Want to take advantage of Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
Ford and I recently spent some time in Punta Mita. We first spent three nights at the 177-room Four Seasons Punta Mita, which I’ll be reviewing in this installment. Then we spent three nights at the 15-room Four Seasons Naviva, which is a brand new tented resort next door, and I’ll be reviewing that in the next installment (and OMG, I think it might just be the best resort in North America).
The Four Seasons Punta Mita is one of brand’s most popular resorts in North America, and for good reason. It’s easily accessible from major gateways in the United States, and the resort is a destination in and of itself. The property has everything from an amazing beach, to several pools (including a lazy river!), to multiple top notch dining outlets, to golf, to a kids club, to friendly service.
Let’s get into the review…
In this post:
Booking the Four Seasons Punta Mita
Luxury hotel rates in North America have increased significantly in recent years, and the Four Seasons Punta Mita is no exception. Rates at the property generally start at somewhere around $1,000-1,800 per night, depending on the time of year, when you book, if there are promotions, etc.
The best way to book any Four Seasons hotel is through a travel advisor affiliated with the Four Seasons Preferred Partner program. When booking through Preferred Partner you pay the same rate you’ll find directly on Four Seasons’ website, but you’ll receive extra perks, including the following:
- A room upgrade, subject to availability
- Complimentary daily breakfast
- A hotel credit to use during your stay
Four Seasons Preferred Partner is generally combinable with promotions being offered directly through Four Seasons, including advance purchase rates, free night offers, and more. Note that booking Four Seasons properties through Preferred Partner is better than booking through programs like Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts. Why?
- With Preferred Partner you have the option of room service breakfast in place of restaurant breakfast
- Upgrades are prioritized for Preferred Partner bookings, given that it’s Four Seasons’ own proprietary program (and the value of an upgrade can be significant)
- You can combine Preferred Partner perks with virtually any rate on Four Seasons’ website (other programs don’t allow you to stack promotions in the same way)
You can’t beat getting all of these extra perks just for booking through an eligible travel advisor. Note that Preferred Partner bookings can also be made for the Four Seasons Private Retreats at the property, which consist of villas that can be booked by the night. Ford is happy to help book Four Seasons properties through Preferred Partner, and can be reached at [email protected].
In the interest of full disclosure, Ford books a lot of people at Four Seasons properties, and got a travel agent rate for our stay. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
Four Seasons Punta Mita location
The Four Seasons is set on a 400-acre nature reserve, located in the gated Punta Mita development, on a private peninsula overlooking Bahía de Banderas. This area has the Four Seasons, Naviva (the other Four Seasons resort), the St. Regis, a golf course, and lots of residences.
While some other properties (like the Conrad and W) are marketed as being in Punta Mita, the Four Seasons and St. Regis are truly at the “tip” of the peninsula, making for some incredible views.
The closest airport to the hotel is Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR), which has nonstop flights from many gateways in the United States, so it’s easy to get to. From the airport to the resort, you can expect that the transfer will take somewhere around 45 minutes, depending on traffic.
Four Seasons Punta Mita lobby & check-in
When we pulled up to the Four Seasons Punta Mita, we were welcomed by the friendly bellmen, and invited to take a seat in the open air lobby. My gosh, what a gorgeous space — the lobby has a great sense of place, and beautiful views of palm trees and the ocean.
The lobby has lots of seating, and is a great place to hang out if you just want to take in the views.
There’s even a little tequila bar in the lobby, should you want to enjoy a sunset cocktail.
Upon having a seat, we were offered cold towels, along with an orange mango welcome drink (which can be enjoyed with or without tequila).
The check-in process was efficient, and within a few minutes we were driven to our casita in a golf cart.
Four Seasons Punta Mita oceanfront casita
The standard accommodations at the Four Seasons Punta Mita are casitas, with the difference being the view — there are garden casitas (mainly with views of the garden), ocean casitas (with some views of the ocean), and oceanfront casitas (with direct views of the ocean).
We were assigned room 405, which was an oceanfront casita. This had a convenient, central location near the main pool and the restaurants. Just walking (or being driven) around the property is a treat in and of itself, as the grounds are beautifully maintained.
