Brad Pitt. Madonna. Keanu Reeves. The list of celebrities who’ve checked into the chic Mexico hotel called Las Brisas Acapulco seems endless. What’s even more surprising is that you, too, can stay here and live like a celebrity, for less money than you might guess.
Following a productive visit to Tianguis Turistico, Mexico’s big annual tourism conference that I cover for TravelAge West, I was a guest at Las Brisas Acapulco, a legendary hotel that’s hosted more celebrities than you can count on your fingers and toes. This is a review of my experience.
THE AMBIANCE: Perched on a hilltop overlooking Acapulco bay, Las Brisas debuted more than 60 years ago with a group of 40 vacation cabanas. Over the decades, it’s evolved to become a collection of more than 260 casitas, small white structures lined with pink like a wedding cake, each strategically placed for maximum views of the bay. As soon as you enter the small lobby at the bottom of the hill, you’re aware of this Acapulco hotel’s star appeal: it’s graced with Hollywood walk of fame-style handprints of previous guests, including Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas.
On-site transportation consists of an irresistibly cute fleet of white Jeeps with pink accents, each of which is painted with the name of a previous guest. I rode in a Denzel Washington Jeep up the steep slopes to my casita.
ACAPULCO HOTEL ROOMS: I stayed in room 451, a double room in a casita. The room itself was bathed in clean white, with a few pink accents and attractive, resort-style furnishings. The king bed, which sat in front of a gray stone wall, was dressed in white and quite comfortable, with easily accessible outlets and lighting. There was a table with two attractive chairs, a large TV and a safe-deposit box. The marble bathroom had a shower and amenities by Neutrogena.
But, by far, one of the reasons why people love Las Brisas is what’s outside. Nearly every room has its own private terrace and pool — and I’m not talking about some little plunge pool, I’m talking about an actual swimming pool in which you can actually float around. The hotel staff make it even prettier by scattering flower petals in the water. And then there’s the view. Every room has a spectacular view; I looked out every morning on the sunrise over Acapulco bay, with the glistening highrises on the beach in the distance. Every morning, a healthy breakfast of fresh fruit, bread and coffee magically appeared in a little box next to my door, so that room service doesn’t’ disturb your tranquility. My terrace also had a double-sized daybed, a table with two chairs and two chaise lounge chairs.
Some less expensive rooms have a shared pool, although you’ll never share a pool with more than two other rooms.
Since the hills above Acapulco can be a bit challenging for some, the hotel offers free transportation upon demand; dialing 0 made it easy to have a white-and-pink Jeep appear at my door, and I was happy to have a Jeep named Keanu Reeves take me downstairs for dinner and Kevin Costner to bring me home later that night.
A glimpse at just how special this place is: on my final night with the journalist group, our press trip organizers arranged a private dinner on the terrace of one of the second-largest suites on the property, a space where both Julio and Enrique Iglesias as well as Juan Gabriel have stayed. We dined outdoors, next to a private indoor-outdoor pool that flows into the spacious living room. We toured the suite and admired the giant stone shower and spacious bedroom where the stars have slept. And then I rode down to my own room in a Jeep named Madonna. It doesn’t get much better than this.
HOTEL FEATURES: There’s also a restaurant, spa and fitness center. There is no beach on property, but a free shuttle takes guests to the hotel’s beach club. DETAILS/PHOTOS
BEST FOR: Vacationing couples who want a romantic Mexico vacation with lots of privacy, at an especially attractive price, as well as families who like the idea of casita-style accommodations, sharing a pool.
ROOM RATES: About $127 and up for a room with a private pool, $94 and up for a room with a shared pool.