It’s one of the more fortunate convergences that Art Deco and New York City’s first major construction boom in the 20^th century occurred at roughly the same time. By the mid 1920s, skyscrapers were beginning to drastically reshape the face of the city, with Art Deco providing the cosmetics. New York hotels, always abreast of fashion, followed suit, bestowing the city with many of its architectural gems.

Here’s a round-up of our favorites.

Hotel Edison

Wearing the same grand Art Deco style as Radio City Music Hall, the Hotel Edison draws its name from the inventor, Thomas Edison, who turned the lights on opening night in 1931 (via remote control from his home in New Jersey). Step in the back door from 46^th Street and proceed up the same mirrored hallway with shiny brass railings as Luca Brasi in The Godfather. The reception lobby it leads continues the motif with murals of New York City in its Art Deco heyday featuring Joe Dimaggio, Cab Calloway and  the Rockettes.

Upstairs are 900 classic and signature guest rooms and suites with antique-style furnishings but all the modern bells and whistles. In the evenings, grab your flapper-wear and Lindy Hop down to the speakeasy-flavored rum bar for some dark and stormy runs by the piano player. Rooms start at $250 a night. Book online through Hotels.com.

New Yorker Hotel

Under the chandelier in the New Yorker Hotel

When the New Yorker Hotel opened in 1930, it was the city’s largest hotel with 2,500 rooms and its own coal-fired power plant in the basement to keep the lights bright. Today, it’s administered by Ramada, carbon-neutral, and sporting “only” about 900 rooms divided into four types of rooms and two types of suites.

All blend modern amenities like flatscreen TVs, free Wifi, and Simmons Beautyrest mattresses with an “extra touch” of Art Deco style. The hotel’s main lobby has even more, especially in the enormous chandelier, elevator doors, and font-lover’s dream signage. Perhaps the ultimate tribute to one of Art Deco’s original inspirations can be paid in room 3327, where Nikola Tesla died. Book online at the website or Hotels.com.

James Hotel NoMad New York

Behind the bookcase in the Carlton Hotel’s Speakeasy Suite

Although built in 1904 in a beaux arts style, the James Hotel Nomad (formerly the Carlton hotel) is replete with the Art Deco spirit, especially after undergoing a multi-million dollar transformation led by world-renowned architect and designer David Rockwell.  In addition to the updates in the 317 luxury rooms–which include tall leather headboards, dark walnut trim, and mirrored furnishings–the vaulted main lobby and lounge focus attention on a large print of an early 20th-century street scene flanked by two enormous, cushioned art deco pillars.

Perhaps nowhere is the hotel’s speakeasy heritage more visible than in the Speakeasy suite, complete with a hidden back room accessible through a bookcase. Inside, the era of Art Deco comes alive with a poker table, small bar, and photos of flappers and G-men. Rooms start at $250.

Check prices online at Hotels.com.

The Evelyn Hotel

Also located in the NoMad area near the Flatiron Building and Madison Square Park, The Evelyn embraces its Art Deco roots with a logo harking back to that age and references to the Tin Pan Alley songwriting history that took place nearby. Their tag line is “Inspired by history, suited for today.” 

You don’t have to stay here to get your golden age design fix. Pull up a barstool and order a classic cocktail at the Leonelli Taberna or admire the Art Deco window designs in the Lobby Lounge. Rooms here mix a few historic nods in with the modern additions like heated bathroom floors and USB charging outlets. The Executive King Suite has a gramophone and a whirlpool tub. 

Rates sometimes fall below $150–a real bargain in Manhattan–and you can upgrade to a suite for a reasonable price. See more at the official website and book there or on Hotels.com. 

The Chatwal

The gleam of the polished main lobby of the Chatwal hotel almost blinds you with its passion for Art Deco, as if a Hollywood golden age cameraman laid a permanent gauze over the scene. The Stanford-White building; originally opened in 1905 as the headquarters of the country’s first professional theatrical club, the Lambs; today houses an entirely redesigned interior by Thierry Despont, with 76 luxury guestrooms that show plenty of Deco flair in jewel-toned glass, suede walls, leather closets, and even custom-made Chatwal playing cards and backgammon set.