Now, admittedly the Four Seasons Punta Mita opened in 1999, so it’s not going to be as cutting-edge in terms of design as the Four Seasons Los Cabos, for example. However, that’s also part of the charm, in a way, as the red-tiled rooftops are fitting for the area.
All casitas at the Four Seasons are marketed as being 645 square feet (60 square meters), and that includes both indoor and outdoor space.
The room featured an entryway with the bathroom to the left and a closet to the right, and the rest of the room straight ahead.
The rooms at this property are generously sized for non-suites, with quite a large living area. The room featured the comfortable (as always) signature Four Seasons bed, which is my favorite of any hotel group. The room then featured a a couch (which doubles as a queen sofa bed), as well as a dining table with two chairs.
There was a large, wooden console along one of the walls, featuring a piece of art, a wall-mounted TV, and a minibar display in a glass enclosure.
The minibar had all kinds of liquor, wine, and snacks.
Across from that minibar display was a second minibar area, with a coffee machine, a tea kettle, and a fridge with more drinks.
On the evening of our arrival, we were brought a welcome amenity consisting of a make-your-own margarita set, which I thought was cute.
The bathroom was back near the entrance, and featured double sinks, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, and a toilet in a separate room.
Toiletries were from Le Labo, and were in reusable containers.
As is often the case at resorts in Mexico, the real highlight of the room was the outdoor space. The outdoor area had a table with two chairs, as well as a loveseat. There was also a small plunge pool.
Most exciting of all, though, was the view from here. Having a view like this is simply unreal. I can’t count how many hours we spent out here, as the views never got old. I also loved how loud the waves were from the outdoor space, which has to be one of my favorite sounds in the world. While I listen to white noise at night of waves crashing, nothing can compare to the real thing.
We very much enjoyed the room, and in particular the view. While we’re talking about the rooms, one of the amenities that I love about this hotel is that there are complimentary laundry facilities throughout the resort, so you can do your own laundry. This is such a simple yet useful feature, especially for those who are traveling light and/or are on extended trips.
Four Seasons Punta Mita pools & lazy river
The Four Seasons Punta Mita has a very strong pool (and lazy river) game. The property has three main pool areas:
- There’s the Nuna Pool, which is the infinity-edge pool for families
- There’s the Tamai Pool, which is the pool for adults
- There’s the lazy river, which is very much for people of all ages to enjoy
The main pool is gorgeous. Not only is it infinity-edge, but it’s elevated above the beach and ocean, so the views are spectacular. This area consists of one large pool, plus a hot tub.
The pool has plenty of seating, and I can’t imagine it ever fills up, given just how many seats there are.
The views here are especially breathtaking during sunset, as you have a direct view of that.
Next up is the pool area for adults, which actually consists of three different pools.
There’s a main pool that’s ideal for laps, which flows over into a smaller pool.
There’s then an additional pool, which has a hot tub next to it.
On top of that, there’s yet another hot tub.
Seating around the adults pool is also plentiful.
As you’d expect, there’s also a full bar and dining area around this pool.
Last but most certainly not least, the Four Seasons Punta Mita has a lazy river. I’ve gotta be honest, I don’t think I’ve been in a lazy river in over 20 years. When Ford proposed we check it out (aside from me taking pictures), I gave him a weird look, and reminded him we’re not five years old. Well, a couple of drinks, and four trips down the lazy river later, I can assure you that it’s a ton of fun. It was so fun, in fact, that we came back the next day.
And yes, as I hinted at above (and as you’d expect), the lazy river does have a bar, and you can also order some snacks here.
As is standard at Four Seasons properties, you’ll find complimentary water and sunscreen throughout the resort, at all the pools and the beaches. I appreciated that there were even different SPF options, depending on what you’re looking for.
Four Seasons Punta Mita beach
The Four Seasons Punta Mita has two separate, secluded beaches, separated by some rocks in the middle. The two beaches have different vibes and setups, so both can be fun to visit.
The beach to the left feels a bit more secluded, and is also larger. You can walk quite far on this beach, so if you’re into beach walking, this is where you’ll want to be. There’s plenty of seating at this beach, and the water also tended to be a bit calmer over here.
This beach was also really pretty for watching the sunset.
