Club Med Ixtapa Review: An All-Inclusive Family Vacation
Savvy Travel Life contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of the links below, I receive compensation at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services we use and trust. Read my disclaimer for more information.
Considering Club Med Ixtapa for Your Next Family Vacation?
If you’re a parent hunting for an all-inclusive family vacation spot in Mexico, chances are you’ve stumbled upon Club Med. While many have heard of Club Med Cancun, there is another Club Med Mexico spot that is lesser known yet equally magical for families – Club Med Ixtapa.
Would I recommend Club Med Cancun for your next family vacation?
Over the years, we have visited Club Med Ixtapa four times (!) with young kids, and it holds a special place in our hearts for its unique vibe, excellent weather, and thoughtful accommodations designed for families.
If you’re a parent planning a family vacation and dreaming of reliable weather, a safe beach, and a resort that caters to young families, read my honest review below.
Review of Club Med Ixtapa
In this review, I cover accommodation, kids club, beach, pools, activities and food to help you decide whether Club Med Ixtapa just might be the perfect place for your next family trip.
Location & Weather
Club Med Ixtapa is located on Mexico’s Pacific coast, near the larger town of Zihuatanejo. The resort is about a 40-minute drive from Zihuatanejo International Airport.
Not as many families have discovered this Ixtapa resort, which is shocking given the amazing weather. One of the biggest draws for us was the consistently warm and sunny weather during the winter months.
The winter months are considered the dry season and you can expect sunshine every day. During our visits in January and February, the weather was hot, 89F and no cloud or rain in sight. By mid-afternoon, it almost was too hot to be outside – perfect time for a brief indoor siesta!
Coming from a cold winter climate, an escape to a place with guaranteed warm weather is a huge factor in choosing our family vacation destinations.
Resort Size
Club Med Ixtapa is a smaller resort overall, although the footprint never feels crowded. The resort has an intimate feel, which made our children feel especially comfortable when they were younger.
The rooms are spread throughout the property in four-storey buildings but everything is close enough that isn’t a long walk to get anywhere. No shuttles are required here. There’s also plenty of green space for the kids to run around and explore.
Rooms
Parents Room – photo credit: Club Med 
Kids room – photo credit: Club Med
We first chose Club Med Ixtapa specifically for its family-friendly room layout. We liked staying in the Superior Family Room, which there are many of at Club Med Ixtapa. These rooms have two separate areas connected by a folding door, which was a lifesaver for us when our kids were little.
On one side of the room, there was a spacious area for our two kids, each with their own bed (plus a third pull-out bed if you have another child). The parents’ side was equally roomy and had plenty of storage space for our stuff.
The bathroom can be accessed from either side, making middle-of-the-night trips to the washroom less disruptive.
I will say the rooms felt a bit dated but the layout and practicality more than made up for it. While rooms at other resorts are more luxurious, families here prefer the family-friendly room design and services over luxury amenities.
With this room layout, the kids could nap or chill in their own space, and we had privacy when we needed it. That balance is so important on a family trip so that everyone has a chance to relax while on holiday.
Baby Club, Kids Club & Teen Club
One of the main reasons parents choose Club Med is for their exceptional baby and kids clubs. Club Med has set the standard for kids clubs. I have yet to see another resort chain do it as well as they do.
Many parents will agree that the tradeoff for less fancy rooms at Ixtapa is for their childcare and variety of activities offered for kids.
Baby Club For Kids 4 to 23 Months
As a new parent, I was blown away by the Baby Club experience. I was pleasantly surprised by how much the resort caters to babies, realizing I totally overpacked baby food and other essentials. The resort provided a stroller, pack-and-play, high chair and a baby food bar in the main buffet.
Our 11-month-old spent most of her waking hours with us but during nap time, she went to the baby club. I was hesitant to leave her there, but honestly, it was a highlight of our day.
Our daughter could nap in an air-conditioned, supervised building, just beside the pool area. If staff ever needed us (which they didn’t), we were just a stone’s throw away, so reassuring for us.
My husband and I could have some time on our own by the pool – amazing and rare for new parents. That alone was worth its weight in gold.
Extra charge: Club Meds charge extra for the Baby and Petite Clubs for children up to age 4. You can sign up for the entire week when you book. When we were there, we only paid for the days we used since we were unsure if we would use it all. I would check to see if this is still an option.
Kids Club
Club Med Ixtapa’s Kids Club was very engaging. Our kids would go for a couple of hours in the morning or afternoon, depending on the activities. Some families sent their kids for the entire day, but I felt that was too long, especially since we were there to vacation with our kids.
The kids were able to take part in sports, cooking, art, archery and a big highlight was the trapeze area (circus school), which our older daughter was thrilled to try.
Teen Club
Our kids were too young for the Teen Club but we knew some other teens who took part. There aren’t as many places to hangout so the teen club is a good place to meet new kids and do activities together during their stay. We often saw the teens travelling as a pack, having fun, throughout the week.
