Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita Mexico’s Backyard
Photo Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotels Limited
Luxurious, private and exclusive, the master-planned community known as Punta Mita, Mexico, has long been a haven for Kim Kardashian, Demi Moore and other celebrities. In fact, Jessica Simpson was so happy with her 2014 honeymoon stay at Riviera Nayarit’s Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita Mexico that she shared her experience on social media. We can certainly understand her enthusiasm. From the minute your luxury coach arrives at the beautiful Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star property, you’ll feel like you’ve entered paradise. And just to give you a glimpse of what all that entails, see this list of things you’ll love about this outstanding Mexican beachfront resort.
The service is impeccable
Service and staff can make or break a vacation experience and, in this, Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita Mexico definitely excels. There are more than 900 employees who service the 173 rooms and suites, and 48 villas at the resort. That’s a ratio of four employees per room on any given day, meaning every wish you need is taken care of effortlessly. It starts with a cold towel service and specialty cocktail made with local fruit that greets you upon arrival. It follows you to the check-in process, which doesn’t take place at a counter, but rather on the terrace, sitting in a plush chair with 180-degree views of the Banderas Bay below.
If your room is a distance from the main building, a golf cart will be waiting to escort you to a room filled with all the amenities you could want — like L’Occitane bath products, coffee, water and a welcome snack. Sometime in the afternoon, a craft-your-own-margarita tray (bottle of tequila, salt, lime, ice, a shaker, glasses and instructions) will appear, just in time for you to channel your inner bartender for a pre-dinner libation. And that’s just on day one. For your entire stay, the staff provides service with a smile, delivered with friendliness and pride, and it’s a joy to experience.
One of the Hotel’s Amphibious Servers, Photo Courtesy of Murphy O’Brien
It’s a fabulous spot for foodies
At Bahía by Richard Sandoval, the restaurant located just steps from the water, the rhythmic cadence of the crashing waves plays like a natural soundtrack in the background as you feast on seafood and steaks. It’s here that you can plan a romantic sunset dinner overlooking the calm waters of the surrounding bay, where you might even experience a whale during high season (early December through mid-March). Another treat is the Thursday four-hour cooking class on the art of preparing perfect fish using the freshest local product.
For fine dining, Aramara is the place to get dressed up for a night of food, drink and music. Specializing in Asian-Mexican fusion overseen by Mexican-born chef Héctor Leyva, the menu includes sashimi preparations and items such as the Hot Rock, wherein thin slices of beef get cooked on the hot rock at the table. After dinner, plan to spend the evening listening and/or dancing to the stellar Cuban band playing at the bar. And on Fridays, make sure you book the chef’s table experience. Additionally, the airy tables underneath the big round poolside palapa at Ketsi are just the ticket for breakfast, lunch, dinner or on big sports night when you want to catch the game. Three times a week, a chef also gathers on the beach for you to participate in “Catch of the Day,” an ocean-to-table experience that allows you to choose seafood that came in straight off the boat by local fishermen in Puerto Vallarta. For an added luxury encounter, book one of the private dining experiences — set up and customized however you want — at the beach, on a cliff or in your room.
And what would a beach vacation be without stellar drinks? That’s where bartender-mixologist extraordinaire Alfredo Sanchez comes in (read our in-depth interview with him here). His staff of 32 drink masters across the 12 bars on the property can whip up everything from the basic mojito to a local flair-filled green Bloody Mary made with Mexican herbs and tequila; an aguachile margarita made with serrano chiles, cucumber and cilantro; or a smoky mezcal drink with watermelon juice and dried chile.
It’s a golf and spa lover’s fantasy vacation
Not only does the resort offer state-of-the-art fitness facilities, tennis courts, surf lessons and a lazy river for the kids, but it has two other things that mom and dad will love — golf and a spa. A short shuttle ride up the street takes fairway fanatics to the two immaculately maintained, Jack Nicklaus-designed courses: Pacifico, which hugs the Pacific ocean and features the famous 3B hole, a natural island that is called “Tail of the Whale”; and Bahia, where wave-like, verdant fairways mimic swells and rolls of the ocean’s natural rhythm.
The Tail of the Whale, Photo Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotels Limited
While one person is pitching away, someone else can luxuriate by the pool or, better yet, book one of the many facials, body treatments or massages at the onsite Apuane Spa. For an unforgettable pampering session, try the Punta Mita massage, which incorporates tequila, sage oil and Mexican healing techniques in an oceanside palapa. The combination of cold tequila on your skin, rhythmic strokes of the therapist, a gentle ocean breeze with the natural sound of crashing waves is nothing short of heavenly.
There’s art, culture and shopping
On your way to a morning yoga session at the oceanside cliff, you’ll likely see several bronze sculptures. This is because Four Seasons Punta Mita Mexico has an extensive art collection on display throughout the property — so many, in fact, that the luxury hotel has created a downloadable ArtWalkApp that will take you on a museum-like, curated tour of its assemblage of sculptures and other award-winning works from Mexican artists.
For those curious about the local culture, the resort has a cultural concierge on hand who gives daily talks on subjects such as the local flora and fauna and the native Huichol people. As part of the Banderas Bay’s sea turtle restoration project, the cultural concierge can also arrange for you to release baby turtles into the bay. As for shopping, The Boutiques at Punta Mita offers several shops that stock everything from resort fashion to local pottery and Mexican cheeses.
Adults and kids alike will love this resort
The beauty of the Punta Mita hotel is that the layout and grounds are spacious enough that you never feel stifled or overcrowded. For the couple wanting to spend a romantic weekend sequestered away in an oceanfront suite, find bliss in the adults-only pool or lounge on a whisper-white, king-sized oceanside cabana, they can do so.
Families who want to vacation together will find a welcoming resort as well. The suites and villas offer accommodations for larger groups and multi-generational families. There’s a Kids for All Seasons program, too, which takes little ones from age five through 12 and keeps them busy with supervised activities such as painting or collecting seashells. The aforementioned lazy river is equipped with inner tubes for the kiddos to frolic in the water to their hearts’ content. And when there’s downtime, there’s a whole host of complimentary equipment to keep tykes happy, including a DVD and video game library, beach games, snorkeling and fishing equipment, books, Frisbees and board games.
