Puerto Vallarta, Mexico was never on my bucket list of places to visit, but when a friend was planning a destination wedding, it was a way to visit a new place and be with friends.
After years of traveling to touristy destinations, I’ve learned that after 5 days I’m ready to checkout, especially if it’s an All-Inclusive. So the timing of this trip was in line with my thought process of only 4 days.
The Journey
Living in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area allows me to select up to 3 close airports when flying. For this trip, I selected BWI (Baltimore-Washington International) which is about 40 mins away. Since this was an international flight, I knew we needed to check in earlier.
This part always makes me nervous. Even with TSA Pre-Check and having carry-on bags, I just felt like being at the airport at least 2 hours before our flight was necessary.
Since the first flight was at 7 am, we opted to stay the night at the BWI Marriot Hotel, which is 1-2 miles away from the airport. I didn’t want to get hung up on I95 during the morning commute. The hotel had a decent restaurant to start our trip before our early rise the next morning.
We checked out around 5 am, parked at the airport, and made our way to security. I’d say by the time the shuttle arrived at the parking garage to the time we sat down at the first terminal, the total was about 30 minutes with about 45 minutes to an hour to spare before boarding started.
One thing to note is that we skipped the Delta counter and went straight to security. However, our tickets needed to be reconfirmed with a gate agent. The gate agent advised that in the future check in at the front desk for international travel because they need to verify all travelers.
Our flight started with BWI and had a layover at ATL for about an hour and then off to PVR.
The Arrival
While on the flight, we had to fill out a customs document, one per family. Then provide that to security. I recall in times past you had to fill out your temporary residence (like what hotel you are staying at for X amount of days), however not this time.
I’ve been through several Caribbean airports and one thing that is a constant is the welcoming community for the tourists. This was no different after arriving at Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR). Between being offered taxis and booking services right after coming through customs, it can be a bit overwhelming if you aren’t expecting it.
I did have pre-planned transportation before arriving which included a round-trip ticket. If you don’t want to pre-plan transportation, then you’ll still be able to get to your destination. Another caveat is if you aren’t booking a private service, then you may end up making multiple stops before arriving because there will be other passengers on your same shuttle.
The Hotel
After our 30-minute drive from the airport, we arrived at the Hilton Vallarta Riviera All-Inclusive Resort. A beautiful hotel that includes everything you need or expect at an all-inclusive. The staff was amazing and assisted with any questions.
During our check-in process, we received a wristband that had a sensor on it. This was the key to our room. I enjoyed that instead of having to keep up with a physical room key or a card that sometimes gets deactivated if it’s near magnetic items. You could get it wet and it still worked as designed.
Since we arrived before 3 pm, our room was not ready so we were able to explore the site. However, we met up with some more of the wedding party so it was a nice way to kill time before our room was available. Within the hotel are ATMs that dispense pesos.
All rooms have a full or partial view of the ocean. Our room happened to be on the 14th floor (the top floor) and we had a direct ocean view. The bride and groom had a suite on the 13th floor that included a hot tub and a wrap-around deck to see multiple angles of the ocean. You could have about 10-15 people come to your room and be comfortable.
The Mojito Bar is on the 5th floor and is an open-air venue. We had some pre-wedding drinks and enjoyed a night of bingo. The area also has a few swings to take pictures and sit around the bar.
There are North and South wings to this hotel. Restaurants are on one tower or the other tower, so it’s something to note.
Also, on the 7th floor, you can take a back hallway that connects to the SkyBar.
The SkyBar is where the wedding and reception took place. It’s a great place for a wedding with beautiful views and room for about 70 guests to fit comfortably. The only chance you take with an outside wedding in Mexico is the weather.
Cocktail hour was located poolside on the first floor while the reception area was being prepped. Here we were able to mingle and take more pictures with a great background. A live saxophone player was providing our entertainment for our cocktail hour.
Now a few words about the beach. I didn’t get in the water, but it looked calm and not overcrowded. It was private to the hotel so only guests would be able to use that area and the rocks around the shallow part allowed the water to remain calm too. It’s another great spot for guests to take pictures.
The Room
As mentioned earlier, we were on the 14th floor so we didn’t hear any noise above us.
The walls were pretty much soundproof because I didn’t hear any other guests or outside noise in the hall.
The room was typical with everything you need for a beach vacation.
Hair dryer, iron, nice walk-in shower. The standard items.
I did have a pleasant surprise in the closet.
The hotel provided a nice tote to use for shopping or a beach day and I had never seen that done before.
Just be sure to return it, or you’ll be charged.
The Food and Drink
I can’t give too much of a commentary on the food because we didn’t eat that much at the hotel and our stay was just 3 nights. What I ate was decent. I wouldn’t call it a 5-star gourmet but it satisfied our hunger.
