6 Best Hotels in Marina Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta

At Casa Velas, a luxurious all-inclusive resort without the hassle of mass tourism, everything feels classy and personal. With just 80 suites, this adults-only hotel offers outstanding service and an all-around upscale experience. Rooms are spacious and enriched with subtle touches of Mexican design, and some include a hot tub or plunge pool. Although there are plenty of quality dining options and a large swimming pool, the big setback is that guests have to take a shuttle to the beach.

This family-oriented all-inclusive resort features a pirate-theme water park as its main attraction. The Baby Paradise and the teens’ club are also well appointed. Rooms aren’t spectacular but they offer ample space and include kid-size bunk beds. All restaurants feature their own kids’ menu. An adults-only sister hotel is available next door, for those looking something a bit more peaceful.

The Marriott is hushed and stately in some places, lively and casual in others. All of the restaurants—including a sleek Asian restaurant serving Thai, sushi, and teppanyaki and a large, pleasant sports bar—have kids' menus. The meandering grounds boast a large infinity pool as well as gardens of indigenous plants. Rooms have cheery, classy decor; each has a balcony and most have an ocean view.

Located in Marina Vallarta, Mayan Palace provides the luxury and comfort expected from a Vidanta resort but is closer to the action that only Puerto Vallarta has to offer in the region. Rooms are large and most of them feature ample balconies and gorgeous ocean views. Dining options are limited, but guests have access to the gourmet restaurants of other nearby Vidanta resorts. 

The sprawling, all-inclusive Meliá, on the beach and close to the golf course, is popular with families. Rooms are quiet havens in subdued blue, cream, and sand. There's a huge pool, an outdoor theater with nightly shows, and elaborate children's programs and amenities—including a climbing wall and a batting cage. Considering it's an all-inclusive, prices are very reasonable.

There's not a bad vantage point anywhere at the Westin, whether you're gazing out to the leafy courtyard or down an orange-tile, brightly painted corridor lined with Mexican art. In the spacious, balconied rooms concrete-and-stone floors massage bare feet, and top-of-the-line mattresses with soft duvets make for heavenly siestas. Guest quarters above the sixth floor have ocean views; those below face the 600 palm trees surrounding four beautiful pools.