The other beach was a bit smaller, and seemed to generally be more popular, as it’s closer to the bars and restaurants. There are also incredible whale watching opportunities from this beach (and from the entire property, for that matter), so always keep your eyes on the ocean.
Speaking of the beaches at the Four Seasons Punta Mita, the property has a really cool turtle release program, whereby they release baby turtles into the ocean several nights a week around sunset, and that’s something guests can take part in. We did this one evening, and it was interesting to learn more about the program the Four Seasons has for doing that.
Four Seasons Punta Mita spa & gym
While we didn’t get any spa treatments during our stay, the Four Seasons Punta Mita does have the Apuane Spa, which features 13 treatment rooms. You can find the Four Seasons Punta Mita spa menu here, and as you’ll see, there are some interesting options, ranging from a tequila stone massage, to a hakali cactus massage.
In addition to the spa, the Four Seasons Punta Mita has a good gym, with a variety of cardio and weight equipment.
The gym also has apples, granola bars, nuts, and fruit infused water.
On top of the main part of the gym, there’s a separate room for fitness classes with bikes.
Four Seasons Punta Mita Dos Catrinas Restaurant
The Four Seasons Punta Mita has a variety of dining options. The all-day dining restaurant is Dos Catrinas Restaurant, which is an open-air restaurant right on the beach, serving breakfast (7:00AM until 11:30AM), lunch (11:30AM until 6:00PM), and dinner (6:00PM until 10:30PM). The restaurant is described as serving authentic Mexican fare with a contemporary twist.
We had breakfast here each morning. While the restaurant is large, it never even got anywhere close to being crowded, even though the hotel was pretty full.
For breakfast, guests have the choice of the buffet, or ordering off the menu. You can find the breakfast menu and custom juice menu below.
The breakfast buffet was extensive, with everything from fresh fruit, to yogurt, to cold cuts, to cereal, to pastries, to hot options.
There’s also an egg station, so you can enjoy cooked to order eggs with the buffet.
We ended up having the buffet one morning, and ordering off the menu the other two mornings. The drinks at breakfast were excellent, ranging from the fresh carrot juice, to the Mexican French press coffee, to the cappuccinos, to the cold brew (the cold brew even had cold brew ice cubes in it, which was awesome).
Over the course of our stay we tried the red fruit chia pudding, avocado toast with salmon, chilaquiles, and eggs benedict.
In addition to the Dos Catrinas Restaurant, there’s a bar located one level up from the lobby. This acts as a coffee bar in the morning, and a cocktail bar in the afternoons and evenings.
This area might just have my favorite views from the entire resort.
Lastly, the Four Seasons offers complimentary coffee and tea in the morning, just outside of the restaurant. I appreciate how this is a consistent feature at Four Seasons properties.
Four Seasons Punta Mita Bahia by Richard Sandoval Restaurant
Bahia by Richard Sandoval is another one of the Four Seasons’ signature restaurants. It’s open daily for dinner from 6:00PM until 10:30PM, and it’s the hotel’s seafood restaurant. This place has an amazing setting, as it’s directly on the beach, so I’d recommend dining here around sunset.
You can find the dinner menu for Bahia by Richard Sandoval below.
This was probably my favorite restaurant at the hotel, and we had a tasty meal here. To start, we had the avocado pita with jalapeño cream, avocado, radish, cilantro, olive oil, sumac, and cumin.
For mains, I had the bluefun tuna, while Ford had the catch of the day. We also shared a side of asparagus.
Four Seasons Punta Mita Aramara Restaurant
The Four Seasons Punta Mita’s last main restaurant is Aramara, which serves Asian fusion food. It’s open daily for dinner from 6:00PM until 10:00PM. Even though this restaurant is located underneath the lobby, it still has beautiful views of the resort grounds, and even the ocean in the distance. Most of the seating at the restaurant is outdoors, though there is also an area indoors.
You can find the dinner menu for Aramara below.
To start, we split the chicken gyoza and cauliflower bites.
Then for our mains, we ordered the wok fried beef tenderloin and shrimp kung pao.
I’m usually pretty skeptical of Asian fusion restaurants, but the food here was very good, and we enjoyed all the dishes we had.
