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#55668 - 02/24/15 07:59 AM WorldMark Zihuatanejo Resort Review
KrisComm Offline




Registered: 08/16/11
Posts: 328
Have you stayed at WorldMark Zihuatanejo? Here's your chance to tell other owners what it's really like. How big is the pool? How hot is the hot tub? What do you wish you had known before you left home?

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#59170 - 12/31/20 01:30 PM Re: WorldMark Zihuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
BCLange Offline


Registered: 12/06/20
Posts: 2
Went to Zihua for our Honeymoon back in 2018.Was set to go again this year, but cancelled due to covid. I am rebooking for next year as soon as I can. The resort is great, the staff is great. If you want more info, check out posts from all times.

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#58295 - 05/01/18 02:21 PM Re: WorldMark Zihuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
osdave Offline


Registered: 02/16/18
Posts: 1
Recently returned from 3 weeks in WM Zihuatanejo - had a wonderful time. Food at the restaurant was very good and reasonably priced, and they were very accomodating with menu modifications. Waiters (in fact the entire staff) became friends and they were all difficult to leave. We were in 3 different rooms during our stay (our choice) and found them all very different from each other. Enjoyed the spectacular view from the high room and the bird/animal activity from the low room. All had small refrigerators and microwaves, very basic furnishings but the beds were comfortable. Every room we were in had balconies but I guess not all do. Great views in all.
The pool was quite comfortable and the lounge chairs above it were good, with adjustable shade umbrellas that worked well. Food and drinks available all day, too. Many steps at WM Zihua: it sits on a fairly steep hillside and from the pool (lowest level) up to the restaurant level there are 3 layers of seats (lounge chairs) then the restaurant level. The first rooms are on the restaurant level, then there are steps up to all the floors up to 5th floor. No elevators, so be prepared. The street entry is on the 3rd floor. Did I mention the staff was fantastic? Truly!
Going to town was less than a half hour walk, but there are 170+ steps you go down. Not hard going down, but back up those steps took determination. A cab is an alternative, especially coming back, but it really is a nice 1/2 hour walk either way.
What to do in Zihua? The concierge has a good list and good connections. Fishing, bird watching in several locations (including WM property), beach activity, shopping in town, archealogical site not far from town, Boat rides in estuaries, sailing, sunset boat cruises and on. When you get tired of all that, sit by the pool with a nice margarita and some munchies. Pool is big enough for laps and games, but not huge. I didn't see (or need) a hot tub.
Probably enough for now. We really hope to go back.

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#58090 - 01/22/18 08:46 AM Re: WorldMark Zihuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
wunderlust Offline


Registered: 01/31/16
Posts: 16
We were booked to travel to Zihuatanejo on 20 February of 2018. I cancelled the reservation because the US Government has issued a "Do Not Travel" warning on the state of Guerrero which is where the WM is. I contacted WM and suggested they put government travel warning notices on their descriptions. I do not know if they have done this. Zihuatanejo is the highest level warning that the government issues. They won't even allow government employees to travel there so why should WM not advise us? I read the glowing review of the resort submitted January 2018. Personally, I am not willing to take a chance with my life. They will tell you it is safe at the resort. Well, if you just want to stay at the resort for your entire vacation......that is not my idea of a vacation. I just wanted to share the facts with everyone. When we initially booked this reservation (over 1 year ago) there was no travel ban. When thinking about traveling abroad I would recommend looking at our government's state department web site.......

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#58075 - 01/09/18 09:56 AM Re: WorldMark Zihuatanejo Resort Review - APRIL 2017 [Re: PDX_Tom]
wunderlust Offline


Registered: 01/31/16
Posts: 16
Did you go to Ixtapa by any chance?

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#58074 - 01/09/18 09:55 AM Re: WorldMark Zihuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
wunderlust Offline


Registered: 01/31/16
Posts: 16
Thanks for the wonderful review. You gave us so much useful information. My husband and I are going next month (February 20, 2018 for 9 days. We are staying in the penthouse or presidential suite I can't remember but it is the only one that states a full kitchen which is very important to me. We are excited about the trip and I am glad you said it was relaxing and quiet.....

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#57693 - 05/09/17 07:06 AM Re: WorldMark Zihuatanejo Resort Review - APRIL 2017 [Re: KrisComm]
PDX_Tom Offline


Registered: 05/07/17
Posts: 1
In April 2017, my wife and I visited WorldMark Zihuatanejo for the two weeks. It was our first visit. Here is some info that I wanted to share that others may find useful.

ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE - We emailed Worldmark and had them meet us at the airport with transportation. Upon exiting the customs area there was a representative with a Worldmark sign waiting for us. That person put us in a taxi that took us to Worldmark. It was a 25-minute trip. The cost was 688 pesos paid to Worldmark. At the airport, there were a bunch of taxis readily available. In hindsight, it would've been quite a bit less expensive to just get a taxi from the airport ourselves. Next trip we will just get our own taxi at the airport. When we left, we asked the WorldMark rep to call a taxi. It was 320 pesos to go to the airport.

DOLLARS, PESOS and CREDIT CARDS - Virtually all prices are in pesos. The one exception is that excursion prices are commonly in dollars. Worldmark will accept dollars, pesos, and credit cards. Everything is charged to your room and you pay once when you leave. Local restaurants and taxis accept only pesos. Shops usually want pesos but occasionally will accept dollars. Excursions are priced in dollars and can be paid for with dollars (or pesos). I found it best to have a mix of pesos and dollars with me. I paid WorldMark with a credit card and everything else was cash for the two weeks that we were there.

MONEY EXCHANGE - In April 2017, the actual exchange rate that I received when I exchanged money was 1 dollar = 17.5 pesos. Many US banks will exchange dollars for pesos. You usually must call them, tell them how much you want to exchange, and then pick up the pesos 1-2 days later. I used a local currency exchange shop where I live (Portland, OR). Do call around and check rates and fees. I checked 3 banks and the local currency exchange shop. All charged a service fee of $10-$15 and quoted similar exchange rates except one quoted a rate that was much worse so you should do a comparison of your local options. Other reviewers have said that there is an ATM at the airport - I did not look for it. The WorldMark rep marked the location of 4 or 5 ATMs in downtown Zihuatanejo. I noted the bank exchange rate in town was 18.5 vs. the 17.5 that I received in my hometown of Portland. I also noted a line of about 20 people at the local bank ATM. Also, I believe that the ATM will limit your daily cash withdrawal so you might need to get money multiple times for your stay. I found the convenience of getting pesos at home offset the higher exchange cost. Do make certain that you get a mix of peso bill denomination so you don't have to mess with getting change.

THE RESORT - The resort is on the side of a hill facing the bay. As best I can tell all rooms look out onto the Bay. There are five floors and the there are no elevators. The front desk is on the third level. The restaurant is on the first level, and the pool is one level below the restaurant. You WILL be walking up and down stairs at this resort every day. There are no elevators. The resort is a 15-20 minute walk to downtown. The walk to town is mostly downhill including about 170 stair steps. Many times we would walk into town and take a taxi for 60 pesos to return us to Worldmark. Bring a flashlight if you will be walking to/from WorldMark at night. It was pointed out to us that "Worldmark" sounds a lot like "Walmart" to non-English speaking taxi drivers so we showed the WorldMark brochure just to be on the safe side. The resort bar has 2 for 1 drinks from 12-2 and 5-6 daily. Pool towels are available at the front desk and are dropped at the pool when done. (You pick up new ones each day.) On the weekend, there was a live guitar player for a couple of hours for two evenings. During the day, there are poolside massages available. There are no pool games, bingo, or other activities at the resort. There is an onsite restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food is good and prices are more than in town but less than at a US hotel. There are a good number of pool lounge chairs and all have umbrellas so finding shade is usually possible. This is a very quiet and relaxing resort. We were here for two weeks and there was one couple with a 5-year-old child for our second week. There were no teenagers or couples in their twenties while we were here. The resort overlooks the bay. It is not on the water and has no close beach. There are several beaches that are nearby and accessible via taxi, water taxi, etc. Let me again emphasize - this is a quiet and relaxing resort.

ROOM TYPES - The room types here are difficult to decipher. There is a penthouse and a presidential suite - I have no info on them. Here is what I believe to be accurate. The "Hotel" is a smaller room with no balcony. The "Studio" has a balcony and a king bed and a jacuzzi tub. The "Studio Deluxe" has a balcony and kitchen and king bed. The "Studio Hotel" has a balcony and two double beds. The "Studio Hotel King" has a king bed and only 40% have balconies - so you may or may not get one. All of the Studio room types are about the same size - I would describe the size as a large hotel room. Apparently, the layout and configuration of rooms within a category varies so you cannot be exactly certain of the layout or amenities. This is probably worth a call to WorldMark to clarify when you are booking your reservation if you want to be certain.

ROOM AMENITIES - Our room had a flat screen tv (no HDMI input), DVD player (not Bluray), coffee maker, mini fridge, ice bucket, hair dryer, and safe. Some rooms have a microwave. The mini fridge was odd in that it cooled things to about 65 degrees - we did not find it useful. We put bottled water and soda in there and got ice from the ice machine to cool our drinks. The room was air conditioned and had a ceiling fan.

