8 Best Hotels in Riviera Nayarit, Puerto Vallarta

The original St. Regis in Mexico (there's now a sister property in Mexico City) boasts a nouveau Mexican architectural style combining geometric simplicity with the warmth of giant palapa roofs and other natural elements. Sleek white tubs, simple outdoor showers, and flat-screen TVs maintain the spare look of the overall design, but room decor is simultaneously cheerful, light, and charming. Separate adults-only pools and restaurants make the space welcoming for couples seeking quiet or romance. Punta Mita's two golf courses flank the property, which is a boon for golfers; the beach is pretty and private but rocky and not suitable for swimming. When reserving, request a partial-ocean-view room, as it's the same price as a garden-view room.

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. 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.

With stunning views and acres of trees, as well as blissful breezes off the Pacific Ocean, Haramara Retreat is an oasis of tranquility just south of Sayulita. Originally a retreat for yoga groups, Haramara—which means "Grandmother Sea" in the Huichol language—is now open to individual travelers. With its own private beach and several large pergolas for meditation, Haramara is a wonderful venue for a rejuvenating vacation away from technology. Included in the price are three healthy meals daily at the ocean-view restaurant, which specializes in vegetarian cuisine but offers seafood as well. Expert bodyworkers give several types of massage, and private yoga lessons are available, as are surfing lessons and surf safaris. A packed dirt path leads up and down the hilly, 12-acre property to thatch-roofed bungalows that open to the sea breezes. The showers also are open-sided so you can admire the views as you bathe. Comfortable beds are surrounded by mosquito netting; hardwood floors, bamboo siding, and thatch roofs complete the Robinson Crusoe feel of the place.

This brand-new beachfront boutique hotel has just 10 rooms, plus a rooftop infinity pool and oceanfront views. It's a great alternative for travelers looking for a quiet place to enjoy good food, magnificent ocean and mountain views, and a bit of solitude. The hotel can also organize tours to many local attractions, including whale-watching, surfing, and trekking.

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, 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.

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.

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.