The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort — Hotel in Nayarit

We recently stayed at the St Regis Punta Mita and are happy to report that this Hotel provided an amazing true resort experience in a way few properties can.

Located directly on a private beach at the crown jewel location within the exclusive Punta Mita resort encompassing more than 1000 acres. This hotel is amazing even by St Regis standards whose magic begins immediately.

As our driver pulled through the little town of Punta Mita up to the main gates of the development we were greeted by an efficient security officer who cheerfully verified we were guests and provided our driver directions.

Upon entering the gates the outside world ceased to exist replaced by a magical land with miles of landscaped areas, golf courses, walking paths and idealistic palm lined drives.

After this truly transformative drive we were at the main gate of the Hotel itself which has two massive wooden doors reminiscent of an ancient Hacienda or even the set of Jurassic Park. Again our identity was quickly verified and we entered the courtyard.

Upon pulling up to the entry we were greeted by waiting uniformed doorman who greeted us by name and had cool fresh scented towels on trays to wipe the “grime from our long trip” away.

As you exit the car one is visually greeted by the pass through open air entry that draws the eye past the classical architecture, palm trees, and cascading pool to the azure Pacific Ocean. This magical moment of cool cloths and views drew us into the seductive St Regis world instantly completing the transfer to a different time and place offering a true feeling of peace instantly.

As we sat on the terrace enjoying the view while sipping margaritas we were met table side by a staff member wielding a small clipboard to facilitate check in. Simply put this is the model others should emulate for luxury check in.

After these details were dealt with in we were invited to continue relaxing while our luggage was moved to our suite which we gladly indulged. While we soaked in the atmosphere and adjusted our internal clocks our Butler Christian introduced himself.

You should not been in a hurry while here. Take the time to stop and enjoy each experience and you will be greatly rewarded.

When we were ready for the next step in our journey we were taken by golf cart to our room. This suite was a classic example of the resorts architecture with high quality materials and a view of the landscaping overlooking the ocean.

I sincerely hope you are fortunate to have Christian and his morning counterpart Juan as your butlers. They were perfect personal assistants during our stay. After offering to unpack which we declined Christian gave us additional resort information offered his services for diner and provided us the text number he shared with Juan requesting that call on them for anything we needed. Perhaps most notable in this interaction is that each of these fine men showed an enthusiasm to help us that was real and felt genuine.

During our stay they took care of everything we needed daily from diner reservations to beach chairs. When I wanted to explore the village and grounds they seamlessly arranged for a golf cart.

The hotel is a collection of Mexican styled low rise singe and two story buildings surrounded by lush landscaping and meandering paths creating an oasis complete with low level lighting. During our stay at the height of the busy season we were amazed how this design and landscape gave us the feeling of being alone at a private residence. Never once during our entire stay did we feel hurried or crowded.

This hotel literally encapsulated the best essence of Mexican tropical hospitality, architecture, and incorporated everything that is most desirable at the moment.

Room:

We were given a first floor cassetta located in a quad building overlooking the ocean. The classical style of the room was very pleasing while the layout was near perfection with a small entryway, large heavily beamed bedroom with an adjacent living room both overlooking our private patio and the ocean through large sliding doors.

The patio with double lounger and two comfortable chairs at a teak table was surrounded by a curve of tropical landscaping providing a feeling of privacy. This was a perfect spot for morning calls, emails, and news from the outside world.

The well laid out bathroom tastefully complemented the room. Featuring double sinks, shelves for your toiletries and both an inside and outside shower set in its own walled courtyard.

The bed as expected was very comfortable, the linens crisp and the lighting perfect.

The HVAC was very well balanced and quiet keeping our room at the requested temperature day and night with zero dampness or fluctuation.

Housekeeping

Simply excellent, unobtrusive and very efficient. They appeared magically when we left the room in the mornings for breakfast and had the room serviced before we could return. In the evening our turn down service was equally invisible.

Upon arrival the room was perfectly clean, missing nothing and each item was placed with obvious care as to how it would be received by the guest.

Location:

The hotel is located on the Punta Mita peninsula just an hour outside of PV on the northern cusp of the bay of Banderas surrounded by golf courses and of course the Pacific Ocean. The adjacent village of Punta Mita is an old seaside town with a sprinkling of new shops and restaurants although frankly the resort is so nice we only spent a few hours visiting.

Service:

From the moment we entered the property we felt welcomed. Not the it’s my job kind of welcome but the welcome to my home type. This level of genuine service is coveted but rarely obtained. The doormen, restaurant staff, and waiters were efficient and quickly learned our names making us feel as if we lived there.

The front desk which we never saw until checkout was efficient and courteous both to be expected. However they exceeded this greeting us with familiarity, expediting us through the business side of checkout seated at fine desks in a comfortable chair. The efforts of the small desk staff at check in and out made us feel as if we were family or at least repeat guests even though this was in fact our first visit, but hopefully not our last.

