This is our first visit to Puerto Vallarta.

Please help decide on a good hotel.

We are looking for a nice ($150-$250) hotel that has spacious rooms, nice pool/beach area, and is close to town. From what I've read here I don't think I'd be interested in any Nuevo Vallarta properties.

So far properties that might look good are the Sheraton, Westin, Mariott, Villa Premiere, Dreams and Fiesta Americanas. I'm open to other suggestions as well, as I don't know if these hotels fit what we're looking for.

Any help will be appreciated!

Of the hotels you mentioned, I would recommend:
Villa Premier or Dreams.
One main difference is that Premier is Adults only and also you can opt out of All Inclusive.

Yes, I would recommend Dreams, too. It is about 10 minutes south of town in a beautiful cove. It is a really nice resort and the other hotels that you mentioned are in a busy city location on a busy main road in Puerto Vallarta.

Best Regards,
Julia

Thanks for the replies. I'm having trouble finding a reasonable rate at the Dreams. (they want $400/nt)

Is the Villa Premiere a better choice than the Marriott?

My husband and I loved the PV Marriott. The beach and pool areas are absolutely beautiful. The rooms are spacious with newly remodeled bathrooms. Most rooms have a balcony overlooking the ocean and pool. There are several nice restaurants on the property and the Marina is across the street with many additional restaurants and shops. We took a taxi to town many times for walks on the Malecon and shopping. The ride to town was about 15 minutes or less. My vote is for the Marriott.

I have stayed at almost all the hotels with the exception of Villa Premiere & the Westin. My two choices are Marriott which as stated above is located at the Marina at I agree it is a great hotel there are plenty of restaurants there and it's about 15 minute cab ride into town. My 2nd choice would be the Sheraton it is close to town and an amazing hotel we have been going to P.V. for almost 20 yrs and mostly stay at the Sheraton. Usually we get a better deal. Dreams I stayed when it was prev Camino Real it has the best beach and a great location. I know people who have stayed since it became all inclusive and it was their first trip to P.V. and they loved it. I wouldn't go all inclusive because there are so many places to eat and drink anywhere you go. Fiesta Americana I did like the hotel but the service was the worst I have encountered in the 20yrs I have been going I would never stay there again. So in my opinion I would go with the best deal in the hotels I mentioned you cannot go wrong with any of the ones you listed they are the top hotels there. Good Luck and if you need some advice on restaurants let me know on this site.

Of those (if you exclude Dreams) I would pick either the Casa Magna Marriott in the Marina or the Sherton in the Hotel Zone. Casa Magna has a stunning pool area, huge and gorgeous.

Another I would add to your list is down on the south-side ("zona romantica&quot... The Tropicana. It is more a normal mexican hotel, not a fancy resort, but it is quite nice in a great location. For that price I believe you could get the more upgraded rooms.

The Marriott CasaMagna is an excellent choice. Great rooms, pool, staff, etc.
Close to the Marina which has a number of restaurants. There are far too many good restaurants in PV to even consider the all-inclusive route.

While researching accomodations, I found a condo that looks great called the Home of the Dolphins at the Condominiums de Malecon. Does anyone have any experience with this place or renting condos in general around the PV area?

I have stayed in hotels all over Mexico. I prefer the smaller boutique hotels. In PV I would recommend the
Villa Premier for the location, pool area, proximity to the beach and the service. Far and away the better venue.
In order to feel like a valued guest,
this hotel will take care of you.

If you want to be close to town, you can't beat the Playa Los Arcos on the beach in Old Town. I stayed there June 13th. Beautiful pool, great restaurant and staff. The beach is good, but I would swim on the other side of the pier.I asked for and received a "Senior" discount. I had a good room with excellent air conditioning. I have heard that some of the rooms are better than others, but my stay was excellent.