Costa Club Punta Arena

The main entrance of Costa Club is very easy to spot from the main road – just look for a large lighthouse-shaped building with distinctive orange and white stripes. Inside, there is an open, modern lobby with marble floors and lots of light. Guests can climb the top of the lighthouse tower to see great  panoramic views of the ocean, the mountains, and all around Puerto Vallarta.

The rooms are arranged over 20 smaller buildings of just three stories, which keeps the property from feeling too big or impersonal. The buildings are all painted in a cheerful pale yellow color and have traditional red tile roofs. Throughout the property, there are nicely landscaped lawns with many palm trees and agave plants. In the middle of the resort, there are signs designating the Wi-Fi zone, as a wireless signal is strongest in common areas and is weak or nonexistent in the rooms.

Though the hotel is steps from the beach, unfortunately the views are obscured by a giant concrete structure, hulking over the resort. It is an abandoned hotel that has been there for many years, deserted halfway through construction and never torn down. This eyesore is sadly a prominent feature of the skyline. Another feature is a small river that runs alongside of the resort and empties out into the ocean, which is home to lots of wildlife such as pelicans and other birds, fish, and iguanas. The river is a muddy brown and the water does not appear to be very clean -- it might make you think twice about swimming in the ocean here. The hotel caters to families; for example staff members feed the local iguanas everyday around noon, and the large reptiles, some up to five-feet long, are fun to watch. Families with young children, both Mexican and international, make up a good portion of the guests here, and many guests take advantage of the all-inclusive plan.

Costa Club has a beachfront location on the very south end of the Hotel Zone, next to the Sheraton. While there is direct access to the beach from the hotel, the rooms are set a bit back and do not enjoy any ocean views. The beach is long and wide here, but it is dissected by a brown river that doesn’t appear to be very clean. The lobby faces out onto the very busy main road. This location at the southern tip of the Hotel Zone puts the resort within walking distance to town, a perk which many other resorts don’t enjoy. A 10-minute walk south leads to the beginning of town, which is full of many restaurants, bars and shopping. It’s just a few blocks farther to reach Malecon – Puerto Vallarta’s happening oceanfront promenade. The airport is a 15-minute taxi ride away. 

The 207 rooms include 167 standard hotel rooms and 40 suites, which offer a kitchen and living room. Overall the rooms are bland but clean and in decent shape. The decor is rather plain, featuring terra-cotta tile floors and all-white walls with the occasional painting for a pop of color. There are lots of earthy tones like orange-reds and browns and headboards feature traditional hand-carved designs, but further lack of personality makes the rooms a bit dull.

The suites all have two bedrooms plus a small living area and a kitchen with a stove, large mini-fridge, microwave, and blender. There’s also a dining area and some dishes are provided. The Standard Rooms are also rather spacious and airy, with sliding glass doors leading to a small balcony with chairs. All rooms have a balcony, most facing out toward the pool. Every bedroom has AC. While some rooms have flat-screen TVs, others still have bulky, old tube TVs. The bathrooms are clean and functional, featuring walk-in showers, but some areas are showing wear. 

The main pool area consists of two pools located directly next to each other.  One is set up for activities like pool volleyball, while the other is a little smaller, but both are popular with kids. The pool deck offers many blue lounge chairs and a good number of umbrellas for shade. There are often many kids playing around the pool at this family-friendly hotel. Water polo and other activities are available to guests throughout the day. Spanish dance music can be heard blasting by the pool starting in the late mornings, creating a lively, active atmosphere. This might not suit those looking for peace and quiet. Down on the beach, the atmosphere is quieter and more peaceful – though both beach and pool areas can get crowded quickly in peak times.

The resort includes two bars and three restaurants. The outdoor Lobby Bar is a popular spot in the evenings, while the Los Cocos Bar next to the pool is more happening during the day. The more formal Italian restaurant, Costa Vita, is only open a few nights a week, and more often in the busy season. The Iguana Snack Bar sits along the path that leads down to the beach, open for light midday bites. Staff members feed the iguanas here each day at noon to the delight of many guests.

The main restaurant, where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served buffet style, is called the Forum. This large, dim room is packed with many tables and plastic chairs. A long buffet runs along the back of the room and on one side, there is a small stage where nightly entertainment, including live music and dancing, will go on in the evenings. Breakfast includes a custom omelet bar and many fresh fruits, but overall the food looks underwhelming. Many guests do opt for the all-inclusive package though. 

Next to the snack bar there is a small white gazebo for massages, at an extra cost. The gazebo is very close to the pool and snack bar, so it’s not the quietest place for a massage. Other amenities include a small gift shop with pool toys, snacks, and t-shirts, and a small kids' club area with games and crafts. There is no fitness room or formal spa on the property. Wi-Fi is limited to common areas.

Costa Club is located on a long, wide beach that’s at the end of the Hotel Zone, where many resorts sit along the bay. However, the section of the beach designated for this resort is quite small, with only a dozen or so lounge chairs and umbrellas arranged in a small patch of sand. With brown river water slowly emptying onto the beach right next to the hotel, the water isn’t as inviting to swim in as in other parts of Puerto Vallarta. There is a volleyball net close by, but again, much of the rocky beach feels desolate or even industrial, in the shadow of that large hulking, looming unfinished hotel structure next door.