Internet:

Internet worked well and provided sufficient speed for my network communications. This was provided to us free as SPG Platinum members. For travelers that are not Platinum there may be charges on a per day basis. Cell phone service was strong and reliable.

Food and Beverage:

The resort has no less than 5 restaurants ranging from a beachside taco Bar to fine dining at Carolina whose young chef has infused European style with Mexican tradition while incorporating the local seafood. You should dine here and allow them to pamper you while opening your palette.

We were lucky enough to have Alvard as our server at Carolina. He is part waiter, part historian, and an obvious lover of the dishes being prepared by the Chef. Alvard opened our eyes to the local history, and did such an amazing job of describing the processes employed by this chef in preparing his specials that we skipped the normal pork loin, fish and steaks. Instead we ordered the Beet salad cooked in a style employed in this area for 5000 years and unbelievably Barnacles which I did not realize even had an edible portion. Each was excellent

Summary. I expected top notch service, rooms, and an escape from the hustle and bustle of Life.

The St Regis Punta Mita delivered this and much more with the excellent staff adding so much to this trip. We never met a single staff member including the large landscaping crews that did not seem to truly enjoy their jobs. As you can imagine there is a ton of maintenance required to keep up a property like this however they were never intrusive and had lookouts so that they could stop working anytime we approached.

The management of this hotel should be extremely pleased with the success they have enjoyed in their efforts to recruit and train staff that is genuinely interested in customer service.

With so many stops worldwide each offering unique experiences to sample its not always easy for us to return but this property has made it...

A close friend raved about this property a couple years ago; ever since, I've been trying to find time to get there with my elementary school-aged daughter.  We booked a room just shy of 24 hours before arriving in Puerto Vallarta.  To say the least, the decision to stay here was one of the best vacation-related decisions I've made as a parent and for myself.||We spent a total of five nights at the resort; from the moment we checked in, everything was a combination of pure "ahhh", "bliss", and "wow".||Check In|There isn't a front desk to check into.  Instead, you're escorted to an amazing ocean view and comfy chairs, handed delicious hibiscus tea welcome drinks (with or without alcohol), and asked to relax as check-in paperwork is handled.  After having driven from Puerto Vallarta on roads that aren't exactly in the best condition, this was a phenomenal way to begin transitioning from "work is crazy and I need to separate and spend time with my kid" mode to "actual rest and quality time" mode.||The Butler Service|We were so fortunate to have Ricardo, Nancy, and Jose as our butlers.  All I can say is that I hope as they walk this earth, people treat them with as much care, kindness, and understanding as they showed me and my daughter.  Every request big and small was met with an optimistic, can-do, gracious attitude.  ||Birthday Service For My Daughter|My kiddo turned nine just before this trip.  When the hotel learned of my daughter's birthday, staff decided to make the next day her birthday again!  The day started with staff at Marietas (the breakfast restaurant) presenting her with an Oreo cheesecake and a St. Regis Bear, followed by another cake in our room that afternoon, followed by a birthday banner being hung over her bed, along with an amazing display of gold and silver balloons.  And then, a few days later, another belated birthday present -- this time a stuffed bird of some sort -- was presented to her. ||Another family we met on-site shared a story of their daughter also being presented with a bear, along with a story of how the bear became friends with the stuffed animal the child brought to the hotel from home.  Beautiful and the stuff memories are made of.||Stretch Class with Johnny + Gym EquipmentI took a few morning stretch classes with Johnny, who works at the gym.  Amazing classes (and included in the rate), plus, when I wished out loud for another class off-schedule, Johnny simply asked me to connect with my butler to make it happen, and magically, another cost-free class was created.  So kind.||Gym equipment is also top-notch.||It would be amazing if the resort added morning yoga classes as similar properties do, like Pelican Hill in Socal.  Johnny mentioned that a number of new activities might be added to the menu in the coming months.||Meals|All of the meals we had were outstanding, from the pizzas at Sea Breeze (the best crust I've had) to the potato churros at Mita Mary's and the breakfast tacos at Marietas -- everything was excellent.  Also, special props to the joy-filled taco and omelette preparers at Marietas, Jonathan at Marietas for introducing me to mamey fruit (thanks for cutting it up!), all the people who sourced morning Sudoku puzzles for me at Marietas, Sai for finding space for us at Mita Mary's, and Hugo for his patience with my kiddo's taste in food one night.||Paddleboarding|I really appreciated being able to hop onto a paddleboard right from the property's beach.  Bring cash to pay a reduced rate.||Tide Pools|Be sure to spend time exploring the on-site tidepools during low-tide.  They're full of nearly-fluorescent red hermit crabs, starfish, and other amazing creatures to observe.||Kids Club|This was the most average aspect of the hotel.  It really aims at a younger demographic than my nine year old, though my daughter made a close friend during one of the cooking classes, which was lovely.  It would be amazing if the property adopted options for older kiddos, perhaps science-based programming similar to what Bacara and the Laguna Niguel Ritz do.  ||Last But Not Least, The Outdoor Shower|Our room was equipped with both indoor and outdoor showers.  I'm not 100% sure if all rooms have the outdoor option, but if you visit this slice of heaven, take advantage of it.  Just imagine waking up to a warm sunrise, crystal blue skies with white puffy clouds, tropical birds singing their melodies in the background, and then a calm, warm (or cool!) waterfall in that setting.  ||By the end of the trip, to keep things quiet for my kiddo while she slept, I used this space to meditate in the morning.  Perfection.||**|I travel the world for work and leisure -- Japan, India, and everything in between. I usually stay at Marriott properties....  I've simply never experienced a place like this.  Can't wait to return.  Thanks to everyone on-property for the rest, magic...

