Despite popular opinion, Puerto Vallarta is not just mega-resorts and tourist traps. Here are our favorite hidden gems for a more authentic and intimate experience.
Verana
4 Stars | Website | Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Intl. Airport (PVR)
10 | Free WiFi; Outdoor pool; Spa; Bar | 1
Boca de Tomatlan; Yelapa Beach; Las Animas Beach
Luxury eco-lodge Verana can only be reached by boat and you’ll trek uphill along a bamboo and agave-line path into a jungle to find your room while mules deliver your luggage. Honeymoons are a specialty here. Couples can book the starlight bath and float under the stars in an infinity pool for two, surrounded by candlelight, then indulge in a bottle of champagne and dessert.
Xinalani Retreat
3 Stars | Website | Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Intl. Airport (PVR)
33 | 1 outdoor pool; Private beach area; Bar | 1
Quimixto Beach; Las Animas Beach; Jardins De Botanica; Malecon
Healthy living comes easy at Xinalani, a remote yogi retreat on the southern shore of Banderas Bay that’s accessible only by boat. Wake up to ocean views from all 33 palm-thatched rooms and casitas, then hike up to the yoga pavilion for morning vinyasa flow before enjoying a nutritious and mostly plant-based breakfast buffet. After a few days here, you’ll feel relaxed, rejuvenated and several years younger.
Hotel Mousai
5 Stars | Website | Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Intl. Airport (PVR)
145 | 2 outdoor pools; Fitness center; Beachfront; Spa | 6
Los Muertos; Garza Blanca Mountain River and Hike; Garza Blanca Beach
For something more chic and contemporary, Hotel Mousai is another adults-only all-inclusive that exceeds expectations. Request a room in the new south tower and simply text your private butler for anything you might need as you soak in your terrace jacuzzi. A spa visit is required – the hydrotherapy circuit is complimentary for guests but the ancestral cocoa ritual that includes a hot stone massage and decadent chocolate body wrap is worth upgrading for.
Casa Velas
4 Stars | Website | Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Intl. Airport (PVR)
80 | Outdoor pool; Fitness center; Full-service spa | 3
Marina Vallarta; Bay of Banderas; Malecon; Nayar Vidanta Golf
Casa Velas may be an all-inclusive, but it’s an adults-only sanctuary with a sophistcated serenity that sets it apart. Kind, earnest service, verdant topical gardens inhabited by peacocks and a surprisingly quiet oversized pool translate to immediate vacation mode. There’s a golf course on-site and white-gloved service at Táu Beach Club too. If you’re itching for more dining options, the all-inclusive package includes meals at all eight restaurants at nearby sister resort Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit.
Hacienda San Angel
4 Stars | Website | Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Intl. Airport (PVR)
12 | 3 outdoor pools; Free WiFi; Free breakfast; Spa | 1
Downtown Puerto Vallarta; Malecon; Playa de los Muertos; Bay of Banderas
Hacienda San Angel may be Puerto Vallarta’s most romantic hotel; it sits exclusively on a hilltop, hidden behind intricate wood-carved doors. This exquisite 12-key stay boasts beautiful 18th century antiques in each suite; The Heavenly Suite hosts Mexican masterpiece, the Immaculate Virgin, which sits in its original frame from 1880. With 180-degree panoramic views of the city, guests will revel at the hotel’s majestic views of the world-famous Banderas Bay and the Sierra Madre Mountains from on-site fine-dining restaurant: Hacienda San Angel Gourmet.
BellView Boutique Hotel
3 Stars | Website | Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Intl. Airport (PVR)
6 | Free WiFi; Beach nearby; Free toiletries | 1
Downtown Puerto Vallarta; Malecon; Playa de los Muertos; Bay of Banderas
Set behind the historical Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta’s locus, BellView Boutique Hotel invites guests in with its tiled roofs and bougainvillea flowers flowing from its façade — a nod to the classic Spanish Colonial-style architecture populating many of Mexico’s historical towns. Notice antique furnishings and incredible sunset views over the city from your suite window.
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