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We review the best luxury hotels in Puerto Vallarta. Casa Velas, Conrad Punta de Mita, Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Grand Velas Resort in Riviera Nayarit, Hotel Cinco, Marriott, Sheraton Buganvilias Resort & Convention Center, The St. Regis, W and Westin Resort.
Puerto Vallarta is at the southern edge of Riviera Nayarit on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, filled with natural beauty. The weather is perfect, with low 80s in the daytime and low 70s in the evening. Beautiful scenery and natural wildlife are just some things you will encounter when visiting the Mexican Pacific.
Thomson Airways fly direct to Puerto Vallarta from the UK with a flight time of around 15 hours. You can also fly indirectly with KLM, Aeromexico, Delta, Virgin Atlantic, Air France, British Airways, Aer Lingus, US Airways, and Air Canada.
The best luxury hotels in and around Puerto Vallarta are listed below:
1. Casa Velas
Casa Velas is a luxurious hacienda-style, adults-only vacation resort located in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Surrounded by the beautiful Marina Vallarta Golf Club, Casa Velas is a tranquil oasis that combines passionate service and a romantic coastal ambiance.
Just seconds from the beach and minutes from Puerto Vallarta International Airport, this spectacular resort is also within walking distance of Puerto Vallarta’s sophisticated 500-slip marina and 15 minutes from the charming city center with its famous mile-long boardwalk, El Malecón.
The luxury resort contains 80 plush suites with a unique style. Each is exquisitely furnished and decorated with textures and colors inspired by traditional Mexican design and well-equipped with private immersion pools and Jacuzzis. Casa Velas is full of romance and relaxation. Casa Velas is a perfect place for a romantic escape or tranquil getaway with a magnificent tropical view and breathtaking sunset scenery. It offers beautiful luxury suites, a private ocean club, delectable dining, stylish meeting and event space, and a shuttle service to Marina Vallarta Golf Club.
2. Grand Velas Resort in Riviera Nayarit
The luxurious Grand Velas Resort is a magnificent Puerto Vallarta resort and spa. Take your vacation to another level when you stay at this relaxing and luxurious resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Heaven on Earth is the perfect way to describe this incredible resort. You will experience the utmost relaxation when you spend your time here. Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit is the only all-inclusive resort in the Mexican Pacific to be awarded Five Diamonds by the AAA.
Discover Contemporary Mexican design when you stay at this resort on Riviera Nayarit. Enjoy luxury accommodations that feature interior Jacuzzis, outdoor Jacuzzis, panoramic ocean views, grand family dining areas, and much more.
Winner of the Condé Nast “Most Excellent Spa Hotel” Award, the world-class spa at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit combines an extensive hydrotherapy area with a unique menu of over 60 healing spa rituals and ceremonies inspired by the natural beauty and harmony of Mexico’s Pacific Coast.
This resort’s activities include whale watching, snorkeling, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, golfing, and more! Go on a romantic escape, either for your wedding or your honeymoon! Weddings and honeymoons at Grand Velas are enchanting and unforgettable. Enjoy life and vacation to this beautiful resort with friends, loved ones, or your family. Whether looking for an adventure or just relaxing on the beach, Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit is the place to be.
3. The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta
The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta is ideally situated in Puerto Vallarta. This Rewards Category 5 Marriott Bonvoy resort hotel has 14 tranquil acres dotted with swaying palm trees and fronted by 410 feet of private Pacific Ocean beach.
The nice thing about this hotel is the vibrant modern Mexican architecture, which beats the look of the Sheraton’s hands down. This Westin showcases concrete and vivid Mexican colors mixed with Mexican wood carvings.
This hotel is just minutes from the international airport and the charming downtown. Beachfront pergolas and sparkling pools invite relaxation, while the serene spa offers head-to-toe pampering. Reenergize at the WestinWORKOUT® Fitness Studio, tennis courts, or nearby golf courses, or explore upscale shops and dining at the marina district across the road.
Bright tropical colors and elegant, modern Mexican decor grace 280 ocean-view rooms, each with a private balcony, plush Heavenly® Bed, and rejuvenating Heavenly® Bath.
The club lounge here is the Royal Beach Club, and benefits include daily newspapers, delicious breakfasts, and evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in an exclusive ocean-view lounge.
It is worth paying to upgrade to this executive club lounge as this is the best executive club lounge in the area, with beer, wine, and alcoholic cocktails free-flowing during happy hour. There’s a filling array of hot food, enough for a dinner substitute, with soup, four hot entrees, salads, cold cuts & cheeses, fresh whole, cut fruit, and various desserts.
