51 Best Hotels in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

The condos at this boutique-style accommodation are a favorite among travelers and vacationers who return year after year. The units come in different sizes but all are spacious-enough apartments with necessary essentials and simple but efficient furniture. All include a fridge and kitchen, air conditioning, and free Wi-Fi. The lovely garden and pool are meticulously maintained throughout the year. Did we mention it's a three-minute walk to the beach? The place is very quiet thanks to its location on a dead-end street, yet nights are noisy when nearby Decameron hotel throws a large party.

Guests consistently give this hotel high marks for the classy suites, each with a brown-and-taupe color scheme and an ample terrace. Separate sitting rooms have a second flat-screen TV, and there's even a pillow menu. The pools are surrounded by spacious patios, so there's plenty of room to find the perfect spot in the sun or the shade. Given the elegance of the place, it's a shame to have to wear the usual wristbands.

Located on downtown's northern edge, this is just a few blocks from the malecón, shops, hotels, and restaurants. Rooms are cheerful, with wood furniture, bright white linens, and tastefully subdued accent colors. There's a lively pool scene; the adults-only area, a shallow pool with submerged chaise lounges facing the sea, is a big part of the draw. The all-inclusive rate is a good deal, especially for families.

This popular, up-to-date boutique hotel is located a 10-minute walk from the beach and the Zona Romántica, catering largely to an LGBTQ+ clientele. Most guest rooms have terraces with wonderful views of the sea and the surrounding neighborhood. Suites have kitchenettes, washer-dryers, separate living and sleeping quarters, and a home-theater system. All the rooms are classy, restrained, and individually decorated. The airy, shared dining room–lounge is comfortable and welcoming; the rooftop terrace with infinity dipping pool is lovely.

Palms and plants edge the walkways lining the swimming pool and goldfish ponds, while balconies look down on this idyllic garden scene. Suites have full kitchens, shower-only baths, and tropical-style furniture. The hotel is on a cobblestoned street off the highway; if you don't want to hoof it into Puerto Vallarta, take one of the local buses that pass by every 10 minutes. The beach is a five-minute walk away on the other side of the highway.

Some of the pleasant rooms overlook the beach from a balcony or terrace, but most people stay here for easy access to the good burgers, guacamole, and seafood platter for two ($13) at the adjoining El Alebrije restaurant. The bar, with its cool, brick-floor interior open to the beach, is also popular. Other perks: the long beach, large pool, and hiking and other outdoor activities.

This is an attractive little enclave of cozy and clean (albeit basic) cottages with screened windows. Full kitchens with lots of pots and pans invite cooking, but the real draws are the lovingly tended gardens surrounding the lodgings, the covered patio, and the sparkling, three-lane lap pool. If you love it, settle in for a while; monthly rates are usually available.

At Casa Velas, a luxurious all-inclusive resort without the hassle of mass tourism, everything feels classy and personal. With just 80 suites, this adults-only hotel offers outstanding service and an all-around upscale experience. Rooms are spacious and enriched with subtle touches of Mexican design, and some include a hot tub or plunge pool. Although there are plenty of quality dining options and a large swimming pool, the big setback is that guests have to take a shuttle to the beach.

A couple of friendly American expats run this charming cliff-top hideaway with gorgeous views of the ocean and Boca de Iguanas Beach below. The furniture is stylish, and homey touches like lamps and aquatic wall decorations make the snug apartments just right for holing up. The two apartments upstairs, with thatched roofs and kitchen and living room open to the elements, are not usually available in summer due to the rain; the rest of the year they're highly coveted.

This family-oriented all-inclusive resort features a pirate-theme water park as its main attraction. The Baby Paradise and the teens’ club are also well appointed. Rooms aren’t spectacular but they offer ample space and include kid-size bunk beds. All restaurants feature their own kids’ menu. An adults-only sister hotel is available next door, for those looking something a bit more peaceful.

Hidden four blocks off the busy malecón, this '60s-era villa has apartments of various sizes filled with modern Mexican art and comfortable, if well-worn, furniture. All apartments have well-equipped kitchens, and a few rooms have ocean-view terraces; the largest has three bedrooms, two baths, and a separate dining room. There's a red-tile pool and tropical gardens. In high season the property accepts only weeklong bookings.

This storied resort rises above a deep-blue pool that flows beside palm oases. The ocean-view rooms have a modern neutral color scheme, beige marble floors, balconies, and tile baths with powerful showers. The beach is small but bustles with activity and equipment rentals, and the breakwater forms a sheltered nook that's nice for swimming. It's in the Northern Hotel Zone, about halfway between the Marina Vallarta complex and downtown Puerto Vallarta.

Hollywood celebrities have stayed at this new and award-winning resort when visiting Puerto Vallarta for vacation—and it's no surprise why. It's luxurious, nestled between the hills and the clean waters of southern Bahia de Banderas, and offers all the amenities and attention to detail you can think of. Rooms range from "deluxe" to "grand penthouse" suites, all exquisitely furnished, yet without forgetting the hotel's eco-friendly purpose.

In scale and majesty, the public areas of this property outshine all other Nuevo Vallarta all-inclusive resorts. Ceilings soar overhead, and the structure and furnishings are simultaneously minimalist and modern yet earthy, incorporating stucco, rock, polished teak, and gleaming ecru marble. The spa is excellent, and the views—with the garden-shrouded pool in the foreground and the beach beyond—are striking. Rooms are sleek with elegant furnishings and appointments. The high price entitles you to top-of-the-line spirits in minibars and restaurants.

Built in 1882, this beautifully restored mansion turned hotel was once part of a large hacienda. The restoration is stunning: surrounding a pretty, plant-filled courtyard is a covered veranda of lovely floor tiles, with lazily rotating ceiling fans, antique furniture, and groupings of chairs for a casual conversation. Opening off the veranda, elegant suites have also been restored to their original glory. It's right across from the cultural center and near the market and town plaza.

