we were givin a room right away. A staff member took our bags to our rooms immediately. We had a beautiful view of the ocean on the 3rd floor. The rooms didn't have a clock in them or a remote for the T.V., but overall it was a nice room. The buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner were pretty good. The grill outside was outstanding. There is a 24 hour food and alcohol room for all inclusive members. The pool is great. The have acitivities like water volleyball, water polo, and aerobics. The pool bar is great. The staff is very friendly. If you tip well they will treat you like royalty. The resort is within walking distance of just about everything. If not cabs are $5.00 no matter the distance. This was my first trip to Mexico, and I would have no problems going back to Ixtapa or to the Tesoro. My wife and the couple we were with also agreed.

Hello,

I don't know if you have the same feeling than I but each time I read a negative post on this website, it mostly comes from an American (USA). It's just to tell you that you shouldn't expect much from a review written by an American. If they don't have hot dogs and Hamburgers, it means the food is not good at all.

We went to Ixtapa from January 5th to 12th and it was REALLY great. The staff was nice, the food is good (it's a buffet, but a good buffet with lots of fruits). The little city next to Ixtapa, Zihuathanejo, is very friendly. You can easily get there in city bus (it's not dangerous) for about 0,50 us$.

The room is ok, not perfect but ok. The beach is very nice and waves are strong (we lost 2 sunglasses, 1 cap,... :D ). If you go to Ixtapa, you have to visit Ixtapa Island (a safe place to do scubba diving) and the little lake that starts at the end of the beach. There you can see turtles, crocodila and many birds. As you can see on my pictures, sunset are nice.

As I said, dont think that what those negative people said is real. Some people just like to whine for fun. I myself visited a lot and I can say Tesoro isn't the best place to stay but it's not the worst either.

Have a Nice tri¸p

We had read the bad reviews and saw that the hotel was down rated after we booked and were almost sick with worry. As it turned out it was our best holiday ever. The rooms were great -all 3 couples had a great view - one couple had twin beds when they ordered doubles, but oh well. The food was typical of anywhere in Mexico but better than 2 other resorts we had been to in Mexico. The area is amazing...the market and restaurant strip is a fun 5 minute walk and a welcome opportunity to get a break from the sun as lots of the shops and cafes are clustered and sheltered. Among the best shopping we've had. The bus is fine but the taxis are so cheap we opted for that. Those with difficulty walking - when a tour says "ferry" to the island, they mean "fishing boat". We had some trouble getting one member in and out of the boats but the people were all so helpful it worked out. Bring lots of one dollar bills as tipping is expected everywhere. We all wish we could stay longer and would go back in a minute. The adventure of biking snorkling and sea kayaking is a must. Informative and fun. Worth every penny - about $69. Personally, I would like to try the Dorado Pacifica next time but the Tesoro was fine. I would stay there again - as long as they let me where my T-shirt in the pool when I'm burned. Weird rule. oh well. Ixtapa will see me again!

Having read all reviews prior to getting to Ixtapa, I was nervous...but pleasantly surprised when I arrived. I got a room on the 7th floor with 2 balconies, and great views. Very comfortable and spacious, and the maid service each day was very good.

Don't expect to be staying at the Ritz Carlton, and the place isn't huge (which I think is a plus). While the pool area was smaller than others in the area, it was still big enough to handle the crowd (and the place was sold out). It wasn't a problem to get a chair by the pool or a palapa.

Can't say much about the food in the evening but breakfast was good, and lunch by the pool on the several days we ate it was good. Only had the buffet one evening, and it was typical buffet food. But the all inclusive price was similar to other hotels not offering AI, so we decided to stay here and eat dinners elsewhere.

Overall, I would give the Tesoro pretty high marks, as the service was very good. Limited selection in the liquor area, but what they had seemed pretty good quality (Bacardi Rum, Walker Scotch, Smirnoff Vodka, Jose Cuervo), and the 24 hour self serve place was handy.

I would stay here again.

Just returned from a week in Ixtapa/Z-Weather was awesome, beach was perfect...Did not go AI(stayed in an adjacent villa), but the people who did appeared to be having the times of their lives, especially since most were from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Canada. There was no shortage of beer and liquor for them as they got their money's worth in the pool hovering next to the bar..."OoogieOogieOogieOyOyOy(DRINK)" and so on. We had fun just watching them on their escape from winter.

My wife ordered a margarita and was less than pleased with the taste, and she complained a bit. The head waiter/bartender(Victor) appeared out of nowhere and tasted her drink, dumped it, made a new one, tasted it(with his thumb on a straw), asked her if it was better, and then served it to her. It was obvious that he chewed out the bartender and was interested in making things better.

I did not hear the kind of complaints from all-inclusive guests that were written up on these reviews since the Costa Real switched to Tesoro. Tesoro kept most of the employees, and they are warm and genuinely concerned with their guests.

We had a great time. We watched a whale frolicking in the ocean very close in, dolphins, and a couple of resorts up, we saw baby sea turtles being released into the open ocean.

Had a great massage(ask for Cheva) a couple of resorts up the beach.($20)OH YEAH!

It is Mexico. Cut them some slack. Show honor for the local people. We were guests in their paradise.

Anyone who has been to mexico before knows a four star in mexico is not the same as canadian or a american four star. I obsessed over all the reviews and was terrified. When we arrived we got a room in the so called basement, It was above ground floor and looked on to the court yard area. The room was basic but very clean. At night you could watch the show from your balcony (best seats in the house).We decided to see how hard it would be to get a different room. We asked "politely" if we could have a ocean view room and what do you know the next day we got what we asked for. Civility will get you everywhere. The pool is beautiful lots of chairs,If you want a prime one yes you have to get up a little before noon. We loved the food Iam not sure what else they could have had because they had everything.The Kids club was amazing, my kids cryed if they could not go.The staff is very attentive and soooooooooo friendly and helpful. Give a few pesos tip it goes a long way. Last of all the drinks I cant believe people thought they were not strong enough, they mix half booze and half mix after two I saw double. We loved this hotel and would return in a heartbeat.

I was very pleased with our trip. I must admit I had read some of the reviews on this web site and was very nervous about going. I had actually read what I would consider horror stories. I'm glad we didn't change our plans. Although this resort is considerably smaller than what we have been used to, I thought the service was outstanding. We never waited more than a few minutes for a drink or table. There were six in our group and they were more than willing to put tables together for us. The food was some of the best we've had in Mexico. Our rooms were clean and although I question their idea of oceanview we still had a wonderful time. I would recommend this hotel to anyone. And we will go back.

I spent some time reading trip advisor prior to booking the costa real now Tesoro. Admittedly the hotel had some overbooking issues, but the issues were handled in a timely matter, and we had a room above our expectations. A seventh floor then up the stairs, we were greeted to our room with an awesome view, hot tub, cold AC, a bottle of wine (excellent by the way), king size bed, and two balconies with an awesome view.

The food was good but not great, the restaurant was ok, breakfast was best, esp. the omelets. Swim up bar was a blast, the beach and weather was great. All of the staff went out of their way to help with whatever you wanted.

