“Part of the inspiration of this menu, with the concept of cooking with fire and smoke, is to make Ceniza a restaurant with very Mexican touches. So all of the plates use technique from the Mexican kitchen,” Executive Chef Omar Barquera tells me as he serves up a black clay bowl popping with a bright orange mole. The climax plate of the seven-course tasting centers around a perfectly roasted seabass filet, oven baked over mesquite until edges are thinly crisp, yet succulently juicy within. Around it pools a fiery orange mole made of squash seeds, with crisp watercress and freshly rolled tortillas alongside.
Located in a round thatched-roof palapa, the Thompson Zihuatanejo hotel’s halo restaurant features a clean, minimal design with polished concrete floors and crafted wood furniture. Calm and relaxing, a young duo serenades the scene with live covers of your favorite beach jams. Between songs, you can hear the gentle lapping of waves only 50 yards away. Before the “pipián rojo robala,” Chef Omar shared a thinly sliced beef tartar, and Caesar salad with the entire stalk of romaine roasted black in the fire — its traditional croutons substituted with warm, pillowy Indian naan bread. Another plate featured trout cured gravlax style, cold smoked, plated with sliced avocado and dill, all soaked in coconut milk. As a side Focaccia loafs baked in the same mesquite ovens as the seabass are served toasty, alongside homemade butter blended with local sea salt and burnt tortilla dust to give it a smoky layer.
Named after the ash-rich cenizado style of Guerrero, where they cook fish sliced open over a fire in handheld wire baskets called zarandas, Ceniza manifests the culinary art of Zihuatanejo’s home state. But it is more than that. With the states of Oaxaca, Nayarit, Yucatan, Baja, Jalisco and Mexico City itself under my travel belt, it is evident a meal at Ceniza touches all of these culinary hotspots without anchoring to any one in specific. And while sometimes agnostic food explorations can result in unserious or frankly boring dishes, Chef Omar’s experience, talent and skill shine to create recipes that are both authentic and yet innovative. Credit Barquera’s six years in Mexico City and another six in Playa Del Carmen earning his bonafides before taking over Ceniza.
Following the Thompson philosophy, the open air restaurant sources only from local producers: milk from a sustainable dairy farm in nearby Michoacán, salt dehydrated from the ocean in a nearby village (and available for purchase). Every day local fisherman bring their catch in two waves: one in the morning — with mahi mahi, tuna, swordfish, marlin and sea bass — and the second in the afternoon, nets loaded with red snapper, grouper, snapper and a local fish called palometa. Also all the lobster and shrimp are freshly caught; no frozen bags found here. If the Thompson excels it any one particular aspect, it is the food. Not just Chef Omar’s creations, but lunch and poolside snacks like oven-baked octopus and perfectly tempura-ed fish tacos. As regular travelers know, you can’t really get away with anything mediocre in Mexico these days. That’s how exceptional the food has become south of the border, so it’s little surprise the Thompson Zihuatanejoleaves no room for average.
LOCATION
Located in the state of Guerrero, Zihuatanejo mostly remains a sleepy, charming fishing town. Unlike other coastal destinations there’s not much wild nightlife tempting you to misbehave — an ideal place for families and couples looking to unplug, making for an excellent recovery, relaxation and recharging destination. Blessed with bathwater calm waves, perhaps the warmest ocean water we’ve ever splashed around in, Zihuatanejo Bay makes the Caribbean feel like Iceland. We came here during the off-season, and even during the occasional thunderstorm locals would act if it nothing was happening; through the alarming flashes of lightning they’d swim and dig sandcastles without worry.
HISTORY
Hyatt’s lifestyle branch Thompson first broke ground in Mexico in June, 2015 with The Cape in Cabo San Lucas. One of the brand’s gems, The Cape made headlines with its stunning views of the famed El Arco rock formation and the entire bay. Then after Playa Del Carmen came the Thompson Zihuatanejo in 2019, establishing the country’s third Thompson but the first on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Like the Hyatt’s Andaz branch, Thompson hotels prioritize design, culture, local art, nightlife and F&B, well represented by the Zihuatanejo branch.
GUEST ROOMS
We stayed in a modest but well-appointed top floor Lagoon Suite with a king bed and view of the hotel’s lush gardens. Without question the suite’s highlight is the huge patio — almost a second room, with a small plunge pool for a quick cool off and sufficient space for a family soirée. The terrace is so big and private you might be tempted to wander around au naturale, dipping in the pool or tanning free on a lounger. No one would ever know. Not that any professional would ever do that.
