Top 10 Charming Boutique Hotels In The Riviera Nayarit
The Riviera Nayarit’s hotel offer is ample and varied, meaning there’s something for everyone. In this issue we’re sharing the Top 10 Charming Boutique Hotels in the area, a list of accommodations that don’t need to be grandiose to enchant their guests. On the contrary: their allure resides in the intimacy and sense of place that makes them so special.
10.- Akan Resort (Los Ayala)
This resort is beachfront on beautiful Jaltemba Bay, where it merges the harmonious sound of the ocean with the comfort and peaceful ambiance created by the sandy tones of its interior design.
9.- Hotelito Los Sueños (Sayulita)
This place is synonymous with nature and relaxation, and it’s a very sustainable green project: solar energy provides 40% of the electricity they consume, they compost and their cleaning products are all biodegradable. If you need to “find yourself,” they offer spiritual retreats, workshops, massages and yoga sessions. Surfboards and bicycles—among other amenities—are included.
8.- Hacienda Flamingos (San Blas)
This hotel was originally a 19th-century hacienda and it’s exceptional for its preservation of period architecture. It transitioned from being an extension of the German Consulate in Tepic to a hotel in 1955, but it wasn’t until 1995 when it was beautifully restored.
7.- Villa Corona del Mar (Rincón de Guayabitos)
Each room is furnished and decorated in the bright colors that reflect typical Mexican décor, with a unique design that make guests feel as if they were living in a local home. Its location in a residential area of the town just a few meters from the ocean is ideal.
6.- Villa Bella (La Cruz de Huanacaxtle)
It has one of the most spectacular and complete views of the Bay of Banderas and is perfect for watching one of the best sunrises in the world, which you can enjoy from your private pool on your terrace. Each one of its suites is different. Celebrating your honeymoon in this gorgeous place would be spot on.
5.- Hotel Cinco (Punta de Mita)
Its location on the bay is unequaled: right on Playa del Anclote, it has a swimming pool on the rooftop from where you can see the Islas Marietas, which are only 20 minutes away. Its rooms are luxurious and welcoming. Thanks to the Cinco AquaSports Center the watersports are all the rage.
4.- Haramara Retreat (Sayulita)
This yoga paradise is nestled between the beach and the jungle to the south of town. It offers wood and palm-thatched cabins as their rooms. The restaurant is totally organic and the food is made to order by the house chef. This space is ideal to reach the highest level of well being and interior peace. It also pays tribute to ancestral practices such as the temazcal (sweat lodge).
3.- Playa Escondida (Sayulita)
Part of the Mexico Boutique Hotels group, it’s highly sought after as one of the top spots for romance in the world, perfect for weddings, honeymoons or wedding anniversaries. This place is synonymous with love; it’s even been selected for the third time as the location for the reality show Bachelor in Paradise for its absolute privacy.
2.- Cielo Rojo (San Pancho)
Each one of its 9 rooms has its own very Mexican design, thanks to the diversity of artwork they’ve collected from around the Republic—and it, too, belongs to the Mexico Boutique Hotels group of exclusive accommodations. One of its finest amenities is its Bistro Orgánico restaurant, where they prepare tasty and nutritious meals with local products. Cielo Rojo also has one of the best environmental commitments of any hotel in the world.
1.- Garza Canela (San Blas)
Chef Betty Vázquez and her family pamper guests themselves in this enclave. Seasonal produce is harvested from their gardens and they also take full advantage of local products to prepare the dishes at the El Delfín restaurant, where there’s always something new and delicious on the menu. The intimate family atmosphere is such that they even have their own chapel for the faithful.
It's been awhile but we experienced two of these picks:
1) Garza Canela: Chef Betty Vasquez is truly a wonderful chef, a great dining experience. Not sure if/when the hotel has been updated so difficult to comment. We found it comfortable.
2)Haramara Retreat was new when we visited. It's hillside suites are dramatically sited and beautifully architected/furnished. A beautiful natural setting and a nice hideaway beach. The dining fair was a bit too vegan-oriented for this carnivore but I remember their breakfast granola as being really special.
Mike Thiel/Hideaways International/Hideaways.com