Be wary, dont expect to find alot of bargains in in Ixtapa or Zee, they know you are a tourist and charge according to the color of your skin. Drink prices range from a bargain in Zee to outrageous in Ixtapa ie: $17.50 us for a jack/coke and a corona at senor frogs.

Overall I enjoyed the trip immensely and believe the hotel is on track to restoring a damaged reputation and making your trip a success.

Here's the problem with Tesoro. They are overbooked or at least they were when we were there. It was an inconvenience but they treated us very nicely and were able to accomodate every request we had.

When we arrived we were immediately transferred to the Las Brisas resort for the first 6 days due to the over booking issue. This was just fine because Las Brisas is a beautiful resort.

The only concern was that we didn't expect this change in accomodations and had to notify people back home where we were.

Our travel assistant in Ixtapa was not good at delivering bad news. We found out on Friday (the day before we flying home) that we were being sent back to Tesoro for one night. We had asked the assistant repeatedly throughout the week about our check out being on Friday instead of Saturday, and he continually told us not to worry about it and that he would take care of it.

He took care of by making sure we had transportation back to Tesoro on Friday. I would have liked it if he would have been honest with us from the onset, then we could have been prepared to move on Friday, instead of being under the impression that he was going to get us one more night at Las Brisas.

Upon arriving back at Tesoro, We were given the A/I wristband right away so that we could take full advantage of the all inclusive features. They made sure that we were a priority and had our room ready for us right on time.

The room was beautiful, and impeccably clean.

The pool and pool bar were in great condition and also impeccably clean.

The pool area was crowded but the pool was still very easy to swim in.

The Buffet had alot of choices and the food was very good. The drinks were fine, and their only tap beer is SOL.

Overall, don't be surprised if you end up staying somewhere other than where you booked, as most of the hotels in the area seem to be overbooked. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you can "go with the flow."

Make sure you take note of your checkout day and time, so are not caught off guard.

The Tesoro has fantastic customer service and I look forward to going back after they have a chance to get through this overbooked situation they are in.

Give them some time to get this straightened out and I would say by this time next year Tesoro will be the place to stay in Ixtapa!!

We just returned home from our 1 week family vaction.

The hotel was clean,good service and the entertainment team were magnificent! The staff was friendly and always smiling.

Rembember that a small tip for house keeping or staff will get you quicker service or extra towels.

Every night there was a show and the team of Jesus, Jessica, Sonja, Miguel, Shelley, Carlos and of course Alex were amazing!

Shopping was fun just be sure to barder, barder!

The buffet was good. Not much variety but the food tasted good. Breakfast (Omletes)was our favourite meal!

The ocean was GORGEOUS but rough so be careful. We took a cab to La Ropa beach for the day since the waves there were calmer and we had a great time.

Had an amazing massage for $10 US located north of the hotel.

We can't wait to go back!

We just returned from the Costa Real Ixtapa(now called the Tesoro)Jan 5 2006.We really enjoyed our stay at this hotel,even though it was at their busiest time of the year.Many of the reviews I had read were accurate, as in this hotel was not new,but was clean and tidy,with excellant staff,who were always smiling and eager to help.The food was very good at the buffet,but being a smaller hotel than others we have stayed at,didn't have as much selection as we have seen at other hotels.As we usually find,a small tip goes a long way with getting prompt service and some heartfelt thank you's.The beach was great and you could walk forever in either direction,but the surf could be a bit rough.The town of Ixtapa was very safe and the is quite a bit of shopping within easy walking distance.Also a short public bus ride to Zihuatanejo gives you much more variety for goods and services.The massages on the beach just north of the hotel were great and only 10$US per hour.I golfed at the marina course with the discount from the hotel but it was still pricey at 75$US for 18 holes and 40$US for club rental(taylor made clubs).I found it challenging with some very tricky greens.In all we liked the hotel and the area and would definitely go back again.

This review will be a little different than the others since we have stayed at the Costa several times before when it was the Continental Plaza. Also, we did not do the all-inclusive plan since we stayed with friends in their timeshare.

This year was quite different than the other years we had been there. With the all-inclusive it was MUCH busier and had much more activities going on which made it much more fun. The activity directors were great, the music around the pool was great and if you wanted quiet, sitting down by the ocean was mesmorizing as always. I can't tear myself away from staring at those rock islands off in the distance. It reminds me of the song "Bali High" from the movie "South Pacific". Get to know the people that work there, they have been there for many years and will be happy to help you with anything. They are friendly folk.

The resturant across the street, Solieado's is great for breakfast. Ruben's Hamburgers across the street and down a ways and back behind the shopping district seriously has the best hamburgers in the world, cheap too. Their baked potato and coconut ice cream is heavenly also.

For the Cancun crowd. Don't come with the "Cancun" mind frame. Expect an older, small hotel, but don't be disappointed. Ixtapa has things Cancun doesn't have, beautiful mountains that plunge into the Pacific and at sunset, you can't beat it! Walk down the beach toward your right from the Costa Real and walk past Carlos and Charlies and get yourself an AWESOME massage, $10.00 for a whole hour! Seriously, a theruputic message. The people that I talked to that got massages loved it so much they went everyday. By the way, Hi! to Laurie and Robert.

Go into Zihuat and take the local buses the locals use, it will cost you 60 cents. Go to the Maldecon or waterfront there and walk around and go to Playa La Ropa there. It looks like you are in Tahiti. Take the sunset sailboat cruise. Go to the Blue Mamuo (it is a Blues club in Zihuat) We went to Villa De Selva right before sunset and got a wonderful linen covered table on the terrace overlooking the Pacific with the waves crashing far down below. Sitting there eating dinner, watching the sunset, listening to the soft music was a memory I will never forget. The dinners are a little high, but be forwarned, the wine ($9.00 a glass) and water is where they really rack up your bill. It is still worth it. Don't be afraid to explore the whole area, it is safe.

This is real Mexico, not Miami Beach or Cancun.

My husband and I were scheduled to stay in Cancun, but due to the Hurricane decided to try Ixtapa. We have been vacationing in Mexico for several years now and always do the all-inclusive option. In comparison to other resorts that we have stayed at the food was above average and we were always waited on promptly for drinks and refills. Even though the buffet has different "theme" nights it pretty much tasted the same every night. Our room was on the 4th floor facing the outdoor stage and the Krystal resort. We did not go to the shows, but we could hear them from our room. They usually ended by 10:30 so it didn't effect our sleep. The room was clean, but as with every beach resort sand gets tracked in like crazy. The bed was hard, but I've never slept in a soft Mexican bed. Our air conditioner worked so well we actually had to turn it on low at night or we would freeze. My only complaint about the room is that I would have liked a love seat or chair to sit on to watch TV at night.

My favorite beer is Sol which they have on tap. I especially liked the 24 hour service room which is a little difficult to find, it is down some stairs directly behind the towel check out and snack shack. We took large cups to use, so we could get a large cup of soda and take it out to the beach in the morning before the pool bar opened.

