Best of the best

Guest: Lorne jaci and Jaye (South Surrey)
Date of Stay: 01/15/12 Review Submitted: 02/01/12

Having just returned from Andrew's and JoAnnes Bay View Grand condo we can only say it was truly relaxful with the waving Palms in front of the large balcony with view .It is everything and more that previous guests have written about. The Condo hotel is very secure ,spotless and so was the unit . Andrew is a man of his word and answers all and every question promptly . This couple truly care about their guests and have seen to their every need . Another plus is the restaurants are just across the street and do they know how to please the tourist. We won't say we will be returning as we are. You will love this charming area . Thanks again Andrew and JoAnne for making our holiday content and happy . Lorne ,jaci and Jaye

Owner response:Jaci, thanks for the positive comments! See you next January! I've held your dates for 2013. I'm so glad you enjoyed your stay, Ixtapa gets under your skin... Cheers, Andrew.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, people with disabilities, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

Paradise

Guest: Manny (Cd Juarez Chihuahua, Mexico)
Date of Stay: 07/08/11 Review Submitted: 07/18/11

Family and I just left Ixtapa-beautiful, beautiful place! Andrew and Joanna's place was beautifully furnished and had all one needs to be comfortable and enjoy a wonderful vacation. Would recommend this place to anyone. Fact, recommended to brother-he rented and loved Andrew and Joanna's other rental condo. Both places where wondefull! Andrew answered all questions promptly... Thanks Andrew and Joanna!

Owner response:Manuel, Thanks for taking the time to review our condo. I'm very pleased both our condo's met your needs, my wife and I have put a lot of effort into making both our Ixtapa condo's a 5 star experience. We have traveled to many high end resorts and we know what we like I'm glad you both liked it!!!!! Hasta Luego

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, people with disabilities, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Highly Recommended

Guest: Andre (Victoria, BC)
Date of Stay: 05/24/11 Review Submitted: 06/09/11

Had a great stay, from the staff to the place itself.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

The listing was exactly as promised. The beds were comfortable, everything was clean.

Guest: The Chicks (Penticton BC Canada)
Date of Stay: 03/19/11 Review Submitted: 04/12/11

We had a great time at the BV Grand. The free phone and WiFi was an excellent ad on. We were able to stay in touch with our businesses and relax knowing if we were needed our employees could call or email. The unit is beautifully decorated. The owners were very helpful. Thank you - we'll be back.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

lovely slice of paradise

Guest: teachers that love to travel (Kirkland, WA)
Date of Stay: 04/03/11 Review Submitted: 04/11/11

Just got back from a weeks stay at the condo It was a great location and a beautiful condo. I have been to Mexico over 10 times, this is my first time to this area and I love it. Looking forward to coming back sometime soon. Ixtapa was fairly quiet but that was fine with us. The pools were great and the beach was beautiful too. All of the restaurants Andrew and Jo recommended were amazing and we found most of the prices were better than quoted. Taking a cab into Zhijuat is a must as that town is very cute and fun to visit. Thanks for all of your assistance and sharing your wonderful place. I would definitely come back and would love to stay there again.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

Ixtapa - Our Home Away from Home

Guest: Bill and Sue (Lake Odessa, MI/USA)
Date of Stay: 03/05/11 Review Submitted: 03/22/11

We got back a week ago from paradise in Ixtapa (it truly is paradise)! This was our 6th vacation to Ixtapa, however, just our 1st time staying in a condo. Andrew and Joanne's 2 bedroom condo was perfect for us, as we brought our family with us this year. The Bay View Grand Residential was a perfect location for us to visit the Ixtapa restaurants and shops. We loved the entire BVG complex - the pools were gorgeous, and the restaurant by the pool was exceptional and very reasonably priced. The condo itself was beautifully furnished and very comfortable. The terrace is lovely and we spent most of our mornings drinking coffee there (overlooking the pools and the ocean). The condo is on the north side of the building so is perfect for sunsets and was quieter than the south side of the building. One morning we went for our usual walk on the beach and saw a baby sea turtle making it's way to the ocean. We couldn't believe it - something we're definitely not going to see in Michigan! We love to snorkel so we always spend time at Las Gatas Beach in Zihuatanejo. It's an easy bus or taxi ride to the Zihuatanejo pier and a water taxi to Las Gatas Beach. Once we arrive we always go to El Arrecife restaurant to see Jose whom we have gotten to know over the years. He always provides the best service and the best grilled fish we have ever eaten. Two of our other favorite restaurants in Zihuatanejo are El Mare and Coconuts. The food and ambiance are spectacular. In Ixtapa, we love going to Emilio's (wonderful pizza and salads) and Momma Norma and Deborah's is good for any meal of the day. The people from Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo are so friendly and helpful. We always want to learn more Spanish before we go, however, if we don't, we never have a language barrier. There are so many people who speak English that it is always easy to communicate. We only stayed in Ixtapa for a week this year so we were quite sad when we had to leave, but we are retired now and plan to spend the month of February next year in Andrew and Joanne's one bedroom condo at the Bay View Grand Marina. We can't wait!! Thank you Andrew and Joanne for sharing your piece of paradise with us!

