So you want to get away but can’t settle on a destination? Why not visit Puerto Vallarta, Mexico during their off-season? With average temperatures in the low to mid 80’s, and humidity being on the higher end, this tropical Mexican destination is perfect for those pool or beach days you’ve been craving.
Puerto Vallarta is just a little over a 3-hour straight-through flight from the bay area and is the perfect getaway if you love the warmer weather and humidity. While some might like to visit during California’s colder months, I prefer a Puerto Vallarta visit during our summer months (June and July). The humidity does wonders for my allergies and skin, and the town is a little less crowded.
This year we booked our annual family vacation with my husband’s side of the family in mid-June, and stayed in Nuevo Vallarta for about 7 nights. Our week was full of swimming with cousins, plenty of pool bar visits, lots of great food, laughter, and exploration, but we were ready to relax as a family. After our 7 nights with the group, we transferred over to Velas Vallarta to enjoy some rest and relaxation.
When Velas Vallarta invited me for a visit back in May, I had to decline the offer to visit because my girls had their first dance recital that I just could not bring myself to miss. I was so bummed to have missed out on this amazing opportunity to try out a new property in Puerto Vallarta, but was then offered the chance to add on a few extra days to visit the property during our family trip. I made a quick switch to our Southwest flights (because they have no change flight fees) and made arrangements to travel from Nuevo Vallarta to Puerto Vallarta to stay with Velas Vallarta.
First Impressions
For me, first impressions are everything. Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by the friendly hotel staff who offered us a cold hand towel to cool off with and some delicious sweetened iced hibiscus tea. And it was at that moment that I realized how much I appreciate the little things — the Frills, if you will. It’s one thing to have a grand appearance as a resort, but it says something about your company when your staff members are friendly, go above and beyond to make sure you and your family are comfortable, and take pride in their property. We felt at home at Velas Vallarta.
Our Room
After being greeted and getting all checked in at the concierge desk, we were taken up to our room. Using the word room is a total understatement. This place was like a small house. Our room had a full kitchen, living room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a huge balcony. This balcony felt like we had been transformed to France, with the beautiful terra cotta tiles, brightly colored bougainvillea plants, and the overall peaceful ambiance of the resort. In fact, when we weren’t lounging by the pool or swimming in the ocean, we spent much of our time relaxing on our balcony.
When traveling with a family, it’s important to have enough space for everyone to move around. It might be more cost efficient to cram everybody into a small studio room, but I always recommend the two-bedroom suites. The two-bedroom suit that we stayed in at Velas Vallarta was everything we could’ve hoped for.
Dining at Velas Vallarta
When planning a family vacation, food is usually at the top of my priority list. Velas Vallarta has multiple dining options with the Mexican Fiesta night being my absolute favorite.
Every Sunday evening, the resort throws an extravagant Mexican fiesta complete with traditional entertainment and food. The food is served buffet-style and they literally have everything from appetizers to entrees to desserts, drinks, and more. One of my favorite things to do in Mexico is try each restaurant’s version of tortilla soup, and Velas Vallarta’s Mexican fiesta served one of the best bowls of tortilla soup I had during my trip.
My girls enjoyed Andrea Restaurant and their themed menus each night. Monday is French night, Tuesday is Asian night, Wednesday is Tuscan night, Thursday is Mexican night, Friday is Neapolitan night, Saturday is Emilia Romagna night, and Sunday is Sicilian night. We had so much fun trying the different cuisines from around the world and I applaud Velas Vallarta for offering such a variety from one single restaurant. We even enjoyed Andrea Restaurant in our room one night, thanks to room service.
If casual outdoor dining is your thing (which is great for us for breakfast and lunch), you would love La Ribera Restaurant. This steakhouse serves breakfast, a la carte lunch and dinner and also has specially themed menus, similar to Andrea Restaurant.
I highly recommend doing the all-inclusive options when on vacation because it’s just so much easier. You never have to worry about settling up bills or tipping in most cases, and you can indulge as much as you’d like.
Kids Club
My girls are finally at the age where they actually want to have their own vacation. For years, we’ve traveled and had the opportunity to utilize kids clubs, but this year was the first year they actually begged to be put in the Velas Vallarta kid’ club. The staff was so friendly and attentive and the facilities were so colorful and loaded with activities.
The Velas Vallarta kids club had specially planned activities each day, including a water balloon fight, arts and crafts, bonfires and more.
Pool Days
If relaxing by the pool or beach is your ideal vacation activity, you will love Velas Vallarta. Not only are the pools beautiful, and the beach clean and peaceful, the staff is so friendly and literally always makes sure you never go hungry or thirsty. There is always poolside entertainment in the form of music and games, and they also have beach volleyball and giant human foosball.
Our family loves to hang by the pool or beach just about every day, so this resort was perfect for us. I even convinced both of my girls to swim in the ocean with me, which was a first.
Looking back at these photos makes me miss Velas Vallarta. I guess that means it’s time to start planning our next visit! As I mentioned above, Puerto Vallarta is just a short flight for us and we have always felt so safe and comfortable there. If getting outside of the resort is something you love to do, I highly recommend visiting the Malecon, which is Puerto Vallarta’s downtown area. There are lots of shops and restaurants down there, as well as my favorite flea market.
Velas Resorts Deals
I am all about a good deal and love to take advantage of promotional offers when planning my trips. Velas Vallarta is always offering great discounts and package deals, and so are the other amazing Velas Resorts in Mexico. Take a look at their upcoming holiday promotion, which sounds like so much fun.
Velas Resorts in Mexico bring the joy and wonder of the holiday season early with a Kids Stay Free promotion or other gifts when booking by October 31st. Up to two kids (ages 4-12) stay free in the same suite as parents at the Grand Velas Resorts in Los Cabos, Rivera Maya and Riviera Nayarit when booking early. Velas Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta features an $800 resort credit to be used towards golf, spa, the boutique or its imported wine program. Additionally, spa and golf credits, discounts in the resorts’ boutiques, tequila and mezcal tastings, destination tours, and more are included based on the resort. During the festive season, Velas Resorts also feature insuite Christmas trees, Mexican Posada and other holiday-themed activities for guests. Velas Resorts consists of Casa Velas and Velas Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta and the Grand Velas resorts in Los Cabos, Riviera Maya Nayarit. Learn more by visiting: http://velasresorts.com/christmas/.
Thanks so much to Velas Vallarta for hosting our family.
