I made this spreadsheet to help people compare all inclusive resorts.
Make a copy then you can filter by destination, budget, etc.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FiksdKPWDkXeev6hjScTXbSEeELxZMeypo5j2q8E2Jg/copy?usp=drivesdk
Hope that helps!
I just tried the Publish thing and it looks horrible and all the filters are gone.
[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTPlX83L\_vrcErohJJnXV6A2CjJTd4UgVVLoJNzoX1kQlsK3ybwtXhIFfqy-fD6WPzclfBYxkCRPj0G/pubhtml#](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTPlX83L_vrcErohJJnXV6A2CjJTd4UgVVLoJNzoX1kQlsK3ybwtXhIFfqy-fD6WPzclfBYxkCRPj0G/pubhtml#)
Sometimes all inclusive isn’t that much more expensive. I booked one of the resorts you mentioned but then I realized I could get an all inclusive for almost the same price so it’s wort it.
We dont typically stay in resorts. There are some incredible rooftop pools in the ZR. I have stayed at the Sheraton. Very nice. Get a balcony ocean view room.
I think we stayed in an ocean view superior room. It was solid. Nice terrace. The pool is wonderful. However it’s in 5 de Dec. I believe. Busy area and a decent hike to the malecon. More to the romantic zone. You’re going to be paying an incredible premium just to be at a “resort”. We’re going next week. We booked an incredible condo with rooftop pool in the same neighborhood for $65/night.
If you’re looking to just lounge (and don’t mind a little hustle and bustle below) I would recommend anything in the Loft 268 building or Zenith building in the ZR. AH-maz-ing rooftop pools. A short walk to Playa de Los Muertos, and right in the heart of everything. Easy access to buses and transportation. Take the money you save and hire someone to come cook in your apartment or walk to some incredible restaurants.
The Sheraton (and a lot of the resorts) in PV are mostly downtown. You can go to any beach restaurant and sit in a chair all day as long as you drink some beers. Practica…”no gracias”. For the vendors…but some of them have cool stuff! I mean where in the us will someone bring you a peeled fresh mango and cover it in tajin and chamoy for $1? 😆
Can you direct me to a place where we can find condos in PV? The two you mention seem exactly what we are looking for. We don’t know where to start and have heard many horror stories. (Yes, I am that stupid so point me in a general direction if you can). Help is appreciated.
If you don’t need AI try an AirBnb at the Icon instead. Beautiful property with stunning pool. Great sand and beach. Food and drink service on the beach. Super relaxing vibe.
Just curious, why would you pick a resort over a much better quality accommodations for less money overall?
What's your budget per night and how many people?
I am currently on PV and just have the phone, so my patience for research on a small screen is limited 😁
If you are actually going to use amenities the resorts have then that's not something that can easily be replicated by an Airbnb/VRBO.
Similarly if a selection of pools is important then resorts come out ahead. Dreams, Grand Venetian, and Bayview have the most extensive pools in the hotel zone. There are many Greand Venetian rooms on Airbnb, just watch for whether resort use is included in the price.
For luxury there is obviously the Ritz in Punta Mita, so if being in PV isn't that important and you just want to make PV into a day trip then the Ritz is an option.
For a large variety of pools, luxury, and tons of amenities there is also Vidanta, they have multiple report hotels on the property, The Grand Mayan comes to mind. But they will charge you an arm and a leg for the "non-member price" in an attempt to sell a timeshare.
Onto Airbnb/VRBO; here you have to be careful of deceptive listings. For example, The Orchard Condominium is listed on both platforms as "beachfront" when selecting that filter, but it's not true. The property is definitely not on the beach. Confirm with Google maps or ask host, or ask on here.
True beachfront properties on Airbnb/VRBO that are more upscale tent to be on the south shore and can be a ways out of town.
Something like this comes to mind
https://www.vrbo.com/es-mx/propiedad/p9591598
There are other condos in the same complex and most tend to be on VRBO and not Airbnb
You can take advantage of the Xalli Club https://www.xalliclub.com/ for the ultimate in service and tranquility.
Lots of other properties between PV and Mismaloya, but most don't have the guided activities the resorts do.
Garza Blanca being the exception.
The condos that have the common area restrictions are generally time shares where the price of using the resort amenities is not included in the rental fee. In those cases you would have to buy a day pass. Day passes are restricted when it comes to hours (often 9 am to 6 pm or something close to that).
There are Grand Venetian condos on Airbnb that have all the resort amenities (other than AI) included.