Four Seasons Punta Mita Salad Shack
While not exactly as big as the other dining outlets, I did want to highlight the Salad Shack, which is a little restaurant on the beach, open daily from 11AM until 4PM.
The place is essentially a make-your-own salad bar. I wish more hotels had concepts like this, where you could order something that’s healthy and tasty.
Four Seasons Punta Mita Kids For All Seasons
Four Seasons is known for its Kids For All Seasons program, which is the brand’s club for kids.
In addition to the standard club for younger kids, it’s awesome that the resort also has a special area for teens, known as The Container. This has everything from video games, to two virtual reality areas, to air hockey, to billiards, to ping pong, to foosball.
There’s also a basketball court, which seemed to be popular with younger guests.
Four Seasons Punta Mita doctors office
Here’s an aspect of a hotel you never want to experience, but something that we were impressed by. Ford has asthma, though it’s rare that it causes issues for him. Heck, I remember the last time he had a major flare up was when we got engaged in Paris many years ago, and that was an adventure in terms of moving award flights around, since we ended up in the hospital the morning we were supposed to depart.
Well, unfortunately he was having issues with this during our time in Punta Mita, and we were expecting we’d have to venture out to Puerto Vallarta, and sit in a waiting room for hours. At around 4AM his asthma got really bad, so I contacted the front desk. I was delighted to find out that the hotel has a 24/7 doctor on-property, who could see Ford right away. The clinic is right behind the gym and spa.
Not only did he help Ford feel better almost immediately, but he was possibly one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. I could listen to his stories all day. So if you ever end up needing help while at the property, know that you’re in good hands with Doctor Luis.
Best of all, the entire thing was pretty reasonably priced, at least by US medical standards.
Four Seasons Punta Mita service
Service at the Four Seasons Punta Mita was flawless, as you’d expect. Not only does Four Seasons consistently do a great job with service, but on top of that I find hospitality in Mexico in particular to be great. So when you combine the two, you’re in for a treat.
Literally every employee we interacted with was friendly and helpful, so I have nothing but good things to say there. A special shoutout to Jesus at Dos Catrinas and Hugo at Bahia, who were particularly friendly.
Bottom line
The Four Seasons Punta Mita is a popular resort for good reason. It’s located just a short flight from the United States, and the resort has beautiful beaches and pools, friendly service, excellent dining, and all kinds of amenities that will be fun for the whole family, ranging from golf to a lazy river.
When I stayed at this property, I couldn’t help but think that this falls in the same category as Four Seasons Hualalai and Dorado Beach in terms of offering an easy, luxury vacation for families, where you could spend a week relaxing without getting bored.
What do you make of the Four Seasons Punta Mita?
Want to take advantage of Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
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I love how people are saying that $1K per night is too expensive for this property, I guess they haven't traveled since before 2020. Everyplace in the US and all over the world for luxury properties have increased at least 30%. This just to be around $700 per night for their entry level room, now it is over $1K per night! I have personally stayed at this hotel twice and next door at the St...
I love how people are saying that $1K per night is too expensive for this property, I guess they haven't traveled since before 2020. Everyplace in the US and all over the world for luxury properties have increased at least 30%. This just to be around $700 per night for their entry level room, now it is over $1K per night! I have personally stayed at this hotel twice and next door at the St Regis a few times also. I can say without a doubt, they are in my top 5 hotel properties that I have stayed at within North America, there is nothing in Cancun that can compete with them, nor Miami. I would say only Aspen, NYC, and certain hotels in LA can compete with them, also a couple in Cabo. The level of service one gets in Punta Mita is excellent. If you have never stayed at a hotel at this level and are only an internet follower, you should keep your opinions to yourself until you actually visit and experience Punta Mita. It is expensive for a reason. The only competition it has in this area is the St Regis next door, the One&Only down the way and the new Auberge. Other than that, you have to go to Cabo or the new Four Seasons Tamarindo. The food here is really good and the staff will help you out if you interact with them and not treat them like the help, you know that you do! I had the staff assisting with tequila tasting and off menu food items and getting great tables at the restaurants in town. Everyone knows your name within a day and treat you as if you are a long time guest. It is one of the most friendly places that I have visited and there is no crime here. I met people that had only stayed in Cabo before and remarked that after visiting here that they were never going back to Cabo. Also Puerto Vallarta doesn't have a luxury property, so this is the closest one to the city. Cheers to your excellent reviews and don't let people who have no idea about this property and will never stay at it bother you at all. Looking forward to more adventures
Had the good fortune of spending most of a week here many years ago. That infinity pool view is still one of the best I've ever had, second only to a place I stayed in Thailand. One day we noticed a small war-looking ship cruising back & forth off the coast. Sure enough, later that day metal detectors were set up everywhere & President Fox was on the property. This review brought me back, thanks!
