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Brad A. Johnson

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Brad A Johnson
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Hotel Review: Cala de Mar, Ixtapa, Mexico

  • September 13, 2019
  • Brad A. Johnson
When Cala de Mar debuted in 2008, it bore a different name: Capella Ixtapa. 
Several miles removed from Ixtapa’s bustling tourist zones, this insanely romantic 59-room resort hugs the rocky bluff of a quiet residential hillside overlooking a private cove on the Pacific. An incredible feat of engineering by architects Enrique Muller and Santiago Aspe, this nine-level adobe resort was the nicest ever to open in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo — it was the talk of Mexico. 
I stayed here in 2014 and fell in love with everything about it, but Capella pulled out in 2018 and the name changed to Cala de Mar. I’m just back from a fresh visit to see how things have changed, if at all. Here’s the scoop. 
Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
The quiet pool at Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
The quiet pool at Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Cala de Mar, formerly Capella Ixtapa (Photos by Brad A. Johnson)
Cala de Mar, formerly Capella Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)

Backstory: Capella is a luxury hotel management company founded in 2002 by Horst Schulze, the legendary hotelier whose instinct for luxury propelled Ritz-Carlton to global acclaim. Within its first decade as a prestige brand, Capella’s North American portfolio boasted four resorts in Mexico (in Riviera Maya, Riviera Nayarit, Cabo San Lucas and Ixtapa) plus an absolutely exquisite skyscraper hotel on 5th Avenue in New York City (now The Langham). 

By the time of my visit to Ixtapa in 2014, this was Capella’s only remaining property in the Americas. All the others had closed, sold or otherwise ended their contracts. Schulze sold the company in 2017 to a wealthy Singaporean family who already owned the flagship Capella Singapore (and several other luxury hotels across Asia).

Almost immediately after that, the U.S. State Department issued a dreaded “Do Not Travel” warning for the Mexican state of Guerrero, which likely had more to do with Donald Trump’s feud with Mexico than it did any actual escalation of danger in the region’s popular tourist areas. 

Long story short: Capella pulled out and the resort (which was always locally owned) rebranded as Cala de Mar, completely revamping its management team. Otherwise little else changed.

So, is this still the nicest resort in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo? 

Well, maybe. As far as accommodations and facilities go, Cala de Mar is as beautiful and romantic as ever. The property has been exquisitely maintained. As chance (or perhaps an astute front-desk agent) would have it, I stayed in the exact same room this time as my previous Capella visit, and I couldn’t spot a single difference. 

Cala de Mar, formerly Capella Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Cala de Mar, formerly Capella Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Private plunge pool at Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Five o’clock tequila delivery at Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)

Every room still boasts its own private plunge pool. The view from every corner of the resort still takes my breath away. The palm trees and pink bougainvillea that cascade down the hillside are as immaculately manicured as ever. The spa, still a welcome refuge. The poolside cocktails, even more fantastic than I remembered. Personal assistants still respond around the clock, and service throughout is stellar. 

But I say “maybe” it’s still the nicest because I haven’t yet stayed overnight at the newly opened Thompson Zihuatanejo, which was formerly Viceroy and in those days wasn’t as luxurious as Capella, but Thompson just spent a fortune upgrading that legacy beachfront property (where some rooms have private pools but most don’t). Also: Thompson stole Cala de Mar’s executive chef, the extraordinarily talented Miguel Baltazar. That’s a huge blow, as Baltazar is probably the best chef in all of Guerrero. 

Pork belly taco at A Mares restaurant at Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Tamarind margarita at Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Tropical vegan tacos at Las Rocas, at Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Aguachile at Las Rocas, at Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Ceviche at Las Rocas, at Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Octopus and sweet potato at Las Rocas restaurant, Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
A Mares restaurant, Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)

But for one dish (an extravagant pork belly taco), the cooking at Cala de Mar’s top restaurant, A Mares, failed to impress —  rubbery lobster, severely overcooked duck, watery pasta sauce… It was not quite the celebratory dinner I envisioned. I learned the following day that I had dined on the chef’s night off. Thankfully my meals at the resort’s poolside restaurant, Las Rocas, were exponentially more pleasurable (if not exactly destination dining), simpler fare like aguachiles and ceviches and grilled local octopus. And I enjoyed a genuinely terrific pozole in the bar. Meanwhile, the outdoor seafood grill was closed mid-week (open weekends only), so I didn’t get to try that one. 

Bottom line: Will I be back? That’s a tough call. I adore this property and sincerely hope to return. However, dining is hugely important to me when I travel, and my meal at A Mares just wasn’t special — when it should have been the highlight. If I do come again, I’ll stick to poolside ceviche. And I might spend more time off-site at mealtime. 

Rates from about $310 (USD); Paseo Punta Ixtapa S/N, Zona Hotelera II, 40880 Ixtapa, +52 (755) 555-1100, calademar.com

The main pool at Cala de Mar, Ixtapa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
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Brad A. Johnson

Brad A. Johnson is a writer and photographer specializing in food and travel. His work has been honored by the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, James Beard Awards, World Food Media Awards, Food Photographer of the Year Awards, Society of Features Journalism Awards and others. Based in Southern California, Brad currently serves as Editorial Director of the new luxury consumer travel magazine of the Global Travel Collection (launching Spring 2023).

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Hey, OC. FYI in case you missed it, @ryegoods has opened a new location on Red Hill in Tustin, just down the street from Flight/Mess Hall. Same incredible breads and pastries as the original on the peninsula. No lines here, plus a huge seating area. #sourdough #pastries #coffee #orangecounty 322 9
One more post from our lovely stay at @fstokyo. Delicious lunch at @maisonmarunouchi, the casual sibling to @sezannetokyo. Excellent all around. And clearly popular with Tokyo's ladies who lunch: the clientele during our visit, almost entirely women. Quite the see-and-be-seen crowd. 57 1
I’m not sure which I liked better about the @fstokyo, the valet greeter and escort from the train station, the view of the trains from our room, or the super comfy pajamas. Excellent service all around. #Tokyo #Japan #hoteljunkie 79 3
I think @sezannetokyo ⁠has a #footfetish, and I’m ok with that. Truly fantastic lunch. Impeccable service. ⁠ 63 1
We had a really fun "Lost in Translation" moment at @meatman_roppongi. Google Translate failed hilariously. Delicious meat/fat overload anyway. Great staff, charming hospitality. Lots of sake. Thank you, @fstokyo for securing the reservation! #Tokyo #Roppongi #sake 76 1
Well, that was interesting.  A toast to 2022. And looking forward to ‘23. Cheers, and safe travels to all. 81 1
Brad A. Johnson
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Writer. Photographer. Traveler. Restaurant Critic.

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