The pool was to be avoided unless you had kids. The childern controlled the pool, floaties, squirt guns and cannon balls were going on non stop on both levels. Not to mention the gross diaper only little ones. We stayed down by the beach where the surf is a little rough for small childern. The bar service at the beach was great, we would tip $5 first thing and then if they were really good another $5 when we went back to our rooms at the end of the day. I don't like the standard lounge chairs so I was very happy to see Adirondack style chairs with cushions. The beach was good the surf was a bit rough and the life guard would blow his wistle at you if you went beyond the break. There was a turtle release cerimony the first night we were there. That was very interesting to see.

We did not venture too far from the hotel, it was so very humid and hot that we felt drained after just 15 minutes.

We have just returned trom Costa real Ixtapa resorts and had an excellent trip. For the price we paid, this was an excellent deal. This is a great place for a family vacation. We had booked the trip and read reivews later and unfortunately, some were not good. To our delight, for us, the reveiws were not as they seem. We travel frequntly and have had many trips to compare this one with. The reviews I had read talked about lack of views, bad rooms, problems with staff, problems with remotes, lack of plugs and so on. We took this info and brought a plug splitter with us for the lap top and dvd player. The rest, we thougt we would deal with as it came up. As soon as we arrived, the staff were friendly and helpful even though it was a while before we could be booked into our room.Our bellhop was friendly and helpful. He made sure we had remotes and that they worked (we asked him to check them), we tipped him. He set us up with our in-house safe and made sure we had as many towells as we needed. We just had to ask. Our room was on the older side but had been cleaned well and on the second floor, there was a good view.We had read the reviews and were expecting something horrible. Our room was on the East side of the building. The food was well done. The selection is large but you have to look around carefully as english is not the primary language. Fridges are hidden away with pastries, chefs make fresh selections and the buffet has enough to satisfy young kids. Only one day, we waited because all the seats were taken. This was a good time of year, not too busy and there were seats at the buffet and lounge chairs available at the pool. At first when we were unfamiliar with the complex, it seemed we were a bit on our own. After a few days, we found the 24 hr food area, we knew waiters at the pool did not start untill 11:30 am and so on, so we adapted. The activities area buy the pool will let you sign out boogie boards and many items but these services are not posted well.

We made a few friends of staff and asked all the questions we could. The pool was warm, clean and staff were friendly. Next to the pool is the ocean complete with lounge chairs and unbrellas. Almost every night the staff put on shows at 9:00 pm outside and they were funny even though we did not understand Spannish. There are daytime activities. Our 17 yr old daughter went on a bicycle tour and said it was good but be carefull and choose your bike well as some are better than others. (make sure all the lower gears work) In terms of a place for kids, the place was geat and our 17yr old had lots of fun. The pool staff are young and if you participate in any of the activities, they memorize your nane fast and it soon becomes a place that seems to be calling your kids to come in an participate in the fun stuff. We will definately go back (the same time of year). Banks are just down the street within walking distance and there is a small store in th lobby. Overall, the staff and their service we rate excellent. Rooms rated average. Activities available, excellent. Food, above expectations.

The Costa Real Ixtapa was a very good value for an all-inclusive resort. There were 4 of us that stayed here April 16 - 23 and we were all impressed with the Costa. When booking this trip we were looking for a cheaper all-inclusive with at least a 3 star rating that would still be up to the standards that we were used to at other Mexican resorts. We certainly got that with the Costa Real. The service, rooms, drinks, location, food, beach and overall feel was all good enough to give the Costa Real a 4 star rating in my opinion. The only reason the Costa may get lower ratings would be for the overall size of the property. But with fewer rooms thus fewer people there is no need for more property.

When we checked into the hotel I received a 2nd floor partial ocean view room which was pretty good. My friends got a 1st floor room which wasn't very good view wise and the hotel knew it wasn't and said they would get them a better 2nd floor room the next day. There are 7 floors but many of the rooms above the 2nd floor are owned condos. Overall the rooms were nice and clean and had a mini bar, balcony, and awesome shower head pressure. By the way I didn't see more than a couple of the condos occupied, probably because it was late in the season.

The reason you go to Mexico is the beaches and the Costa Real has a very nice beach as does all of the Ixtapa hotels. It is wide and is excellent for walks. It gets pretty hot though. The ocean is pretty wavy here and had especially large waves when we were here and therefore had black flag "fatal" conditions. You can still wade out and get some wave action though. The only drawback of the beaches here is there are kind of a lot of people trying to sell you stuff. They don't press you hard but sometimes it gets a little annoying when you're trying to relax. The thing we did do were the massages which are about 1/4 mile north down the beach. For $20 you get a very good hour long professional massage.

The pool is also very nice. There is 1 pool but it has 2 tiers which makes it feel more separated which was a big plus because there were quite a number of kids there (mostly Mexican families) and they tended to stay in the upper half of the pool. The upper half has all the pool activities and the volleyball net. The bottom half has the swim-up bar where more adults would be relaxing and having drinks. The only other bar at the hotel is the lobby bar which was the only place to go at night and have a drink and was where they have nightly entertainment along with some just outside the lobby bar.

The Costa Real has one restaurant which has very good food. I enjoyed it probably as much if not more than any place I've been before. During the day they also had a guy by the pool who would cook you up tacos, burgers and other snacks. Also there was a 24 hour all-inclusive room which had pop, beer and different snacks throughout the day and night which was huge after coming back from town later at night and wanting a little something. We ate out 1 night in Zihuatanejo at a place calle Porto di Mare which is down by the fish market and has a view of the bay. The fajitas here rocked.

For those of you who care, they do have a workout room, except it doesn't have anything in it except a stair climber or something. They probably eventually will get the room set up, but in the mean time guests get to use the workout room at the Emporio, I believe, which is a couple of hotels south.

So overall I would definitely recommend the Costa Real for people who want a big bang for their buck. Even though they may not have all the amenities of a 5 star resort, they definitely try to treat you like you're at one. I don't like going to the same place twice but my experience here would make me consider other Real resorts in Mexico in the future.

Just got back from Ixtapa last Sunday. We had the most amazing time. The Costa Real staff are wonderful... no complaints there. The hotel itself is nice and clean. The food, well, it was decent until my boyfriend got food poisoning in the restaurant, Maria's, one night. We think he just got a bad lobster... so it could have just been bad luck because the rest of us ate the same thing and were fine. The buffet was good and none of us got sick from that all week. The food all started to taste the same after a week of eating at the same place 3 times a day. It was nice that the rooms all have balconies, but we were on the north side of the building above the kitchen where they cook the food. Well, we would go outside and the smell of hot food was not too appealing on a hot afternoon. The pool was nice and the surrounding beach was kept very clean compared to some places down the way. The only complaint I have is that there were a lot of kids in the pool and going up to the swim up bar (not a huge kid fan). I guess next time, I will look for a resort that is for adults... or maybe I'll go at a different time of year. All in all, I would go back. It was a great trip.

My 10 yr old daughter and I loved the resort because it had a great set of pools as well as a benign beach with only shore break (as compared to Maui where you might be killed in the surf). Food was pleasant and varied enough for my daughter's taste, could have been spicier for mine. Rooms were spotless and whole resort was bug FREE. How did they do that? Enjoyed the mix of Mexicans, Americans and Canadians. Staff and entertainment were 10 out of 10. AC and bathrooms worked flawlessly.

