Hotel Belmar

Hotel Belmar is a budget property that feels like a slight upgrade from a hostel. All rooms are private and have private bathrooms, but some can accommodate up to eight people. Guests look like the typical hostel sort — young international travelers between the ages of 18 and 30 — but the hotel also sees a fair share of middle-aged couples and budget business travelers. Hotel Belmar’s most distinctive feature is its artwork. The hotel almost feels like an art gallery, where guests can pass through the halls and admire hand painted murals, charcoal sketches, and textured canvas work. Artwork can be found throughout the hotel, including the lobby, hallways, and rooms. 

Hotel Belmar is located in a residential neighborhood on the outskirts of downtown Puerto Vallarta. The neighborhood is filled with authentic local eateries, mom-and-pop shops, flea markets, and tiny art galleries. It’s a humble area, but it feels authentically Mexican — which is probably why so many guests complain about the street noise. Kids play soccer in the alleyways, traffic whirs at a steady pace around the cobblestone roads, musicians earn cash by playing their guitars, and something exciting is always going on in the wee hours. Light sleepers should definitely consider staying elsewhere, but those who enjoy the steady rhythms of local life will be fascinated by the area’s comings and goings. Downtown Puerto Vallarta, touristy restaurants and nightclubs, and the beloved Malecon are all within a 10-minute walk of Hotel Belmar, while the area’s best beach, Playa de los Muertos, is roughly 20-minutes on foot. The airport is a 25-minute drive from the hotel, as long as there isn’t any traffic. 

Rooms at Hotel Belmar are small and simple. They definitely won’t impress discerning travelers, but they’re perfectly adequate for those who just need a place to sleep. White walls and white tile floors give rooms a bright, airy feel, while bold yellow, pink, and blue accents create visual interest and a sense of whimsy. Like the rest of the property, walls are decorated with funky artwork. Hotel Belmar has multiple room types, the majority of which can accommodate two or four people — though larger rooms can fit between five and eight guests. Some rooms have kitchenettes with electric stovetops, mini-fridges, and flatware. All rooms have flat-screen TVs, electronic safes, and wall pegs with hangers for clothing. Many of Belmar’s rooms have large outdoor balconies, which overlook the neighborhood’s bustling streets. However, it should be noted that some rooms are interior facing and overlook the lobby and interior hallways. These rooms are small and lack natural light, so they’re the hotel’s cheapest lodging option. Bathrooms at Hotel Belmar are exceptionally tiny. They’re so small, they can’t even fit a vanity or sink, just a cramped shower stall and a toilet. This is why guests will find their bathroom sink somewhere in the middle of their bedroom.  

There’s no pool, spa, or restaurant at Hotel Belmar, or any other kind of feature to keep guests entertained. The majority of guests spend their days off property, and return at night only to sleep. The hotel offers excellent free Wi-Fi, and serves a lousy “continental breakfast” each morning. Breakfast consists of cookies and coffee with powdered creamer, and can be found each morning in the lobby. Guests are better off walking to a nearby local bakery and picking up delicious fresh pastries — which are often sold for less than a dollar. Though most people would hardly consider an elevator an amenity, we need to point out that Hotel Belmar doesn’t have one. The building is six stories tall, so guests should keep this mind when booking. There aren’t any ground-floor rooms, so the hotel is not suited for those with accessibility requirements.