46 Best Hotels in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Hotelito Mio is a quaint boutique hotel that is both luxurious and rustic, located on Playa Caballo next to Las Ánimas. Thatched roofs and wooden walls hide upscale amenities, luxury bedding, scented candles, and tubs and Jacuzzis with ocean views. San Miguel Restaurant on the premises offers a customized menu according to your tastes and nutritional requirements, and the beach spa will pamper you with facials, massages, yoga, Pilates, and Reiki.

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.

A pair of displaced Guadalajarans have created a cluster of pretty cabins on their property about four blocks from the plaza. Comfortable futons in each room provide a place to sleep, nap, or watch TV. The double-sided fireplace heats the bedroom and adjoining sitting room. Bed coverings and matching drapes of earthy, muted colors are all good quality. This is the most modern place to stay in San Sebastián and is geared to adults but accepts children, too, for an additional charge of about $20 per child.

The very large and well-appointed suites in this boutique hotel overlook the marina in Nuevo Vallarta and, if you're in the rooms facing west, you'll see spectacular sunsets, too. All suites have washers and dryers, hair dryers, toiletries, air conditioning, and several other amenities. The master suites accommodate up to eight people; larger suites also have full kitchens and balconies overlooking the marina. There's a brand-new on-site restaurant offering mostly seafood and local specialties, and there are a few other great dining choices within walking distance.

Located 50 meters from the beach, this hotel offers low-key lodging in bungalows at affordable rates. Each bungalow comes with two bedrooms and a kitchenette, so you won’t miss the lack of a restaurant on the premises. All rooms include air conditioning and Wi-Fi. A long free-form swimming pool sits at the center of the property.

Beautiful rooms in this converted 19th-century house have lovely old tile floors, beige cotton drapes covering huge windows, rag-rolled walls, and wonderful tile floors and sinks. The dining room has old-fashioned cupboards, and there are dining tables inside and out on two patios festooned with flowers and large potted plants. Second-floor rooms have views of fields and mountains to the west.

The Paramar is a small boutique hotel that makes the most of its outstanding location just steps from Playa Camarones, the only beach in downtown Vallarta. The whole place has a laidback atmosphere, quite different from that of the big resorts. Rooms are large and modern—some include kitchenettes—and the penthouses come with a large terrace and private Jacuzzi.

Catering to small groups and family outings, this ranch-style lodging near the entrance to town also accepts individual travelers. All interiors are pine-wood simple, with ceiling beams and tile roofs, and plain furnishings. The villas have kitchens, and most have a porch and fireplace; many sport a king-size bed. This working ranch offers horseback riding and also rents bicycles and ATVs. Because most guests are Guadalajarans on weekends, prices are discounted 20% Sunday through Thursday.

Basic yet comfortable rooms in this three-story hotel have king-size beds with dark blue, hunting-theme spreads and desks of shiny lacquered wood. The property is on the main road into town, just a few short blocks from the plaza and town hall. The price goes up slightly on weekends January through May.

An hour north of Mascota, this lodge of knotty pine is a tranquil lakeside retreat. Sail or kayak or just read a book in the steamy hot tub. The spa isn’t as expansive as those in some of Sierra Lago’s Villa Group sister properties, but it does have massage, a steam room, and an outdoor hot tub. If you choose the all-inclusive plan, drinks are included, as are activities like horseback riding, kayaking, and mountain biking. There’s also fishing, and, if he has time, the chef will cook up your freshly caught fish.

Understated luxury and an open-to-nature building design describe this 10-suite boutique property located in a jungle about an hour south of Vallarta. Built into the hillside overlooking lovely Yelapa Bay, Verana is sleek and contemporary yet surrounded by nature and built of locally available materials. Each of the freestanding suites has a different view and feel; several have outdoor showers and all are warm, inviting, and romantic. Every room has a ceiling fan, but just a few have air conditioning.

This homey hotel is on a hill above quiet La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, and offers garden-view or ocean-facing suites; several have a terrace overlooking the coast, and a large dining area/kitchen and living room. A big breakfast is served in the open-air dining room; the adjacent common area has a computer with Internet access. The small swimming pool overlooks a tropical hillside, the marina, and the town of La Cruz.

Villa Lala is gorgeous little oceanfront hotel with only seven suites but lots of personality. Each suite has its own style and amenities, all spacious with tasteful Mexican design. The two love nests are luxurious treehouses with amazing ocean views, perfect for honeymooners. The beach is rocky, but kayaks are available and the Boca beach is just meters away. An infinity swimming pool and a Zen garden complement this charming place.

Aside from the luxurious and costly Grand Bay Isla Navidad and the behemoth Hotel Alondra, Barra de Navidad has mostly basic hotels with few rooms, and the majority aren't a particularly good value compared to similar hotels elsewhere. This hotel with a domed brick ceiling, comfortable beds, and remote-control air-conditioning is among the best choices. The two largest rooms have two twin beds as well as a king, plus a DVD player and a mini-refrigerator.

What began as a hilltop home has slowly become an amalgam of unusual, rustic, but luxurious suites with indoor and outdoor living spaces. The higher up your room, the more beautiful the view of Sayulita's coast. The trade-off for such beauty? A long walk up a seemingly endless staircase and the dearth of room phones make contacting the front desk frustrating. Accommodations, managed by different owners, range from basic to honeymoon suites with terraces and plunge pools. Details like recessed color-glass light fixtures, Talavera sinks in bathrooms, brick ceilings, wrought-iron table lamps, art in wall niches, and colorful cement floors add a lot of class. The property overlooks a rocky cove where you can fish from shore; a beautiful sandy beach is a few minutes' walk. The staff lends out kayaks, boogie boards, and snorkeling gear.