We stayed at the Costa Real Ixtapa from March 27, 2005 to April 3. We met people there and the seven of us all had a great time. The hotel is nice and has an open air concept that makes use of the ocean scenery. The staff is exceptional and waits on you with a smile. It is not necessary to tip but we did and it was appreciated as they do not earn much and work hard. The hotel is kept very clean from the rooms to the dishes. The beds were pretty comfortable for Mexico. The evenings offered lots of entertainment for all ages. The drinks were tasty and abundant. The town is right behind you for shopping and the market full of neat things to buy. Careful with your bargaining - they are tricky. Walk away a couple of times to bring the price down. Shopping is much more pleasant at night when it cools down. There is a huge buffet everyday with a large selection to choose from. They seem to put sauces on everything though and I think they need a big B.B.Q .There is a little room right behind the outdoor grill by the pool that has extra food and drinks on hand 24 hours a day and it took us a while to find it. Also my family of three all got very sick at the end and we only ate at the hotel. Do not take Imodium because it traps the bad bacteria in there. Do start taking preventative pills a week before you go. You can go on a free bike tour through the jungle to Playa Linda to see the crocodiles. It is an hour and a half ride and very hot though. They also feed the crocodiles at 3:00 at the very south end of the beach . This is free to watch except there are salesmen there. We did get up early to save 7 seats in the front row of the palapas but you dont have to for less prime spots. We brought our own towels for this because it has happened at he last two resorts we have been at. We used the hotels boogie boards (free) but they only have 5 of them and they need more. Be careful not to burn yourself as it is very hot there but the ocean breeze cools you off. Our twelve year old kids had lots to do day and night. You can paint your own pottery, boogie board, build sand castles, play water and land volleyball, fun water aerobics, take long walks, watch the parasailers etc. For single adults you can walk down the beach to Carlos and Charlies. It is a big open aired bar right on the beach and we never felt nervous walking around late at night or any other time. Hope you have fun. Sunseekers

The Costa Real was a nice all inclusive deal. The service worked very hard at keeping everything clean from early morning and throughout the day. When you arrive at the reception expect to wait for your rooms for until 4pm. If you want a room above second floor insist and they will accomodate, although you can understand their pressure to make everyone happy. Ask for a t.v. remote, otherwise there isn't one in your room. Your fridge will be filled with drinks and refilled everyday which was very nice. The pools are lovely and the drinks are non-stop. The food in the stand by the pool is excellent, (especially the burgers) and tips are not necessary but be gracious once in a while. Many people do grab chairs early in the morning but we never had a problem finding seats. Maybe on the beach it was a little more difficult to find chairs. The waves are high but very fun to play in, even the little ones could play at the waters edge. The night shows at the hotel were excellent and very entertaining, with lots of energy. The evening bar, (indoors) was fantastic, and service was really good. The indoor buffet had a beautiful view of the pool and the ocean and seats were always available. The food was sooo good and the desserts were beautiful at each meal. The choices were abundant. Just down the road from the hotel is a convenient little village which had many restaurants and kiosks set up to buy small gifts to take home. It was very nice to visit so close by. Buses to Zi came quite often by the front of the hotel and it only cost 6 pesos per person. Zi is a 10 minute bus ride away. Everything was beautiful. Thank-you Costa Real!!!!

Just returned from the Tesoro last week. Like many of the reviews there were some issues, but overall the stay was enjoyable. We stayed a week with the AI, it did get a little repetative after a while, but you always have something fresh to eat. The breakfast omeletes were excellent, the fruit and alacarte restraurant were very good. The staff was excellent and really tried to make it enjoyable. The room were plain and we did have a nice view of the ocean. We did not spend much time in the room and so it was not a big deal. The pool did get crowded a couple times, but considering the time of year it was not to bad. The evening shows were good and people were having a good time. Those that complain on here seem to expect the full 5star treatment for discount price. If you want 5 star then pay for it.

Nothing is perfect and you have to realize that you can make a good experience out of any holiday. Ixtapa is a great place to go to. Don't let the bad reviews worry you. Things will be fine. They are trying to get things improved.

I am really shocked by some reviews these people give.

I had a group of 25 at the Tesoro/Costa Real AI on Feb 25-Mar 4 2006. We had a great time. The food was nothing special for sure but I did't go hungry. Be truthfull, you didnt want to spend the money for a hotel that had the amenities you wanted. All I can say about the wash cloths is most of Mexico hotels do not have wash Cloths. Usually it is American chain hotels that carry these kind of things unless the hotel manager or owner requests special items like that.(use your hands thats what there for or bring your own)better yet, upgrade to a 5 star and you won't have as much trouble, but it still won't have everything you want. With all the resturants and bars an all inclusive isn't necessary and its fun to go to all the different places. Beer Planet has $1.00 imported beers. Be a good traveler and just enjoy what you have.

Travel Agent for 21yrs/I have learned to go with the flow, or have it corrected without loosing your cool.

Well 8 of us went to the Tesoro the 1st week of February and all of us had a great time. The Hotel was clean as were our rooms the maids did a great job every day so I have nothing to complain about there. The food was good but as with most all inclusives in this price range you can't expect gourmet meals but it was all quite edible and if you got bored there are many well priced resturants right across the street. The bar by the pool needs to be changed in that you cant walk up to get an drink and basically have to wait for waiter to get them but in saying that they were all pretty good and one didnt have to wait too long. I overheard several people complaining about the resort but most of them had been drinking quite a bit and got more upset when cut off at the bar.

All I can say is that for the money it was a great holiday and for those who wanted more well maybe you should look at what you paid including your airfare and taxes and see what the resort actually got.

We just got back from the Costa Real or now called the Tesoro on Feb.3rd. We really enjoyed it there. My wife and I also read many reviews before our trip to Ixtapa, and feared the worst. Not so! The room we were in was on the 2nd floor. Not high enough to get an ocean view but we weren't in our room that much to miss the view. All you had to do was go to the pool and you had a view that was spectacular! The rooms were clean and fairly well kept up. We did smell a little mustyness in the room but with all the hot temps how could you keep everything perfectly fresh. The pool was great.! The drinks were endless! The service was fantistic. The people were so friendly and worked so hard to make you happy that I felt guilty at times. We did a lot of $1.00 tipping to all the workers and usually got more service yet. The weather in Ixtapa was the best I have ever experienced on any vacation, and we are sun worshipers. We are middle aged, middle class people, just looking for clean respectible lodging, good drinks and good food. The Tesoro met our needs and was affordable. There is so much more I could share, mostly good, so if anyone wants to ask me any specific questions just email me. gkble@hotmail.com I'll be happy to answer any questions I can.

