Acapulco hasn't had the best rap in recent years. Once a haven for the gorgeous and glamorous, the resort's 1950s heyday seemed all but a distant memory. That is until Grupo Habita - the hoteliers behind Distrito Captial and Habita Monterrey - announced, back in 2008, a major overhaul of vintage Acapulco outcrop, the Hotel Boca Chica.
Reopened this month, the residence - now owned by Mexican architect Fernando Romero, a former protégé of Rem Koolhaas - marries the old world charm of the original hotel with a sharpened sense of contemporary style.
Pulled together by a design team headed up by Frida Escobedo and José Rojas, the pale greens and understated shades of the Boca Chica's 30 guestrooms are complemented by a smattering of vintage furnishings, original lattice brick work and terrazzo floors - while each of the hotel's six suites feature outdoor living rooms and private gardens.
With a restaurant headed up by sushi chef Keisuke Harada - of New York's Bond St. - poolside massage cabanas and the deliciously named Coco Wash disco, the Boca Chica marks a return to glittering Acapulco standards.
What's more, Mexican artist Pedro Reyes has designed a one-off installation (of sorts) to be unveiled in line with the opening - a floating island, which will bob buoyantly in the ocean fronting the hotel.
The doughnut-shaped, hollow white structure has been built to mimic mid-ocean rafts, the kind of which were used by pre-sunscreen bathers to catch the rays. Described by Reyes as an 'unknown floating object', the island features an interior pool and a geometric pattern of windows, which dapple the light within.
Inspired by the 1950s original, the Boca Chica has been returned to its former glory. Courtesy of Hotel Boca Chica.
Arrival to the Boca Chica is by way of water taxis. Courtesy of Hotel Boca Chica.
The chi-chi 1950s-inspired interior was thought up by a design team including Frida Escobedo and José Rojas. Courtesy of Hotel Boca Chica.
The hotel's interior combines the old world charm of the original with a sharpened sense of contemporary style. Courtesy of Hotel Boca Chica.
Pale greens and understated shades can be found throughout.
Courtesy of Hotel Boca Chica.
The Boca Chica's 30 guestrooms are complemented by vintage furnishings, original lattice brick work and terrazzo floors. Courtesy of Hotel Boca Chica.
The large amoeba-shaped pool overlooks the hotel's private cove. Courtesy of Hotel Boca Chica.
The hotel comes complete with 1,000 sq m of spa, and open air terraces. Courtesy of Hotel Boca Chica.
The open air bar features a plantation of concrete and wood umbrellas. Courtesy of Hotel Boca Chica.
The pool and restaurant boast views across to the Roqueta Island - a nature reserve in Acapulco. Courtesy of Hotel Boca Chica.
The outside areas also feature poolside massage cabanas and the Coco Wash disco. Courtesy of Hotel Boca Chica.
Mexican artist Pedro Reyes has designed a 'Floating Island' in conjunction with the opening of the hotel.
Designed to emulate 50s-style sunbathing rafts, the doughnut-shaped structure features an interior pool.
Featuring a latticework of geometric portholes, the floating island protects bathers from harmful UV rays, while creating an attractive, dappled lighting effect.
ADDRESS
Hotel Boca Chica
Punta Caletilla
Fraccionamiento las Playas
Acapulco, 39390
Guerrero, México
-
Six brilliant bars for your 2025 celebrations, hot off the Wallpaper* travel deskWallpaper’s most-read bar reviews of the year can't be wrong: here’s inspiration for your festive and new year plans, from a swanky Las Vegas lounge to a minimalist London drinking den
-
Misfires and Monstrosities: three vehicular design disasters that show taste is in retreatFrom a multi-million dollar piece merchandise to a wretched Rolls-Royce, these are the low points of the year in transportation design
-
Thirty years after Dog Man Star, Brett Anderson looks back on Suede's album coversBrett Anderson talks cover art, photography and iconic imagery
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico -
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland -
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia -
KLoé Hotel — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -
Casa Hoyos — San Miguel de Allende, Mexico -
Littlenap — Hangzhou, China -
Casa Santa Teresa — Corsica, France -
Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune designs K5, a new hotel in TokyoStep inside Claesson Koivisto Rune’s design as a 1920s bank turns hotel