WIFI - WorldMark has Wifi. It was about 25MBS in our room. This is quite fast. Typical home wifi is in the 25-75MBS range so you will not notice much speed difference here. Our ownership includes TravelShare so there was no added fee for us. I believe that there is a $10/day fee otherwise.

WHAT TO DO - check out tripadvisor.com for local activities with reviews. There is small museum along the Malecón that has no admission fee and is worth poking a head into. Also, walking the full length of the Malecón is pleasant.

WHERE TO EAT - check out tripadvisor.com for a long list with reviews. You are likely to eat several meals it the WorldMark restaurant and the food is good there. I will recommend three that we enjoyed: Cafe Elvira (on Malecón 1-2 blocks beyond the pier) - good Mexican food with economical pricing; Restaurant El Arrayan (on the town canal at the second pedestrian bridge on the far side) - wonderful grilled meats with reasonable pricing; Casa Bahia (turn right at the bottom of the 170 stairs and walk about on block) - absolutely spectacular food, service, and view - this was my favorite.

SUMMARY - My wife and I had a wonderful time - very relaxing. The folks at WorldMark were all very helpful and friendly. The city was pleasant and easy to walk through. We will definitely be returning!

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#57590 - 03/25/17 09:03 AM Re: WorldMark Zihuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
terry8704 Offline


Registered: 02/21/08
Posts: 12
Hello to all the friends we met around the pool this March in Zihuatanejo! This was our second stay here and we are booked for next February already.
We had a great time and got to know more of the staff. Some new people, but not many. This goes to show how much these folks like working for Worldmark. Francisco and Juan Carlos make an excellent management team and everything seems to run smoothly. All the staff are great. If any of them seem a little quiet, it is probably because they are new and feel uncomfortable with their English. Be patient and they will appreciate that and soon become more engaging. Francisco is working hard to add on site laundry service. Remember that processes work slower in Mexico than here in the states.
By the end of this summer we will have traveled to close to 50 Worldmark resorts and this has become one of our favorites. It is a unique establishment with an interesting history. So sit back and enjoy every minute!

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#57466 - 01/26/17 09:35 AM Re: WorldMark Zihuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
terry8704 Offline


Registered: 02/21/08
Posts: 12
Since my last post in Feb. of 2016, we have booked a week for our son and daughter-in-law to celebrate their tenth anniversary in February. We have also booked two weeks for ourselves and another couple in March. This will be our second stay at Zihuatanejo and are very much looking forward to it. This facility is much easier to get into than our other favorite in Kihei, Maui. Much cheaper to spend time there than Hawaii and about the same for flights. So for future stays, it is on the top of our list! My husband swears he is going to get a massage by the pool every three days. They are cheap and very relaxing! I may just do the same!

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#57359 - 11/30/16 03:31 PM Re: WorldMark Zihuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
BillStephan Offline


Registered: 01/10/05
Posts: 1
Loc: Washington
Just returned from 10 days at the WM Zihua. Enjoyed a fabulous time in a unique resort. Having been to most all of the North American WM resorts, this was a real surprise and treat. The building was unique and the staff was special. From Francisco, the GM to Juan Carlos the front desk manger to Yooneul (You Know) the bellman to Carlos & Zander in the restaurant and all the rest, they were the best. Rooms and building were clean, but old. We were able to see several rooms and they were all different. Only 2 of them had full kitchens, ours did not, but we had a small "mini-bar" refer and a coffee pot that had I requested prior to arrival. We had plenty of hot water to shower. It was 74 stairs from our room to the pool and they were not for the timid. If you wanted to walk to town, count another 184 stairs. Great place to get in shape if you don't mind the 88 degree humid heat. Food at the onsite restaurant was excellent and very reasonable, as were the prices of everything there. Many options for excellent dining in town and the cabs were only 65 pesos ($3.15)each way. The negatives were: no laundry facilities, no common room with a TV to watch games and no ABC, NBC, or CBS (that could be a plus). We took a couple of tours, the Ixtapa Island tour and the City tour, both were with Luis H. Dee la Maza and his associate Flora. Juan Carlos set them up and I would highly recommend them as they speak excellent English and know the area well. Restaurants we liked besides the resort restaurant were Saboryea & Colores, Bandidos, Frank's Bar & Grill in Ixtapa and Casa Bahia at the bottom of the stairs going into town (this place was special).
We opted to get our own taxi from the airport to the resort as it was 400 pesos vs. 668 if you set up transportation thru the resort. We had the driver stop at the American Grocery Store and picked up bottled water, beer, tequila, limes and assorted snacks. Without a kitchen, micro or BBQ, there was not a lot more we could use. With this stop, we paid the taxi 600 pesos. I would highly suggest you get pesos at you bank here in the states. I was able to get 21 pesos to the dollar here and the locals there only want to give 14. In addition, the resort does not keep a bank on hand, so it is difficult to get a fair exchange. I cannot speak to the ATM situation, as we do not use them.
We will definitely go back and in fact have reservations for this time next year.

