Casa Kimberly - Near Malecon

Casa Kimberly is a small boutique hotel in the heart of Puerto Vallarta, built from the former private homes of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The setting has more history than a standard room key usually deserves, with the preserved Puente del Amor, or Bridge of Love, linking the two houses.

Nine individually designed suites give the place a private-house feel rather than a large hotel routine. You have a restaurant, pool, spa and tequila bar within the same compact address, while the central location keeps the old town on your doorstep. English and Spanish are spoken by the hotel team, so you can sort out the practicalities in English without resorting to improvised hand signals.

You are in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Calle Zaragoza in the Zona Romántica of the old town. The hotel sits on a cobbled street in the centre, close to the Malecón and Camarones Beach, with the city’s main points of interest within walking distance.

This is a town address, not an isolated beach resort. That matters when you want to leave the hotel for a wander, find a change of scenery after dinner or reach the waterfront without arranging transport every time. Puerto Vallarta’s streets and surrounding sights are part of the stay rather than background decoration.

The accommodation is built around individually designed suites, with room categories ranging from standard and superior rooms to deluxe options and suites. For a couple, the double rooms with a sea, mountain or city view make the view part of the decision; the suites are the more natural choice if you want the full Casa Kimberly story rather than simply a place to sleep.

Air-conditioning and a fan are available in the suite category, alongside a fridge, minibar, safe, private bathroom, Wi-Fi and television. That gives you somewhere cool to recover, somewhere to keep water chilled and somewhere to put the day’s essentials without turning the room into a gear locker. Bathrobes, slippers, towels and toiletries are also included in the suite facilities.

The smaller room categories keep things more straightforward, with private bathrooms across the range and selected rooms adding air-conditioning, a fridge, minibar, safe or sea views. Check the individual room card carefully before booking: the facilities vary noticeably between categories, and a view is not a universal feature.

The Iguana Restaurant & Tequila Bar handles the serious end of the evening. Its open-air dining room looks over Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay, while the kitchen serves contemporary Mexican cuisine. Dinner runs from 17:00 to 23:00, with formal dress expected; this is the point in the day when flip-flops can take a rest.

The tequila bar focuses on tequilas and mezcals from the region, including several dozen top-quality and often rare labels. There is one restaurant and one bar within the property, with the bar forming part of The Iguana rather than operating as a separate drinking outpost.

Breakfast is continental. Room service runs from 07:30 to 22:00, useful when you would rather eat privately than make another expedition downstairs. The stay does not follow a named board formula, so check the room details for exactly what your booking includes.

The private wrap-around terrace has its own pool and Jacuzzi, with panoramic views towards Banderas Bay and the Sierra Madre mountains. It is the obvious place to let the day slow down without having to leave the hotel, and the terrace gives the property a more relaxed rhythm than its central address might suggest.

CK Spa has two treatment suites, each with a private Jacuzzi. Treatments include massage, body treatments, facials and therapeutic baths, so you can book a proper recovery session rather than merely hoping that sitting still will count as wellness.

When you want to move, the hotel can arrange excursions, including visits to Vallarta Botanical Garden. Hiking, fishing and snorkelling are also listed among the available leisure activities. Evenings may bring mariachi, while the concierge can help organise excursions and other arrangements around town.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to 22:00, with check-out by 11:00. The hotel can arrange transfers to and from the airport, and vehicle hire is available if you want to explore beyond the centre. A concierge, luggage storage, lift and reception desk keep the practical side reasonably simple, while laundry and dry-cleaning services are available for longer stays.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the property. Visa, Mastercard and American Express are accepted, alongside cash. Pets are welcome, and the hotel has an outdoor pool, garden and terrace as part of its shared spaces.

The location does much of the transport work for you: the old town and its main points of interest are within walking distance. For anything farther away, the concierge can assist with excursions. The hotel team speaks English and Spanish, which is worth knowing before you arrive rather than discovering it at the reception desk with a tired face and a half-charged phone.