June 26, 2008

LATIN AMERICA | MEXICO | ACAPULCO

Acapulco in Ascendancy

By Mark Jolly

The rebirth of a Mexican legend.

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Despite the flooding, despite the sewage stink, despite the spate of fatal shark attacks, Acapulco is on a roll. And it better be. For most of the past decade, we’ve heard promises of the Mexico beach town’s rebirth while other Pacific coast hotspots have stolen its star — Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit, Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo and, more recently, Puerto Escondido and the Costa Chica. But now, with a real injection of cash and infrastructure, the town that became virtually a byword for package tourism is clawing its way back.

Last month, Mexican President Felipe Calderon pledged $70 million to “rescue” Acapulco from its sewage-splattered beaches that were once the playground of the Rat Pack, the Kennedys and Elizabeth Taylor. Meanwhile, two new hotel projects are slated to open this year that are set to revitalize the resort with a stamp of sophistication not seen since the 50s — the clifftop Banyan Tree Punta Diamante and a 54-room retreat by Grupo Habita (the red-hot boutique hoteliers responsible for Hotel Deseo in Playa del Carmen and La Purificadora in Puebla).

There’s no denying Acapulco Bay is still lined with the faceless tourist dross that sealed its reputation as a center for spring breakers and honeymooners seeking two-for-one margaritas in the sun. But away from the town thoroughfare, a shift is already afoot, with glitzy new restaurants and nightclubs (such as Zuntra and Becco al Mar) opening along the coastal Carretera Escénica.

Even Acapulco’s classic digs are getting a nip-and-tuck: Formerly the private retreat of John Paul Getty, the Fairmont Pierre Marques (pool pictured) has just completed a top-to-bottom overhaul that includes a $3 million revamp of its Robert Trent Jones Jr. 
golf course. And at the A-list love compound, Las Brisas (pictured), each of the 251 hillside casitas (many with private pool) have also been restyled. If you fancy the private beach club, it has two saltwater pools, a swim-up bar, and the beckoning ocean. But if you want to know if it’s safe to go back in the water, the new Acapulco might not be for you: for now, at least, insiders don’t do the beach; they stick to the party circuit at their villas.