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#57335 - 11/19/16 11:20 AM Re: WorldMark Zuhuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KellyW]
kcraig Offline


Registered: 07/03/16
Posts: 1
Could you share a little bit about what is available in the room? Is there a coffee maker? Is there a refrigerator? I understand it would be helpful to bring a power strip along. Anything else you could share with us would be very helpful.
Also how did you get from the airport to the resort? Any other helpful information I would appreciate hearing about. This will be our first time at the resort. Thank you.

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#57260 - 10/16/16 11:45 AM Re: WorldMark Zihuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
TheGarcias Offline


Registered: 06/03/14
Posts: 3
How steep are the stairs to the Presidential Suite? Was it hard to get your luggage up there?

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#56639 - 02/08/16 06:55 AM Re: WorldMark Zuhuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
terry8704 Offline


Registered: 02/21/08
Posts: 12
We too have been in this heavenly place for a little over a week. It is hard to say goodbye to our new friends here
The staff have been over the top in friendliness and efficiency.
We had asked about the ATM but there are plenty in town and at the airport.
One helpful tip would be to bring a power strip if you bring electronics. Plugs are just standard and already full with lamps etc.
The massage area is by the pool and Jenny does a fantastic and very reasonable job!
Food is great and drinks are great with two happy hours per day.
Many thanks to all who made this trip exceptional!

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#56638 - 02/07/16 05:36 AM Re: WorldMark Zuhuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
LLambeth Offline


Registered: 01/11/11
Posts: 3
Loc: Spokane, WA
We have been here for a week now and don't want to leave. This is our new favorite place of all our vacations with our without Worldmark.

The resort is quite and small with only 25 rooms and plenty of staff to be there for your every need. The restaurant is very good - slow since they only have 2 kitchen staff but very good food.

The rooms are clean and all have an amazing view. It is always quiet and everyone - staff and guests - are nice.

The only problem I have is the internet is very hit and miss. That can be a good thing but we have to stay in contact with our office - but we made it work out.

The town is a 15 minute walk and you have 174 steps to go down - then back up - to get to town. It always feels very safe and is like the little Mexican villages you would think of. The people in town are all nice and friendly as well and everyplace we ate was also very good.

We had booked our next trip to Maui and canceled it to come back here. I can't wait to return.

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#56595 - 01/20/16 12:58 PM Re: WorldMark Zuhuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
terry8704 Offline


Registered: 02/21/08
Posts: 12
Where is the closest bank ATM? We have found that the ones not located in a bank do not give you the best exchange rate. Is there someone at the front desk that can actually book excursions or tours to outlying areas?

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#56594 - 01/20/16 12:42 PM Re: WorldMark Zuhuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
terry8704 Offline


Registered: 02/21/08
Posts: 12
Thanks for the updated info! We leave rainy Oregon next Saturday for one week in Zihuatanejo then meet up with friends for another two weeks in Ixtapa. We have been so exited about this trip. It will be the fourth time in this area but the first at the WM facility. I will try to add more info upon our return.

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#56586 - 01/18/16 01:41 PM Re: WorldMark Zuhuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
KellyW Offline


Registered: 01/08/16
Posts: 1
I just returned from my stay at the WorldMark Zihuatanejo and I have to say I LOVED IT!

The room was very simple, but very comparable to other nice hotel rooms where I've stayed in Mexico. I was in a Studio Hotel needing the two beds since I was vacationing with two friends. The two beds were doubles, so it was cozy but doable. Air conditioning was effective. Water was hot and shower was good. DVD players are in every room but they won't work with DVDs from home since they are a different region and the resort is waiting on their library. Our solution was to purchase some bootleg DVDs in the central market for 20 pesos each (roughly $1.25). The WiFi is also not really available in the rooms yet but I was lead to believe that that upgrade is soon to happen. I was fine accessing WiFi from my balcony and in the public areas.

