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This was my first trip to Puerto Vallarta, and despite the fact that we missed a day due to a hurricane scare, things were back to normal relatively quickly (but I’ll have more on the hurricane later).
Velas Vallarta is an all-inclusive resort in the marina area of Puerto Vallarta which is conveniently close to the airport. We came for about a week, and spent a lot of time at the pool- but also got to enjoy the basketball court, tennis court, gym and the complimentary tours in the greater Puerto Vallarta area that are included.
When we arrived, we were greeted with a cool towel and hibiscus juice (which I didn’t get a picture of unfortunately since we were full with luggage) and check in was smooth and speedy. We also got some green juice and lime popsicles after our luggage was unloaded, it was instantly relaxing.
Upon arriving to our rooms, we had a great view of the pool and ocean..which we frequented each day we were there. The pool side service was top notch- our favorite server was Jacinto. He was super nice and brought us what quickly became our favorite drinks- the mojito and a local favorite (seen below) the silk stocking, a local favorite, which apparently made the server blush when I ordered it. It was pink and delicious; I had several while sitting by the pool and catching up on back issues of O Mag and Redbook.
The resort itself was really lush- as you walked around there was a weaving lazy river through the grounds, coconut trees, and greenery everywhere. Iguanas were frequently spotted by the pool and peacocks roamed the grounds. Yes, iguanas and peacocks.
The sunsets though, after a hectic day of lounging pool side with unlimited beverages and food service, were pretty fabulous.
Additionally, the fridge was stocked with complimentary beers, water, sodas and milk as part of the all-inclusive package. Plus, there were snacks in the room if you didn’t want to wait for room service.
We also enjoyed the resorts two restaurants- La Ribera Restaurant, which offers gorgeous oceanfront views and an equally pretty view of the skyline in the bay. The waitstaff were awesome, and each meal included a trip to the salad bar and soup if requested.
Another on-site restaurant was the Restaurant Andrea and we stopped in there for two of the meals during our stay, and it offered both indoor and outdoor seating and bottle service so you’d never go thirsty. Nightly, you could enjoy different themes (my favorite being French night) and a few times, the mariachi band came over to serenade everyone.
Okay, so as much as I do like to try new things when I travel- I happened to get quite fixated on chilaquiles with verde sauce. The all-inclusive package of Velas Vallarta included complimentary room service, so every morning I ordered chilaquiles with verde sauce, espresso and fresh fruit. 
If you’d like to visit Puerto Vallarta, I’d recommend a visit to Velas Vallarta since it’s competitively priced at about $168 USD per person per day during the off season and $198 in peak season, and that includes everything, food and drink and honestly- really solid service. It was a great value for the money, and the food was muy delicioso…plus, room service whenever you want it? It means you never have to leave your robe, or your bathing suit!
We went during “shoulder season” so we could get a great deal and the resorts weren’t as crowded, so we frequently had first pick on where we’d like to lay out and lounge by the pool.
Tropical destinations really pick up from November to March, so if you’d like to take advantage of the offers and skip the crowds, consider booking during shoulder season in October and April, to also miss the really hot season!
Thanks to the Velas Vallarta for hosting us for a portion of this stay.