Each room is unique and elegant at this pricey boutique hotel in the hills five blocks above the malecón. Public spaces also exude luxury with antiques placed throughout, and water pours from fonts into Talavera-tile-lined basins. The Celestial Room has a wondrous view of Bahía de Banderas and the cathedral's tower from its open-air, thatch-roof living room. You can enjoy live music with complimentary cocktails in the early evening, and there are fabulous views of the bay from the restaurant.

Set right in front of the best beach in Barra de Navidad, this is a clean, comfortable hotel—just don't expect any kind of luxury. Mostly frequented by national tourists, Hotel Barra de Navidad has a nice restaurant and offers a wide range of spa services.

In the heart of Bucerías and one block from the beach, this small budget hotel is unassuming and well maintained. Simple small rooms with matching furniture of wrought iron and wood, and cheerful artwork face an L-shaped corridor. All rooms are the same, with one full bed and small, clean, brightly tiled bathrooms with shower only. A periwinkle-and-mauve color scheme brightens the corridor; rooms at the back face a wider corridor with plastic tables and chairs. All rooms are non-smoking. Although they advertise the two-bedroom suite ($120) with a king bed and two doubles for a family of six, the space is pretty tight.

A block from the beach and overlooking Lázaro Cárdenas Park, this hotel offers great city and mountain views from the rooftop, which has a pool and party area. Suites have small kitchenettes in one corner. Units with great views cost the same as those without, so ask for one with a panoramic view.

Opened decades ago by a family of dedicated bird-watchers, this meandering, three-story hotel with expansive grounds is the home base of choice for birding groups. Rooms have small balconies and polished limestone floors; junior suites have large whirlpool tubs. Betty Vásquez, who runs El Delfín French restaurant here, studied at Le Cordon Bleu in France; she prepares elegant and very tasty meals.

Simple rooms in this six-story low-rise have somewhat battered colonial-style furnishings; some have tiny balconies but only a few on the top floors have a partial ocean view. The small figure-eight pool in the middle of the courtyard is exposed but still refreshes. The two-bedroom apartments are poorly designed and have stiff Mexican furnishings. J&B Dancing Club next door provides Latin and pop music throughout the week.

Perched on a hill overlooking La Cruz, this brand-new hotel and spa has 42 villas all tastefully decorated in a somewhat Balinese style. The silent surroundings and serene ambience are perfect for a romantic (or individual) escape, with good food and even better drinks in a classy environment.

This adults-only, extra-luxurious, all-inclusive resort is the only five-diamond hotel in Puerto Vallarta, and you can tell why the moment you step foot on it. This two-tower hotel is sparkling and stylish, with huge rooms, modern sassy decor, and all types of little details such as iPad-operated ambience systems, walk-in rain showers, and smart bidet toilets. The all-inclusive experience is real premium with four top-notch restaurants on the premises, plus two more options at its sister hotel Garza Blanca located within walking distance.

A block from the beach, in an area with lots of good restaurants, "The Palms" has two floors of rooms surrounding a large, clean, rectangular pool. Guests can use the barbecue grill and eat or socialize at umbrella-shaded café tables or plastic loungers with cushions around the pool. Rooms and suites are either in the original, street-facing complex or the newer, ocean-facing building. They vary in configuration and price, but most rooms have a full kitchen; at the very least each has a three-quarter-size refrigerator, microwave, coffeemaker, and toaster. Some units have room for a family, with two separate sleeping quarters and kitchen, but no patio or private balcony. The two suites have ocean views and large, private patios.

If you hang around the pool or the small shared balcony overlooking the street, it's not hard to get to know the other guests—many of them savvy budget travelers from Europe and Canada. Rooms are spare and vault-like, and some are downright dark. Fredy's Tucan restaurant is popular with locals, mainly for breakfast. The hotel is in a part of the Zona Romántica known for its restaurants and shops; Playa Los Muertos is a few blocks away.

Perched on a beautiful headland, "Serene Point" enjoys balmy breezes and offers life-changing views from the infinity hot tub. It's an adults-only oasis of calm. Rooms have lovely furnishings and decor and shared or private terraces, some with fab beach views. The private beach far below is clothing optional. Spa treatments are inventive, and activities like horseback riding, tennis, and nonmotorized water sports are included in the price.

Located in downtown Puerto Vallarta just a block from the beach, Hotel Rio offers quaint traditional accommodations as well as some modern rooms. This was the second hotel ever built in Puerto Vallarta, shortly after Hotel Rosita.

What started as a sleepy 12-room hostelry—Puerto Vallarta's very first—is now a busy 115-room downtown hotel. It's still a viable budget option, mainly recommended for its location on the north end of the malecón close to restaurants and shops. Rooms are very basic; expect white-tile floors and fabrics with floral prints. Request a room facing the water, as much for the view as for the natural light; rooms facing the street are dark, making them feel cramped.

This is a reasonably priced, well-landscaped, bright white hotel at the south end of Playa Los Muertos. Superior rooms don't cost much more than standards, and although they have more or less the same amenities, they're in a newer wing and most have better views. Suites have no separate living area but are larger than other rooms and have several different areas for sitting or playing cards, as well as a four-burner stove, blender, and fridge.

Rates are reasonable considering these small studio apartments have all the creature comforts of home: the spacious kitchens come with juicers, blenders, toasters, coffeemakers, stoves, and refrigerators, and microwaves are available upon request. Each room is configured differently, but all are bright and cheerful, with private patios. Four of the units face the long, beautiful bay and sandy beach. There's a large pool and patio facing the ocean.