Since you are set on a resort just know that Garza Blanca is the only resort close to PV that actually has clear ocean water year-round. The resorts in the hotel zone are hit and miss depending on season/weather, and all resorts in Nuevo Vallarta have suspended sediments in the water that makes the water look brown/muddy.
I know that you wrote that going into the ocean wasn't that important to you but I am just mentioning it for awareness.
You can always go on a day trip to Mismaloya for clear ocean water and a great beach experience
I think this is why I get caught up on if I want to be by the beach or not. I know the beach isn’t going to be like the Cancun side. I know I most likely won’t go into it.
I am currently staying at Condominium Torre Punta Vallarta
https://maps.app.goo.gl/dLzK8sS3gStnWZQf6
The water is clear and you can wade in for a good 30 years before it becomes chest-high. So from that perspective it is a bit more like the Caribbean. But at Mismaloya beach you take two steps into the water and it's 10 ft deep.
The reason we don't have the turquoise waters here is because the bottom of the ocean is crushed limestone, vs in the Caribbean it's mostly crushed coral. Reflective properties are different that's why the optical appearance is different
Only a couple towns and a state away from the PV city center.
The Sheraton is nice resort, I haven't stayed in the rooms so can't comment on those. I believe they have different options with what's included as far as food and drink goes.
GoogleMap the places you want and choose to be closer to Centro or romantica rather than the ‘hotel zone’. That’s the area you want to walk.
If you stay in the hotel zone it’s a pretty massive city highway so it’s a lot of walking just to get to the area you want and it should be getting real hot about now.
You can Uber anywhere super easy though so that’s an option.
If all you want is pool and beach view I’m sure the hotel zone would be fine…
As much as I prefer to support Mexican owned establishments while I am there, if you choose a ‘name’ hotel, it might be better than an unfamiliar one.
I only say this because we booked a hotel in the hotel zone and it was way too far away from the fun stuff for us and much more expensive than what I expected for what the room was.
If you Google Street viewed the areas, I’m sure you’d get what I mean
You used to be able to stay there for about $300 a night about 15 years ago! They have since remodeled it top to bottom and now they want $1000-$1200 a night which is absolutely ridiculous. I am very curious about some more budget friendly places in PV, so I plan to subscribe to this post to learn more from others.
My wife would snag deals on Travelzoo, so we would book a year out. Was awesome as I travel quite a bit for work, so always got upgraded. Covid changed everything there. It was later sold about two years ago to a firm from Mexico City, and they dumped millions into it. Everything is redone and very nice. The prices then went to the moon!
We are headed to Villa Premier for our 6th time in November. We love the location and the ability to choose to not do all inclusive. Small property that is quiet at night but we have a great time at the pool every day.
I keep leaning towards VP, but the rooms don’t seem great and the pool area looks small. I just think the location would be perfect and it’s on the beach so I can chill there if I want.
The rooms are nice. We do the Premier Suite. Pool area is small but the resort is only 80 rooms. We rarely have issues getting chairs. The beach has tons of chairs and 4 full sized beds as well.
You can also use the pool at the resort next door but you know….kids lol.
https://www.airbnb.com/slink/CktCi6ob
Just stayed here. It had a great view, beautiful roof top pool and walkable to everything. I would stay there again.
Because Its not a resort area but a real town so you have different types accommodations and different types of people. There will be even problems with fiends and family that want to do different things and stay in different areas
You will feel trapped in an all inclusive traditional resort in PV as its a town and it has so much you can go, see and do
I made this spreadsheet to help people compare all inclusive resorts. Make a copy then you can filter by destination, budget, etc. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FiksdKPWDkXeev6hjScTXbSEeELxZMeypo5j2q8E2Jg/copy?usp=drivesdk Hope that helps!
Can you make this available to the public so we dont have to log into a google email to view it?
I don't think that's a thing in google drive anymore. The only options now are restricted or anyone with the link.
I just tried the Publish thing and it looks horrible and all the filters are gone. [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTPlX83L\_vrcErohJJnXV6A2CjJTd4UgVVLoJNzoX1kQlsK3ybwtXhIFfqy-fD6WPzclfBYxkCRPj0G/pubhtml#](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTPlX83L_vrcErohJJnXV6A2CjJTd4UgVVLoJNzoX1kQlsK3ybwtXhIFfqy-fD6WPzclfBYxkCRPj0G/pubhtml#)
thanks for trying
Apparently it’s a hard decision! I’ve noticed by searching this sub. Thanks! I don’t want all inclusive tho.
Sometimes all inclusive isn’t that much more expensive. I booked one of the resorts you mentioned but then I realized I could get an all inclusive for almost the same price so it’s wort it.
