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The history of
Catalina Beach Resort
Zihuatanejo
enjoys a wonderfully colorful history that spans nearly three centuries.
From the early pirate enclaves and marauding Spanish galleons, to
present day movie stars and global dignitaries, the once tiny village
of Zihuatanejo has long been home to a luminous array of adventurers
drawn to the tranquility of this comfortably hidden retreat. 
Built by Mr. Alfonso Galindo Mackintosh in 1952, Catalina Beach
Resort (former Hotel Catalina) was the first hotel along Zihuatanejo's
beautiful and protected bay shoreline. Nestled between lush tropical
plants on a dramatic cliffside, overlooking a pristine bay of virgin
white beaches alive with tropical birds, animals and incredible
area fauna, the Hotel Catalina remained the prominent, commercial
property along the magnificent La Ropa Beach bay front for almost
a decade.
In 1956, Mr. Carlos Breuer and a group of investors purchased the
Hotel Catalina from the Mackintosh family. By 1973, Mr. Breuer had
both married and purchased sole interest in the Hotel Catalina.
Carlos and his new bride, Eva Bergtold, began building an enchanting
35-year vision of hotel expansions and service improvements, which
quickly became known among the more elite circles in continual search
of unaffected and peaceful hideaways. National and international
artists, movie stars, writers, aristocrats, diplomats and dignitaries
all eventually found their way to the relaxed seclusion of the Hotel
Catalina. Peggy Guggenheim, King Umberto of Italy, Count Stauffenberg,
the Ludwigs, the Guinnesses, the McNie's, Alice Adams, Henry Calvin,
Lauren Hutton, Larry Rivers, John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Liz Taylor,
George Hamilton, Grace Jones and Mick Jagger have all frequented
the warm and gentle privacy that have long been the heart and spirit
of Carlos and Eva's vision.
 With
deep condolences from a virtually global community, Carlos passed
away in January 2002, leaving sole ownership of the Hotel Catalina
to Eva. In her unabashed style of forever-unwavering devotion, Eva
is currently engaged in a new series of property upgrades, beginning
with the recent renaming of the hotel to the new Catalina Beach
Resort. For over five decades now, the Catalina Beach Resort has
been an unrivaled treasure of truly intimate and unspoiled seclusion.
From its very inception to this present day, the new Catalina Beach
Resort, continues a long tradition to "Fulfill The Promise", the
promise that will always remain the inimitable Zihuatanejo.
Press review
Articles about the Catalina in newspapers and travel books:
NY Times (May 19th, 2002) "A few days into my weeklong
stay in Zihuatanejo in January, I got the distinct feeling I was
getting away with something just by being there ... My husband,
Matthew, and I had come to Zihuatanejo for a belated honeymoon.
We were looking for a typical sunny setting in Mexico, one slightly
off the beaten beach path. But, being city people at heart, we wanted
to be near a good selection of restaurants and shops ... Zihuatanejo,
for us, turned out to be a perfect and amiable alternative. It's
often described by guidebooks and brochures as "a sleepy fishing
village," though it's home to nearly 40,000 people, several of whom
pointed out to me that it hasn't been a sleepy fishing village for
the last 30 years, not since Ixtapa
arrived on the scene and Zihua began catering to the new influx
of tourists to the area. What is indisputable is Zihua's authentic
small-town charm ...
Our hotel, it turned out, dated from the fishing village years.
The 1950's-vintage Hotel Catalina is the town's oldest lodging,
... The Catalina's terraced, stucco bungalows all have ocean views,
and white-washed, fan-cooled interiors, with attractive bamboo furniture,
minifridges and basic, shower-only bathrooms. Suites also offer
large, partly shaded private balconies strung with hammocks.
The Catalina resembles a big Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, since
its buildings and amenities — including a pool and two bars
— sprawl over a steep, tropical hillside and are interconnected
by networks of stone staircases, often draped with vines ... Playa
La Ropa is a half-mile crescent of powdery sand snugly bookended
by glistening cliffs."
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NY Times loves Catalina Beach Resort -
Frommer´s México: Sotavento and Catalina Beach
Resorts* "Perched on a hill above the beach, these hotels are meant
for people who want to relax near the ocean in a beautiful and simple
setting and don't want to be bothered by televisions or be closed
up in air-conditioned rooms. The Catalina consists of a collection
of bungalows tucked away in the tropical vegetation ... The bungalows
in the Catalina are more decoratively furnished with Mexican tile
floors, wrought iron furniture, and artwork. Some (all) come with
ocean-view terraces. The restaurant serves good food ... There is
a pool down by the beach ..." Frommer´s Acapulco & Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo
Book: Catalina and Sotavento Beach Resorts* "Perched high on a hill
close to each other and managed together, these two attractive hotels
were among the first in the area and retain the slow-paced, gracious
mood of Zihuatanejo in its early days as a little known hideaway.
The Catalina has recently remodeled many of its rooms with Mexican
tile, wrought iron, and other handcrafted touches; these also have
lovely terraces with ocean views and come with two queen-size (or
one king-size) beds ..."
Lonely Planet Survival Kit Mexico Book: "Places to stay
top end. Most of the top-end places are in Ixtapa-the giant
resorts- but Playa La Ropa also has some good top-end hotels. A
favorite, the Hotel Catalina-Sotavento on the hill overlooking Playa
La Ropa, has one of Zihuatanejo's most beautiful settings; ..."
*
* The hotels are now separated and independently operated. The
Catalina continues to operate under the same excellent management
it has had for over 30 years.
Further mentioned in:
* AAA Travel Book
* Fodor´s Mexico Travel Book
* Karen Brown México Travel Book
* Cathy Matos "My México" Book
* Kate Simon Mexico Book
* Articles in Times Colonist and other Canadian and American newspapers
We are AAA Member!
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