Velas Vallarta is the Puerto Vallerta luxury family resort you have been looking for. It is immaculate, well-equiped, and has up to 3 bedroom villas that can fit everyone…even in my family! This oceanside resort about 10 minutes from the airport in Puerto Vallerta, Mexico is the perfect place for your family’s next international adventure!
I received accommodations at Velas Vallarta to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
Ever since we paid an arm and a leg for passports for the kids a couple years ago, we have been looking for ways to use them. We went to Negril, Jamaica, Paris, France and now Puerto Vallerta, Mexico with our four kids. It is hard to travel with four kids. And it’s expensive to travel with four kids. Also, it is EXHAUSTING to travel with four kids. But it is SO worth it.
Another #SmithFamTravels international adventure!
Since I found Velas Vallarta to be so accommodating and fun for our family, I wanted to share it with you. (Actually I wanted to keep it to myself so we can go back and it won’t be crowded. But I decided to share the wealth. Don’t say I never gave you anything.)
4 Reasons this Puerto Vallerta Luxury Family Resort Works for Families
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Huge villas.
The hardest part of traveling with a larger family is that many resort rooms can’t easily accommodate families with more than four people. And even families of four have got to be crowded in most standard rooms. Sure we could upgrade to a suite if they have one available ($$) or pay for a second room ($$$) if they have one connecting. However, the additional price of those two options often make them inaccessible. I loved that Velas Vallarta offered studio, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom villas giving families the option to spread out. Or, they could bring grandma and grandpa along too!
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It felt like Mexico.
The Puerto Vallerta city center (El Centro) is only a 10 min ride away.
Sometimes when we travel to posh resorts, I forget where I am. Everything often looks the same in Orlando as it does in Scottsdale as it does in Turks and Caicos. However, I found Velas Vallarta to be decidedly Mexican. Yes, almost everyone spoke English but they often encouraged us to use the few Spanish words in our vocabulary. The architecture, food, and villa décor screamed authentic. It was lovely to be in another country and really feel like our family was learning a little something. Since the resort was so close to “El Centro”, or the downtown area, we took a city bus down there to explore. It was the best decision! We shopped, got some treats, and just enjoyed walking the boardwalk. And yes, we said “Hola” to everyone we could! Everyone was so friendly!
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The food was terrific.
When you are looking for a Puerto Vallerta luxury family resort, you need to learn as much about the food as you can beforehand. Velas Vallarta is an all-inclusive resort which offered 24 hour food and drink availability, including room service. They specialized in Mexican cuisine, of course, and didn’t try to Americanize it. It was wholeheartedly authentic. In addition, they always offered crispy pizzas, ooey, gooey cheese quesadillas, and other kid-friendly options. Don’t see something you want? The chefs were more than happy to make a “boring” taco or even a turkey sandwich if that’s what you wanted. They even had a Creperie for delicious sweet and savory crepes!
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Lots of Included Activities.
When we visited Velas Vallarta, it was during hurricane season which meant the ocean was ripe for high-waves and rip currents. It was too dangerous to spend much time at the beach during our trip. Since that is usually how we spend our beach vacation days, I was happy that there were organized activities at the pool, a supervised kids club (with an Xbox Lounge), and plenty of games and equipment we could use. We were never bored. Relaxed? Yes. Bored? No way. All of these things being included in the all-inclusive resort price makes this resort rather affordable, even for larger families.
Mexico is the news a lot for many different things, not all of them good. My experience was fantastic though. Everyone was kind and respectful. Despite our country building walls between our borders, it felt like the Mexicans I met were trying to build bridges of humanity instead. Staying at a Puerto Vallerta luxury family resort like Velas Vallarta is a safe, fun, accessible way to get outside your typical beach vacation box. I know one thing for sure: We will be back!
