Dec 20, 2007
For inter-generational travel, the newly-reopened Club Med Ixtapa is a top choice; it's also excellent for parents traveling with very young children
Several years ago on a trip to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, I had a look at the Club Med Ixtapa (tel. 888/WEB-CLUB; www.clubmed.us)and was tremendously impressed by the unusual mix of people it served. There were vacationers of all ages (20-somethings to middle-aged and elderly people) all dining exuberantly at the same tables, and there were a substantial percentage of families staying there with young children. It was unusual at that time to find a Club Med that wasn't dominated by singles in their 20s and 30s.
Now I have nothing against the Club Meds catering to the 20 and 30-year-old set; they are perhaps the predominant clientele of Club Med, and all power to them. But for older vacationers, and for families, it was exciting to find a Club Med that permitted them to enjoy all the classic pleasures and policies of a Club Med without feeling out of place. And it was fascinating to find a resort where all the generational differences seemed unimportant.
The Club Med Ixtapa has apparently been closed for renovations for some time now, and has undergone a major renovation (its physical setting, high above an excellent beach, is as good as you'd want). It will reopen on December 22, 2007 with 80-or-so functioning rooms for families, and will then bring on an additional 250-some-odd rooms in March 2008. Apparently, it will again cater to people of all ages and to families, even those with children barely older than a year.
If you're in one of those categories, you'll want to know that there's now a classic Club Med just for you.
Write and read comments about this post.
Now I have nothing against the Club Meds catering to the 20 and 30-year-old set; they are perhaps the predominant clientele of Club Med, and all power to them. But for older vacationers, and for families, it was exciting to find a Club Med that permitted them to enjoy all the classic pleasures and policies of a Club Med without feeling out of place. And it was fascinating to find a resort where all the generational differences seemed unimportant.
The Club Med Ixtapa has apparently been closed for renovations for some time now, and has undergone a major renovation (its physical setting, high above an excellent beach, is as good as you'd want). It will reopen on December 22, 2007 with 80-or-so functioning rooms for families, and will then bring on an additional 250-some-odd rooms in March 2008. Apparently, it will again cater to people of all ages and to families, even those with children barely older than a year.
If you're in one of those categories, you'll want to know that there's now a classic Club Med just for you.
Write and read comments about this post.
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