I've stayed at the Conrad Punta de Mita just a few minutes away, and visited the Four Seasons for dinners. The Conrad is half the price and bookable with points, and the only discernible difference I can see is it doesn't have a lazy river.
It's officially a complete trip report since avocado toast was included!!
We stayed at this property shortly after it first opened in 1999 and the coolest thing I remember is going to down to the beach one morning and a local fisherman came ashore with his fresh catch and laid down a nice colorful blanket to display them. The Four Seasons executive chef was there to tell you the different ways he could prepare each fish for you, so they tagged our choices with our room...
We stayed at this property shortly after it first opened in 1999 and the coolest thing I remember is going to down to the beach one morning and a local fisherman came ashore with his fresh catch and laid down a nice colorful blanket to display them. The Four Seasons executive chef was there to tell you the different ways he could prepare each fish for you, so they tagged our choices with our room number and we got to enjoy them for dinner that evening. A truly unforgettable experience!
The nightly rate is obviously not considered in any of these reviews, since it is a (sponsored) travel agent rate, so no wonder the Four Seasons consistently score 5/5.
But even then, the room does not look particularly great. The restaurants do look like one of the highlights, but paying $1500-2000 / night for this place, hilarious.
@ TheBestBlackBrent -- I rank Four Seasons properties so high because they consistently deliver on what they promise, with great amenities, very friendly service, and good food.
I think the topic of considering prices with reviews is an interesting one. It doesn't matter which luxury hotel brand we're talking about, the reality is that the cost of hotel stays in North America has skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic.
The Hyatt Regency Maui is...
@ TheBestBlackBrent -- I rank Four Seasons properties so high because they consistently deliver on what they promise, with great amenities, very friendly service, and good food.
I think the topic of considering prices with reviews is an interesting one. It doesn't matter which luxury hotel brand we're talking about, the reality is that the cost of hotel stays in North America has skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic.
The Hyatt Regency Maui is regularly charging $1,000+ per night, while the Andaz Maui is often charging $1,500+ per night. And those are the prices now -- they've already dropped compared to what they were.
Is the Hyatt Regency Maui "worth it" for $1,000? I mean, I'd argue that pricing is way steep, but at the same time, if people are willing to pay it, isn't that just the price?
The reality is that the Four Seasons is priced in line with other luxury properties in the area. The times that I comment on price are when an option is significantly more expensive than the competition, but doesn't deliver anything that sets it apart.
I don't think that the price needs to be 'justified', it is fine that there are ultra luxury resorts. The pricing indeed does not make much sense, price - quality is definitely out of whack in North America. So I guess you are sort of stuck with limited options that are extremely overpriced as a result, which is not really the point.
As a reader the reviews and review rating are just hard to follow,...
I don't think that the price needs to be 'justified', it is fine that there are ultra luxury resorts. The pricing indeed does not make much sense, price - quality is definitely out of whack in North America. So I guess you are sort of stuck with limited options that are extremely overpriced as a result, which is not really the point.
As a reader the reviews and review rating are just hard to follow, since in my mind you should definitely have different expectations from a Four Seasons than a Hyatt somewhere. Four Seasons should be 'peer reviewed', so all of them scoring a 5/5 does not make much sense to me personally. I see for example that the other property obviously gave a better experience, which in my view could be reflected more in the scoring or breakdown. We all 'know' that Four Seasons is a great hotel brand, I am personally more interested in knowing which ones really stand out among their peers.
I don't get it. The property just looks bare to me. You travel to a tropical country just to then stay around... completely mowed meadows with a few alibi palm trees standing around? I'd prefer something much more vibrant and wild.
