Grupotel Acapulco Playa

We’ve just returned home from another stay at Grupotel Acapulco Playa, having been back a few years running now, always in a sea-view room, always end of August into early September.

It’s a genuinely solid 4-star resort. The breakfast buffet is fantastic, and if you’re staying on half-board, the €25pp dinner buffet is excellent value given the choice on offer. Staff throughout are attentive and consistently friendly. The location on the Playa de Palma strip is hard to beat, with bars and restaurants lining both sides, and the beach itself is directly across the road — a 10 second walk, and clearly visible from the sea-view rooms. Special mentions go to the Enjoy Restaurants chain nearby (Bikkini Beach, Ginger, and El Chiringuito among them) and Tabana for a solid night out, plus the string of beach bars running the full length of the Playa de Palma strip for food and drinks throughout the day. The hotel itself is spotless, the bar is well stocked, and there’s a handy luggage room where you can borrow beach umbrellas (and chairs, if you’re lucky enough to catch some free). The outdoor pool is a great size, and there’s also an indoor pool and jacuzzi for cooler moments.

A few small tweaks would lift it from good to exceptional. The pool sits behind the hotel rather than facing the beach, so a bit more thought into screening it from the road would go a long way toward creating a proper sense of retreat. The jacuzzi could run warmer, and the sauna and steam room doors don’t close fully, so neither works as well as it should. Room walls are on the thinner side, and we noticed occasional odd drainage noises. The TV does have some British channels available, though they tend to fuzz and buffer constantly — only a minor gripe, but mildly frustrating when you’re settling in for the evening. The lobby is spacious, beautifully air-conditioned, and smells great from the moment you walk in.

Evening entertainment is genuinely top notch and draws a crowd from the street, which says a lot about the quality on offer.

None of these are dealbreakers — they’re the kind of details that would turn a very good hotel into a great one.

Just stayed there for 4 nights with a group of friends. We really liked it. Fantastic and friendly staff, great welcome and support throughout. Comfortable and clean rooms. Excellent, modern facilities in a hotel with a long tradition. Good location, 15 minutes to the airport, two minutes to a beautiful beach. One of the best hotel breakfasts I ever had. Great spread with daily variations. I highly recommend this hotel. Booked it again for next year.