11 Best Hotels in Riviera Nayarit, Puerto Vallarta

This suite-only beachfront four-diamond resort in Nuevo Vallarta features Spanish-colonial-decor rooms, a private balcony overlooking the bay, and a multilevel lagoon-style pool. It's ideal for couples and families who want to enjoy luxury and quality, and good food can be enjoyed at any of the restaurants within the property. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Considered the flagship of the three Riu hotels in the area, the Riu Palace Pacifico is an all-inclusive beachfront resort with an excellent family-friendly beach, assorted restaurants as well as a buffet, and a huge pool. 

The Krystal Reflect is a beachfront hotel ideal for families and couples. While children stay, eat, and play for free, there is also an adults-only pool and restaurant where grown-ups can find some quiet time. Rooms range from standard luxury to swim-out suites, with access to all the entertainment the hotel offers, including a world-class spa.

This high-volume hotel at the south end of long and lovely Bucerías Beach has manicured grounds and a pool for each of its six buildings. Rooms are plain and not particularly modern, but that's a small price to pay for the excellent beachfront location and astoundingly low all-inclusive prices. Rooms in the older section have the best views, since they were built along the water; rooms on the other side of the road have the benefit of being adults-only and are almost brand new. Besides location, the only real distinction between one room and another is whether the room has a king or two double beds. The median age of the clientele here is around 50 years old.

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.