Photo via Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board

Nearly 1.8 million international visitors stayed in Puerto Vallarta from January through November of 2015, a record year for Mexico’s Pacific coast resort destination. The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board also expects December to reach a record-high 90 per cent occupancy rate.

“Between Dec. 19 and Jan. 6, the destination will see a 20 per cent increase over last year and hotels,” said Rodolfo Pacheco Hernandez, Puerto Vallarta’s Hotel Association President. “Hotels are reporting 100 per cent occupancies from Dec. 24-26 and Dec. 31 – Jan. 2.”

To help accommodate the increase in visitor traffic, Puerto Vallarta has recently welcomed five new hotel properties.

In November, the destination started the holiday season with the opening of the new 443-room Grand Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta All Inclusive Adults Only, located in Puerto Vallarta’s South Zone. The property, located just 20 minutes from the airport, has already been accepted into the prestigious membership portfolio of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI). The property’s oceanfront suites all come with private balconies, and guests can take advantage of on-site gourmet restaurants and bars, and a stylish Sky Bar lounge with DJs spinning music late into the night.

Puerto Vallarta’s Historic Center area welcomed the long-awaited opening of Casa Kimberly in the Conchas Chinas neighborhood and Garlands del Rio on the Rio Cuale. The former homes of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton have been transformed into a luxury boutique hotel featuring nine suites, a spa, pool, open-air dining, a tequila bar and the preserved Puente Del Amor (Love Bridge) that links the two properties.

A brand new B&B located on the Rio Cuale, the Garlands Del Rio offers a rustic ambience in the heart of old Puerto Vallarta. The eight-room property replicates the experience of staying in an upscale private Vallarta-style home with its blend of antique furniture, contemporary and traditional Mexican art and décor, as well as multi-level balconies, inviting sitting areas and individually decorated rooms and bathrooms that span around a pool and lush gardens.

In December 2015, the Hotel Zone will welcome the new Sunscape Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, a family-friendly, all-inclusive brand from AMResorts. The resort will feature more than 300 rooms, six restaurants, six bars, an Explorers’ Club for kids and a full service spa.

In March 2016, Estudio 6 will open on Puerto Vallarta’s main road, Francisco Medina Ascencio Blvd. The 114-room “business economy” property will target corporate travelers as well those looking to book extended stays in suite-style rooms.  

Additionally, several properties including the Villa del Palmar, Friendly Hotel and Villa Premiere will all undergo million-dollar renovations in the coming year. 

Record Year for Puerto Vallarta

With new hotels and its boost in tourism, the past year has been Puerto Vallarta’s best since 2008. The city saw an average occupancy rate of 65 per cent during the first 11 months, reflecting bookings of nearly 12,326 room nights every month. In total the city welcomed 282,975 more visitors than last year, an increase of 19 per cent.

International arrivals to Puerto Vallarta’s International Airport (PVR) were up by 12.3 per cent from January to November and the cruise industry is also bouncing back. According to Miguel ángel García Beltrán González, Director of the Puerto Vallarta International Port (API), 135 cruises made calls to the destination in 2015, an increase of 25 cruises over the previous year.

“Visitors have generated almost US$30 million to the destination’s hotels and more than US$30 million to local businesses, including restaurants, bars, local transportation providers, art galleries, shops, and tour operators,” said Miguel Andrés Hernández, Puerto Vallarta OCV Director. “This represents a 350 per cent increase over 2014.”

Hernández also said Puerto Vallarta hosted 102 events during the calendar year; including meetings, conventions and conferences.

 “The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board has been working intensively alongside the destination’s OCV and the municipality to continually promote the city’s many attractions as well as creating new offerings and unique experiences. The numbers we are seeing are the result of our successful collaborative effort” said Agustin Alvarez, Director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board. “Our staff has been attracting new markets for Puerto Vallarta in South America and Europe and maintaining a strong presence in our natural markets with the help of our agencies in the United States, Canada and Mexico. We are confident that 2016 will be an even more successful year.” 

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