I was really excited about this stay at a beachfront hotel on the Pacific Ocean, and it offered more good than bad.
While I didn’t care much for the bed or pillows at the Thompson Zihuatanejo, the staff, boutique feel, and delicious food made for a positive stay overall, and I would return.
Booking Thompson Zihuatanejo
For my 3-night stay in late September 2026, the Thompson Zihuatanejo was charging $150 per night for a standard room due to a Hyatt sale at properties in Mexico. After taxes, the nightly rate was $173.67.
Since Thompson properties participate in World of Hyatt, I could have redeemed 20,000 points per night for a standard room at this Category 6 property. The hotel was priced at the Lowest tier during my stay, but the new 5-tier award chart means nights here can cost up to 40,000 points per night.
Using 20,000 points to save $173.67 meant redeeming Hyatt points at a rate of 0.87 cents each — well below our average valuation of Hyatt points at 1.4 cents each. Thus, I chose to pay cash.
I upgraded my stay by using one of my suite upgrade awards earned through Hyatt’s Milestone Rewards. Without increasing the cost of my stay, I confirmed an upgrade to a Lagoon Suite with Plunge Pool room type in advance, rather than waiting to see if I got a space-available upgrade at check-in. These suites cost $350 per night at the time of booking.
Thompson Zihuatanejo Location
The hotel sits along Playa La Ropa on the east side of Zihuatanejo, a Pacific coastal city in Mexico’s Guerrero state. The Thompson Zihuatanejo is about 20 minutes from the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo International Airport (ZIH), the main airport serving the beachside resort towns of both Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo.
The hotel’s location means central Zihuatanejo is about 8 to 10 minutes away by car or a 30-minute walk.
The hotel offers airport pickup service for a $35 one-way in a standard taxi or $140 for an SUV that accommodates up to 6 passengers.
Long History, Short Time With Hyatt
Not many hotels in Zihuatanejo carry a résumé this long. The property first opened in 1978 as the Villa del Sol, a small place with just 7 rooms and a restaurant. It grew steadily over the decades, and by the turn of the century, it had pushed past 50 rooms. Then came the reinventions.
L.A.-based Kor Hotel Group acquired it in 2006, renovated, and reopened it in 2007 as the Tides Zihuatanejo before rebranding it again as the Viceroy Zihuatanejo. In 2017, Two Roads Hospitality — the parent company behind Thompson — bought the resort and reverted it to its original name, Villa del Sol, under the Destination Hotels umbrella while it mapped out renovation plans.
Hyatt then acquired Two Roads in 2018, and in January 2019, the property became the Thompson Zihuatanejo, now home to 56 rooms and suites. That’s a long list of nameplates for 1 stretch of coastline, and Hyatt’s chapter here is still a relatively short one.
Property Layout
I got a property map at check-in, including an explanation of where things were. Facing the ocean, the restaurant Hao and the adults pool were on the right, swim-up rooms in the middle, and the family pool plus Ceniza dining on the left.
Signs around the property were helpful, and the paths were mostly flat.
A lagoon was in the middle of the property with a few paths crossing it.
There were second- and third-story rooms, and these weren’t wheelchair accessible due to a lack of elevators.
There was a pool at the swim-up rooms near the beach. I didn’t see signs indicating whether the pool was reserved for guests in the swim-up rooms.
The sand was soft, and the beach was a popular spot at the hotel. There were numerous chairs, and palapas were free to use.
The beach and the adults pool provided great views at sunset because the hotel faces west.
Lagoon Suite With Plunge Pool
I stayed in LS (“Lagoon Suite”) 13, a first-floor room with a private plunge pool. The suite had a large bedroom with natural wood, stone floors, and a simple color palette. It was extremely spacious.
Nightstands flanked the bed, with outlets and a lamp on each side.
The rear wall had ample closet space, including a safe, an iron, an ironing board, robes, and umbrellas.
The bed faced toward the patio, lagoon beyond, and ocean in the distance.
I didn’t sleep very well at the Thompson Zihuatanejo. The bed was ultrasoft and lacked support, and the pillows were essentially useless. Plus, light crept under the door at sunrise, while the local chachalaca bird made strange noises outside my room each morning.
The seating area was down a few steps and contained a sofa, chair, coffee table, TV, minibar, and a desk on the far side. There was a fan, but no overhead lights here.
My favorite feature of the living room was the outlets built into both sides of the sofa.
Bathroom
The central part of the bathroom had an open layout with a hexagonal mirror and a ton of counter space. To the left, the shower nook was spacious and featured a large shelf to hold amenities. The toilet was to the right in its own closet with a door.
Patio With Plunge Pool
The outdoor patio had a sofa, a pair of chairs, a table, and a plunge pool with a built-in bench. Despite being near a path, the bushes provided privacy.
Property Amenities
The hotel had various activities each day, and those with a cost were clearly indicated. Activities ranged from kayaking and Spanish classes to massage lessons and cooking classes.
The adults pool was the quieter and less-used of the hotel’s pools. The family pool had a waterfall and was busier.
Ice Cream, the hotel’s on-site shop, sold beachwear, sunglasses, and other items — but not ice cream.
Self-parking was available at no charge, and the hotel accepted pets (for a fee).
There is a resort fee of 10% of the room rate, per day, and it covers the following:
- Popsicles and flavored water available at the pool
- Gym access
- Bug repellent on request
- Classes
- Tennis court use
- Kayaks and paddleboard use
The hotel also charges an 8% daily service fee, which is distributed amongst staff. The resort fee is waived on points stays and for Globalists on all stays, but the service fee is never waived.
The gym was quite small but had the basics.
On-Site Food and Drinks
Ceniza, which comes from the Spanish word for “ash,” was next to the family pool. It served wood-fired dishes near the beach, with a focus on seafood.
It was open for dinner only from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. daily.
Hao was near the adults pool and had 3 meals a day, plus a bar. It focused on Mexican fare.
Hao’s breakfast menu included pancakes, eggs, Mexican fare, smoothie bowls, and more.
I had a different bowl each morning, and they were all amazing.
Sopecitas was a new dish for me, which I enjoyed for lunch on the final day. Everything I tried from the menu was delicious and fresh.
Hao offered grilled seafood and meats near the ocean on Thursdays, including live music, and featured a taco experience on Saturdays with locally sourced ingredients.
Along with the bars at Hao and Ceniza, there was a swim-up bar at the family pool.
In-room dining was also available from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Service
The staff members were truly excellent here. I got friendly smiles and hellos constantly, service was efficient at meals, and staff even called my room the night before checkout to see if I needed transportation assistance.
I received a welcome letter outlining my Globalist benefits, which include complimentary drinks and a spa credit.
I also received 2 welcome gifts: a drink during check-in and some snacks in my room when I arrived.
On the second morning, I accidentally broke the cord when opening the blackout curtains. When I returned from breakfast, maintenance was in my room.
The housekeeper had proactively called maintenance to come fix the cord while she cleaned my room.
After he finished, I mentioned that my shower the night before lacked hot water, and the employee worked hard to rectify the issue, including flushing the pipes to improve the hot water pressure.
Final Thoughts
I loved the boutique vibes and friendly service at the Thompson Zihuatanejo. Meals were great, as well, and my suite was excellent. I would definitely return … though with an eye mask and my own pillow.