@ ArnoldB -- That's totally fair, and I think different people are looking for different things from their vacations. Some people are absolutely looking for something more adventurous, while others are just looking for a relaxing weekend away from home.
I sure hope that 5oz mimosa for $38 on the breakfast menu is made with Krug.
$25 for a few pieces of Gyoza? In Mexico? Jeez! Still, I’d stay here in a heartbeat. Was booked at the Conrad nearby last year and was super excited about it but had to cancel when I changed jobs
Ben, thanks for a thorough review, but I will never understand how you 'rate' hotels at the beginning of your reviews. Not just this one, but many others. You gave this hotel 5 ***** yet still said:
"Now, admittedly the Four Seasons Punta Mita opened in 1999, so it’s not going to be as cutting-edge in terms of design as the Four Seasons Los Cabos, for example. However, that’s also part of the charm, in...
Ben, thanks for a thorough review, but I will never understand how you 'rate' hotels at the beginning of your reviews. Not just this one, but many others. You gave this hotel 5 ***** yet still said:
"Now, admittedly the Four Seasons Punta Mita opened in 1999, so it’s not going to be as cutting-edge in terms of design as the Four Seasons Los Cabos, for example. However, that’s also part of the charm, in a way, as the red-tiled rooftops are fitting for the area"
Perhaps my comment isn't valid as I haven't stayed at this hotel so don't know what you do, but if just going by the pictures, the property and rooms look very dated, yet you said how great the staff and service was.
I wonder if your 'star' ratings should be broken down to show 1-5 for Location; Hotel/Resort grounds; Accommodation; F&B and Staff and Service. Or did you once do this before then changed it?
Love this hotel. Was our first ever Four Seasons. Have been back now 3 times. Can’t wait till we can drop our son off at the FS kids club at 5. Food is amazing and the environment is to die for. The laundry is very helpful if traveling with kids too. They also offer snacks at the pool and ice cream daily. The staff are so friendly too.
Great detailed review and nice property. I stayed at the Conrad Punta Mita not too far away in 2021. Tough for me to see the value in booking this FS property given the rate, additional costs for food and drinks and Mexico's horrendous tourism taxes. Def like the ability to use points especially in Mexico.
Excited to see how the remainder of your Aeroplan Adventure pans out
@ AA70 -- That series will be resuming tomorrow, stay tuned!
Looks nice but Jesus a thousand dollars +++ a night??? In Mexico? Plus food. Plus drinks. That’s just insane. Even if you have the money I don’t see the value. This isn’t Tahiti or the Maldives…. And truly wonderful lazy rivers can be found for much less! Tip… both the Hyatt Hill Country and Lost Pines have amazing rivers with swim up bars….
I realize it’s all supply and demand but to anyone thinking...
Looks nice but Jesus a thousand dollars +++ a night??? In Mexico? Plus food. Plus drinks. That’s just insane. Even if you have the money I don’t see the value. This isn’t Tahiti or the Maldives…. And truly wonderful lazy rivers can be found for much less! Tip… both the Hyatt Hill Country and Lost Pines have amazing rivers with swim up bars….
I realize it’s all supply and demand but to anyone thinking of spending $1k+ a night here plus food plus drinks (so more like $1.5k per day) then I have some wonderful swamp land for sale in TX…. Great investment!
@ JG -- I think your point about supply and demand is right. Luxury hotel rates in North America have increased disproportionately in the past few years.
By comparison, many luxury hotels in other parts of the globe have become a bargain by comparison. We haven't seen nearly the rate increases in Tahiti or the Maldives that we've seen in the United States.
If you're willing to travel far (as many of us in the...
@ JG -- I think your point about supply and demand is right. Luxury hotel rates in North America have increased disproportionately in the past few years.
By comparison, many luxury hotels in other parts of the globe have become a bargain by comparison. We haven't seen nearly the rate increases in Tahiti or the Maldives that we've seen in the United States.
If you're willing to travel far (as many of us in the miles & points world are), then that's going to get you more bang for your buck. But for those who want a quick weekend getaway, have limited time off, and can afford it, traveling closer to home is the obvious choice.