The pool, restaurant and public areas were also very nice. We spent a couple of days simply sitting by the pool and eating from the restaurant. Our favorites were the guacamole and chips, ceviche, fish tacos and happy hour drinks. It is making me hungry just thinking about it. One night we went to the restaurant to play games (not having a table in our room). They were very accommodating leaving the lights on for us and letting us stay even when they left for the night.

The customer service/front desk staff were also very friendly and helpful. We got some great recommendations from them and they were always so welcoming when we returned from an adventure. Thank you Alessandra, Linia (sp?) and Juan Carlos!!

Getting to town is an easy walk, even with the 170 stairs. Coming back was a little more challenging and we never attempted it in the dark but splurged the 40 pesos ($2.50) for a taxi home. If the taxi doesn't recognize WorldMark, they always knew where the Villa Vera was (the previous name of the property).

There are rumors that WorldMark is trying to standardize this property to they rest of their property in terms of the restaurant, and size. I hope that they are able to maintain what makes this Mexican property special in doing so because I definitely want to go back and experience what I enjoyed last week!

I'm happy to answer any specific questions that folks might have. I hope you enjoy your stay as much as I, and my friends, enjoyed ours!

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#56357 - 10/16/15 08:29 PM Re: WorldMark Zuhuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
MBHUDSON Offline


Registered: 03/27/04
Posts: 41
Loc: USA
Zihuatanejo

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#56352 - 10/13/15 09:51 PM Re: WorldMark Zuhuatanejo Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
Ghotai Offline


Registered: 10/10/15
Posts: 3
Well, I have to start off by saying that the staff is the reason I would return here.

Upon arriving, we were tired but greeted by gracious staff with cold towels and a small margarita, both of which were sorely needed. We were led to our room, where the maids had decorated the bed with flower petals--very cute, but then you need to clean them up the next day, or live with trash on the bed and the floor until the end of the vacation. A shower to clean up before dinner--takes 10-15 minutes for the water to heat up, as they don't have a circulating water pump on their system. We were on the fourth floor, and the water pressure--which is driven by a gravity system from the roof (effectively the sixth floor) is effectively nil. Pressure booster in their system would maintain pressure throughout without a problem (have one in my house). Went down to dinner, where the service was attentive--but slow. Drinks made it to out table in 10 minutes (blended margaritas), butter is a knock off margarine with the bread, and the place was deserted (my wife and myself). Dinner, however, was very good--nice presentation, tasteful, and appropriate portion. Back to the room, and tried to access the internet--no signal. All attempts were to no avail--Juan Carlos, who is excellent, tried various solutions--different nets they had set up--but there was no signal whatsoever in our room. The people who dealt with this were to be out the next week--little help for us. A trip to Staples and a couple of extenders would have solved the problem. This was ultimately solved by moving us to a new room where there was a signal. However, speed is basically that of a dial up, but I needed it to solve some ongoing work issues. We try to travel every month, so "turning off the computer while on vacation" isn't always possible. The air conditioner was noisy, and leaked, leaving a puddle on the tile floor in the hallway--great place to slip in the middle of the night. A nice young lad worked on it, but again, this was ultimately solved by us moving rooms. The door onto the deck didn't "lock"--basically blew open. The upper and lower door locks into the frame didn't latch, so we solved it by leaning a chair against the door. Pool was warm, but so be it--would have been nice if it was a tad cold, but it still felt good when the heat index was 104. We toured the other units that were not occupied to see what they had. They were clean, nicely done, but I was amazed to see caulking missing in a shower at the bottom corner, deep enough that I could sink a credit card into it to where I was afraid of losing it. Obvious water going into a wall and causing damage.

Nonpotable water is a hassle, but we knew about it in advance. Seems like something which could be fixed, as it has been taken care of in other hotels.

The restaurant had good food, excellent service (although slow), and very courteous.

The bar kept us happy at the pool--slow, you had to get their attention, but they were polite.

Juan Carlos helped us with all of our needs, inside and outside of Worldmark. Reservations for dinner, tours, taxis, changing our room, the internet, etc.--he is the "go to guy", gracious and effective. He made our trip.

The TV is basically all in Spanish. There were a few channels in english, but all the news etc was in spanish with english subtitles. Since this is a worldmark resort, with the vast majority of the worldmark owners having english as their primary language, it would only make sense to have a package which has more english broadcasts. While we were there, they changed providers. The first had some news programming (to include CNN) in english, while the replacement just had some movie channels in english. We left home on our trip immediately after a horrible tragedy which was till unfolding on CNN. It would have been nice to know what was happening.

Now that Worldmark has taken over this property, there are a lot of opportunities for improvement. Will changes be made, or will everyone accept things the way they are? Only time will tell. It is clear that the focus needs to be on the customer, from start to finish.

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