The morning breakfast is also impressive, with all the usual on a cold continental buffet (cereal, bread, pastries, fruit, cold cuts, cheeses), eggs & pancakes, and waffles made to order. An excellent and filling spread.
4. Sheraton Buganvilias Resort & Convention Center
Sheraton Buganvilias Resort & Convention Center is a Rewards Category 4 Marriott Bonvoy resort hotel in the heart of Puerto Vallarta, less than a quarter-mile from downtown shops and restaurants at the Malecon Boardwalk and just 4.1 miles away from Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport Puerto Vallarta.
Retreat to upscale, oceanfront rooms and suites with luxury bedding, marble bathrooms, flat-screen TVs, and room service. Request a room near the top of the building as these have the best views, particularly at sunset.
The beach here isn’t great, but the pools are lovely, heated, and have swim-up bars. Explore the variety of renovated restaurants, stay fit at the 24-hour fitness center, play tennis on one of four courts, or pamper yourself with a blissful spa treatment.
The Sheraton is generally worse than the Westin, which we have reviewed above. Still, the rooms have glorious ocean views, and the club lounge here is pleasant, offering free breakfast and evening wine during the happy hour and soft drinks and snacks throughout the day.
Breakfast in the lounge is very average, with four pre-prepared hot options: usually including well-done scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon. There’s cold yogurt, fruit cups, cereal, and bread on the continental cold buffet side. The happy hour in the evening offers wine as the only alcoholic drink and one hot meal option like chicken wings and cold cuts, salads, and sushi.
The Sheraton is significantly closer to downtown, with all the good restaurants and fun. Getting downtown is a walk or a short bus or cab ride away. The Westin, by contrast, is far out in the Marina area, so you can’t walk into town, and bus and taxi journeys can be lengthy and expensive.
That said, this is a bog-standard Sheraton, and the architecture at the Westin is more exciting. Plus, the beach isn’t great here. The Sheraton’s beach is fine for lounging and tanning but is small and very rocky, so pretty poor if you want a swim.
5. Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa
Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa has no executive club lounge and is a decent Marriott property in Puerto Vallarta. If you are a top-tier Marriott Bonvoy member, you get a continental breakfast rather than free lounge access at this hotel and then get charged another $10 USD per person if you want the full breakfast.
This is a Rewards Category 5 Marriott Bonvoy hotel with a renovated infinity pool and on-site restaurants. The hotel is near downtown Puerto Vallarta, Malecon Puerto Vallarta, and Galeria Vallarta mall.
All rooms and suites have a balcony or terrace, so you’ll never be far from an incredible view. You’ll also have a cozy pillowtop mattress, Netflix availability through your flat-panel TV, and complimentary robes to lounge in.
The ocean here can be very rough, and the sand is dark rather than golden, so the beach can look unappealing, but the pool is large with plenty of loungers and umbrellas, so this is where most guests spend their days.
6. Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita
Four Seasons Resort is in Punta Mita rather than Puerto Vallarta, but Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita is great and should be considered nonetheless. It is one of Mexico’s most luxurious resorts.
Located in the Riviera Nayarit, about 45 minutes north of Puerta Vallarta, this hotel sits on Bahia de Banderas, one of the world’s largest natural bays. Between the rugged Sierra Madre Mountains and the pristine white coral shores of the Pacific, this luxurious resort offers unprecedented privacy, elegance, and personalized service. Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Mexico, is a golfer’s paradise, built to preserve and blend with the natural environment. Jack Nicklaus designed its championship golf course and features a par-three natural island green.
173 ocean-view guest rooms include 30 suites, most of which include private plunge pools. Even the standard rooms are very special and ideal for both families and couples seeking a romantic escape. These traditional Mexican Casitas come with inviting sitting areas and furnished private terraces that overlook the ocean or the lush tropical gardens.
Enjoy some of the best snorkeling, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, and whale-watching on the planet, along with a fitness center and full spa, a tennis center equipped for night play, an infinity-edge pool, an adult pool with luxury private cabanas, and a fabulous lazy river pool. The Kids for All Seasons program will take care of your kids, plus the 3,700 ft² event facilities are ideal for garden and beach events.
We like the golf carts that ferry guests around the sprawling property and the Shack Bar, which is really a wooden shack on Las Cuevas Beach. It makes the perfect spot to fall in love after a stroll on a beach and is the perfect place for a sunset margarita.
Wherever you are in the world, Four Seasons hotels are consistently one of the best hotels in that city or resort. Because they don’t have a Four Seasons loyalty program, you will never be able to book a free stay by racking up and redeeming points or by collecting points on your credit card and spending them on a Four Seasons hotel stay. It can’t be done. But you can get discounts at Four Seasons hotels and benefit from special rewards at Four Seasons hotels for no extra cost by booking your next stay via our luxury travel concierge.