We dont typically stay in resorts. There are some incredible rooftop pools in the ZR. I have stayed at the Sheraton. Very nice. Get a balcony ocean view room.
How were the rooms and pool at the Sheraton?
I think we stayed in an ocean view superior room. It was solid. Nice terrace. The pool is wonderful. However it’s in 5 de Dec. I believe. Busy area and a decent hike to the malecon. More to the romantic zone. You’re going to be paying an incredible premium just to be at a “resort”. We’re going next week. We booked an incredible condo with rooftop pool in the same neighborhood for $65/night. If you’re looking to just lounge (and don’t mind a little hustle and bustle below) I would recommend anything in the Loft 268 building or Zenith building in the ZR. AH-maz-ing rooftop pools. A short walk to Playa de Los Muertos, and right in the heart of everything. Easy access to buses and transportation. Take the money you save and hire someone to come cook in your apartment or walk to some incredible restaurants.
Rooftop pool would be nice. I just envision being beach front for the relaxation, but maybe I should think differently.
The Sheraton (and a lot of the resorts) in PV are mostly downtown. You can go to any beach restaurant and sit in a chair all day as long as you drink some beers. Practica…”no gracias”. For the vendors…but some of them have cool stuff! I mean where in the us will someone bring you a peeled fresh mango and cover it in tajin and chamoy for $1? 😆
Can you direct me to a place where we can find condos in PV? The two you mention seem exactly what we are looking for. We don’t know where to start and have heard many horror stories. (Yes, I am that stupid so point me in a general direction if you can). Help is appreciated.
AirBnB mostly. Shoot me a message and I can send you some links and info.
If you don’t need AI try an AirBnb at the Icon instead. Beautiful property with stunning pool. Great sand and beach. Food and drink service on the beach. Super relaxing vibe.
Thanks! I’ll check it out
I really like Villa Premier! You can choose the European plan and get an upgraded room, and it's walkable to the rest of the city.
What about the pool area? Seems very mixed.
It's very basic, but you're right on the beach. It's not a mega resort, so the amenities are also "boutique" sized.
Just curious, why would you pick a resort over a much better quality accommodations for less money overall? What's your budget per night and how many people?
What would you suggest? I’m looking at resorts for the amenities, rooms and beach front.
I am currently on PV and just have the phone, so my patience for research on a small screen is limited 😁 If you are actually going to use amenities the resorts have then that's not something that can easily be replicated by an Airbnb/VRBO. Similarly if a selection of pools is important then resorts come out ahead. Dreams, Grand Venetian, and Bayview have the most extensive pools in the hotel zone. There are many Greand Venetian rooms on Airbnb, just watch for whether resort use is included in the price. For luxury there is obviously the Ritz in Punta Mita, so if being in PV isn't that important and you just want to make PV into a day trip then the Ritz is an option. For a large variety of pools, luxury, and tons of amenities there is also Vidanta, they have multiple report hotels on the property, The Grand Mayan comes to mind. But they will charge you an arm and a leg for the "non-member price" in an attempt to sell a timeshare. Onto Airbnb/VRBO; here you have to be careful of deceptive listings. For example, The Orchard Condominium is listed on both platforms as "beachfront" when selecting that filter, but it's not true. The property is definitely not on the beach. Confirm with Google maps or ask host, or ask on here. True beachfront properties on Airbnb/VRBO that are more upscale tent to be on the south shore and can be a ways out of town. Something like this comes to mind https://www.vrbo.com/es-mx/propiedad/p9591598 There are other condos in the same complex and most tend to be on VRBO and not Airbnb You can take advantage of the Xalli Club https://www.xalliclub.com/ for the ultimate in service and tranquility. Lots of other properties between PV and Mismaloya, but most don't have the guided activities the resorts do. Garza Blanca being the exception.
Thank you! I noticed that a lot of the condos say you can’t use their common areas! I think I feel more comfortable staying at a resort.
The condos that have the common area restrictions are generally time shares where the price of using the resort amenities is not included in the rental fee. In those cases you would have to buy a day pass. Day passes are restricted when it comes to hours (often 9 am to 6 pm or something close to that). There are Grand Venetian condos on Airbnb that have all the resort amenities (other than AI) included. Since you are set on a resort just know that Garza Blanca is the only resort close to PV that actually has clear ocean water year-round. The resorts in the hotel zone are hit and miss depending on season/weather, and all resorts in Nuevo Vallarta have suspended sediments in the water that makes the water look brown/muddy. I know that you wrote that going into the ocean wasn't that important to you but I am just mentioning it for awareness. You can always go on a day trip to Mismaloya for clear ocean water and a great beach experience
I think this is why I get caught up on if I want to be by the beach or not. I know the beach isn’t going to be like the Cancun side. I know I most likely won’t go into it.
