La Casa Que Canta Honeymoons

Picture a luxury boutique hotel built into jagged cliffs directly above crashing waves. You wake to a spectacular view of an ocean dotted with fishing boats and step gingerly into your private splash pool on the terrace before taking your morning shower.

This is La Casa Que Canta, a 24-suite hotel with an utterly spellbinding view, and one that could easily imbue any honeymoon with a dreamlike quality. Located in the curve of one of the many bays in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, this establishment is designed for those who appreciate luxury and intense privacy, couples for whom the budget is absolutely not an issue.

The hotel has a beautiful airy quality thanks to its open-plan layout. Built on many different tiers, its centre is a large palapa or thatched-roof Mexican style hut with several discreet passageways leading to rooms in cliff-side buildings. You enter those rooms through a massive wooden door and immediately feel the relief of cool, terracotta tiles beneath your feet. The refreshing breeze that sweeps into the bedrooms from the wooden terrace doors is an equally welcome respite from the intense humidity of the sister cities of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo.

There are lots of special touches at La Casa. Rooms are spacious and decorated simply yet elegantly with traditional Mexican furniture. Each day staff creates a magnificent tapestry on guests� bedspreads using different coloured petals. Large hammocks and lounging chairs on the terrace are deliciously tempting, and the minibar, filled with drinks and fresh fruit, is complimentary. The hotel has satellite television in the resort lounge, a fitness centre and computers for checking email if you can�t resist. But this is the least of its draws.

With a no-kids-under-16 policy, La Casa Que Canta, which is Spanish for the house that sings, is a quiet place even when it�s at full occupancy. No rowdiness or loud music here, and no televisions in the suites�just peace, quiet and the sound of waves crashing into the rocks below. For this reason, it�s a wonderfully tranquil honeymoon destination, a place where you can spend beautiful hours in the company of your new spouse, without interruption or distraction from technology or other couples.

There�s plenty to do, however. The establishment has two impeccable swimming pools: one saltwater and one freshwater, both surrounded by sunning decks and comfy pool chairs. Playa La Ropa, a secluded beach devoid of hawkers, is a few minutes� walk from the hotel, and the area offers waterskiing, parasailing, jetskiing, windsurfing, snorkeling and scuba diving for those with an affinity for watersports.

Land options include two 18-hole golf courses not far from the hotel, beach horseback riding, tennis, an on-site spa and independent excursions to the markets and shops in the city centre�all within a half-hour commute.

For meals, head chef Juan Antonio Garcia Giles, who hails from Acapulco, makes divine dishes and bakes fresh bread and pastries daily. Though you can order from the pool decks or bedroom, the breezy restaurant overlooking the sea is a delightful place to sample local cuisine and chat to other couples. And the service here, as in other areas of La Casa, is unobtrusive, professional and discreet.

‘The petals on the bed were really special – done differently each night,’ says Michelle Zychlinski, a Vancouverite whose honeymoon at La Casa seven years ago left a lasting impression. Though it costs a small fortune to stay here, (US $650 per night – meals excluded – for a suite with a private pool) this is an unforgettable establishment, one so perfect it looks made for a Hollywood movie. The commute is easy too, so if your budget can bear it, give La Casa Que Canta a chance. No doubt, it will fill your honeymoon with its enchanting Mexican melody.