Above: Renowned for its accent on romance and privacy, the resort remains as fashionable today as on opening day in 1957. Below: Sun lovers willing to leave the seclusion of their own pools and terraces gather at La Concha, the resort's exclusive beach club at the foot of the hill.

Above: The most privileged views belong to VIPs living on the crown of the hill. Below: Complimentary in-room breakfast celebrates the tropical fruits of a region blessed by long days of year-round Mexican sun.

Above: Bellavista Restaurant lives up to its name both as a premier spot for people-watching and enjoying the magnificent sweep of Acapulco Bay.

LAS BRISAS holds special cachet in the city that put jet set into the vocabulary. Guests enjoy twenty-first century luxury thanks to a recent $4.5-million renovation by Westin Resorts & Hotels. But Las Brisas somehow - almost magically - retains the aura of the days when Brigitte Bardot lounged around the pool and Old Blue Eyes himself held court in the bar.

Snuggled into the mountainside above Acapulco Bay, Las Brisas offers 300 casitas - each with its own private or semi-private swimming pool. Guests arrive to find their romantic hideaway equipped with air conditioning, minibar, safe, and phones with voice messaging. Services range from concierge to in-room dining around the clock. In the morning, complimentary coffee, fruit, and sweet rolls arrive through a special little window known as la caja magica - "the magic box."

Las Brisas earned its title, Paradise in Pink and White, from the prevailing color scheme. But that derived from the hibiscus - symbol of Mexico's festive, yet relaxed, style of hospitality. The resort's signature blossoms appear throughout the landscape and float in the casitas' pools. They garnish room-service trays, perch on towel racks, and adorn guests' pillows after the maid turns down the bed.

Returning guests often time their visit to coincide with another cherished tradition, the Friday night fiesta. Held in the central plaza, the festivities include mariachis, folk dancers, handcraft displays, and a time-honored tequila ceremony.

First-time guests should be prepared for stunning cuisine. Bellavista Restaurant, where the bar provides spectacular views of the bay, serves breakfast and dinner in a casually elegant atmosphere. With the accent on fresh seafood and other grilled entrees, La Concha serves lunch from noon to late afternoon. Meanwhile, the Deli-Shop caters to salad and sandwich lovers on the go.

Las Brisas has numerous outdoor spaces for receptions, plus El Mezzanine for indoor meetings of up to 150 and the Pink & White Lady rooms for up to 30. The romance, privacy, and understated glamour of Las Brisas make it a natural for weddings.

Most daytime activity revolves around the beach, where Las Brisas maintains the only private beach club in Mexico. Guests water-ski, sail, snorkel, dive, and simply soak up the sun on the sand or by the pool. They play golf at Tres Vidas, a private country club nearby, and tennis on five lighted courts.

On Thursday, the concierge organizes a jeep safari, a full-day caravan of pink-and-white jeeps driving through the jungle and sleepy villages to call on the tiny fishing port of Barra Vieja.

Back home, Steven Spielberg and Ralph Lauren have replaced Frank Sinatra at the bar. Madonna has upstaged a generation of French actresses at the pool. And Westin has updated the amenities to state-of-the-art. But what makes the resort extra special, after all, is how the spirit has never really changed.