Glenn, of course it's worth it if this is the kind of resort you like and you can afford it, or in the case of the neighboring St. Regis, have enough Bonvoy points. We were at the St. Regis 3 years ago in Jan. and the resort was sold out. So was the Four Seasons. Obviously, people are voting with their wallets that it is "worth it". We had one of the greatest resort visits...
Glenn, of course it's worth it if this is the kind of resort you like and you can afford it, or in the case of the neighboring St. Regis, have enough Bonvoy points. We were at the St. Regis 3 years ago in Jan. and the resort was sold out. So was the Four Seasons. Obviously, people are voting with their wallets that it is "worth it". We had one of the greatest resort visits of our lives to the St. Regis and I will never forget it. Lucky's reviews and articles are priceless.
We used to live in Punta Mita and frequented the Punta Mita Beach Club (private to homeowners and their guests), almost every day. It is located within walking distance just to the south of the Four Seasons Resort. Wonderful memories in a beautiful, serene location.
Seems a bit of a waste for a gay couple to go to Puerto Vallarta and then not stay in the gay neighborhood though? No matter the luxury, undoubtedly someone gay would have a better time at the gay beach location in PVR
Why? If your not looking to party, hookup, or show off then what’s the point? The gay area is very gay. Dirty. Stinky. Crowded. Reminds me of a gay Bourbon Street. The beach isn’t that nice there either. They live in Miami - they can have gay whenever they want it.
What an awful thing to say. Zona Romantica is a unique destination for the gay community but is very party oriented and a hyper-sexualized environment. Deciding on behalf of an entire population that this is a “better time” for them than relaxing at an upscale resort is despicable. Not to mention people aren’t defined by their sexual orientation.
Disgusting thing to say.
@ Noa -- To each their own, I guess? Personally I'm an introvert, and as far as I'm concerned, the quieter a place is, the better. We're also new parents, so our goal with travel is mainly to relax, while working out, eating relatively healthy, and staying caught up on work. We drank very little on this trip (I mean, at least by Mexico vacation standards).
I've heard a lot of stories about what happens...
@ Noa -- To each their own, I guess? Personally I'm an introvert, and as far as I'm concerned, the quieter a place is, the better. We're also new parents, so our goal with travel is mainly to relax, while working out, eating relatively healthy, and staying caught up on work. We drank very little on this trip (I mean, at least by Mexico vacation standards).
I've heard a lot of stories about what happens at gay beaches in Puerto Vallarta, and that's not exactly the vibe we were looking for this trip.
Anyway, just my two cents...
I'm always amazed at how many people can routinely afford these kindof rates. Speaking of, and I think it's been brought up several times in the past, but it would be really great to know how much those travel advisor rates are when you book those. Or maybe let us know if you'd actually pay the regular rate for a given property, to give us a sense of "is it worth it".
Travel advisor here - they certainly paid a lot more than $100/night. It's entirely possible Ford was comped the stay, but a 3 night stay is almost unheard of for that (assuming he reached out to request something and was not invited by FS). This is especially true at a wildly popular property such as Punta Mita. TA rates tend to be anywhere from 10-50% off BAR, so they were likely still paying several hundreds of dollars per night, and possibly one night comped.
@pstm91 appreciate your thoughtful and valuable insights as always! This is really great information. And if it's indeed something like 2 nights half off the regular rate + a comped night, then it's easy to be more forgiving I guess.
To be clear I'm not questioning the quality of Ben's reviews at all, and I enjoyed this one for sure, but perspective is important especially at these price points IMHO.
Absolutely agree with you. I love these reviews as well and if for nothing else, it helps provide context. I do feel like Ben has always been transparent but I do think he can improve the transparency on these higher-end non-points stays.
Stayed at the Saint Regis next door last spring for five nights. Actually was also able to use suite upgrade certs for an ocean view suite. While we were there, we also visited The Four Seasons, and walked over to their beach once. Area is beautiful and we had a great stay. We also took the time to go north and stay in Sayulita, a sweet casual surf / beach town. Very different than Punta Mita, but still fun to visit.
@ Jimmy’s Travel Report -- Happy you had a great stay at the St. Regis. We really wanted to visit Sayulita... hopefully next time.
The Doubts loved this place when we went with the kids when they were young.
