1	Escape Seeing stars in Acapulco. read more...
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Escape

Seeing Stars

Mexico’s tourism mecca, Acapulco, is ready for a comeback.
The city that once lured Hollywood’s finest in the 1960s has cast its eyes on today’s travelers and has launched the perfect scheme to entice them.

Fire, smoke and flashing lights envelop the stage within minutes after spectators sink into a cushioned orchestra seats at the Forum, Acapulco’s newest entertainment venue. But the billowing smoke and blasts of flames are no reason to evacuate the building; the dramatic effects are simply setting the stage for a group of athletic dancers, who are in turn getting the audience pumped up for a lively concert by Mexican pop star Yuri.
This songstress is just one of an international lineup of performers to take to the stage since the Forum opened last year, and she’s doing it in grand style. Of course, seeing stars in Acapulco is far from a new concept. Mexico’s original jet set destination first made headlines, after all, when celebrities began landing here back in the middle of the 20th century. Big names from around the world have come here to rest, relax, honeymoon and shoot movies.
In recent decades, Acapulco lost some of its luster, as newer mega-resorts—like Cancún, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos—upgraded their reputations and hotel offerings. Add to that this year’s swine flu scare, concerns about drug-trafficking violence and the global economic downturn, and you’ll begin to understand the challenges that Acapulco has faced. But like any good actress who’s been around a while, this city by the bay is resolutely focused on a comeback. And with ambitious new developments underway, Acapulco just may be the next hot destination for vacationers.
Growth Mode
The Forum, which opened in November 2008, is part of Mundo Imperial, a giant project — already 60 percent finished — that aims to turn Acapulco into a Las Vegas-style destination. A wide pedestrian walkway lined with Vegas-sized, Roman-inspired statues leads from the theater to what will be a massive convention center and an 800-room luxury hotel—perfect for housing the big-name performers who are already taking to the stage here. For now, celebrities like Yuri, Olga Tañon and Yanni, who have all performed here, stay at the Fairmont Acapulco Princess. This large hotel complex offers some of the city’s newest upscale accommodations in The Pearl, a fully renovated, 210-room tower that debuted this year with contemporary décor, cheery accents and iPod docks in every room.
Both the Acapulco Princess and the Forum are landmarks in a fast-growing area known as Diamante, where new condo towers seem to rise faster than the waves that crash against the shore. Visitors here now fill up shopping bags at La Isla, an upscale, open-air shopping mall (nearly identical to one with the same name in Cancún) that opened last year. In addition to trying on name-brand clothing from international and Mexican designers, weary shoppers can refuel at La Isla’s many restaurants and can even board a gondola for a peaceful cruise along the mall’s outdoor canal.
Sleeping with the Stars
Diamante may have the most new growth in tourism offerings, but there are also promising glimmers of glamour in the city itself, around the gloriously wide Acapulco Bay. This is where Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Harry Belafonte, Jimmy Stewart and Gina Lollobrigida vacationed. Brigitte Bardot and Henry Kissinger honeymooned here (not together, of course). Elvis Presley made a movie here, and the Love Boat made regular calls. And Acapulco attracted more than just movie stars. Diego Rivera, one of Mexico’s most famous artists and the husband of Frida Kahlo, lived here for a while—and a colorful mosaic he created in 1956 is still visible outside of what is now called the house of Dolores Olmeda. And the cliff divers at La Quebrada still amaze spectators with their daily shows.
Acapulco’s heart is due for a fresh shot of chic when Grupo Habita, the Mexico City-based company that single-handedly brought the trendy boutique hotel concept to the Mexican market, reopens Boca Chica, a 36-room, mid-century modern property that once counted Mexican actor Mauricio Garcés and Hollywood star Rita Hayworth among its guests.
Boca Chica, due to debut in October, will have a spa, restaurant, bar, nightclub and a prime location next to Caletilla Beach, one of the most popular stretches of sand for locals. It will also have a private dock, where guests will someday be able to board a boat to be whisked to Hotel Hotel, a new, 44-room hotel that Grupo Habita is building on the other side of Acapulco Bay.
With Grupo Habita’s attention to detail and appreciation for architecture, style and history, the hopes are high for what Boca Chica and Hotel Hotel will do for this part of the city. “We want to bring back old Acapulco,” says Melania Bracho, senior sales manager for Grupo Habita.
In the mean time, anyone looking to track celebrities—and perhaps stay in their former hotel rooms—will find plenty of options. The Fairmont Pierre Marques has welcomed the likes of John F. Kennedy, Aristotle Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor. Las Brisas, a hilltop hideaway where casitas have private pools, has a still-growing collection of handprints of famed guests including Brad Pitt, Liza Minelli and Ricardo Montalban, to name a few. And Hotel Los Flamingos, a budget-priced alternative, once belonged to a group of actors including John Wayne, Johnny Weissmuller, Cary Grant, Fred McMurray, Erroll Flynn and Red Skelton. Los Flamingos appeared on the big screen in 2004, as a setting for the film Casa de Los Babys, starring Rita Moreno, Daryl Hannah, Lili Taylor, Mary Steenburgen, Marcia Gay Harden and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Anyone seeking a bit of luxury and privacy in Acapulco—be they a celebrity or not—can soon check into the Banyan Tree Cabo Marques, due to open by the end of the year. Tucked into lush, scenic hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean, this property offers spacious, airy private bungalows, each with its own plunge pool, indoor/outdoor lounge areas and stunning views.
Acapulco’s ability to evolve and reinvent itself bodes well for its future as a hot destination, says Eduardo W. Palazuelos. the chef at Zibu, a gourmet “Mextai” restaurant. “There was a time in Acapulco when things sort of stood still,” he admits. “Then, about five years ago, it started to come back to life. There are a lot of people like me betting on Acapulco. We’re reinventing it.”

Travel Tips

Getting there: 700 weekly flights connect Acapulco to principal cities during the summer; the number increases sharply in the winter.
Direct flights are available from Chicago (American Airlines), Dallas (Mexicana), Houston (Continental Airlines), Los Angeles (Delta Airlines) and more. Other airlines also offer direct and non-direct flights to Acapulco from most major cities.
By Sea: The second largest port in Mexico, Acapulco is exceeded in cruise visitors only by Cozumel.