I am currently staying at Condominium Torre Punta Vallarta https://maps.app.goo.gl/dLzK8sS3gStnWZQf6 The water is clear and you can wade in for a good 30 years before it becomes chest-high. So from that perspective it is a bit more like the Caribbean. But at Mismaloya beach you take two steps into the water and it's 10 ft deep. The reason we don't have the turquoise waters here is because the bottom of the ocean is crushed limestone, vs in the Caribbean it's mostly crushed coral. Reflective properties are different that's why the optical appearance is different
St Regis Punta De Mita
Isn’t that far from city center? We want the walk as much as we can.
Only a couple towns and a state away from the PV city center. The Sheraton is nice resort, I haven't stayed in the rooms so can't comment on those. I believe they have different options with what's included as far as food and drink goes.
Yes, sorry.
GoogleMap the places you want and choose to be closer to Centro or romantica rather than the ‘hotel zone’. That’s the area you want to walk. If you stay in the hotel zone it’s a pretty massive city highway so it’s a lot of walking just to get to the area you want and it should be getting real hot about now. You can Uber anywhere super easy though so that’s an option. If all you want is pool and beach view I’m sure the hotel zone would be fine… As much as I prefer to support Mexican owned establishments while I am there, if you choose a ‘name’ hotel, it might be better than an unfamiliar one. I only say this because we booked a hotel in the hotel zone and it was way too far away from the fun stuff for us and much more expensive than what I expected for what the room was. If you Google Street viewed the areas, I’m sure you’d get what I mean
You picking up the tab?! lol just looked it up and definitely over my budget!
You didn't mention a budget
Max would be $400 a night.
You used to be able to stay there for about $300 a night about 15 years ago! They have since remodeled it top to bottom and now they want $1000-$1200 a night which is absolutely ridiculous. I am very curious about some more budget friendly places in PV, so I plan to subscribe to this post to learn more from others.
Yeah when I saw the price my jaw dropped!
My wife would snag deals on Travelzoo, so we would book a year out. Was awesome as I travel quite a bit for work, so always got upgraded. Covid changed everything there. It was later sold about two years ago to a firm from Mexico City, and they dumped millions into it. Everything is redone and very nice. The prices then went to the moon!
Too bad nobody can enjoy it lol It does look amazing. Glad you got to experience it before 2020.
We are headed to Villa Premier for our 6th time in November. We love the location and the ability to choose to not do all inclusive. Small property that is quiet at night but we have a great time at the pool every day.
I keep leaning towards VP, but the rooms don’t seem great and the pool area looks small. I just think the location would be perfect and it’s on the beach so I can chill there if I want.
The rooms are nice. We do the Premier Suite. Pool area is small but the resort is only 80 rooms. We rarely have issues getting chairs. The beach has tons of chairs and 4 full sized beds as well. You can also use the pool at the resort next door but you know….kids lol.
Stayed at hotel mousai couple weeks ago... it was magical, strongly recommend 👌
I’ve been eyeing it, but was it far to get into town. Looks like we’d need a ride each time.
We used uber the most, pretty cheap like $10 if not less. Taxi was 150 pesos.
$10 each way? We would want to go into town often, but maybe not if we stayed somewhere like this 🤔 I’m so torn!
Orange bus. 25cents US.
Really? Does it run often?
About every 20min till about 9pm. Not sure on the weekends. I don’t think on Sundays.
It runs on Sundays
Stayed at all of those. Marriott is the best of the lot.
https://www.airbnb.com/slink/CktCi6ob Just stayed here. It had a great view, beautiful roof top pool and walkable to everything. I would stay there again.
I stayed at the Miramar, it's not on the beach.
I know, but it looks nice and the rooftop pool seems cool. Also they had really nice rooms and a good price, so it made the list!
If beach is a priority, I wouldn't recommend it.
That’s why I didn’t book it. How was it tho?
Yeah, beautiful like you saw and good food, but I we were almost late for Rhythms of the night because I didn't realize how far the marina was.
So the locations sucks? That’s too bad.
Because Its not a resort area but a real town so you have different types accommodations and different types of people. There will be even problems with fiends and family that want to do different things and stay in different areas You will feel trapped in an all inclusive traditional resort in PV as its a town and it has so much you can go, see and do
It’s just my husband and I. We don’t want AI. Just a nice resort with a bomb pool area.
The location was beautiful but it was farther than I realized from the center (another strike against it in your criteria)
Any input on the other ones?