This was published 13 years ago
Fun is back in Acapulco
Once a playground for the jet set, then a byword for seediness, this classic resort city is making a comeback, writes Aaron Peasley.
Renovation rescue ... after a lengthy redesign, the Hotel Boca Chica blends nostalgia with first-rate comfort.
''ACAPULCO is back, sexier than ever,'' declares one of the entrepreneurs behind the super-cool Hotel Boca Chica, Carlos Couturier. We're sharing watermelon margaritas, platters of tuna ceviche and spicy soft-shell crab rolls at the hotel's excellent Japanese-inflected restaurant, a laid-back, waterfront affair shaded by a huge tropical palapa.
Here, far from the bump and grind of the notoriously cheesy tourist strip, it's difficult to imagine that the city fell so deeply out of favour with the jet set: super yachts dwarf the colourful fishing boats and the flickering lights of La Roqueta Island dance in the distance.
Acapulco, as Couturier explains, was certainly due for a makeover. Combining the spectacular geography of Monaco with a Latin soul, Acapulco - first settled by the Aztecs and later transformed from sleepy fishing community to shipping hub - was destined to be a star. And as anyone familiar with the mechanics of Hollywood knows, stars draw in other stars and Acapulco drew them all: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, John Wayne, the Kennedys, Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin. The blend of escapist architecture, glamorous hotels sculpted into jagged cliff tops and a permissive party policy proved irresistible. The resort has been immortalised in songs, TV shows, movies and plays such as Tennessee Williams's The Night of the Iguana. The carefree glamour and stunning natural backdrop, captured magnificently in several Slim Aarons photographs, wasn't to last. By the 1970s Liz, Dick et al dropped the resort for more stylish shores and Acapulco, increasingly accessible from Mexico City, fell victim to mass tourism: ugly towers, cheap shopfronts slinging all-you-can-drink frozen margaritas and trashy, neon-lit clubs.
But even the most washed-up actor can make a comeback. And Acapulco seems to be doing just that with a clutch of cool hotels, extravagant restaurants and design-conscious boutiques. Boca Chica, the newest and coolest of the bunch, opened late last year after a lengthy renovation. The hotel - the latest project from the Habita group, known for its affordable and hipster-friendly hotels throughout Mexico - blends the spirit of nostalgia with the comforts of a first-rate boutique hotel.
It has been a smash hit. ''We wanted to preserve the original feel of the hotel but at the same time bring it to 2010,'' Couturier says. The 1954-built modernist building, prominently featured in the Elvis Presley film Fun in Acapulco, in which he plays a former trapeze artist afraid of heights, had great bones, even after two decades of disrepair. Habita tapped Frida Escobedo and Jose Rojas to redesign the public spaces and guest rooms, giving them the clean feel of a Habita hotel but adding an insouciant wink.
''We bought vintage furniture during three years in flea markets in Mexico and got plenty of inspiration from old photos from the archives of the hotel,'' Couturier says. ''We custom-ordered the china from an old Colombian factory and bought an old boat to take our guests across to La Roqueta Island or take them waterskiing. We want to bring back the glamour of this beautiful bay.''
You can tell the owners have paid particular attention to the on-site restaurant, which is near the requisite kidney-shaped pool (is there any other kind in Acapulco?). Helmed by chef Keisuke Harada, who worked at Bond St, New York's temple of sushi, the kitchen turns out Latin interpretations of Japanese dishes and has a full sushi bar and takeaway counter.
The food is delicious, sourced from fresh local ingredients and composed with thought; it's just the kind of food you want to be eating on a warm-weather holiday. Life is so considered within Boca Chica's carefully art-directed world - the plush bedding, historically accurate design details - that life beyond the gate can feel chaotic.
The city is home to more than 750,000 people and hasn't been immune to Mexico's devastating narco-violence, with the city appearing in a number of recent, grisly headlines. While the turmoil certainly isn't good for business, local tourism experts point out that the violence hasn't affected any foreign tourism and, by and large, the visitor feels safe.
Architecturally, Acapulco is a giant pastiche. From modernism to colonial Spanish, the spectacular backdrop has inspired buildings of great style and creativity as well as plenty of blunders. In the hills surrounding Boca Chica there are several low-slung modernist homes that look as if they've been uninhabited for years.
I was surprised to learn that one of my favourite architects, John Lautner, designed a vast weekend retreat for a wealthy Mexican family. Resembling a James Bond-style lair, the house, surrounded by a two-metre-wide moat, resembles a giant clam opening up to swallow in the stupendous views of Acapulco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
Elsewhere, the aesthetic often dips into tropical kitsch territory. One evening we set out along the Escenica, the city's scenic highway, which ribbons through the hills like LA's Mulholland Drive. After failing to get a table at Becco Al Mare, the chic see-and-be-seen Italian restaurant that has become extremely popular with Mexico's rich and famous, we end up at Bellavista, the restaurant at Las Brisas, a famous old hotel at the southern end of Acapulco Bay.
Despite its recent renovation, during which the rooms were redesigned and rid of their Pepto-Bismol-pink satin bathrobes, the place still has a Joan Collins vibe courtesy of the pink jeeps, piano player and free-flowing pink margaritas. Laugh if you must but there's no arguing that the hotel's view of the horseshoe-shaped bay is hard to match.
Another aesthetic layer was introduced with the arrival of Banyan Tree Cabo Marques, a recent addition to the hotel scene, built from scratch on the swish Zona Diamante. The Pacific Coast of Mexico may seem like an unexpected choice for the Singapore-based group known for its exquisite Asian design and sumptuous spas but the hotel works marvellously. With mini carts on hand to deliver you to your villa, staff who know your name instantly and a lavish spa, there's little to worry about other than the question of where you will watch the sunset - from your massive hot tub or the villa's private plunge pool? This five-star retreat is perfect for couples, with its position carved into the rocky coastline.
Back at Boca Chica, after a languorous day of lunch, sunbathing and cocktails, we decide to take the hotel's boat for a spin to La Quebrada, the site of the famous cliff divers. Here is one tourist ritual that's not likely to go anywhere soon - the sight of a diver leaping 40 metres into a narrow inlet is mesmerising, particularly when witnessed by boat.
When we return to the resort, the party has begun. A DJ from Spain takes to the decks and the internationally, indisputably glamorous crowd is soon dancing.
''The traditional Acapulco is a mix of Tel Aviv, Rio, Punta del Este [Uruguay] or Beirut,'' Couturier says, ''all of them in one single space''. As the evening winds into the early hours and the music goes from loud to bone-rattling, it is hard to disagree with him.
Three (other) things to do
1. Old Acapulco Dip into the city's rich history with a visit to Acapulco's historic core, which features footpath restaurants, a buzzing zocalo (main square), souvenir stands and local mariachi bands.
2. Dolores Olmedo House Once the home of one of Mexico's biggest art patrons, this private home is where the artist Diego Rivera passed away. The home's exterior features the acclaimed muralist's last finished work, a depiction of an Aztec god.
3. Mercado Municipal There's no shortage of kitsch within this market favoured by the locals, positioned a little out of the way from the central tourist zone. It's worth the trip: wander the maze of vendors selling fruit and vegetables; pick up an authentic pinata or pick from handmade souvenirs. Calle Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and Av. Constituyentes.
Trip notes
Getting there
United Airlines provides daily non-stop flights between Sydney and Los Angeles. 131 777, unitedairlines.com.au. United and several other North American carriers operate flights from LA to Acapulco's Alvarez International Airport, the majority via Mexico City.
Getting around
The city features a surprisingly efficient and easy-to-use bus system. All major car-rental companies are represented at the airport and if you do decide to tackle the mad traffic of Acapulco, take precautions and do not plan to park anywhere near the centre of the city. Whenever possible, arrange transfers and excursions through your hotel.
Staying there
Acapulco hotels run the gamut from true five-star retreats to shabby beach inns. The super-cool Hotel Boca Chica is positioned adjacent to Playa Caletilla (52 744 482 7879; hotel-bocachica.com, rooms from $US97.20, or $95.50, a night). For pricey seclusion, reserve a villa at Banyan Tree Cabo Marques, sited on the upscale Zona Diamante (52 744 434 0100; banyantree.com, rooms from $US565 a night). Old-school, if slightly kitsch, glamour reigns at Hotel las Brisas (52 744 469 6900; brisashotelonline.com, rooms from $US233 a night).
See + Do
Acapulco's most iconic attraction, the La Quebrada cliff divers (clavadistas), perform five times a day. Secure platforms offer great views of the spectacle, as does a table at the La Perla restaurant within the El Mirador Hotel.
A 10-minute boat ride from Caleta Beach, La Roqueta Island has hiking trails, excellent bays for snorkelling and a zoo with exotic animals.
More information
visitmexico.com; visitacapulco.com.mx/english/home.php.
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