The first day we arrived we managed to get some food at a food truck. Now that was different as well. You don’t expect to see a food truck at an all-inclusive restaurant but I guess it worked because we were eating outside anyway. It was a nice appetizer to have while drinking up some of the free alcohol.
We did eat at a Mexican restaurant and we waited about 10 minutes for our table to be called. That particular Friday night, it was busy with more guests. The long wait for a table was for the neighboring Indian restaurant. I did have one drink with a twist. It was a jalapeno-flavored cocktail. It gave it a little bit of a kick.
One of the better entrees we had was the room service breakfast. It only took about 40 minutes and I felt like that was one of the better meals I had during the stay. To be fair, we were only there for 3 days. One day was the arrival, one day was wedding festivities, and one day was an all-day trip on a Catamaran.
The breakfast bar was good. Fresh fruit is something I enjoy, so that was a plus. Typically not a wait either. There are two separate areas for breakfast, both having similar food options.
As with any all-inclusive, the alcohol can be hit or miss. They typically don’t provide top-shelf to all the guests unless you pay extra for it. A few of us noted that the wine that we had must have been a lower tier because it seemed like everyone in our group had a headache at some point during the trip and we concluded it was the wine.
The Private Catamaran
The bride and groom booked a private catamaran for the wedding guests and what a great experience! There were approximately 30 or so people on a double-decker charter. The name of the company was Akali Catamaran.
From the Hilton, it took about an hour to get to the dock. But once we arrived we all signed a waiver and went straight to the boat. Food, drinks, and a DJ were provided for the guests, so if you are thinking about doing this I highly recommend having that as part of your day.
The staff was wonderful. They would get drinks, more food, and anything that was needed. Having a DJ to provide additional entertainment was worth it. We sailed about an hour out and docked multiple times to do some water activities. Guests were jumping from the side of the boat, paddleboarding, kayaking, or lounging on a floaty.
We mainly stayed on the top tier because it was less crowded but it took more time to get down to the restrooms which were on the lower level. There were 2 small bathrooms. So if you partake in this catamaran, be mindful that there is not a lot of room and no light except for daylight.
Another must bring on this catamaran, other than the obvious swimsuit would be water shoes. It was easier to go up and down the small steps and jump off the side of the boat with water shoes. The traction and not worrying about hitting your foot on anything is a game changer.
The Transportation
I had booked the airport round transportation beforehand so we wouldn’t have to deal with the myriad of vendors at the airport. I booked a round-trip SUV that was around $150. This was direct from the airport to our hotel and back for the two of us.
When we were past security, customs, and the other vendors, we had a driver waiting for us with our names on a board. That was a nice touch having someone waiting just for you. There have been trips where we would find transportation once we arrived, but typically we were grouped with several other families and had to make additional stops along the way.
On the return trip, the company sent a text message that they were on the way. The initial documentation also provided the time that we were supposed to be at the lobby waiting to be picked up. They recommend about 3 hours ahead of your scheduled flight departure time.
Overall
The trip was short but memorable. My stance when staying at an all-inclusive resort is that after about 5 days I’m ready to leave anyway. So the 3-4 days we spent in Puerto Vallarta was just enough.
The weather was great. The natives were saying that June is the beginning of the rainy season, although it didn’t rain except for the later part of the reception. The temperature was in the 80s but when the sun was out, it felt a lot warmer.
We arrived on a Wednesday so the resort didn’t seem to be as crowded. However, around Friday we could tell the influx of guests, especially having to wait for dinner.
If you are not fluent in Spanish, that’s not a deal breaker, but it does help if you can understand or read some of the words on the menus. I always wanted to speak a 2nd language fluently, but it seems like I can only utter out “Muy Poquito” when asked if I spoke Spanish.
The taxis and staff at the hotel do accept tips in dollars but bring lots of smaller bills because you will be tipping multiple people. You may not use all of your loose cash while there but it’s better to have more than enough, versus having to use the ATM each time. I did come back with cash from this trip.
Coming Home
There is no direct flight from Puerto Vallarta back to BWI so this time we took a flight that went to Salt Lake City (SLC). That was my first time coming thru that particular airport and I was pleasantly surprised. It looked brain new. After coming through immigration and customs we found a nice restaurant to eat and relax since there was a 3-hour layover.
Our flight from SLC to BWI was at 11:50 pm. It was also my first red-eye, overnight flight. The plane coming back was a lot quieter and arriving at BWI at 6 am meant I still had the whole day to re-cooperate. I would do it again. It’s just a hit or miss with late flights because they have more of a tendency to be canceled.
I always enjoy a nice beach vacation and always find the good in it. Would I visit again? Sure, but there are other places I want to travel to before coming back. I would recommend it to newer travelers because everything is right there for you. Travel now because you may not be able to in the future. Curious about our other travels? Check out our last South Africa trip!