You can even smell Art Deco in the house perfume, The Chatwal No. 44, created by Krigler. This is now part of the Luxury Collection, part of Marriott, so you can earn or cash in points. Rooms start at $600 per night counting all the add-on fees. Compare rates at Hotels.com.

The Roxy Hotel Tribeca

Originally opened as just “The Tribeca,” this throwback, music-themed hotel starts you off with at Art Deco cinema-style neon sign at the entrance. You can have plenty of fun without leaving the highly rated property since they’ve got a nightclub with stage, an outside performance plaza when the weather is nice, a coffee shop, and their own Roxy Cinema.

Rooms feature a variety of nods to the Art Deco age and are loaded with cool amenities like retro Tivoli clock radios (that still have Bluetooth) and suites have turntables with Marshall speakers. Those suites are spacious for New York too, with plenty of room to stretch out and unwind. You can see more photos and book direct with the hotel or check rates online at Expedia, which can total up below $200 per night for a standard, under $400 for a suite.   

The Carlyle NYC

Now part of the always-reliable Rosewood Hotels group, the Carlyle has a long history that stretches back to NYC’s golden age. Completed in 1930, it has plenty of Art Deco in its bones, though a bit of that has been toned down over the years to present a more contemporary vibe for luxury travelers. The main claim to fame here though is something entirely different: full-wall murals painted by the Madeline children’s books author Ludwig Bemelmans. (He exchanged his services for a year and a half of lodging for him and his family, looking out at Central Park. The Bemelmans Bar bearing his name still has plenty of references to that earlier time, on top of his whimsical paintings. 

Yes, you’ll get great views of the park or city from the upper rooms here, especially the suites. That photo above is the original sculpted staircase in the bi-level Empire Suite, which is 2,600 square feet. Of the 188 rooms at The Carlyle, 89 are suites, so you probably won’t be cramped. Rates start at around $600 per night at the Rosewood site or check online at Expedia. 

Large photos provided by the hotels, others by Mike Dunphy. Additional updates by editor Tim Leffel. 

The post Best Art Deco Hotels in New York City first appeared on Hotel Scoop.

With new hotels and renovations, Denver adds more guest rooms to its hotel inventory.

I’ve been updating the amazing growth in the Denver Metro and Colorado regions for the past few years.  Downtown Denver is home to more than 11,000 rooms all within a short walking distance of the convention center. Yet the booming hotel industry extends into metro Denver with over 50,000 first-class hotel rooms. At the end of the “roaring” 2020 and looking into the new year, 2021 in Denver will still be business as usual. Click below to start with 2021, or click to explore the openings of past years and their reviews here at Hotel-Scoop.

2021 New & Renovated Denver Colorado Resorts

Denver’s Recent Hotel Boom

Beyond Denver — Colorado’s Notable Renovations and New Hotels

2018-2019 Denver Hotel Openings and Renovations

Hotel Openings in Denver Metro, Prior to 2018

2021 New & Renovated Denver Colorado Resorts

Statistics ending in 2019 were optimistic with 17.7 million overnight visitors spending $7 billion in the Mile High City. And then we entered the twilight zone of 2020. No one expected this crazy pandemic year, and most definitely the hospitality industry including Denver resorts & hotels felt the crunch of the U.S. economic shut-down.

Yet the Mile High City is still moving forward renovating hotels and adding additional new hotels and resorts to their inventory in 2021. Traveling may be different in 2021, but we’re ready to explore and experience new Denver resort hotels.

Recently Opened & Nearing Completion

Photo credit: Element Denver Downtown East by Westin

• Element Denver Downtown East Hotel by Westin opened in August 2019 at 1314 Elati Street, with 157 studio, one- and two-bedroom guest rooms with kitchenettes.
• Home2 by Hilton Denver Downtown Convention Center opened October 2019 at 801 15th street as dual branded Denver hotel. 
• Renovated and reopening March 2021 is The Clayton, a boutique hotel in North Chery Creek neighborhood of Denver, formerly the Inn at Cherry Creek.
• Hyatt Centric Denver, opening in 2021 in downtown Denver at 1776 Champa Street.
• Another new Denver luxury hotel opening in 2021 is the Thompson Denver by Hyatt, offering walking distance to Denver’s Union Station.
• An arrival of its urban, upscale boutique brand, Vīb by Best Western Hotel & Resorts, is opening in Denver’s River North District (RiNo) in 2021 — joining other metro hotels by featuring a rooftop bar, sure to become the newest romantic Denver couples resort.