Sanborn

We just returned from a week at Tesoro Ixtapa and are mystified at the recent bad reviews posted.We booked thru TransGlobal. We were immediately given a room on the 7th floor with a clear view of the ocean - we could see and hear the surf.The room was as depicted on the website and was very nice and clean. We had a full refridgerator.The buffet food was of a wide variety and very good. The drinks were admittedly weak but not a problem since neither of us are an alcoholic. The bar service outside was congested a bit but the waiters were always readily available if you wanted your drinks delivered.The hotel was in a convenient location and we either walked or took the city bus.The surf was very rough and we didn't venture out beyond waist high; nevertheless,it was a lot of fun.We didn't experience any of the problems set forth by others and we didn't hear anyone else complaining. Everyone we talked to was having a good stay. The staff was pleasant and eager to help.Security was ever present around the complex. We did not spend much time in or around the pool area . We spent our time at ocean level.We staked out our spot under a thatched roof about 8am each day.The adirondack chairs are the most comfortable.We are middle aged and this was our first stay in Mexico and we were very satisfied.If we return to Ixtapa we will return to Tesoro. We returned to the airport via taxi rather than the bus that was part of our package. The extra cost ($15) was worth it as we were able to avoid waiting in a long line to check in and have our bags individually inspected.

My wife and I stay at Tesoro [costa real] for a week and just returned.We had a nice room on the 7th floor with a great view.No wash cloths or kleenex in the rooms. I heard a lot of problems with rooms but ours was ok.The the waiters and bartenders were great but there were some things that I thought kept this from being a 4 star hotel.The pool bar was small and the only one to get served at during the day.If not in the water you had to stand in line by the waiters to get a drink or wait for a waiter to get your order.The 24 hour bar where you could get beer anytime ran empty Sat. and the staff said it could not restock it till Monday. That was Monday night with warm beer.Tues they got it fixed.The other bar opened in the lobby at 5:00pm.with a great staff.The restrooms by the pool were full of mosquitoes so be fast. The weather was great and everything else including the massage for $10.00 up the beach to your right. The last massage tent.

The staff at the hotel was wonderful. They were extremely helpful. The tour guide was a waste of our time..... we didn't sign up for any of the tours, did them on own our and got a lot more fun for our buck. We did the all-inclusive plan and will pass on that next time, the food seemed the same everyday and by the end of our stay we couldn't eat there any more. We brought our fifteen and sixteen year old daughters and the bar tenders got a kick serving them alcohol (even after we asked them not to) the girls would order virgin drinks and always get alcohol. Ixtapa Island is so beautiful don't miss both sides of the island. The rooms are nice but the bathrooms have mold in them. Have kids and need a break bring DVD player and movies.

I really have nothing to which to compare this hotel, since it was my first trip south, not to mention my first all inclusive. But overall, it was a great vacation. The hotel rooms seemed a little old and in need of a few renos, but basically clean. We only received washcloths for the first couple of days, so be sure to pack one (I was scared to ask for one since friends we were with had been charged $5 US per day for washcloths when they were in Cancun). There are really no ocean view rooms, so don't expect anything of that sort. If you are looking for a King bed, good luck, because the two couples we were with were not obliged even though they had specifically requested this. The walls tend to be thin - especially when you have a loud family next door who starts shouting at 8 am on the dot every morning.

You usually need to be at the pool by 7:30 - 8 am if you want poolside seating. The activities are generally good - be prepared to sweat if you're playing beach v-ball. We took the free bike trip with the hotel, and that was ok, but the bikes were in serious need of a tune-up. The highlight was seeing the crocodiles. The beach is quite nice, but the sand is hot (yeouch!) and the waves are quite big and strong, so be careful. You can borrow boogie boards from the hotel, but you have to be a little patient to get one (they are borrowed by the hour and there are only about 5 of them or so).

If you want, you can paint your own ceramic souvenir by the pool. This is generally more expensive than the finished product at the market, but it is your own original souvenir and it is way cheaper than those paint-your-own ceramic places in Canada. Plus the girls working there touch up your handiwork and make it look good.

The service was fantastic, everyone was always smiling and willing to help you, especially if you tipped (but sometimes that didn't help). Of particular note are the staff in the restaurant and the woman working at the lobby bar. The alcoholic drinks were quite generous in terms of alcohol content; I think some of those bartenders should teach their canadian counterparts on how to mix a drink!

We also did the day trip to Ixtapa Island, which was okay, but probably way cheaper if you did it on your own (it cost us $35 US). However, we did have a guide to tell us where to rent snorkel gear and to watch our stuff while we were snorkeling or on the banana boat ride (a definite must!).

The food is generally good - there is something for everyone, although it is quite repetitive. The best is the guaccamole they make right in front of you in the À la Carte restaurant. Another great thing is that you can book your À la Carte whenever you want (not 7 am lineups!)

All six of us had a mild case of the runs towards the end, and others at the resort seemed to have the same problem, although it could be related to the change of diet, the steady alcohol consumtion and the sun (who knows?)

The 24 hour bar was ok, but we didn't trust the chicken wings sitting there. The burgers by the pool were mmmm mmm greasy if you're into that sort of thing.

Overall, it was a great holiday, lots of sunshine and warm weather, with generally wonderful service. Go with a group of friends! It totally makes the holiday a memorable one.

We stayed in a private condo in the Costa Real complex from 3/9 - 3/13. We found the condo unit to be large and decently appointed, if a little spartan. However, since it's a private unit it isn't really a reflection on the hotel as a whole. The common areas of the hotel were fine, if a little spartan as well.

The pool area, swim-up bar and palapas at the hotel were great, although things get a little crowded. Plan on getting up around 6 a.m. in hopes of getting a front-row beach palapa. The beach is beautiful.

The downside of the pool bar area is the price. Since we stayed in a private unit were were not part of the all-inclusive. As a result, we were charged ridiculous amounts for food and beverages. We were paying about $4 for a small glass (not even a whole bottle) of Sol beer and the food (not very good) prices were high as well. I could justify this in Hawaii maybe, but in Mexico? We finally started bringing our own food and beverages to the palapa. Conversely, the NH Krystal next door has excellent pool bar food and they served cold bottles of Corona in an ice bucket to your palapas for roughly the same price.

The Costa Real offered some family entertainment every night, that was much enjoyed by our group which included two 3-year-olds and there was a nice mix of people staying there - 30-something singles, families and older people. Lots of folks from the midwest and Canada.

I'm not sure if I would stay there again, although the value was good for a 2-bedroom condo with a full kitchen.

We just returned from a 5 day trip to Ixtapa. We stayed at the Costa Real and were satisfied with our stay. The hotel was not the best we have ever stayed in and the views weren't very good, but for as much time as you spend in your room it was fine. The bathrooms were in need of some fixing up, but everything was clean, the maid left flowers in our room everyday (especially after leaving a few pesos on the pillow). The service was good and besides being given a "garden room" when we first got there we didn't have any problems. We simply complained until they gave us the room we had paid for....it pays to complain sometimes.

We had the all inclusive and while it was convienient, the food left something to be desired and in the end spent as much on food as we would have if we hadn't had the all inclusive. If there is an option for just drinks, I would recommend that instead. We had good food everywhere we went outside of the hotel and everything was reasonable in price.

What they didn't tell us about this hotel is that a majority of it is condos that people own or do time shares in. This made for a much older crowd at the pool and some vicious chair saving in the morning. We are in our mid twenties and everyone else at the pool was an average of 65. Nothing wrong with that, but if you are our age, you might consider a different hotel. One other thing on the hotel our room had a musty smell most of the week getting better and worse periodically through the day. I have been to Mexico before and while there are certain times where you get wiffs of bad smells, I have never had my room smell.

