The Lodging Lineup
By Janine S. Pouliot

With its lush jungle vegetation, sultry balmy climate and sparkling azure sea, Puerto Vallarta beckons with myriad hotels to suit every style, taste and pocketbook. This popular resort town has always epitomized the essence of the tropical beach vacation with one additional benefit: its accommodations combine the best of Mexican charm, tradition and romance with comfort and elegance. Finding the perfect hotel for your visit is a breeze!

What sets Puerto Vallarta apart from many other tropical destinations is that it has a past. Puerto Vallarta is a city built by love. When movie director John Huston filmed "Night of the Iguana" here in 1963, all eyes were on the star Richard Burton and his great love Elizabeth Taylor. Everyone wanted some of that exotic romance to rub off on them and a tourist destination was launched. Today, the fantasy lives on in the many hotels making up the Traditional Zone, where it all began. The winsome cobblestone streets and charming inns provide jaw-dropping vistas overlooking the town and ocean.

What's particularly great about staying near downtown is the proximity to all that Puerto Vallarta has to offer. Guests stroll the waterfront Malecon, or seaside promenade, admire the Spanish colonial architecture, enjoy the world-class cuisine and nightlife and soak up the ambiance of Old World Mexico.

When it's time to return to their well-appointed rooms, visitors step into lodging replete with Mexican tile floors, babbling fountains, flowering bougainvilleas and plenty of indigenous decorative touches. But authentic doesn't mean old fashioned here. Rooms are outfitted with the most modern conveniences, ensuring that every stay is a care-free pleasure.

For those that crave a bit more contemporary glitz, Puerto Vallarta has a wealth of up-to-the-minute accommodations in the Hotel Zone. These pleasure palaces are well prepared to meet the needs of the most discriminating guests. They boast a variety of Mexican and international restaurants, water sports like windsailing, kayaking and snorkeling, enormous swimming pools, fitness centers and luxurious spas. They embody the good life and a chance to completely unwind and relax or play hard both day and night.

Guests can participate in the organized activities such as beach volleyball, salsa lessons or power walks right on the hotel grounds. When its time to kick back, they can grab a lounge chair under a palapa umbrella and order a frosty cocktail served poolside for utter decadence.

No matter what type of vacation guests prefer, Puerto Vallarta has a hotel to match their style.

Use our Where To Stay guide to Puerto Vallarta's hotel zones and neighborhoods — click here.