As we look into 2021 and beyond, Denver has several work-in-progress hotel projects:

• Set to open spring of 2021, Sage Development is doing it again with the baseball and Colorado-themed hotel Rally Hotel at McGregor Square, a Rockies Ballpark Development in LoDo near Coors Field. Sage Hospitality Group is behind some of my favorite downtown Denver hotels resorts: the chic boutique Maven, Crawford Hotel at Denver’s Union Station, the historic and romantic Oxford Hotel Denver, and the funky and fun Curtis Hotel.
• World Trade Center Denver will include 240-room hotel and an attached conference center to 38th & Blake in 2021.
• Thanks to another innovative and fun new Denver hotel from Sage Hospitality, Catbird Boutique Hotel opens in 2021 as an extended stay 165-room hotel with a rooftop bar in RiNo Denver,
• Opening in 2022, the block-spanning Emily Griffith School Redevelopment by Stonebridge Companies broke ground in April of this year at 1250 Welton Street.
• Dual-brand 187-room Fairfield Inn & 132-room TownePlaceSuites planned opening is 2022 at 1320 Glenarm Place.
• Another RiNo planned hotel opening is the Train Denver Boutique Hotel in 2022.
• Another Marriott hotel opening is planned in summer of 2022 at 727 14th Street, featuring another Denver rooftop bar with city and mountain views.

Denver’s Hotel Boom

Downtown Denver offers visitors a whopping 11,000 rooms within a short walking distance of the Colorado Convention Center, and for those leisure travelers searching for luxury, discover nearly 50,000 first-class hotel rooms in the greater metro area. Here’s a rundown of new hotels that just opened or are about to.

Sheraton Downtown Denver to debut its $80M transformation in 2020. Photo: Sheraton Downtown Denver

The Sheraton Denver Downtown has kicked-of an $80M transformation that affects the entire hotel from a new arrival experience to renovated meeting space and 1,231 newly redesigned guest rooms — and more. Sheraton Denver Downtown is one of the Sheraton brand’s flagship properties and among the first in the country to undergo the larger brand revitalization that will ultimately transform all future Sheraton hotels.

To be located across from the convention center, the new 28-story Marriott in downtown Denver breaks ground in early 2020. Rendering: Focus Property Group

To be located across from the Colorado Convention Center (see above rendering), the 28-story Marriott proposed 525-room hotel has plans to be one of the largest in downtown. Denver based Focus Property Group reported groundbreaking in early 2020 at 727 14th Street, with a projected opening in 2022. 

Earlier this month, Central Street Capital, Inc. announced Hotel Perenne, the first-ever boutique hotel to open in Denver’s thriving Lower Highlands (LoHi) neighborhood. Located at 2500 18^th Street, Hotel Perenne will feature 70 rooms and an upscale bar and restaurant. The 70-room hotel, complete with an upscale restaurant and bar, is anticipated to break ground in summer 2020 and open by summer 2021.

The 8-story, 153-room Even Hotel by InterContinental Hotel Group will open in late 2020 at 2250 Blake Street in Denver.

The McGregor Square Hotel by Sage Development will open in 2021 at Coors Field near 20th Street as a luxury 176-roo hotel with meeting space. It will also house the Colorado Rockies Hall of Fame and 30,000 square feet of the outdoor plaza.

Several hotels in the works with opening dates to be determined including:

• Stonebridge Companies will open a downtown 7-story hotel at 1701 Blake Street.
• Thompson Denver, 1600 Market Street, 214-room, 11-story hotel with a rooftop bar.
• Ace Hotel at 1840 Grant St & 1834 Logan St, 11 story hotel.
• Denver’s Five Points neighborhood will welcome The Rossonian Hotel. This boutique hotel will take up floors two through four, with a ground floor restaurant and basement jazz and music venue, opening date to be determined.
• Hawkeye Hotels plans to open a dual-brand hotel (Fairfield Inn & Suites and TownePlace Suites) at 1320 Glenarm Place in downtown Denver.