Would we stay there again? We wouldn't be opposed to it, but I think we would be happier elsewhere. A couple that we met had stayed at the Presidente and said that it was a step above the Costa Real and if I remember correctly it was about the same price.

When we arrived at the Tesoro we were informed that it no longer was the Costa Real which we had paid for. We arrived late at night and were told they had overbooked. We were given 2 rooms in the basement (we were with another couple). The rooms were moldy and musty smelling so we told them we would not stay down there due to allergies and asthma. We were the given a small timeshare that belonged to someone else and slept on small childrens beds. In the morning we had to get our representative involved to make sure each couple got a room that they paid for.

Finally we got separate rooms but they also were musty smelling. I must say they did keep them clean. The brochure also said all rooms were ocean. The only thing we could see was the side of the Krystal.

The food was so, so and the drinks had hardly any alcohol in them.

We have been to Ixtapa many, many times and this is the first time I have been so dissapointed. I will find a different place to stay the next time we visit.

We have been to Ixtapa nine times and stayed at different hotels. The reviews on Tesoro (it was Costa Real when we booked our trip) were so positive that we thought we'd give it a try. We arrived wit another couple later in the evening and were given 2 rooms that were in the BASEMENT. It was very moldy, dark and musty. We informed the management that two of us have asthma and couldn't stay there. He wouldn't give us different rooms, but was willing to give us a "suite", 2bedroom, 2bath. We decided ok for the night. It was 2 bedroom, 1 bath. 1 rm had king sz. bed, the other was childs room (bambi wall etc.,twin beds). No towels, sheets, toilet paper, nothing! We again tried to get different accomodations,still he wouldn't work with us. He said in 2 days he'd have something! We stayed the night in that room. The next a.m. a woman helped us and was very understanding and gave us 2 rooms on 1st floor. They were nice enough. The all -inclusive was decent and the waiters were nice and for the most part attentive. We will not stay at Tesoro again...and would not recommend it. We made the best of it, but really it shouldn't be rated more than a 3.

I just returned from a week in Hotel Tesoro, Ixtapa. I booked with Sunwing, leaving from Toronto.

Upon arrival, we were given a room on the ground floor that smelled, and contained only a bed, dresser and T.V. We paid for a "deluxe" room, and asked to be moved. We were shown a room that reeked of smoke, and then a one bedroom apartment, which we took, although it looked like two rooms from a 2* resort put together. Clean, but containing only the essentials.

The beach looked beautiful, but you couldn't swim in the ocean at all, and that was the whole point of our trip. Very very disappointing.

Swimming in the pool was also not possible until after dark as the hotel was filled with Mexican families, and their many children. During the day, the pool was full of dozens of children, even toddlers in diapers, which was revolting, and did not leave any room to swim.

The food was terrible. I ate bread, watermelon and eggs all day. There were no simple dishes, and everything looked regurgitated. The same dished were repeated, even though no one would touch them.

Finally, the service. While it was good the first day, the rest of the time it was terrible. We had to get up from our table and bring waiters over to get drinks, and even then they would just not bring them. Our requests were ignored, and plates were taken away even though we were asking them to leave them. At the beach, we were ignored as well. Finally, tips were expected by everyone. As an example, we had a man repeatedly ask us for a tip for standing outside a bus and outstretching his hand to hold on to. Questions that were asked of the front desk were answered incorrectly.

There was no nightly entertainment, and the only thing you could do was sit in the lobby bar, which was super loud with the sound reverberating in the room.

The positives were the weather, which was perfect all week, and the scenery. The local bazaars were not bad either.

We looked around all other hotels, and ours was the worst by far. The Continental, as well as others looked amazing, and they actually had something for guests to do at night.

Do not come here!

Tesoro formally called "Costa Real" do not be fooled. The food is the worst part of this hotel... eating out is much better and cheap! I would not recommend staying here due to the food issue, not very good at all. The room is average not great but not good either.... very old facilities in the bathroom. Not much of a view either. The pool is shared with kids in diapers and there is no hot tub for audits and you cannot swim in the ocean due to high waves.

The snack bar ----- and the gym is a joke! The beer and alcohol are not up to the great beer and Kalula that can be had for cheap outside the hotel. They do not service Corona beer in the bottle and Kalula on the substitute stuff.... what a shame! I came to Mexico to enjoy these two drinks and they did not serve them... unreal!

Anyway, overall not recommended for anyone! If you want to lose weight and no enjoy the wonders of the ocean and the Mexican life, definitely do not stay here!

Advertisement should read: 3 star hotel, 75% time share, 70 all-inclusive rooms. Buffet was OK but since they really are not feeding many people it would hard to offer a great variety of food. There was always at least one item cooked fresh on the grill and that was good. There is NO bottle beer or bottle water, all the beverages were served in a small plastic cup that was not insulated. However, after numerous complaints we did get stirofoam cups the last day. The all inclusive rooms are the worst we have seen in Mexico. They are limited to the main floor-no view, first floor-garden view and second floor-ocean view depending on it's location. Our first room, 138, was disgusting. After complaining we were moved to 205 and very happy. This seems to be the cycle: start with bad room, some except, some complain. The complainers are then moved to the better rooms. The staff is excellent, very friendly and efficient. The week we were there averaged 90 and residents informed us that was 10 degrees above normal. Couldn't swim in front of the reosrt because of the powerful waves but you could easliy walk to the south end of the beach and swim there. We loved Ixtapa and will definitly go there again but we will not stay at the Tesoro (Costa Real).

Flew from Toronto Jan.19th with Skyservice/Sunwing.

All inclusive deal with problems. The travel brochure should have stated: Do not swim in Ixtapa, or you could get hurt! While we were there, one person broke his leg, and another his neck!!!

Our room was ok, but no view to speak of. The fridge was in need of defrosting. They restocked it daily with 2 Sol beer, 2 waters and pop.

The buffet restaurant was boring after the first meal. The food was always cool to warm, never hot. Maria restaurant was very good, and Hot!

We definitely enjoyed eating elsewhere.

The staff was very friendly, and appreciates any tips.

Drinks were fine. Rafael at the beach was awesome, always asking us 'everything ok?'.

The weather was perfect, maybe even too hot. There's lots of lounges and chairs, but people reserve more than they need, so you may think there isn't enough.

Walking on the beach is an easy half hour each way.

Beautiful sand. Too bad the water isn't safe for swimming.

My opinion, it's a 3 star. Barcello looked nice.

We just returned from the Costa Real Ixtapa on Wednsday11/09/05 after a four day stay. We too, as many others, rescheduled to the west coast after the hurricane. Upon arrival we were given the wrong color bracelet for our all inclusive stay. So as a result we were accused of stealing $.65 nachos at the pool snack bar. A security person was sent to ask where we got our nachos, and demand cash for them. After I told him that we were supposed to be all inclusive, he actually brought the front desk person to the pool to identify us! As we changed bracelets, we also had to ask for our safe keys. remote controls, and "honor bar" keys. (which by the way they only stock it upon arrival, any extras cost you) So watch out for the "Nacho Police"

Our room and a/c were ok. The only problems were the thin walls and a group of young girls next door that wanted to scream and laugh up to 3:00 am.