But watch out for the treadmills in the gym. They’re lethal.
It's really shitty to joke about someone's death.
Yes! This is one of my fav FS resorts! Looking forward to the tent review!
Ben, Thank you for the wonderfully detailed review of the FS Punta Mita. We have enjoyed the property in the past. Easy to get to, impeccable service. Try to stay at the ST Regis next door for a review. In some ways as hard as it is to believe it is better.
@ Mark -- Thanks! Definitely plan to give the St. Regis a try next time (I love trying different hotels), and of course it's awesome that it can be booked with points.
Great review but this place won’t see my money. I have no desire to spend any time in Mexico.
@ Santastico -- Dare I ask? You're really missing out, in my opinion...
@Ben: don’t get me wrong, my best friends are from Mexico. BTW, I am latino, born and raised in Latin America and have been to almost all countries from Mexico down. I love the culture, beautiful places but I simply don’t feel safe there. I am not the type of person that goes into a gated resort and stays there. I love resorts like this but love to go out and explore the local places....
@Ben: don’t get me wrong, my best friends are from Mexico. BTW, I am latino, born and raised in Latin America and have been to almost all countries from Mexico down. I love the culture, beautiful places but I simply don’t feel safe there. I am not the type of person that goes into a gated resort and stays there. I love resorts like this but love to go out and explore the local places. I like to eat where locals eat, go to small family owned stores and by local handcrafted things. I simply don’t see myself doing that in Mexico. Add to that the cost. At almost $2,000 per night, I would rather spend that money in a similar place in Europe and Asia. I just don’t see myself spending that much money in places I need to be inside a resort for safety reasons.
I've been to Mexico over 30 times in my life. Mostly Los Cabos area but also Punta Mita, cancun, cozumel, Riviera Maya etc. While there are definitely dangerous places in Mexico, these resort towns are probably much safer than most major cities in the US.
There are plenty of places in Mexico where you can go out and do all you like to do Santastico and still be safe. I was just in Merida on Yucatan and it was amazing. No issues. Other places like Oaxaca, San Miguel de Allende, etc. You dont have to spend the $2K per night, and can still go out and immerse yourself in the local culture. It' sdoable and safe. But then again, to each their own. I love Mexico and I will be going more and more.
@ Santastico -- As mentioned by others, there are plenty of types of vacations you can have in Mexico. Obviously you can enjoy the safest vacation imaginable inside a gated community, but there are all kinds of "open" areas of Mexico that are safe, from San Miguel de Allende, to the areas around Los Cabos, where you can go out and enjoy the local culture and sites all you want. Like others, I feel safer...
@ Santastico -- As mentioned by others, there are plenty of types of vacations you can have in Mexico. Obviously you can enjoy the safest vacation imaginable inside a gated community, but there are all kinds of "open" areas of Mexico that are safe, from San Miguel de Allende, to the areas around Los Cabos, where you can go out and enjoy the local culture and sites all you want. Like others, I feel safer in many parts of Mexico than I do in many parts of the United States.
As far as the price goes, that's totally fair. At the end of the day you're paying for proximity to major global wealth centers, and the prices reflect that. Of course you could go somewhere in Southeast Asia that's luxurious for a fraction of the price, but that's also not exactly an easy weekend getaway from Los Angeles.
At the end of the day these places are priced based on supply and demand, and they do pretty consistently run high occupancy.
LOL, quite funny cause I'm Mexican living in Mexico, and I feel the opposite, I feel quite unsafe in the USA, with all those random shootings and hate crimes happening everywhere and more frequently up there. Yes, Mexico is dangerous, but at least you know what to expect and it's easy to skip dangerous areas. So far, the only time I've ever been mugged was in Paris, France.
Well, one never knows where and when the bad boys hit you. I have travelled to over 80 countries, including many places in war zones in Africa and Middle-East, where no one in his right mind would go. I have been robbed twice, both times in 5 star hotels. In Rio at knifepoint, in Milan at gunpoint.
I have never felt unsafe in Mexico. Meanwhile, I constantly feel unsafe in the US, where we have daily random mass shootings.
You enjoyed the lazy river so much now you can't go 20 hours without one ;)
@ FF -- Lol, whoops! Fixed.