Villa del Mar Beach Resort & Spa

The Villa del Mar resort is a smaller, slightly older sister property connected to the large Villa del Palmar resort. It has its own large pool area and gardens, as well as a nice, modern fitness center that is shared by Villa del Palmar, but the restaurants, spa, and beach access are all located on the main resort, just a short walk away. In fact, most visitors probably don’t notice a difference between the two separate sides of the resort, both part of the Villa Group. The main difference lies in the rooms – Villa del Mar is slightly older and the 131 rooms are less updated than the more than 395 rooms next door.

Villa del Mar has its own entry under a large sign that designates its separate name, and its own large open-air lobby – however this lobby is mostly for show as guests will formally check in and out, and seek any help or services, from the front desk in the main lobby of Villa Palmar. Villa del Mar’s dim lobby is decked out top to bottom in a coral-orange color that seems to be a trademark of the resort. There are several bright orange sofas and a tour desk with activity information. The front of the resort faces onto a very busy street with lots of traffic, the main thoroughfare of Puerto Vallarta.

Past the quiet lobby, there’s a courtyard surrounding a large pool, and landscaped tropical grounds. You’ll be greeted by a large cage with two resident parrots – they are quite cranky however and squawk very loudly when guests get close. Both resorts are 100 percent time-share properties, and this is made quite obvious to hotel guests. In some cases, guests report that time-share sales pressure can be an annoyance. The resort buildings are Spanish Colonial in style, and of terra-cotta red stucco. Overall, Villa del Mar has a quieter atmosphere and a slightly older, more relaxed crowd than its big sister next door. As the property is a bit older and the rooms aren't as updated, it offers a lower price point with access to the same amenities.

Villa del Mar is located in the middle of Puerto Vallarta's crowded North Hotel Zone, where many hotels and resorts line the beaches of Banderas Bay. Its sister property, Villa del Palmar, occupies the beachfront real estate of this connected property, so Villa del Mar's rooms are set back from the beach, though it's just a few minutes stroll away. Some of the rooms border along the busy highway instead. It's about a 10-minute taxi ride to reach the center of town and the Malecon -- Vallarta's happening oceanfront walk -- or a local bus stops right by the hotel for a cheaper fare. It's only about a 10-minute drive to the airport.

While Palmar takes up most of the beachfront real estate, Villa del Mar's buildings are set back a bit from the beach, so ocean views are harder to come by here. The rooms are spacious, ranging from 550 to 900 square feet, with high vaulted ceilings and plenty of sunlight. The room types include Deluxe Rooms and One- or Two-Bedroom Suites, all of which include a kitchenette and a large balcony or patio. The kitchenettes are country-style kitchens with white wooden cabinets, a full refrigerator, microwave, two-burner stovetop, blender, coffeemaker, and toaster.

These are squarely mid-range rooms, with some updates such as nice bedding – but many older features as well. For example, all rooms have bulky old tube TVs. Overall, the bathrooms are updated with nice countertops and newer fixtures. The decor includes lots of white and pops of bright blue and cheerful yellow. Every room includes a balcony with a table and chairs through large sliding-glass doors.

The One-Bedroom Suites feature a living room area alongside the kitchenette and two full bathrooms, including an en-suite bathroom with the master bedroom. The living rooms include a pull-out sofa for extra guests.

The large, free-form pool is much quieter and much less crowded than the main pool at the Villa del Palmar next door. The pool at the main resort has a small waterslide and many kids taking full advantage of it. The serene Villa del Mar pool features a small island in the middle with a handful of lounge chairs, and two footbridges over the water connecting to it. There are plenty of lounge chairs to go around, and several umbrellas, so guests have room to spread out. A grove of picturesque palm trees also provides shade. Nearby, there’s a large jetted hot tub.

A nice, modern fitness center with Life Fitness machines and lots of sunlight sits on the Villa del Mar side of the double property, next to the pool. A set of tennis courts look to be in good shape and there’s a basketball hoop on one side. There’s a barbecue grilling area next to the pool, with picnic tables. There’s also a shuffleboard and bocce ball court in the outdoor corridor between the two sides of the resort.

Beach access is through the main resort, but it is very close by, less than a five-minute walk from the rooms. It’s a small beach with a semi-protected area, enclosed by rock jetties to make the waters calm and shallow for swimming. There are dozens of beach chairs and umbrellas set up covering a good amount of the beach space, and it feels sort of crowded together. There is a large area with a volleyball court in the middle. There are many vendors, and despite most of the beach chairs being roped off, the vendors still walk through the area.

Outside of the main entrance of Villa del Mar, there’s a large convenience store and deli. There’s a snack bar that serves pastries and light fare like sandwiches, as well as coffee. The convenience store side has everything from wine and beer to sunscreen to ice cream. Next door, there are three restaurants.