We were in Ixtapa in January this year. We loved the place itself, but were very disappointed with what Transat Holidays promised us. Please do not believe what Transat Holidays says about Costa Real, Ixtapa, in their brochure! It is false advertising. There are NO tennis courts, there is NO gym, scuba diving lesson is NOT included, ALL rooms are NOT 4 star - if you get put in anything below 4th. floor they are NOT even 2 star - by Canadian standards, and at all cost, do NOT be put in the basement as we were for the first night until we (and many other couples complained)!!! YUK! You do not always get the working fridge, hair dryer and safe - as advertised - nor do you get an ocean view/balcony, as promised. There is NOT a true a la carte restaurant.

We also have NOTHING good to say about the people working in the store in the hotel - rude, impolite, no "customer skills". On the positive side the hotel's food is good and the service is usually great. We have some great, positive stories about the waiters and waitresses. They saved our holiday!

Please stay away from the Tesoro in Ixtapa. This resort will try to give you the wrong room. It will charge you for anything it can get. All-inclusive resorts should be all-inclusive, not try to charge for mini-bar service, room service or maid service if the description of the resort includes all these items. We arrived at the resort and were issued a room. We had booked a junior sw, they tried to give us a regular room with two queen beds. We had to fight to get our proper room. The resorts pool is the worst pool I have seen at all-inclusive. Please dont book this dump!

We just returned from a stay at the Tesoro. I have to agree with every 'bad' 'disappointing' review written. I cant, with the exception of a few the staff members, find one thing nice to say about this resort.

The food was just ok.. same old thing every day, just mixed in from the night before. Ordering something from the grill (fresh) was your best bet.

Room was ok... clean.. a few small bugs crawling around.. We thought it was from the flowers they used to decorate the towels. Oh yes the towels. We called and received hand and face towels on the frist day.. however they came the next day around ten in the morning, took them, and never saw a hand or face towel again.

We found out if you didnt like an answer you received from one staff memeber, go ask another.. It usually took three tries to get a correct answer.

This place has alot of rules, and dumb ones.

We went into the town for drinks and dinner almost every night

A very disappointing week.. and would not recommend this resort to anyone.

I was very nervous about staying at the Tesoro after reading all the bad reviews about this place I must have called my travel agent at least 10 times before we left. We took of from Minneapolis at 9:00 am and around 10 we were informed that we would be stoping for fuel in Oklahoma City since we had a strong head wind (sounds like this is a common practice with trans global champion air either they stop in Texas or Oklahoma we think they get cheeper fuel there since this was to be a non-stop flight). Let's start with check in. we arrived 1 hour late due to the refuling we had booked and paid for a jr. Suite with the all inclusive program and requested a room with ocean view and 7th level. What we recieved was room #915 don't let the 915 fool you. that is the main level/lobby level just so you know there is a basement to this hotel. we walk down there no elevator a spiral stairs as I recall. it's just back from the front desk to the right and then down the stairs. I didn't count but it looked like there were about 5 or 6 rooms down there. I wouldn't want to stay down there. if there was a fire only 1 way out the stairs. Ok back to our room like I said we booked a JR. Suite with a king bed what we got was a regular room or what they call a deluxe room with 2 full size beds no thanks we took our bags and went back to get a different room. So we went to the front desk and the staff didn't want to help us so we talked to the trans global representive Claudia and told her that we wanted to talk to the manager and she said that she could get him in 1 hour and that just was not acceptiable to us so the manager came in 5 minutes wow. He procedied to tell us that the hotel was booked full and that we could look a another room at 9:00 am the next morning and we told him that this was not acceptiable either so my boyfriend asked Claudia if there was a nother hotel in the area we could stay at her reply after going threw the motions were that every hotel was booked and we would have to stay here. Back to the manager he kept telling us that the hotel was full and after 1/2 hour or so he called the asistant manager a very nice guy over and told him to show us 2 rooms that were available that day (I thought they were booked). we had 1 couple with us so the 2 rooms for us to see were 1 with a full size bed and the other room with 2 twin size beds on the 3rd floor. after talking it over between the four of us we decided to take the rooms on the 3rd floor knowing that we with the 2 twin beds would be moving 2 rooms down the hall to a room with a full size bed. The only thing nice about these first 2 rooms was the adjoining door that they pried opened with a knife. So after 2 hours we finally had a room. Give me a drink!!! Now we can talk about the booze/beer. I like beer but I'm not crazy about mexican beer so I tried the liquer let me tell you it's bottom shelf stuff or below bottom. The food was nothing to wright home about either only good meal was in the resturant that took resverations or in the morning getting fresh food from the fry cook. I'm sorry I almost forgot about the lovely lady that cooks by the pool she had the best food(tip her). If it wasn't for her I would have starved. Not really we ended up going out for food/drinks to some local places. We ended up spending at least $1000 on food and drinks I'm sure glad we went A/I (what a waste of money). We did bring some booze from the US but I can't drink Jim Beam all the time so I bought a bottle of absoult razz and took it to the pool and lobby bar and just got the mix there. I've stayed many times at A/I and never had to spend that kind of money on food or booze before. NOT GOOD!!! Then one night while we were out at another bar getting drinks someone came into our room and stold the microwave there goes the neighborhood. I thought it was kind of funny the next day when our friends were checking out I let them in on the theft because I didn't want to get charged for the microwave. Boy are they slow on the up-take we knew the maid or staff member did it but give them credit they checked into it. Now only if they would check into the case of the missing towels. You only get 2 bath towels a day, 1 hand towel and I mean if your realy lucky you might get a face towel!!! Tip or not I tiped the maid at least $20 US it's just that they lack them that's what I was told. Before I forget I Have to get back to the JR. Suites we were told that the TESORO dosen't have any JR. Suites by more than 1 person the first person was the bell boy and the next person was our TRANS GLOBAL rep. she said she dosen't know why they say they have them or why they charge you extra because they don't have any,none,zip,zero,nada. I have never wrote a bad review before in my life and if it's not true I wouldn't do it this was our experience and thats it. If you have any questions I would be more than happy to help.

BEER PLANET ROCKS GO ALEX!!!!!

KARIN

Never again!!! Worst of the worst at this place. Been all over Mexico and to pick this place was my biggest mistake. Ixtapa is the retirement center of Mexico. Not a thing to do there and the Hotel as well that pretty much shuts down at 5:00 PM. Most of the food was a joke! Folks don't waste your money on this place, go elsewere in Mexico.

We would not recommend this property to anyone. The hotel has a habit of over booking and every room does not have ocean veiw. In fact the only rooms that are nice are for the time share people which they told us were more important to them then us. We had a group of 7 couples no one was happy with their room, they tend to put people in basement rooms and wait till they complain to move them up. The rooms we had smelled of mold and mildew - all 7 couples asked to be moved 2 never did get moved. Ixtapa it self was beautiful- great beaches!