I do think given the smaller size of the resort that older kids may get a bit bored, especially with one main pool area.
Activities & Entertainment
Club Med Ixtapa’s activities have a community feel that we really enjoyed. There’s something to do every afternoon with your kids, whether it’s tie-dying, scavenger hunts, or pinata parties. The smaller scale means the activities feel more personal and less overwhelming for young kids.
For water lovers, the calm bay is perfect for kayaking and sailing lessons, which the older kids could take with the G.O. staff.
Evening entertainment is pretty consistent, with the same format every week. Nightly evening shows that our kids insisted on attending were scheduled after their bedtime and were just okay.
The week’s evening show highlight is the kids club performance, where you get to see your own child up on stage. Club Med likes routine but it was a bit tiresome to see the same evening shows year after year.
Beach & Ocean
Club Med makes sure to find the best property for its hotels. One of Club Med Ixtapa’s biggest perks is its private bay beach. A friend stayed at another Ixtapa resort and said that they couldn’t go in the ocean at all because of the choppy water.
But not as this resort because of its bay location.
The water is beautiful, perfect for wave riding but calm enough for swimming and kayaking. We didn’t have to worry about seaweed, which was a pleasant surprise.
The calm water and sheltered beach made it safe and relaxing with young children.
This stretch of golden sand is peaceful with no other resorts crowding the shoreline, which is amazing. It’s a sizeable beach but not long enough for extended walks, which suited us fine as our kids could only walk so far anyway.
If you’re lucky, you might even spot sea turtles on the beach, which was a memorable experience for our kids.
And did I mention the sunsets? Beach sunsets are gorgeous. No complaints here.
Pools
Photo credit: Club Med 
The resort has one main pool area, with a smaller pool for young kids and a larger pool next to it for the rest of the resort. There are lifeguards at both pools, which you don’t always find at other resorts. There is also a wading pool in the Mini Club area.
As our kids got older, they wanted to swim in the larger, deeper pool. The only drawback is that the shallow end is still quite deep, so there’s no way they can stand in unless they are over 5 feet tall.
We always found chairs at the pool and spent a lot of time in the refreshing pool water. The pool area never felt crowded yet it was busy, the hub of activity.
The resort runs aquafit classes in the pool and we had fun joining staff poolside for the famous Hands Up Club Med song and dance.
Food & Restaurants
If there’s one thing that consistently impresses us about Club Med, it’s the food and Ixtapa did not disappoint. Club Med prides itself on transforming the buffet experience into something more elevated and offering creative options that are far from boring.
As Club Med Ixtapa is a smaller resort, there are fewer dining options, but we were always pleased with the food. We ate breakfast and most lunches in the main buffet, which has both indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the ocean. We especially enjoyed sipping cappuccinos as we took in the beautiful morning ocean views.
Toward the end of the lunch service, we’d sneak back in for ice cream snacks. Most dinners featured a themed cuisine night, which added variety throughout the week.
A special shout-out to the buffet manager, who would go out of his way to bring us food from the kitchen that was not part of the menu. (I like to have anchovies with my eggs).
Lunch and dinner is also available at beachside restaurant, Miramar, though the menu is more limited. We found it was a better option for a late afternoon snack. All the food was great, but yes, it can get tiresome after a week of buffet eating.
A highlight here that truly sets Club Med Ixtapa apart is the White Night Dinner. It’s held on the resort’s large outdoor field and is truly beautiful. There are white tables and chairs set up for guests to enjoy dinner outside during sunset.
The sunsets here are spectacular.
Everyone dresses in white and there are live musical performances while food is served at various stations. It was a fun and special way to switch up the typical resort dining experience.
FAQs
Is Club Med Ixtapa Focused on Luxury or Family Comfort?
Club Med Ixtapa’s focus is on kid-friendly services, and that is more important to families who stay here than luxury services offered at other resorts. It’s difficult for families with young children to find other resorts that offer the same high-quality child care, rooms designed with families in mind, and food that caters to young children.
Who Will Enjoy Club Med Ixtapa The Most?
Club Med Ixtapa’s small size, calm water and kid-friendly amenities make it best for families with young children. Older children and teens may start to outgrow the resort.
Savvy Summary – Is Club Med Ixtapa The Right Fit For Your Family Vacation?
If you want a family-friendly resort that feels like a peaceful home away from home with plenty of sunshine, warm weather, and a truly exceptional kids club, Club Med Ixtapa should be at the top of your list.
It’s especially great for families with younger kids who benefit from the intimate resort size and thoughtful room layouts.
The private bay beach, calm water, and community activities make it a relaxing, memorable vacation spot.
Add in the beautiful White Night Dinner and consistently good food, and you have a recipe for a family trip you’ll want to repeat, just as we did for several years!
➡️Club Med Ixtapa is currently under renovation and will not re-open until mid-December 2025.
Still can’t decide? Here are my reviews of other family-friendly all-inclusive resorts:
