With Love From Acapulco, Mexico. The Encanto Acapulco Hotel.

November 6, 2023 by Monique Williams 2 Comments

“I could live here in Acapulco”

Every person who has had the privilege to travel to a new and exciting destination has said some variation of that phrase. As cliché as that revelation was, it rang very true for my visit to Acapulco.

Ceaselessly, bounded to my books, I hadn’t really celebrated my birthday in a significant way since I started University. Now that I have graduated, I decided to take a trip to one of my dream destinations, Acapulco. Additionally, my birthday coincides with the anniversary for my blog and for my 10th year anniversary I collaborated with the beautiful 5 star hotel known as Encanto Acapulco.

Getting to Acapulco.

An 8:00 a.m. flight from Atlanta’s international airport meant I had to leave my apartment by 5:30 a.m. Naturally as a Caribbean person, I left at 4:50 a.m. To my unwitting surprise, no one was at the airport. After chopping it up with an unusually friendly group of TSA officers, I headed to my gate for my flight to Mexico City. 2 hours til take off and I decided to peruse breakfast options near by my departure gate. Before I knew it, it was time to shuffle down a thin aisle, carry-on in hand and embark on a 3 hour journey.

As the plane descended, I peeped out of the airplane window. Miles and miles and miles of strategic city planning glazed over my eyes. Mexico City was breathtaking from an aerial point of view, I couldn’t imagine how beautiful it would be to walk the streets of it. I had not even arrived at my final destination for this trip and I had already created a travel itinerary for CDMX in my head. Our 2 hour layover was spent in the Centurion Lounge at the Benito Juárez International Airport, and it was a precursor to the level of service and treatment we experienced throughout this vacation. 3 tequila shots in and it was time to find our departure gate for our final flight to Acapulco.

The Arrival to Encanto Acapulco.

Acapulco was a short but scenic route from Mexico City. Rolling hills caressed by a coast line is the best way to describe Acapulco. After we grabbed our bags off of the conveyor belt, our driver Fernando met up with us. My skin acclimated to the tropical atmosphere rather quickly as if I’d been away from home and returned. After Fernando secured the luggage into the vehicle, it was time to make it to our last stop, Encanto Acapulco.

Encanto Acapulco tucked away into the hillsides.

As we meandered through the hillsides of Escencia, we finally arrived to the neighborhood of Las Brisas. I suddenly stopped breathing. No article, review, picture or video prepared me for how speechless I would be in that very moment. I caught a glimpse of Fernando in the rear view mirror as my eyes darted around trying to compute the beauty I was witnessing. Fernando smirked as if he accomplished his biggest task for the day, bringing me “home”.

The entrance to Encanto Acapulco

White Austere Geometric elements surrounded by nature.

Meeting the family.

With my mouth still agape and my mind still overwhelmed with beauty, I hadn’t realize the car door was opened for me. “Señorita Williams?” I heard faintly. Uriel, the hotel’s porter greeted us with a bubbly smile, akin to your favorite cousin seeing you again. Our luggage went one direction while Uriel guided us to the reception area to begin our check in process. As Wendy sorted the particulars, “Tequila?” asked Uriel. He quickly mixed our welcome drinks and before we knew it, we were being guided to our new home for the next few days.

The Hotel.

The city of Acapulco is hugged by the Pacific Ocean. Architect Miguel Angél Aragonés made certain that every inch of Encanto Acapulco had a view, a glimpse of the ocean. The white “austere geometric” design of this hotel juxtaposed with the natural environment created an eternal provoking feeling. Provoking in the sense that each footstep was met with something breathtaking, amazing, astonishing. In collaboration with Gustavo Avilés, these two artists “created their own language of architecture and light that introduced a sophisticated use of color” said Architect Magazine. The seamless transitions between interior and exterior spaces created an open-air feel unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. With just 44 suites, Encanto Acapulco felt like we were the only ones there.

Pool Area.

Library.

Pool Area.

The Ocean Balcony Suite.

Following our welcome drinks, Uriel took us to our room. The shocked expression hadn’t left my face since I arrived. As he opened the door my shocked expression became more prominent. Elegant marble tiling was used generously through out the room. From the floors, to the bed frame, on which billowy yet crisp, white linen rested on. Every element of the room ran seamlessly into one another, creating a cohesive color and texture palette. The floor to ceiling windows allowed the bright Acapulco sun to shine into our room. L’Occitane lemon grass scents lightly caressed my nose as I peered at every nook and cranny of this outstanding room. Our suite had a huge terrace that overlooked the bay and Pacific Ocean, equipped with a day bed and lounge chairs for easy relaxation.

Expect turndown service every night.

Origen and Terraza.

Encanto Acapulco has two restaurants named Origen and Terrazza which serves dinner and breakfast/lunch respectively. The impeccable service of the staff combined with the beautiful aesthetic of each restaurant and their respective views created an intimate dining experience.

Since we ate everything in sight at the Centurion Lounge, our first meal at Encanto Acapulco was dinner. Nothing could have prepared me for the attentive service we would receive from the staff. Something as minuscule as water residue dripping from my glass would be wiped right away without me even saying a word or even noticing! Every single meal consumed at this hotel was exquisite.

Intimate setting at Origen.

The Pool at Encancto Acapulco.

I’d be lying if I said the pool isn’t the main reason I decided to go to Acapulco. Its grandiose yet intricate design simply compliments the hotel and its natural surroundings. Everyday we laid and relaxed in one of the many cabanas, each strategically placed for the perfect view of Acapulco bay. We also ate lunch here everyday as opposed to sitting down at Terrazza.

Cabana chilling.

The Spa and Gym.

For my birthday, one of the gifts I received from my boyfriend was an hour long massage at the breathtaking Mar Abierto Spa located at the hotel. After breakfast, I frantically headed to the top floor to meet up with my masseuse since I was a bit late. She gave me a brief tour of all the amenities offered at the spa. I chose the open-air massage room for my treatment and in no time, the massage began. The moment she touched my body, I started to slip into a deep sleep. After the massage was over, I decided to indulge in one of the spa amenities offered and relaxed for another hour.

After my massage.

The gym with motivating views!

Donations for Hurricane/Huracan Otis.

Now for the important part. 24 hours after I left the beautiful city and community known as Acapulco, a category 5 hurricane named Otis came in and destroyed this beautiful place. If you remember, back in 2017, I went through a simillar situation when category 5 Hurricane Irma swept through the BVI and took everything. With that being said, If you’d like to donate to assist in the recovery of the beautiful people of Acapulco, click the following links. Every donation is greatly appreciated.

Cid Nava, my friend – Gofundme.

Foundation Origen – Foundation Origen.

Thank you everyone for reading this blog. I hope you liked it and I hope you find it in your heart to donate to the beautiful people of Acapulco. Miguel, Wendy, Uriel, Jose Angel, Cid, Neftali and the people of Acapulco, you are all in my prayers.