Check availability at Krystal Ixtapa All Inclusive
Your dates carry over to every other resort you look at.
Check AvailabilityWe may earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. This never affects which resorts we list or how we rank them.
Krystal Ixtapa All Inclusive is a family-friendly all-inclusive resort in Ixtapa, Mexico with 255 rooms. Amenities include Beach, Buffet Dining, Diving, Fishing and Golf Course. Travelers rate it 4/5 across 8,694 Google reviews.
Restaurants (5)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Buffet | Aquamarina cafe, Las Velas |
| Mexican | Paseo por México |
| Italian | Cinque Terre |
| International & fusion | Bogart's |
From the resort's own dining pages, checked . Only restaurants the resort lists are shown.
Amenities
Traveler Insights(428 discussions)
Krystal Ixtapa is the long-standing anchor of a resort town most Americans have not discovered, and that cuts both ways. Ixtapa was laid out by the Mexican government in the 1970s and has stayed smaller, calmer and less commercial than Cancún or Los Cabos, so the beach feels like yours, the vendors are less pushy and everything runs slower. The hotel is a 255-room, 11-floor tower directly on Bahía El Palmar, the long, wide Pacific beach that Ixtapa was built around, with two pools (one with a waterslide, one with a children's wading area) stepping down to the sand. It is a budget-to-mid all-inclusive rather than a luxury one, and the 2026 reviews read that way.
Food is where the hotel splits opinion. The a la cartes get the praise: Bogart's (gourmet, Moroccan-inspired, one dinner included on stays of three nights or more) and Paseo por México were called excellent by a January 2026 guest who found the buffet's hot food usually cold. The venue list is longer than the room count suggests: two buffets (Aquamarina Cafe for breakfast and lunch, Las Velas for breakfast and theme dinners with beach views), La Cevichería and an El Palmar seafood snack by the pool, the La Taquería food truck at night, the El Oasis snack bar, La Cantinita for sports on screen and board games, and Cinque Terre, the Italian that bills separately. Room service (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and spa treatments cost extra even on the all-inclusive, rooms have no fridge, and the practical gripes through 2026 were slow and too-few elevators, Wi-Fi that drops on the upper floors, little English at the front line and some tired buildings. Staff friendliness still gets mentioned by name in reviews, and the pools and public areas are kept clean.
It makes the most sense for travelers who actively want to escape the Cancún machine: couples who want a calm Pacific beach town, families who are fine with a waterslide and a kids pool instead of wall-to-wall entertainment, and repeat Mexico visitors who have done Cancún and Cabo. It is priced as a budget-to-mid all-inclusive, cheapest in the autumn shoulder season and highest around Christmas, and the maintenance and buffet complaints are the trade for that. Zihuatanejo, about 15 minutes away by taxi, is the best add-on on this coast for dockside seafood, and deep-sea fishing, Palma Real golf five minutes away by car, and free entrance to Christine Disco (per the tour-operator fact sheets; drinks charged) round out the stay.
Pros
- +Sits directly on Bahía El Palmar, the long, wide stretch of golden Pacific sand that Ixtapa was built around; a January 2026 guest called it very long and wide with warm water, and sunrise and sunset walks are the daily ritual
- +The a la cartes carry the food: Bogart's (gourmet, Moroccan-inspired, one dinner included on stays of three nights or more) and Paseo por México were called excellent by the same January 2026 guest who panned the buffet
- +A long venue list for a 255-room hotel: two buffets (Aquamarina Cafe and Las Velas with theme dinners), La Cevichería and the El Palmar seafood snack by the pool, the La Taquería food truck at night, the El Oasis snack bar and La Cantinita for sports on screen and board games
- +Two pools, one with a waterslide and one with a children's wading area, right above the beach; the pools and common areas are the part guests consistently describe as clean
- +Free entrance to Christine Disco, Ixtapa's long-running nightclub, is listed on the Sunwing, WestJet and Air Canada fact sheets (drinks are charged); the hotel's own site does not mention it, so confirm at check-in
- +Ixtapa itself is a purpose-built resort town from the 1970s that stays cleaner and calmer than Cancún, with far less aggressive timeshare pitching, and Zihuatanejo's fishing-village waterfront is about 15 minutes away by taxi
- +The daily entertainment team runs beach volleyball, pool games and seasonal nightly shows, there is a game area with giant chess, billiards and ping-pong, and Palma Real golf is five minutes away by car
Cons
- −The buffet is the recurring complaint: a January 2026 guest on a 14th visit said the hot food was usually cold, a March 2026 guest found no bacon or sausage at breakfast and a limited liquor selection, and theme nights do not fix the repetition
- −Room service runs 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and costs extra even on the all-inclusive plan; spa treatments, the mini market and the Grab and Go cafe are extra too
- −No in-room fridge or minibar, flagged by guests in February and March 2026
- −Too few elevators, in poor condition, for an 11-floor tower, which means long waits at meal times, plus Wi-Fi that a March 2026 guest said cut out above the fifth floor
- −Maintenance is uneven: a June 2026 guest called the buildings old and poorly maintained and rated the place three stars at most, others mention drains needing repair, and refurbishment has been piecemeal rather than comprehensive
- −Service can run thin: little English at the front line, long lines at the pool snack bar, a VIP wristband that did not deliver its promised perks for a March 2026 guest, and unfriendly waiters in one June 2026 report
- −Event noise is real: weddings and loud music have run until midnight, and the pool gets crowded with families in high season
- −Water sports are not a hotel offering: neither the official site nor the operator fact sheets list jet skis, snorkeling or windsurfing, so you book those with beach vendors or Zihuatanejo operators at their prices, and Pacific surf and currents can close the beach to swimming on red-flag days
Common Questions
How does Ixtapa compare to Cancún as a destination?
Is the Pacific beach at Krystal Ixtapa good for swimming?
What is Zihuatanejo, and is it worth visiting from the resort?
Is the Christine Disco admission benefit real?
What costs extra on the all-inclusive plan?
How should I approach a deep-sea fishing day?
Google Rating
Google Reviews
“Paseo de Mexico had pretty good food overall. The "Mini Huarache" had a great combination of steak and beans. The tacos, using the same meat, were also very good. The dessert, "Coyota," was good as well, giving a hazelnut flavor that leaves you wanti...”
“Wow!! We really enjoyed this restaurant!!! The atmosphere was amazing , the service was top notch, the food was excellent!!! They took extra special care of us for my daughter’s 15th Birthday!!! Omar & Fidel were awesome, Thank you so much!!! The...”
“The rooms were clean and most have balconies looking over the beach. The service is amazing, the staff is so friendly and helpful. As of the location the hotel is a bit away from any store or pharmacy, but they are a 10-20 minute walk away. One downs...”