Puerto Vallarta Luxury Hotels

Puerto Vallarta is a scenic city of 350,000 people on the Caribbean Sea in Mexico. People have been vacationing in the region for decades to enjoy the white sand beaches, professional golf courses, and world class hotels. Puerto Vallarta luxury hotels have the ability to keep guests entertained for days with their spas, pools, and excursions to Mayan ruins and nearby archaeological sites. The best hotels in Puerto Vallarta are the ones situated on the beach. Most beachside resorts in Puerto Vallarta have snorkeling equipment and offer introductory diving lessons or fishing excursions. Resorts in Puerto Vallarta are known to fill up fast in winter, when the temperatures are ideal, so be sure to reserve your hotels far in advance, but if you don"t mind the heat, looking for reservations in the summer can save you money.

Some Puerto Vallarta luxury hotels are geared toward adults and honeymooners. The Casa Velas is an adult-only all inclusive boutique hotel located next to the Marina Vallarta golf course in Puerto Vallarta. It offers a gourmet restaurant that serves light Mexican fare and Asian food, a luxury spa, several plunge pools, and well-appointed guest rooms. A state-of-the-art fitness center has all the latest free weight and cardio equipment. The hotel is also located on a private beach where you can rent snorkel equipment and kayaks.

Villa Premiere Hotel and Spa is located on Banderas Bay, which is where some of the best hotels in Puerto Vallarta are located. The Villa Premiere is just a few minutes away from Malecón, a boardwalk in downtown Puerto Vallarta. Each room of the 83-room hotel is air conditioned and has a balcony overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Standard amenities include complimentary wireless internet access, satellite TV, and a minibar. Guests can choose between all inclusive plans that include all drinks and meals, or they can pay separately for lodging and dining. This gives guests the option of staying at the hotel to eat or trying one of the restaurants in downtown Puerto Vallarta. Outside of the hotel, you’ll find a pool with a bar and a 40-yard-long beach. Guests of this all exclusive hotel have access to kayaks and snorkeling gear without an additional charge.

Another option for resorts in Puerto Vallarta is the Villa La Estancia Nuevo Vallarta Beach Resort and Spa. Located on Banderas Bay in Puerto Vallarta, the hotel is a one-mile stroll from Bucerias, or “Place of the Divers.” Bucerias is a five-mile stretch of beach that is lined with outdoor marketplaces and cafes. It is also a short walk from some of the best hotels in Puerto Vallarta. Like other Puerto Vallarta luxury hotels, the La Estancia Nuevo has its own private beach as well as several swimming pools and Jacuzzis. Guest rooms are decorated with marble accents and floors and have plasma TVs and furnished balconies.

There are so many options for luxury hotels in Puerto Vallarta, from small, yet luxurious boutique hotels to all inclusive hotels on some of the best beaches in Mexico. No matter which hotel you choose, you"ll never run out of things to do in Puerto Vallarta.

Warsaw's Luxury Hotels

Not so long ago, Warsaw's luxury hotel scene consisted of a couple of cockroach-ridden establishments that seemed straight out of a John Le Carre Cold War thriller. To say that things have changed since 1990 would be something of a gross understatement. Out went the bugs - both the insect and the intelligence kind - and in came the spas, the swimming pools and the underfloor heating.

As the capital of Poland, Warsaw immediately took the lead over Cracow as a business hub. A cluster of smart hotels sprung up, complemented by a clutch of cosmopolitan restaurants. Yet although Cracow seemed to have the edge as a tourist destination, something changed around 2005, when trendy travel journalists were suddenly leaping to dub Warsaw as the peak of hip.

These days, Warsaw's luxury hotels come in all shapes and sizes. You can set yourself up in an exquisitely restored pre-war classic that's steeped in history, or bask in boutique bliss at one of the city's more diminutive exclusive hotels.

Above: The swimming pool of Le Regina, one of Warsaw's most popular luxury hotels

Top of many traveller's lists will be the Hotel Rialto. Art Deco rules the roost here, and fittingly so. The Rialto is an affectionate tribute to the era when Warsaw was one of Europe's chicest cities. During the 20's and 30's, Poland produced a galaxy of Art Deco wonders following her triumph at the Paris Exhibition of 1925. With its svelte, jazz age style, Hotel Rialto seems tailor-made for vampish film stars brandishing voguish cigarette holders - the place would have fitted in perfectly in Peter Jackson's King Kong. This is the hotel to book for a weekend of fun.

Another boutique style beauty is Le Regina. Winning top marks for luxury, this hotel has made its home in the laid back New Town. We say new, but this part of Warsaw was originally christened the New Town in 1402. Its cobbled streets were amongst the first to be revitalised after the Second World War, and today it's one of Warsaw's most picturesque spots. Le Regina has set up shop in a former nobleman's palace, but there's nothing remotely fusty about the place. Expect cool modern interiors in creamy shades, complemented by a host of quirky furniture. There's a hint of Scandinavian chic about the place, with smooth-finished wooden surfaces and elegant yet unfussy fabrics. Le Regina was voted Poland's most prestigious hotel by Forbes Magazine, and its five stars are well-merited.

Staying in five star territory, but moving to a more traditional incarnation of the luxury hotel, the Bristol Royal Meridien deserves a special mention. This neoclassical belter is one of the historic hotels of Europe, immaculately renovated in 1991. Previous guests have included Charles de Gaulle, Marlene Dietrich, Douglas Fairbanks, Bill Clinton and pantomime favourite Maggie Thatcher. With its home on the Royal Way, the hotel has location, location, location - guests can step right out into the buzzing heart of Warsaw. This is the grandest hotel in the capital, and it has some presidential suites to match.

Changing the tune again, but remaining in the luxury hotels bracket, there are a number of business style hotels that are also worth a look. The Sheraton offers the first class standards that you'd expect. The Intercontinental also has plenty of appeal. One of its winning features is a swimming pool right up on the 42nd floor. The view is square on the Palace of Culture. In other words, absolutely unforgettable. Another popular choice is the Westin, famed for its space age lift. Next door is the Radisson SAS, another reliable venue for business travellers. Both these hotels boast a handy central location, and travellers with time to spare can discover the Nozyk synagogue just over the road - Warsaw's oldest surviving example.

Given the exhilarating pace of change these days, travellers can count on more luxury hotels in Warsaw popping up soon. So watch this space for news of new additions. Meanwhile you can click on to link to book the finest Warsaw hotels of the moment!