The Best Luxury Hotels in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit

Both Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit are known for the quality and variety of their hotel offerings. Travelers looking to indulge in top-of-the-line luxury experiences will find lots to love, too, as both destinations are home to a wide array of villas and beautifully furnished suites.

Spacious accommodations, private terraces, sumptuous decor, personalized service and a variety of perks — including VIP lounge access, spa treatment discounts and preferential reservations at hotel restaurants — are just a few of the reasons to go big when reserving a hotel in Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta. Here are a few of the best ways to splurge in both these sun-soaked Pacific coast hotspots.

Riviera Nayarit’s Most Luxurious Hotels

Among the newest luxury hotel options in Riviera Nayarit is Conrad Punta de Mita, which opened last year in Punta de Mita’s Litibu resort development. Its top room category, the 2,525-square-foot Grand Oceanfront Suite, comes equipped with a kitchenette, 1½ bathrooms and an oceanfront patio with a private plunge pool and dreamy Pacific Ocean views.

Also big on views is The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, where the 3,100-square-foot, three-bedroom Beachfront Presidential Villa offers space to spread out and 24-hour private dining for personalized culinary experiences.

Nearby, Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita is home to the 12,900-square-foot Cielo Oceanfront Villa, which is set dramatically on a cliff. Guests staying at the villa have free use of two private golf carts, which can come in handy for getting around the expansive resort.

Travelers seeking opulence with lots of natural beauty may want to consider Imanta Resorts, a popular choice for privacy-seeking celebrities, where the three-bedroom Casona Jaguar villa has its own private beach and infinity pool.

One&Only Mandarina also offers an eco-luxe getaway with its one-bedroom Treehouse, which is set in the rainforest and comes with a private terrace and a plunge pool. One&Only Mandarina’s Panoramic Ocean Cliff Villa, meanwhile, is a one-bedroom retreat with a private terrace and a plunge pool in a lush area described as a “jungle court.”

Families looking for multiple rooms will find plenty of space at Villa La Estancia, a AAA Four Diamond member of The Villa Group, where the top choice is the 4,316-square-foot, three-bedroom Sunset Residence. Offering views of Banderas Bay, the suite has a terrace with a Jacuzzi, a fireplace and a grill, and guests can arrange for private chef service in the fully equipped kitchen.

For a hip vibe, one of the best options is the W Punta de Mita, where the two-bedroom Extreme Wow Suite has a winding plunge pool that runs through the living room and an outdoor terrace that offers panoramic views.

Puerto Vallarta’s Most Luxurious Hotels

Like Riviera Nayarit, Puerto Vallarta has also welcomed some new upscale hotel brands in recent years. Among the newest is the Hilton Vallarta Riviera All-Inclusive Resort, which opened this year after a major overhaul of a former Grand Fiesta Americana hotel.

The newly refreshed property has a 2,088-square-foot Presidential Suite that features a spacious living area and wraparound terrace with jetted tub. Guests check in inside the suite and benefit from perks including dinner on the private terrace; preferential access to restaurants, bars and Bali day beds; and free access to the hotel’s club level.

Also new this year in Puerto Vallarta is a variety of luxe options at Maxwell Residences, including the two-bedroom, 3,300-square-foot Casa Ventana, a penthouse with a theater room and 650-square-foot terrace; and Casa Solia, a 4,200-square-foot oceanfront suite with five bedrooms. Both accommodations have full kitchens and living/dining areas.

For a family-friendly, all-inclusive upscale experience, the top room category at the Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta All Inclusive & Spa is the 1,275-square-foot Presidential Suite, which features living/dining space and a terrace with fantastic rooftop views of the beach.

The Garza Blanca Preserve Puerto Vallarta, which is set among 85 acres of unspoiled tropical jungle, is ideal for luxe travelers who enjoy natural settings. Those looking for maximum comfort should consider the 3,700-square-foot, three-bedroom Oceanfront Penthouse Suite, which provides memorable vistas of the ocean and mountains. Each of the bedrooms has king-size beds and private bathrooms, and villa guests receive discounted prices on spa treatments.

Beautiful views are also a selling point at Hotel Mousai, where the 2,852-square-foot Penthouse North is designed to be its own self-contained oasis, complete with its own full kitchen, library and TV lounge.

And travelers looking to imbue their Puerto Vallarta vacation with a bit of classic Hollywood glamor will do well at Casa Kimberly, a boutique hotel that was once the vacation home of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The Elizabeth Taylor Suite, which features its own private elevator access, is graced with marble columns, a Swarovski crystal chandelier and stairs that lead to a raised tub. As guests laze around the wraparound terrace and perhaps take a dip in the private pool and Jacuzzi, it would not be surprising if they feel like movie stars, too.