Another hotel is landing in Cherry Creek North, according to Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle. The Creek’s latest hotel will be a 12-story, 150-room hotel, just south of the heart of Cherry Creek at 370 S. Garfield St. The AC Hotel by Marriott plans to open by December 2021.

Beyond Denver — Colorado’s Notable Renovations and New Hotels

The Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs is finishing up major renovations to be completed by winter 2020. Under its new ownership, the historic hotel is remodeling its meeting rooms, guest rooms, and common spaces while staying true to its history. In the process, there have been some significant historic discoveries.

Opening late 2020 in Downtown Colorado Springs, Kinship Landing is a new hotel concept that will offer what today’s travelers demand: authentic and engaging travel experiences that connect them to the local community. The boutique hotel will feature a community space to talk about the day’s adventures along with lockers equipped with charging stations and available for gear storage, an inviting bar area and more.

Gravity Haus will debut in December 2019 and is a ski-in/ski-out boutique property in Breckenridge. Designed to activate a community of like-minded outdoor enthusiasts year-round, Gravity Haus will offer ongoing insider experiences ranging from outdoor excursions to social programming and will feature 60 distinctly curated rooms. Onsite amenities at Gravity Haus will include Dryland fitness and a sports recovery center, expert-led backcountry experiences, a super trampoline, farm-to-cup Unravel coffee, nourishing dining at Cabin Juice, Japanese-inspired onsen and more.

Toward the end of 2020, Center Village at Copper Mountain will welcome a new (and its first!) hotel. The anticipated four-story Element 29 Copper Mountain will have 127 guest rooms and offer a mix of two queen beds, king beds, and suites. The property will feature an outdoor patio nestled along West Ten Mile Creek complete with fireplaces and hot tubs, giving guests a chance to unwind and soak in the views after a day on the slopes.

Denver Metro Hotels that Opened in 2018 and 2019

But Denver metro has more! Here’s a rundown of new hotels that opened in 2018 and 2019.

In April 2018 in RiNo (River North Art District) neighborhood, The Ramble Hotel Denver introduced an independently owned hotel with 50 guestrooms, featuring an outdoor courtyard and lobby bar, Death & Co. Denver.  The latter is an outpost of a decade only New York City bar of the same name. Although I have not stayed here yet, I’ve spent some time at Death & Co. Denver, and it is always packed. Parking is an issue here (and it’s on the edge of a neighborhood with some challenges). The best plan is to opt for valet parking, Uber or Lyft down, or use Denver’s public transit options.

Photo credit: Ramble Hotel Denver

Another independent hotel, the Source Hotel + Market Hall, opened in September 2018. This collection of independent retail, and restaurants, with 100 hotel rooms in the heart of Denver’s River North Art District billed as a “Lifestyle Hotel and Artisan Market Hall.” Again, this is a newly developed area with limited street parking, but there is a parking structure next to the hotel.

With an address near Coors Field, the Hilton Garden Inn Union Station will reuse the historic Denver Hose Company No. 1 building, one of the city’s oldest and most unique landmarks. This hotel debuted in 2019.

Staybridge Suites Denver Downtown Hotel is an extended stay option in the Tremont Place Complex of downtown. Opened in June 2018, this hotel is another budget-friendly option to include complimentary breakfast.

Another Cherry Creek hotel opened in October 2018 with yet another rooftop pool, the Jacquard Denver Cherry Creek. This Denver metro hotels offers 201 rooms and suites ranging from 400 to 585 square feet. Get in touch with nature and soak in the sun with its panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains from its rooftop bar and pool.

King guest room at the Jacquard Hotel Denver Cherry Creek, opened in October 2018.

Two Element Hotels by Marriott are planned to open in Denver in the spring of 2019.  One will open in Golden Triangle District off of downtown, the Element Denver Downtown East, while the other will be located near the airport, the Element Denver International Airport.

