Hotel Irma

We've stayed at the Hotel Irma many times in the last 12 years. It never fails to please. From the infiniti pool overlooking the town, the open air restaurant overlooking the bay, the rooms with beautiful views, the wonderful staff and the good food, it's a winner. A taste of old Mexico.

Well we promised we would back and we did. This time for 2 weeks and it was just as good as last year with an extra week for good measure. Amazingly most of the staff are the same which is a testament to how Yara treats her people. The restaurant and bar staff are amazing, Isaac made us feel like we’d be friends for ever. Rosa our “maid” was exemplary our room was spotless and her towel menagerie a delight. The weather helped a bit as well and we really didn’t want to leave and will be back next year as long as the Covid 19 sorts itself out. We hope that the entire staff do not suffer with the side effects that will be passed on throughout the travel industry and will be thinking of them all until this nightmare is over. We hope to see you all next year. Thank you for making us so welcome.

This is a good hotel for someone who is easing from adventure travel to something with a few more amenities. It feels genuine, but is not rugged. It is nice without being embarrassingly indulgent. It is close to the town, but not too close (about 3,000 feet). The walk to town can be along the beach or on the road. The beach has a walkway well used by families and exercisers, and has wonderful beach side restaurants. The road walk provides more shade, tons of charm, and a nice stroll that can you through what Lonely Planet calls a Gringo Gastronomic Ghetto along Calle Adelita – it is my kind of ghetto, full of happy, well-fed tourists. In Spanish “Irma” means, “You’ll get your steps in, you chubby gringo!” I jokes, but if you have mobility issues you do not want a room on floors 5 or 6, as there is no elevator. Keep in mind most rooms have at least a few steps. The hotel is also on a steep hill, so you may need to consider a little extra cab fare for basic getting around (there is a cab stand right outside the hotel’s front door, those guys are great and their cabs were very clean). The upside of that hill is a breathtaking view of the bay and the waterfront. You can watch the pangas come in full of fish in the morning and people frolicking in the surf all day (it is just steps away from your room if you prefer a beach to a pool). The prevailing demographic when we were there were sunburned middle-aged Canadians – and they were great! The staff are all doing their best to see you have a good time, from the front desk to the cleaning and maintenance staff to the restaurant staff. Our room was spare and clean (though the second bed was actually a box spring). The restaurant had sit-down service and pool-side service. The food was good - not exceptional cuisine, but a comfortable meal for a traveler. There are two pools, and the infinity pool looks out over the ocean. I agree with the reviewer who said a good improvement would be more shade (more umbrellas and the like). The day before I left I asked the front desk for a list of room charges and it was DEAD ON, no weird sneak-up-on-you charges.

The best things: the view from our room and balcony; the location (not on the beach, but a 10 minute walk to two different beaches); the friendly, consistent service, both personally and in terms of open hours, access to advice and other information, etc.; the lovely swimming pools and outdoor spaces; the two-hour happy hour every day; and our charming housekeeper, who made towel animals (an octopus and an elephant) to make us smile. The bed was not awesome. We didn't wake up sore, but it was not up to the level of the service and the location. The food in the restaurant was good, but not awesome. We ate there plenty of times, though--convenient, affordable, quick service. The building is under constant renovation (and it shows--it looks great), but it was common to have to navigate around someone plastering a wall or whatever. Other guests, who had been there before, said it is constantly improving! There is a lovely, mostly paved "fishermans' walk" into the social downtown of Zihuatanejo. This is easily accessed from the hotel. Walking the opposite direction for about ten minutes, one finds a steep paved alley ending in stairs down to the Playa La Ropa, which is the best beach! The ocean water is perfect for wading, swimming, or body-surfing on the gentle surf that makes it across the bay. We had excellent meals at nearby restaurants. Il Mare was top notch and La Terracita Beach was memorable as well. Both have tables with killer views. LOOT makes a breakfast to die for. One area to note: accessibility. There are a lot of stairs. I think it was 56 stairs up to our room from the lobby/pools/restaurant, and we were not on the top floor. Some guests were in rooms near the pool, where there were far fewer stairs involved, but it is not designed for wheelchairs. I never saw a ramp.

My husband and I booked a one week stay at Hotel Irma in January 2020. On our first night in Zihuatanejo I stepped into a large unmarked hole in the middle of the sidewalk. It was dark and I didn't stand a chance. I broke my ankle and after getting a cast put on I was mostly confined to the hotel. The hotel staff could not have been more accommodating. A table was put outside our door on the terrace and our meals were served there. It was very difficult for me to walk up and down the stairs and the male staff helped my husband carry me down the stairs(which I'm sure is not in their job description). The hotel manager Yara was amazing. She went over and above to help me with contacting the clinic where my ankle was treated. She also checked in with me every day to see how I was doing which was very comforting. Thank you Yara and everyone at Hotel Irma for your kindness.