DESIGN/ARCHITECTURE/LANDSCAPE
Aesthetically the Thompson is well designed and beautifully landscaped with towering palms, bright flowers and well-manicured lawns, all structured around a clear lagoon with crisscrossing bridges. 56 one-, two- and three-story beachfront rooms and suites are housed in white stucco buildings, all with ocean or garden views. It’s the paradise one would hope for on a margarita-fueled vacation. Running its entire 1,000 feet of private beachfront is the beach club where one can spend the day whiling away doing nada. A trio of pools compliment the ocean – a family option on the far side, the adult pool next to the bar, and In between a private pool for exclusive use of a mini-complex of 11 rooms designed for weddings, anniversaries, bachelor parties, small conventions, yoga retreats, etc.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Did we mention the food? Ceniza, Chef Omar, the beach club offerings and really the entire “F” in F&B are not only excellent but really the highlight of the Thompson Zihuatanejo. Its “B” however needs an upgrade — especially for a hotel so relatively close to both Oaxaca and Jalisco. Surprisingly the beach bar offers only a half-dozen different tequilas and about the same mezcals, with very little to surprise or amuse dedicated agave aficionados.
For a hotel in a mezcal producing state that is a shame, missing at an opportunity to highlight one of Mexico’s greatest treasures. But as aforementioned the food is exceptional, matched by excellent and always friendly service at the bar. A nice touch is the club features handy flags on the beach umbrellas you can raise to notify the waiter you’ve got an itchy michelada finger, instead of having to scan the landscape to get someone’s attention.
CHECKING IN
Checking In was quick and painless, quickly accompanied by a cold glass of iced hibiscus tea to slake thirst from a long flight. No line, but we were there during low season.
SLEEP-IN-ABILITY
Fantastic. Even with two sets of floor-to-celling windows (one facing a balcony, the other to the expansive terrace), the blackout curtains kept the room cave dark as long as you want to indulge. The King bed was firm and comfortable, with potent AC chilling the room all night.
BATHROOMS
Large bathroom with separate tiled rainshower with plenty of heat and pressure. Nice touch with the Bowmakers shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion, crafted by Brooklyn husband-and-wife duo D.S. & Durga known for their immersive fragrances — in this case their signature blend of wood, moss, and leather. While outfitted with your standard bevy of toiletry kits (e.g. shower cap, cotton swabs/patches, shower and dental kits, etc.) we used the cotton swabs on the first day and they were never replaced. Same for the coffee pods, two small strikes that were easily remedied with a call to housekeeping.
GYM & SPA
The gym gets its own dedicated building, medium sized and adequately outfitted with your standard offering of stationary bikes, treadmills, rowing, ellipses and pull-down machines — all by superb Italian firm TechnoGym. There’s also a rack of free weights. Much better equipped than most hotel “gyms,” but lacking a couple pieces necessary for a full body workout. The thatched-roof palapa offered plenty of natural light with big windows, clean layout and plenty of water. It lacked AC, however, which turned the workout into a sauna session. If you like to sweat, this could be a boon. A nearby spa offers guests a variety of services including massages, facials, body treatments, manicures and pedicures.
THINGS TO DO NEARBY
If you never step outside the Thompson you won’t miss a thing. However, the nearby pueblo of Zihuatanejo is only a five-dollar taxi ride away and worth investigating for a day or two if you get the itch to explore. The village is also home to several spirited bars with live music and a ton of local food options selling all sorts of local Guerrero specialties. If you look, you just might be able to find exotic dishes like tacos made from venison and sea urchin.
COST
Range of room prices: Low Season: $245 – $1,181; High Season: $456 – $1,392
FINAL JUDGEMENT
For a lie-on-a-beach-sipping-piña-coladas vacation, the Thompson Zihuatanejo hits on all fronts. Beautiful architecture, lush landscaping, well-appointed rooms all with views. Perhaps most importantly the culinary options are top-tier without the ultra-luxe hotel premiums. There are infinite reasons to explore Mexico, but sometimes the priority is simply to rest, recharge and indulge. If that’s what you’re looking for in a Mexico beach vacation — but want to do it in a more unknown, less crowded destination than your Cancuns, Puerto Vallartas and Cabos — then the pueblo of Zihuatanejo delivers. With direct flights from Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Seattle and Phoenix, the Thompson Zihuatanejo makes for an ideal destination to expand your Mexican experience.
Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.