Next up for a been-there-done-that Hotel Scoop review is the August 2018 opening of the Origin Red Rocks. Located near the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, host to amazing concerts, the Origin Red Rocks will offer shuttle service to and from these shows. Since I live in the west part of town and love to go to these concerts, a boutique hotel close to Red Rocks will be priceless!  At the hotel, guests can enjoy a restaurant, bar, and event space.

And yet another exciting opening near the Denver International Airport is the December 2018 debut of the Marriott branded Gaylord. The Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, Colorado, will officially open its doors on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. The brand-new resort, a marquee property for Marriott International, is the fifth Gaylord Hotels resort in the nation and one of the largest hospitality industry projects to break ground in the U.S. since 2016. Once completed, it will be the largest combined resort and convention center in Colorado.

Photo credit: Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, Colorado

Several years ago, I experienced the Gaylord Texan, Grapevine, and I took the family in 2019 to check out the Gaylord Rockies.

This gives the consumer a lot more hotel choices and better pricing of the Mile High City’s inventory of family-friendly, romantic, and business hotels.

Other Hotel Openings in Denver, Prior to 2018

The Maven Hotel Dairy Block of Denver near Union Station

Over the last several years, we’ve reviewed Denver’s newest hotels as they’ve opened including the Crawford Hotel at Denver’s Union Station, the Westin Denver Airport, The Maven, The ART Hotel, and Hyatt Place Denver Downtown. We’ve also written about the scoop of hotel openings and renovations in Metro Denver, including the new Extended Stay Residence Inn Boulder Broomfield/Interlocken and Embassy Suites by Hilton Boulder, as well as the renovated historic Hotel Boulderado.

Since then, we’ve welcomed many other downtown hotels include the sister hotels – Le Méridien Denver Downtown & AC Hotel Denver Downtown, featuring the highest rooftop bar in Denver.

Opened in August 2017, the Kimpton Hotel Born Denver (pictured below) is located next to Denver’s iconic Union Station. The new 199-room hotel features a street-level patio and rooftop patio, a 2,000 square-foot fitness center and two local-inspired, chef-driven restaurants and bars.

Kimpton Hotel Born Denver

Catering to the Millenials, the MOXY Denver Cherry Creek opened in November 2017 as one of the first budget-friendly hotels in Cherry Creek. This boutique hotel is in the heart of this upscale neighborhood with its hundreds of art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, and spas. Room rates here start at $125 (while other hotel rates start closer to $200+).

MOXY Denver Cherry Creek

In 2016, Cherry Creek also welcomed another signature and chic hotel, the Halcyon, gifting Denver metro with yet another rooftop pool. Although this Cherry Creek hotel does charge a usually unwelcome resort fee, I’m impressed with the long list of amenities that are included with this fee — check out its Destination Amenity fee here.

The upscale Denver neighborhood of Cherry Creek welcomed Halcyon in 2016 and another Rooftop pool.

Book any one of these Denver hotels through Hotels.com, Expedia or other online booking sites.

Photo credits: The individual Hotels and Diana Rowe.

The post The Scoop on Denver Metro Hotels Openings 2021 and Beyond first appeared on Hotel Scoop.

Boarding House Beginnings;- In 1903, Chamberlin Inn got its start as a boarding house that expanded into an inn as years passed. Agnes “Aggie” Chamberlin who worked for the Buffalo Bill at the Cody Enterprise newspaper office, expanded her boarding house into the Chamberlin Hotel. The various additions are evident in the exposed brick walls of parts of the interior, including some of the guest rooms.

Ernest Hemingway’s room at the Chamberlin Hotel

Throughout the years, famous guests include actors, authors and tycoons. Ernest Hemingway and Marshall Fields are among the notables. Hemingway stayed at the Chamberlin after completing Death in the Afternoon. The room where he stayed, a suite with a clawfoot tub and a courtyard view, is restored to reflect Hemingway’s lifestyle.