The hotel is gorgeous. Entering the grounds is everything you expect, especially at night with lit torches, lush landscape, etc. The rooms were very nice and filled with necessities. The bed was not very comfortable, for my taste. If you like a soft mattress, this is the bed for you; however I found myself waking up a bit on the sore side each morning because of it.

Service: The service was good. Not bad, not excellent. I felt that in about 50% of our experiences with staff we would find ourselves waiting for someone to acknowledge us and offer us service. It was never overly prompt, as you would expect at a St. Regis. I've been to other luxury hotels/resorts within Mexico where the service was always beyond excellent, so maybe I was spoiled. I honestly felt myself feeling bad for the staff. While some moved about keeping busy, many looked tired, unhappy and full of sighs. At one point, we’d approached one of the pool bars, sat at a few of the barstools (the bar top still not cleaned from the prior guest), notice 4 to 5 staff members gathering around nearby yet they would carry on, not acknowledging us as if we were totally invisible. I eventually had to look at one of them at one point and say, "Can we get some service here?" Those types of things are frustrating when you are at a luxury hotel. We did, however, find one particular staff member who we really enjoyed and he became our 'go-to' guy.

The restaurants were the biggest disappointment. I would not, at all, recommend Carolina restaurant. I understand it was the nicer, more expensive place in the resort, but was not executed well. I had my doubts with seeing how low the guest counts were...knowing that more than likely the proper rotation of food would not warrant the freshness it deserved. The entrees were not at all awe-inpiring. Out of all of the courses we were not impressed with even one. The entrees that the server would tout, claiming that they had famous recognition, were quite underwhelming. Some were mediocre at best, while others were just inedible. We’d have no issue paying this kind of price for a dining experience, however there may a point where we feel we need to mention something if it is that justifiable. That happened here. The remaining 3 restaurants (including Mita Mary, the little make-shift made restaurant shaped as a boat) were not much better. The buffet at breakfast allowed for the most decent offerings, that is if you can swat away all of the fruit flies swarming all over the fruit selection.

Pools: They were wonderful to sit next to. The views were stunning. During our stay, the actual pool water, however, was very warm. I understand this cannot be helped sometimes due to outside temperatures, but it was not the most pleasurable experience with the extreme heat and humidity to jump into warm, bath-like water to find refreshment. I'm not even sure that there is a way to keep a constant chilled pool temperature. It is also nice to note that they have a pool specifically for adults only. Out of the three pools, one of them is reserved just for this.

Spa: This was a nice experience. We were there a few times. The treatments were great, the amenities were abundant and the facilities were very well kept. Again, some of the staffs' attitudes felt more forced than genuine. For instance, while obtaining one treatment I felt myself feeling sorry for the person offering my pedicure. I could feel the obligatory smiles and faux happiness forcing through during the experience. I get it... I don't suppose anyone is truly happy servicing someone’s feet, however I have experienced it before. It just caused for a bit of awkwardness yet overall the actual treatment was great.

Beaches: The beach was gorgeous to look at. It was difficult to go in to enjoy it due to the very rocky and jagged rocks that you'd have to walk over. I didn't find myself out there that often due to that reason. I'd recommend a pair of aqua shoes to overcome this little hurdle. Once you get out far enough to float, it was quite nice. The views are beautiful.

There are a few excursions that are worth checking out. The hotel also offers much to do in the way of activities for both adults and children.

Overall, I’d consider coming back to this resort… but would prefer to try a neighboring hotel first. Since this hotel is offered in my points program, however, I may possibly return knowing that I will keep my dining experiences to a minimum (there are some great options in town as well as neighboring hotels to try) and also have a bit more patience with the service...