Club Med Ixtapa Pacific

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DESTINATION -This all-inclusive resort has 30.9 acres on the west coast of Mexico, near Zihuatanejo (about 100 miles north of Acapulco). Families love:

     * The terrific kids programs
     * Baby Club, and Baby Welcome
     * Unique Club Med "G.O.s" and signature features

Club Med Background
Club Med was the pioneer in the concept of "all-inclusive" vacations, starting out in the 1950's as a real-club tent-village on a Mediterranean beach. Much has changed as Club Med has world-scaled and upscaled to over 90 resorts in 40 countries, but some core features remain the same.
The Club Med Difference
Club Med's kids have superlative unique signature programs and activities, but Club Med the biggest difference is more fundamental. All Club Med villages have GM's and GO's: GM's are the guests (Gentil Membres, or "gracious members"); GO's (gentils organisateurs, "gracious organizers") are the boundlessly energetic staff. Socialize All together, which makes a wonderfully friendly ambiance, especially in a family resort: kids love to share a meal with their kids' club leader.

Club Med Other bonuses include choice locations, Spacious grounds, a focus on recreation, trapeze school, a mini-club show in a professional theater, active kids clubs (no video screens) ...

- More about the Club Med Experience for Families

Club Med Ixapa: Features

This is a Spacious resort, built in hacienda-style in 3-storey buildings with terracotta tile ROOFS. Extra-large suites are available.

Grounds are huge: sports areas include a full-size soccer fields, tennis center, areas for inline skating, trapeze, Archery, and a section of the beach for Watersports. An open-air palapa facing the beach is used for fitness classes and for rehearsals for kids' dance classes.

For foodies: Club Med has roots in France, home of le gourmet. The main restaurant, El Encanto, has outdoor tables, and several differently-styled areas indoors with A / C; this restaurant is buffet-style, and also has a corner for baby food. The beachside Miramar has a la carte items, and is open late. The fine-dining restaurant is the elegant Luna Azul, reservations needed.
Club Med Ixtapa Pacific photo © Teresa Plowright
Club Med Ixtapa Pacific - Baby Club Med

Beach:
Club Med Ixtapa Pacific has a choice location on Playa Quieta (Calm Beach) bay. Boogie-boarding is lots of fun; the shallow gradual slope of the beach is good for toddlers, too.

Activities and recreation includes:

     * Sailing, kayaking
     * Tennis and Archery (with instruction), volleyball, basketball, mini-golf, in-line skating, soccer, rock-climbing wall
     * Trapeze, with instruction
     * Entertianment including evening shows in the theater. (The weekly Mini Club show is a hit.)

Kids Programs
Kids clubs are extensive, and you do not see videoscreens: what you do see are groups of kids with their leaders, having fun in different parts of the resort. Note that Baby and Petit Club Med's require extra charges; other kids' programs are all-included.

Nice touch, for kids: a special children's book, with story set right at the resort.

Babies and Toddlers:

     * Baby Welcome-all-included perks for babies: strollers, bathtubs, Bottle Warmers, potties, portable play-Cribs ...
     * Main restaurant has a microwave, Bottle Warmers, high chairs, booster seats
     * A convenience room with 24-hour access has sterilizers, Blenders, Bottle Warmers

     * Baby Club Med: for ages 4 to 23 months
     * For nap time, babies get the same crib all week
     * Kids have their own cubby, for storing their special stuff
     * Petit Club Med: For ages 2 and 3, usually in two age groups
     * Daytime and evening hours *

The GO's who work in the Baby and Petit Clubs focus specifically on those age groups; typically, they're friendly and enthusiastic young people who speak several languages.
Mini Club Med

     * For ages 4 to 10, divided into several age groups
     * The Mini Club has its own pool
     * Daytime and evening hours
     * Kids participate in the fun activities and sports noted above: for example, the Circus School has juggling, trampoline, and trapeze.
     * Club Med is always adding new programs for the mini-club. A few examples: Petit Tennis, for ages 3 to 7, with special gear; Hip Hop Kidz ®, for ages 4 to 17.
     * A highlight of the evening entertainment is the weekly Mini-Club show: kids perform the dances they learned in the kids' club, in a professional theater setting with lights and sound effects

Junior Club Med:

     * Year-round for ages 11 to 13, and during certain school holidays for ages 14 to 17
     * Junior Club Med has similar activities to the Mini-Club. Teen programs are less formalized; at time of writing, there's no Passworld for teens at this resort, but various fun activities are scheduled, such as night-time water polo.

Outings!
It's always a great idea to explore outside the resort. On our visit, we tried two half-day outings: a lovely horseride along a beautiful beach, and an ATV outing that's a hit with many guests (my teen-gave it a thumbs-up.) A snorkeling trip to a nearby island is popular too. You can also easily visit Zihautenejo ( "Zihau") by taxi: Stroll along a walkway by the beach, shop for Jewellry, hammocks, etc.
Club Med Ixtapa Pacific photo © Teresa Plowright

Keep in mind about Club Med Ixtapa Pacific:

     * Day-beds by the pool and beach are great for families with little kids (-get 'em early, though)
     * Lounge deck above the beach is nice at sunset: families play cards, perhaps a small band plays
     * Lockers and change rooms are available for those with a late departure: enjoy the day at the resort after checkout
     * Buildings do not have elevators, so if you have a lot of kiddie gear, try for the ground-floor
     * Family suites and extra-large suites are available
     * Some rooms do not have a balcony or a walk-out patio; if that's important, book accordingly

North American especially during holiday times, this resort has less of the international flavor that's a feature of Club Med; most clientele is from western Canada and the U.S.. Club Med aficionados will also notice that the trademark for seating (at round tables for eight, with fellow guests) is gone. Still the core differences Club Med remains, and families rave about the GO's and GM's and the kids' programs.


Via : http://travelwithkids.about.com