Other rooms range from a Classic Queen to the Garden Apartment and The Courthouse. Both of the Garden Apartment and The Courthouse are in separate buildings. The Courthouse, once Cody’s first courthouse, is a two-story building with two bedrooms and a living space with a kitchen.  Room amenities of The Chamberlin include luxury bath products, a flat-screen TV, iPod/phone Dock, coffee/tea maker and Wi-Fi.

Rates – $145 for the Classic Queen to $999 for The Courthouse. Compare rates at Hotels.com.

Family-Friendly Budget with a Building Crew Past– The 83 historic Cowboy Cabins at Buffalo Bill Village, are cozy wood-paneled comfort. Buffalo Bill Village built in 1914, was originally made for the building crews who were developing Cody. The newly refurbished freestanding cabins range from single king to two queen beds to suites. Each has their original log siding. Pedestal sinks and showers are a feature in the cabin’s renovated baths. Flat-screen HDTVs with cable, free Wi-Fi and pillowtop beds are part of the modern updates.

Currently, the Cowboy Cabins are closed for the season – they open in April, but there are two other Buffalo Bill Village options. The Comfort Inn and a full-service Holiday Inn with a restaurant are open for business. Check out the Buffalo Bill cabins on Expedia, You can also compare rates for the Comfort Inn on Priceline and the Holiday Inn at Hotels.com.

Best Bar, Paranormal, and a Queen’s Touch– Built in 1902 by Buffalo Bill Cody, the Irma Hotel is named for his daughter. On the National Historic Register this hotel is a richly appointed history lesson. The suites are named after Cody pioneers. Cody’s original two suites have also been restored as lodging options.

Irma Hotel’s bar was a gift from Queen Victoria

One of the hotel’s must-see features is the long cherry wood back bar in the Irma Hotel Dining Room. Queen Victoria gave the bar to Colonel Cody following the royal performance of his Wild West Show. Throughout the hotel, period furniture, and paintings and photographs tell the story of Cody’s remarkable beginnings. For a more detailed description, check out Donna Tabbot Long’s Hotel Scoop review. She stayed in the Irma room.

The Irma Suite. Photo: Donna Tabbert Long

For anyone interested in the paranormal, members and guests have reported ghostly occurrences such as a rocking chair that rocks on its own, the sound of jangling spurs, and an apparition of a man wearing a Calvary uniform and holding a sword.

Post by Jamie Rhein. Photos courtesy of the hotels.

The post Cody, Wyoming: History in Hotels for Every Taste first appeared on Hotel Scoop.

Now Amber and Secrets Puerto Vallarta

In some beach vacation areas you’ve got one strip and that’s it, so choosing your location isn’t all that important. Puerto Vallarta, the popular Pacific Coast sun and fun getaway spot in Mexico, is a whole different animal. Visitors walk out of the buzzing airport here and fan out to multiple sections of this region, from Punta Mita many miles to the north (in Nayarit state) down to Mismaloya to the south. In between you’ve got a whole string of beaches and a downtown, all very different in character and appeal.

Here’s the lowdown on the appeal of each part of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, as well as some top hotels to consider in each place.

Puerto Vallarta Center

If you’re more into strolling, shopping, nightlife, and restaurants than you are into sitting on a beach, head downtown. This is where you’ll find many of the top places to eat and drink, the lovely cathedral, and the attractive malecon filled with sculptures. Even in you stay elsewhere, come here for a day at least. If you’re staying at a hotel with no beach, you can still get a day pass at one of the beach clubs like Mantamar. (Some are gay, some are straight, that one’s for both.)

Top hotel choice: Hacienda San Angel (see a detailed review here) or the newer Casa Kimberly (see the review)

Puerto Vallarta Beach Area

Heading north from the center toward the airport, there’s a string of probably 30 hotels before getting to the marina. Villa Premiere is close enough to still walk downtown, but most of the others will require a taxi ride to get to the center. The Bandaras Bay water in this area is not as clear as when you get further away from the center, especially during rainy season, and beaches are inconsistent, so pay attention to online reviews before choosing.

