My girlfriend and I are in our mid 20's and I want to surprise her with a romantic getaway to Puerto Vallarta this July. I've discovered several nice hotels in the area but am unsure which to go with. I like the Westin and the Fiesta Americana. If anyone has any suggestions I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

Went into Westin but only saw Fiesta from outside -Westin seemed in a different class.

If you want to go with a chain hotel, I would recommend the Marriott. We stayed at the Quinta Real, which has a beach club located right next to the Marriott in the Marina area and we talked to some people staying at the Marriott. They seemed to love it. We visited the grounds and they were nice and the beach area seemed nicer to me than the Westin or Fiesta. It's on a great stretch of beach that is not crowded. If you are looking for more of a boutique hotel, try the Quinta Real or, if you really want a romantic getaway, Majahuitas. Majahuitas is one of the most romantic places I have ever stayed. You can view picture tours of Majahuitas and the Quinta on differentworld.com or if you are interested, post your email address and I will send you pictures of each. I also have pictures of the Quinta Real beach club so if you are interested in the Marriott, you can view its stretch of beach.

The Westin is probably very nice, but I've never stayed there. I *DID* stay in the Marriott Casamagna last summer, so I can definitely second beachgirl's comments. The Marriott is definitely first-class with impeccable service and I'm going to consider them again next time I visit PVR.

I wasn't crazy about the Mayan Palace PVR (Marina district -- not the one in Nuevo Vallarta). It's well regarded by some, but I found it disturbingly inhospitable...just my 2 cents.

Have fun (as if you could POSSIBLY do otherwise in Puerto Vallarta ;-)
Mark
www.tiogringo.com

Hi!

You could also take her to Los Cabos, Ixtapa, Puerto Escondido, Huatulco. You have a lot of options here in Mexico!
Good Luck!

We stayed in PV last year at the Westin. It is a nice hotel, but a hurricane years ago took up the beach!. They were working on getting some of it back, but we were very dissapointed. Maybe you should check this before making any reservation.

Besides the Marina area, there are other hotels closer to downtown. I would consider the Camino Real. It is a nice beach and the service is very good.

In downtown you have many good options of restaurants. The best we were was the Cafe des Artistes, which is expensive. I would also recommend La Dolce Vitta (italian) and the Trio (mediterranean).

As a romantic getaway also look up for the Punta Mita Hotel. This is a Four Seasons hotel, about a 40 min. drive from PV. This is a very expendise hotel, but the exclusivity of it is worth it.

I feel like a broken record about camino real, but I LOVED it there! we just got back from our honeymoon last night and I couldn't wait to rave about camino real...the service, the beach, the value for the money. Just great!

anyway, just thought I would add this info in case you havent booked yet!

(not that it matters, but I did not care for majahuitas....too rustic for my taste).

Having been going to P. Vallarta for the last 14years I would say all the hotels are nice but if you really want something special then I would go to the Marriott, It is a bit more expensive but for the first time in P. Vallarta I would say definitely. My daughter went when she was in her 20's and loved it so much she went back twice. It has everything I am sure you both need. I just got back in March from the Camino Real which was very nice but I can't compare it to the Marriott. The scenery was unbelievable but the hotel is older and I think it is nice for people a little older than you!!!! I liked it, but it was kind of Quiet. Just what I was looking for. but like I said the Marriott is a bit expensive. Go for it.