Owner response:Bill, Sue, What a great review! It is always nice to hear that we are not the only one's who love the people, culture and food in Ixtapa and Zihua. It is truly a remarkable place in the world not just for its natural beauty but also the people. Thanks for writing it so eloquently. A.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children.

A Slice of Paradise

Guest: Tequila (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/21/11 Review Submitted: 03/07/11

We have just returned from out second vacation at this condo . The property is immaculate and the condo is exactly as described. It is well appointed and very clean. The pictures are a true reflection of the amentities. We have managed our bookings directly with the owner who has been very helpful and responsive to any and all inquiries. I would highly recommend this property. It is close to shopping,entertaiment and restaurants. The Marina is about a 30 minute stroll away or an 8 peso bus ride. The restaurants at the Marina are fabulous. Try "Che Mangiamo" and La Galleon. In Ixtapa, Raphaello's and the Blue Shrimp are well worth a visit. The condo snack bar poolisde is also very good for lunch and daytime snacks. Very reasonable prices. This complex attracts an older clientele. There is not much of a party atmosphere but lots of great people to meet and talk with and of course plenty of time for fun in the sun, sand, pools and ocean.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, people with disabilities, age 55+.

Bay View Grand 165620

Guest: Al (Az)
Date of Stay: 01/22/11 Review Submitted: 02/10/11

The condo is wonderful. The veranda is large with a jacuzzi built in. It is a wonderful place to stay. The grounds are beautiful as well as the pool. Service at the snack bar is friendly. We have stayed at other places in Ixtapa and the Bay View Grand is by far the best.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with young children.

Bay View Grand Condo

Guest: KATI (San MIguel de Allende, Mexico and Boulder CO.)
Date of Stay: 12/11/10 Review Submitted: 12/22/10

The condo at the Bay View Grand was lovely. The Condo was immaculate and beautifully furnished. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The view is exceptional from the terrace. The staff was excellent and we enjoyed the people at the little bar, where we ate breakfast daily. What the meals lacked, the staff's personalities made up for and service was great. The beach is beautiful and the ocean warm. We were fortunate to be there in a week that was not crowded, so that made it much more enjoyable. The only bad thing was the people who were hustling for the Pacifica ("Private Club"). They were everywhere and relentless. Their buffet isn't bad however! We were not really happy with the restaurants that we went to. Guess they were the wrong ones, but they are all close and most were very high priced - at least as much as we pay in the US for better quality food. (I just though that $70 pesos for a small glass of wine was over the top.) I have a restaurant in San Miguel, and I "wish" we could charge such prices. We did like "Reuben's which is a hamburger place. The service was excellent and the food was excellent, as well. In all, Ixtapa is beautiful and Ziuhatenajo is wonderful. I recommend the trip to this beautiful area, and this beautiful Condo.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, people with disabilities, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

The perfect vacation spot

Guest: Kymm (Mexico City. Mexico)
Date of Stay: 10/30/10 Review Submitted: 11/09/10

Our family stayed in Andrew's condo recently and of all our trips to Ixtapa (4 so far) we found his place to be the best by far. We were 4 people. My husband and I took the spacious master bedroom and my mother and our daughter shared the guest room. This was a perfect arrangement as my mom had the large bed and my daughter loved the bunk bed set up. The Bay View building is perfectly situated - literally a 5 min walk to everything important. The condo and the building are well maintained. Best of all, the rates for the extra services are completely reasonable (e.g., the spa charged me only $230 MXP (approx. $20 USD) for a fabulous 60 min message). We hired a cook (Elie) and while we dined in some of the best restaurants in town (Villa de la Selva, Tentaciones, etc.) our best meals were the ones prepared by Elie in our condo. Since Elie did all the grocery shopping and clean up on the nights she cooked for us, we got great value in hiring her. One other great thing about the condo is the presence of the little "extras" like boogie boards, noodles for the swimming pools, yoga mat, etc. which helped make the whole experience complete. Andrew also reasonably prices his condo v. other Bay View properties so we felt we got great value from him as well. Overall, we had a great experience renting this condo and would highly recommend it to others.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.