Top hotel choice: Now Amber/Secrets Puerto Vallarta all-inclusives. One is adults-only, the other is geared to families on vacation. (See a detailed review here and here)

Marina Area

Just past where the cruise ships, fishing boats, and sightseeing boats dock is a section of land with a strip of beach, several hotels, condos, and a golf course. This is an area where you can actually go for a walk or run: much of it is residential around the course and there are commercial stores and some great restaurants around the Marina. There’s a Marriott here, a Westin with the best swimming pool complex in Puerto Vallarta, and two great Velas all-inclusive properties we’ve reviewed in detail. Velas Vallarta is on the beach, while Casa Velas is adults-only and faces the golf course. 

Top resort choices: Velas Vallarta and Casa Velas

Mismaloya

There’s a specific spot called Mismaloya, but for the purposes of this list consider it the area south of Puerto Vallarta’s center, heading toward the big Los Arcos of Mismaloya rocks sticking out of the water. These are mostly self-contained resorts meant for people who don’t plan to be out and about very often: they’re not convenient for zipping in and out of town.

The water is gorgeous here though and the views are more dramatic. There are a few chain resorts like Fiesta Americana Grand, Hyatt Ziva, and Barcelo, as well as some smaller hotels and condo buildings scattered along the coast. The best luxury options though are pictured above, these two: 

Top resort choices: Hotel Mousai and Garza Blanca (located together)

Nuevo Vallarta

Sometimes called Riviera Nayarit or just “the beaches north of the airport,” this part of the coast has some of the whitest sand and clearest water in the immediate area and is loaded with huge all-inclusive hotels. These range from the low-end ones filled with high school groups and budget vacationers to ones for those who think nothing of dropping $1K a night to relax in their private whirlpool facing the water.

If you’re looking for the prototypical beach getaway experience you’d find in any major resort area, this is your place. There are a lot of timeshare resorts along here too, plus locally-owned condos where you may be able to get a weekly rental with a kitchen. 

Top resorts: Grand Velas for luxury (review here), Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta for partying.

Punta Mita

If you’re part of the elite 1% or just have something big to celebrate, then head 40 minutes or so north to the planned Punta Mita development on its own peninsula. Nestled among the two PGA golf courses and mansions costing millions are two premier resorts—Four Seasons and St. Regis—that pour on the pampering. The town of Punta de Mita has a few small hotels, but the two below are the only resorts inside the gate.

The W Hotel Punta de Mita is on the way there though, on a lovely stretch of coast, and is a fun and stylish party place. A new Conrad by Hilton is just opening up now in the same general area. On the other side of that peninsula is one of our favorite boutique all-inclusive hotels we’ve ever experienced: Casa de Mita. 

Top resorts: Four Seasons Punta Mita and St. Regis Punta Mita (See detailed reviews here and here)

If you head north from there, it’s a wilder coast with jungles and secluded beaches, with luxury boutique hotels like Imanta. A One&Only resort is on the way. If you want a more authentic vibe, head to Sayulita or San Francisco (San Pancho) and to truly get away from it all, check out hidden Punta Monterrey. 

At this point on the map you’re close to an hour from the airport and further still from Puerto Vallarta itself, so most people who head up to this area are experienced travelers coming back for their third or fourth time. Or they loved it so much they decided to stay!

This is just a quick overview of what’s available, so if you like it, maybe explore a different area the next time, There’s also a whole host of interesting, secluded places to stay in the Costalegre region that stretches a couple hours south of Puerto Vallarta. Las Alamandas is the top luxury resort there, but a Four Seasons is going up next to the Tamarindo golf course. 

See more reviews of the best luxury hotels and resorts in Puerto Vallarta. Get info on things to do in this Best of Puerto Vallarta story or at  Visit Puerto Vallarta.

Article and photos by editor Tim Leffel, who has been to the region five times on travel writing assignments, for conferences, and for family vacations. Over the years he has been hosted at some of the hotels mentioned here.

The post Where to Stay in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico first appeared on Hotel Scoop.

The Old House Hotel & Spa, Courtenay, BC

With so many destinations under pandemic-related travel restrictions, many people who want a short escape from their day-to-day routine have been looking at close-to-home getaways. Last month, when the government of British Columbia was encouraging residents to explore destinations within the province, my husband Alan and I made a short trip from our Vancouver home across the Straight of Georgia to Vancouver Island.