Many problems while staying at this resort! We did not have a room when checking in...something about the changed in ownership. The all-inclusive package was a joke...terrible food and cheap alcohol. Plus, there was no other outdoor bar, but the pool bar. The service by the pool was poor. Most hotel staff were helpful, but some problems were unresolved (no safe in room, no key for mini-fridge, phone that did not work). It feels like the resort is overrun by timeshare & condo residents. Ixtapa is a wonderful place to vacation, but next time I will choose to stay elsewhere.

My family & I just returned back from a 1 week vacation in the Tesoro Hotel(formally Costa Real. We arrived ready to check into our two 1 bedroom suites that we booked and paid for and were put into the basement(1 floor below 1st floor in 2 standard rooms) We were told we would have to get the difference of $400 back through our Travel Agent(that's me) or we could stay there for 4 nights and they would move us. Our 1st night in the basement room found us with a phone that did not work, a t.v. that did not work, a minibar that would not open, our bathroom flooded from the drain in the floor, but best of all there was fecal remains from past guests on the side of the tub.(i left it there so the management could see) The next day after a lengthy debate with the manager a room was found for us. It had two bedroom so they wanted to put all 6 of us in to it inclusive of my parents. A few days after they came and found me and told me they would have to move us again as they needed it for one of their time share clients. My husband my kids and I were put into someones private 1 bedroom condo. They were clothes in the closets and the drawers and mountain bikes in the bedroom. My parents received a standard room.(again they paid for a 1 bedroom suite)

As a Travel Agent I have stayed in many different kinds of properties and as with anything you take the good with the bad each property has its strengths and weaknesses. The only strength I found at this property was their hamburgers in the snack bar and most of the staff was really friendly. This Hotel's biggest weakness its the food quality and variety. We ended up eating most our dinners out and all of our lunches at the snack bar. I would rate this Property as a 2 1/2* maybe 3* and I would not put any of my clients there.

Donna from Sechelt, B.C.

My husband and I just returned from Ixtapa, we stayed at the Costa Real (all inclusive). We arrived late in the evening 10:30 PM. The lobby was full of kids running around and drinking adults. The reception desk, although not busy, seemed to have problems in checking us in. They did not give us a remote for the TV, no key for the safe, no water, could not find the only person with the key to the wet bar and all the food service was closed for the day. The All-inclusive snack bar was a joke--they had day-old hot dogs.

The room was also a joke, the entire bathroom had mold issues, the wet bar could only be opened by a hotel staff member and locked when closed, so in order to access anything inside you had to leave it open--consequently everything inside got warm. We were provided with no drinking water and were told that we would have to get our own. The sheets and pillowcases were stained, no clock in the room, and only one light switch worked in the room--this turned on all lights in the entire room.

We requested a new room, which the hotel did provide--this took us only eight (8) hours to get. The new room was better, but still had mold issues in the bathroom, no clock, stained sheets and pillowcases every time they were changed and extremely old towels. We ran out of Kleenex, toilet paper, etc. They hotel had problems with the card key locks changing, so often you could not get into your room and had to go to the reception desk and wait to have them reset the key.

The food was garbage--you can only put that "stuff" into your body for so long and then your body started to reject it. Do not get the All-inclusive package. You are much better off checking out the local restaurants--far better food. We quit eating at the hotel our third day there. Our dinner had Maria's proved to be worse than the steam table buffet--the food was rotten--they had literally taken old leftovers from the steam table "stuff" and served it up as a gourmet meal. Every bar/restaurant that the hotel has served up garbage.

The drinks were no better. The beer selection consisted of one beer "Sol" and only tap--most times it was warm. The drinks were mixed with the cheapest of alcohol--the hotel literally took the labels off of them so their guests would not see. They did the same thing with the wine.

The pools were no better--lots of kids & adults urinating in it. We saw kids with dirty diapers coming out of it. The hotel ran out of towels every day. The food stand by the pool was set in the hot sun and the food sat in the sun from 11 am until 5 pm. It did not really matter, because the food was awful there too. My husband and I got pork tacos one day, but I think it was really chicken--it had a very large vernacular vein sticking out of it--very appetizing.

To make matters even worse, our last day, our flight did not leave until 9pm and were told we had to be out of our room by 12 noon--and that they were booked 100% so they could provide no complimentary room in which to change (part of the all-inclusive package). Our vacation Rep had to argue with the Manager for over an hour to get them to allow us to take a shower before leaving for the airport. The Hotel Manager told our Rep that he did not care.

All in all, the only good thing this hotel had going for it was its employees--they were kind and did try to help, but appeared to be limited by management in what they could do.

We were told that this was a 3 1/2 star hotel, but I would rate this hotel as a 1 star--it was certainly not worth the money we spent on it. Do yourself a favor and check out another hotel. Also, be aware that the Costa Real has changed its name to Tesoro--so don't be fooled.

My family (husband, adult daughter and I) stayed at the Costa Real from Oct 31, Nov 7, 2005. It was a bad choice from the start. We had to change our plans due to the hurricane, and thought this sounded good for a first visit to Ixtapa. Were we wrong! We got into the hotel in the early afternoon, and expected a wait, but the hotel clerks just ignored us for the first hour and a half while we stood there and they waited on other customers. After our funjet rep arrived (three hours later), he forced them to pay attention to us, and get us a room. However, they took our original documents and refused to return them until he interceded four days later. The room was very old, with some quite horrible stains on the bathroom floor, holes in the ceiling of the shower, lots of mold and a hot water faucet that could not be turned off. The buttons on the phone did not work, the phone couldn't be used to call the lobby, it took three attempts to get a remote control that worked because they kept taking the dead battery out of the one we returned and replacing it in the new remote. The refrigerator did not work, there was no clock in the room, the air conditioning, at best, took the moisture out of the air, but didn't get below 85 while we were there. For three days we couldn't get a wash cloth or 3 towels or toilet tissue. We finally started snagging them off the maid's carts. The maid service did not get to the rooms until after five or six in the evening. Even when they were done, there was rarely enough supplies to go around, but there were lovely animals made from the two handtowels we did get, complete with flower eyelashes. The food was average, the omelet bar was wonderful, but we could not get a waiter to wait on us. On one occasion, even though there were three of us sitting at one table, the bartender refused to let my adult daughter take more than one drink back to the table. They were not tolerant of the Americans, did not wait on us, and ignored us when we went to the bar to get a drink. We did not drink alcohol, and tipping did not seem to help. The absolute worst part of the whole trip was the pool. Despite the fact that there was a very nice kiddie pool for children in diapers, the adults kept them in the big pools in their diapers in floating tubes. As a result, there was a constant flow of diaper fluff and feces in the pool. Before we were aware of the problem, we had gotten in the pool and we got a terrible skin rash on all of the places we had gotten wet. Even now, a week later, we are still treating this rash. On Thursday, there was a 12 year old tending bar, and he was relieved by a 15 year old. The bartenders at the swim up bar would not wait on the Americans, either. They would wait on the 15-20 children lined up first, and then maybe wait on the American adults. We got to the point where we just tipped a friendly waiter ten dollars every couple of hours for our tomato juice and diet coke. My advice? Go anywhere else.