Welcome to the Acapulco of yesteryear; the one that Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and Elizabeth Taylor knew.
To the casual observer, a visit to the Hotel Boca Chica might feel like stepping back in time, to an Acapulco hotspot that time didn't defeat. The Boca Chica was once a happening place in the boozy-but-classy Acapulco of the 1950s (even given a shot in the opening scenes of Elvis flick Fun in Acapulco). But the hotel fell into disrepair when Acapulco fell out of favor with tourists, and it suffered 20 long years of neglect.
Enter phenom hoteliers Grupo Habita, who gave the Chica a structural renovation and a fresh coat of cool mint paint. The upgrade was meant to recreate the Boca Chica of yesterday with the conveniences of today, replete with refined hospitality and lots of rum. Little needed a complete overhaul, and the hotel's sushi bar—though one would think it was schemed up for today's tourists—is actually an update to the hotel's original, yes, sushi bar. Credit architects Frida Escobedo and Jose Rojas for the Boca Chica's new-old look, with help from Mexican artist Claudia Fernandez serving as antiques curator. We're impressed with the simplicity of the restoration, swapping a little midcentury dust for some new midcentury cool.
Photos via Hotel Boca Chica, except where noted.
Above: Original details—like stone and granite floors and lattice brickwork—remain intact, carefully restored.
Above: A simple palette of black, white, and mint green lets the midcentury furniture shine.
Above: Graphic design by Sociedad Anonima conveys the 50s hospitality and rum-fueled revelry of the old Acapulco.
Above: Nearly all of the hotel's 30 rooms have private patios and hammocks; this one offers views over the bay to Roqueta Island.
Above: Sunlight filtered by lattice brickwork hits the door to room 208. Photo by Jim Franco.
Above: The hotel's original neon sign survived intact. Photo by Jim Franco.
Above: The hotel's graphic design suite conveys its casual but hospitable vibe. Photo via Sociedad Anonima.
Above: Flanked by full-grown palm trees, the hotel facade looks just as it always did (just with fresh paint).