Our destination was the Comox Valley, north of Nanaimo. Less of a well-known tourist draw than the Pacific Coast town of Tofino, or the provincial capital of Victoria, the Comox Valley has wooded trails, oceanside coves, and several small towns to explore.

Overlooking the pool at the Old House Hotel & Spa

Our base for our weekend getaway was the Old House Hotel & Spa in the Comox Valley town of Courtenay. Here’s the scoop on this apartment-style property.

The Old House Hotel & Spa

Although the main road in front of the hotel is a busy suburban artery, The Old House Hotel & Spa is set back from the roadway, just above the Courtenay River. The rooms on the higher floors at the back of the property look out toward the river and surrounding greenery.

This lodging would be comfortable for families, with large suites, an outdoor heated pool, and a guest laundry. There’s a hot tub on the pool deck and a second hot tub indoors.

The hotel has a fitness center, as well as a spa, OhSpa, which offers discounted services for hotel guests. Both the fitness center and spa are operating by reservation only, due to Covid-19 restrictions, and staff monitor the pool to comply with physical distancing guidelines.

Guest Rooms and Amenities

The majority of the hotel’s 79 units are studio or one-bedroom suites. A couple of two-bedroom units are also available.

Our room, a king “riverview” studio, had a sitting area with a fireplace, a large bathroom with both a stall shower and a deep soaker tub, and a compact terrace overlooking the pool and out to the river beyond.

While the decor is fairly standard — white linens, dark woods, dark leather upholstery — the rooms are spacious, with the studios averaging 450 square feet and one-bedrooms around 550 square feet.

All rooms have either a kitchenette or a full kitchen. In our studio suite, the kitchenette was equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, one-cup coffeemaker, as well as a set of dishes and silverware and a small dining table.

You probably wouldn’t want to prepare complicated meals here, but you could easily put together a simple breakfast, pack sandwiches, or warm up a take-out dinner.

The Pacific Seafood Stack at Locals Restaurant

Dining at Locals

The hotel’s dining room, Locals Restaurant, does indeed cater to locals (and to visitors), using ingredients from around Vancouver Island whenever they can.

We had weekend brunch at Locals, which goes beyond the standard bacon and eggs, with dishes like baked cornmeal and cheese polenta with poached eggs and chorizo-potato hash. I especially liked the photogenic (and delicious) “Pacific Seafood Stack,” a tower of prawns, crabmeat, and seared albacore tuna layered with sushi rice, sprouts, and pickled ginger.

Views along the Courtenay Riverway

What’s Nearby in the Comox Valley?

The Old House Hotel is located right on the Courtenay Riverway, a walking and running route that hugs the waterfront.

It’s about a 15-minute walk, or an even quicker drive, from the hotel to downtown Courtenay, where you can find several interesting places to eat and drink, including one of the town’s craft breweries, Gladstone Brewing Company. Our favorite meal was at Nikkei Ramen-ya, a tiny Japanese noodle shop where they make their own noodles.

Courtenay has several other craft breweries and distilleries; Wayward Distillery is the first distillery in Canada to produce spirits made entirely from BC honey. The town also has a popular year-round farmers market, Comox Valley Farmers’ Market, where we enjoyed chatting with the vendors of colorful produce and picked up snacks of locally-made bison jerky.

For hikers, Courtenay is a good base for exploring the rainforest trails and mountain views in Strathcona Provincial Park, the first provincial park to be established in British Columbia, back in 1911.

Produce for sale at the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market

Rates

If you’re looking for apartment-style rooms in a quiet destination with plenty of outdoor activities nearby, the Old House Hotel & Spa in the Comox Valley is a comfortable choice.

Double room rates at the Old House Hotel & Spa start at CAD$190 per night. Rates include Wi-Fi. You can also compare rates and book through an online site such as Expedia, Hotels.com or others.

Please check current health-related travel restrictions before making any travel plans. Destination British Columbia’s “Know Before You Go” page is a good place to start. The Government of British Columbia’s Traveller Information page has more details for travelers who live outside the region.

Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. Destination British Columbia arranged my stay at the Old House Hotel & Spa for review purposes.

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