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New in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo on the Tropical Mexican Pacific
LOMA DEL MAR HOTEL:
Suite Luxury, with a New Age-Thalasso-Wellness Center
Terraced on a forested hillside (loma) above Ixtapa, Mexico, the 16 spacious suites of the new, privately-owned Loma del Mar Resort overlook the property’s landscaped grounds with waterfalls, three swimming pools with lounging areas, and palapa-topped restaurant and bar. Tree-shaded paths meander through the five-acre property which borders Ixtapa’s Palma Real Golf Course and nature reserve.
Chalk-white curvilinear architecture with red-tile roofs, inspired by both Mexican Pacific tropical design and Andalusian whitewashed villages, graced the “chic retreat” cover photo of Continental Airlines in-flight magazine (December 2007 issue).
Spacious one- and two-bedroom suites provide apartment-style luxury with living and dining areas, verandas, custom contemporary furnishings and fully-equipped kitchens that include cookware, dishwasher and even small appliances. Staffers can stock with food and beverages according to guests’ “shopping list”. Chef can cook en-suite.
Ideal for couples and honeymooners are three one-bedroom penthouses and a one-bedroom presidential suite with a private outdoor minipool adjacent to the terrace.
Especially appealing for families: “two-plus” bedroom suites have one bedroom with king-size bed, another bedroom with two full beds, and a small bedroom with two single beds, as well as two baths, a large living room, dining area and kitchen. There is a shallow swimming pool for kids and, just up the hill, a supervised playground with games and activities. Babysitters are available.
The resort has strong appeal to golfers because it is adjacent to the 14th hole of Ixtapa’s Palma Real Golf Course. Golfing guests receive special amenities and easy access to the course (a golf cart drives them to the nearby clubhouse for tee-off). There is no need to wait until the “19th hole” – right on the 14th they simply park their carts alongside Loma del Mar for refreshments, ceviche or hand-made tacos that await them. Characteristic of its Robert Trent Jones Jr. design, the 18-hole course harmonizes with its original setting: a former coconut plantation that remained as a nature reserve with lagoons, tropical fruit trees, flowers, and wildlife – iguanas, cranes, cardinals and other exotic birds as well as alligators living in the water traps (they keep to themselves).
Appropriately, Loma del Mar offers three distinct niche-market Getaway Packages: Romance, Family and Golf: www.lomadelmar.com/packages.htm
The loveliest section of Ixtapa’s main beach, the south end of soft-sand Playa del Palmar, is just a 4-minute walk along the tree-shaded edge of the golf course.
From the wide terraces of their suites, guests enjoy views of the golf course, tropical forest, and the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains beyond, as well as the morning sounds of songbirds, and spectacular sunrises. At night the grounds are illuminated with torches, a thousand lights, and changing colors glowing in the swimming pools.
There are three infinity-edge mosaic-tiled swimming pools. The immense 100-foot-long pool features two overhead fluvial duckbill spouts and two jet spouts for neck and shoulder hydro massage, and a swim-up bar with submerged barstools enveloped by soft jets of little bubbles. A smaller pool, shallow and round, is divided into three sections, one of which features hydro massage.
The 68-foot-long pool has been converted into a thalasso (therapeutic salt-water) pool as part of the resort’s New Age Thalasso-Wellness Center and Spa (spa is the Latin acronym for Sanus per Aquam meaning “health through water”) complete in July 2008. Sophisticated new “recreational” spa facilities integrated within the 1508 sq-ft surface area of this pool include four hydro-air massage chairs, four hydro massage beds, “volcanic” hydro massage systems for legs and feet, overhead water spouts for neck, shoulders and back therapy, and even a controlled water current for aerobic “swimming in place” or continuous lap swimming with no need to make turns.
Jacuzzis, both hot and cold, are in garden settings, and a separate spa center building houses massage and treatment rooms and a flotation chamber (imagine floating in the Dead Sea).
Loma del Mar’s “New-Age Thalasso-Wellness Center” is designed in collaboration with the prestigious 5-star Incosol Spa founded 35 years ago in Marbella, Spain, and is supervised by Incosol’s medical director of endocrinology and nutrition.
The poolside palapa-topped Luna de Shiva restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and is known for its innovative Asian-flair and contemporary Mexican cuisines, all prepared with fresh ingredients including catch-of-the-day seafood, choice beef and poultry, tree-ripened tropical fruits, and perfect vegetables. Just up the hill (via “chauffeured” golf cart) atop a 215-foot cliff overlooking Ixtapa’s coastline, the Restaurant La Pampa specializes in Argentine-style beef specialties and is open for dinner.
For meetings: In the suites, the vast living room has a wall-mounted 42-inch plasma TV screen to which a laptop can be connected (VGA cable provided) for presentations, internet projections (the entire resort has complimentary wifi), sales and think-tank usage, as well as international video conferencing capabilities. Next to the screen is a full home-entertainment multi-speaker audio-DVD system. Special seating can accommodate up to 20 persons for video-monitor viewing, and approximately 40 with customized setup.
Staff experts organize spectacular sunset weddings and banquets in the gardens or terraces.
Water skiing, parasailing, and windsurfing are available, and there is world-class surfing up the coast. The concierge arranges sportfishing, scuba diving, horseback riding, romantic sunset cruises, and visits to the charming bayside Mexican town of Zihuatanejo, just 4 miles down the coast.
Rates 2008 range from $485/night Luxury Suite (Summer 6/1-10/1) to $763/night Presidential Suite (Winter 12/17-03/31), single or double occupancy, plus government tax and service.
Loma del Mar is one of Mexico’s newest members of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
Sales and marketing for Loma del Mar are under the auspices of Miami-based VDS Marketing; 848 Brickell Avenue; Miami FL 33131; tel (305) 377-1375, fax (305) 377-4461. Contact director Michael Cojocea at mike@vdsmarketing.com (VDS Marketing previously owned and marketed the former Villa del Sol resort in neighboring Zihuatanejo.)
Executive Director of Loma del Mar is Victor Alazraki. General Manager is José Ernesto Montilla, Reservations: contact Esperanza Rios, toll-free from USA (866) 496-1082, or +52 (755) 555-0460, fax +52 (755) 55-0461 res@lomadelmar.com
Resort website: www.lomadelmar.com
Address: LOMA DEL MAR; Ixtapa-Zihuatanajo (Guerrero) 40880, Mexico
Media relations: Frank (“Pancho”) Shiell / Shiell Communications, New York; tel (212) 242-2204, fax (212) 504-2662 fshiell@verizon.net
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