Buenaventura Grand Hotel & Great Moments - All Inclusive

Set on the edge of downtown Puerto Vallarta, this is a sizeable beachfront hotel with 231 rooms, an all-inclusive formula and enough on site to keep the evening simple. You can eat, swim, use the spa, connect to Wi-Fi and leave the car parked while the Bay of Banderas does the scenery.

English and Spanish are spoken by the hotel team, so you can get things done without resorting to underwater hand signals at reception. The atmosphere is built around convenience rather than boutique intimacy: four floors, plenty of facilities, a 24-hour front desk and a location that lets you walk into town when the resort routine needs a change of gear.

Families are catered for with a games room, children’s club, play area, children’s pool and babysitting. For adults, the useful part is that the hotel also has a spa, gym, terraces and several places to sit with a drink.

The hotel sits directly on the beach at the northern edge of downtown Puerto Vallarta, beside the turquoise Bay of Banderas. The sea is only steps away, with sun loungers, parasols and beach facilities ready for the part of the day when you have had enough of fins and enough of walking.

Shops and restaurants are a short walk away. The Malecón and the central plaza are around 15 minutes on foot, which gives you an easy route into the livelier side of Puerto Vallarta without making it your permanent soundtrack.

Puerto Vallarta airport is around 15 to 20 minutes away by road. The hotel also has parking and car-rental services, useful if you want to reach places such as Mismaloya Beach, Conchas Chinas Beach or the Vallarta Botanical Gardens under your own steam.

The room choice matters most in the view and sleeping arrangement. Couples wanting the Pacific in the background can choose an ocean-view deluxe room, with either a double bed or twin beds. The double-bed version adds a fridge, bathrobe and heating to the more usual practical kit, while blackout blinds help when the sun decides that your alarm clock is no longer required.

For two divers who prefer separate beds, the twin configuration is the obvious sensible choice. The family room gives travelling groups a room category designed around more than two guests, while the honeymoon suite brings the ocean view, a double bed and bridal touches for a more celebratory stay.

Air conditioning is available in the deluxe double room, alongside a minibar, tea and coffee facilities, television, Wi-Fi, safe, private bathroom and shower. Across the room selection, the useful return-from-the-water details include a private bathroom, towels, toiletries and a hairdryer. There is also room service, so you can keep the evening horizontal when the day has taken more out of you than planned.

This is an all-inclusive hotel, with breakfast, restaurant service, a buffet breakfast, coffee, bottled water and a snack bar built into the food-and-drink offering. The detail worth checking when you book is which meals are included in the particular rate, as the exact meal arrangement follows the booked plan rather than a universal rule for every reservation.

The restaurants are Frutas y Flores Restaurant, Sunset Restaurant and Corazón Contento. Their names are more specific than the available descriptions, so the useful takeaway is choice: you have several hotel dining rooms rather than one table doing every shift.

There are four bars. Sky Bar, Palmita Snack & Bar, Sunset Bar and Lobby Bar give you somewhere to land between the beach, the pool and dinner. Palmita is the practical stop when a full meal feels ambitious; the Lobby Bar is the straightforward option when you have returned, showered and decided that moving any further would be poor judgement.

Three kinds of recovery are covered here: water, warmth and a place to put your feet up. The hotel has indoor and outdoor pools, a spa bath, pool and beach equipment, and towels for both. The beach is directly accessible, with loungers and parasols for the less energetic part of the afternoon.

Shakti Spa offers massages and facial treatments. A gym and fitness equipment are available when you want to loosen shoulders that have spent too long carrying kit, while the garden, terrace and sun terrace provide quieter places to sit without ordering another activity for yourself. Spa treatments and massages are bookable before arrival, which is worth arranging if your post-dive muscles have strong opinions.

When you want to leave the grounds, the hotel can help with excursions. Options include Los Arcos, Vallarta Botanical Gardens, Museo Manuel Lepe, Isla Cuale Flea Market, Plaza de Armas, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and several beaches. Wildlife observation and cultural excursions are also part of the programme. Families have extra support through the games room, children’s club, play area, children’s pool and babysitting.

The front desk is open around the clock, with check-in from 15:00 and check-out by 12:00. An elevator serves the upper floors, and the hotel has wheelchair-accessible facilities, including an accessible restaurant. Concierge assistance, tourist information, ticket assistance and luggage storage keep the less glamorous parts of travelling under control.

Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, and there is parking if you arrive by car. Vehicle hire, laundry, dry cleaning, ironing and a safe are also available. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and cash are accepted. The electrical supply is 127 volts at 60 Hz, with type A sockets, so check your adapters before leaving home rather than discovering the issue beside the minibar.

Only registered guests may access the rooms. Some facilities may have restricted access at times, and nearby building work can bring occasional noise. Pets, including assistance animals, are not accepted. If you are staying over 31 December, a compulsory New Year’s Eve gala dinner forms part of the arrangements for that date.