7. The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort
The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort is 21.7 miles from Puerto Vallarta, so it should be considered for your trip even if it isn’t in Puerto Vallarta itself. In fact, this Rewards Category 8 Marriott hotel is the very best Marriott in the area.
For a little taste of paradise, and being totally spoilt while you’re there, The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort
on Riviera Nayarit is tucked away on one of the world’s most alluring beaches. This five-star luxury resort is surrounded by stunning tropical landscaped grounds that also host to two Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses and tennis courts.
There is a luxe Remède Spa and a choice of restaurants. There are three pools, all are infinity pools and offer something unique; be it a beach-side location, a family-friendly approach, or the exact opposite, the adults-only pool; take your pick. There’s a variety of beaches too; A quiet adults-only area offers some peace and quiet or for an adrenaline overload, why not try the main beach and take part in some water-sports.
There are 120 rooms, suites, and villas to choose from at The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort. All offer either ocean or garden views, a private terrace with an outdoor shower, and all the usual amenities, including a spacious bathroom, a flat-screen TV, Wi-Fi, minibar, robe, and slippers, etc. The Luxury One and Two-Bedroom Villas get our vote as they are directly on the beach and include a private pool and jacuzzi as well as a kitchen. Not only is the beach location enviable, but the private pool has to be the perfect place to unwind at the end of the day.
8. W Punta de Mita
The W De Punta de Mita is a Rewards Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy hotel and is perched on the ocean in the heart of one of Mexico’s most gorgeous beaches on Riviera Nayarit. W Punta de Mita is 14.9 miles from Puerto Vallarta, so it should be considered for your trip even if it isn’t in Puerto Vallarta itself.
Of course, W hotels can be like marmite. Some guests may not find the music and volume of millennials ideal. On the other hand, this hotel is vibrant and fun and may well be just what you are looking for!
W Punta de Mita brings a playfully stylish addition to this Mexican hot spot. 119 stylishly designed guest villas include one 4,460ft2 Extreme Wow Suite, inspired by the Mexican flag. All villas and suites feature artisanal Mexican tiled floors and headboards fashioned from either surfboards or punctured tin, replicating the design found in local churches.
A cluster of casitas called Ocean Escape Villas resembles a pre-Hispanic fishing village of the past. Meanwhile, Jungle Escape Villas feature private balconies allowing for intimate views of the surrounding natural beauty, including the bright red trunks of the papelillo trees and hanging vines of the forest.
9. Hotel Cinco
On the Pacific coast of central Mexico, directly on the white sand beach, is Hotel Cinco
. In the town of Punta Mita on Riviera Nayarit, this hotel offers guests luxury accommodations with a relaxing beach atmosphere. Rooms are ultra-modern, in an open loft-type style. Vibrant colors contrast with dark woods and marble floors. This is a place to laze on your balcony and watch the sunrise over the Pacific.
10. Conrad Punta de Mita
Conrad Punta de Mita is also situated within what is being called ‘Mexico’s next major ‘it’ destination’, Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit. Conrad Punta de Mita is located in the same private development as the Litibu Golf Course, offering guests an 18-hole golf experience designed by Greg Norman.
The thoughtfully designed Conrad Punta de Mita offers travelers an authentic, tranquil respite. Situated among the area’s serene natural landscapes and aquamarine waters and drawing influence from Mexico’s rich history and unique culture, indigenous artwork integrates with exceptional amenities to create a sense of barefoot resort elegance.
All 324 guest rooms and suites boast views of the Pacific Ocean, with suites offering large patios, plunge pools, freestanding soaking tubs, and outdoor showers.
Amenities include three pools, each with its own purpose. Guests looking to indulge in R&R can lounge poolside with a cocktail at the adult pool, while the more active can swim laps in the activity pool.
Kids can bask under the Punta de Mita sun in the family pool, with a game room and kids’ club rounding out activities for young explorers to connect with each other and the world around them.
Four restaurants and three bar concepts offer menus and spaces that pay tribute to age-old techniques and flavors of the local culture, including an intimate mezcal and tequila barrel tasting room and a joyous lobby bar, Tuki, which borrows its name from the Huichol word for ‘temple.’
The Conrad SPA offers a refuge with a unique indoor/outdoor design and traditional temazcal spread across 10,000 ft². Seven cocoon treatment cabanas are nestled among the vegetation and connected by an inspiring tunnel of plants and flowers. In addition, the fitness center offerings include an outdoor lawn for yoga and stretching.
With swaying palm trees and sweeping ocean views, this resort offers a vacation to remember.
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