The Best All Inclusive Resort In Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

If you’re looking for the perfect spring break spot, look no further. Mexico has it all— amazing food, great vibes, and even better views! I spent four incredible days soaking up the sun in Puerto Vallarta and am already dreaming of a trip back. I stayed at Velas Vallarta, my first experience at an all-inclusive resort.

I typically love to explore but there was no need to this trip. Our resort had everything we could want—bottomless drinks, several restaurants, three pools, and private beach access! It was the best of both worlds, both fun and relaxing. If you’re trying to coordinate a spring break trip, I highly recommend going the all-inclusive route—you get the most bang for your buck and it’s truly a blast.

Transportation Within Puerto Vallarta 

Velas Vallarta is just a five-minute drive from the Puerto Vallarta airport. Upon arrival, you can take a taxi, Uber, or VIP Services to your hotel. VIP Services is essentially a shuttle that is affiliated with each of the resorts. A driver picks you up at the airport and takes you to your respective resort. This service is free, you just have to coordinate with your resort beforehand!

It is a super seamless process— I definitely recommend it if you want to avoid being bombarded by taxi drivers at the airport.

Currency & Language Barrier In Puerto Vallarta 

As you know Mexico’a currency is the Peso. Currently $1 American Dollar = $17 Mexican Pesos, however, this changes daily. I wasn’t sure whether or not I’d need Pesos here—while some cities are a bit more modern, accepting all credit cards, some are a little less advanced and require cash for certain things.

I decided to play it safe and exchange some money before my arrival. To my surprise, I didn’t end up needing it. Every place within the resort accepted credit cards. I used Pesos to tip although they accepted American Dollars too.

As for the language barrier, there’s no need to fret! Because Mexico is such a popular tourist destination for Americans, almost all of the employees speak English.

Our Room at Velas Vallarta

Velas Vallarta is a beautiful 4.5-star all-inclusive family resort located just minutes from the airport. It’s about a ten-minute drive from the main downtown area with clubs, restaurants, and marina. We didn’t end up leaving our resort however this is a destination where it is totally safe to do so!

Velas Vallarta has hundreds of rooms for different size families and lengths of stay. I brought one of my best friends, and we checked into one of their one-bedroom deluxe suites. This room was more like an apartment, broken up into several rooms. ‘

The bedroom was closed off from the rest of the space with a comfy king bed and tons of pillows.

We had a huge living room area with chairs, a couch, and a TV.

Off of the living room was a fully functioning kitchen. This kitchen had a full-size fridge, stove, and microwave. If you wanted to buy groceries and cook within your apartment you totally could. However, I can’t imagine why you’d need to when there’s 24/7 (free) room service included in your stay!

Our bathroom had a huge mirror and lots of counter space.  Like I said brought my college bestie with me and being able to get ready together before dinner each night felt like old times! Housekeeping comes every day to make the beds, clear the dishes, and bring fresh towels.

However, the best part of our room was by far the huge balcony. We had a beautiful view of the property and its pools. There was also a full dining table out here so it was the perfect spot for morning room service or pre-dinner selfies!

Amenities at Velas Vallarta

I highly recommend booking an all-inclusive stay for your spring break trip. All-inclusives have tons of amenities, giving you everything you could want all in one place. It really is the easiest way to get the most for your money + Velas Vallarta did not disappoint. Below were some of our favorite things the resort has to offer.

Private Beach Access

There’s nothing worse than a crowded beach. Thankfully Velas Vallarta has its own private access with tons of chairs and beach cabanas for you to lay out—although almost everyone was at the pool. I’m more of an ocean girl which meant I had practically the entire beach to myself. No complaints there!

They have staff periodically check on you to see if you need fresh towels, a mid day snack or another frozen margarita (the answer is always yes!).

Three Pools

Velas also has three different pools. The first is known to be a bit more mellow, reserved mostly for older couples looking to relax in the sun and enjoy a good book. The second pool is for kids and is super shallow so that they can swim.

The third pool is where the party happens. There’s a pool bar where all the young people swarm, ordering endless pina coladas and margs. This is the biggest of the three pools, with tons of space to mingle with other parties. They’ve got music blaring all day long so needless to say, it’s a very fun scene. Definitely the spot for the spring break fun.

Sunset Beach Picnic

One of the things Velas Vallarta offers is special “add-ons”. They were so nice to set up a private, sunset beach picnic for Ally and me. We had our own little fort full of twinkly lights, pillows, and blankets. We watched the sun go down while drinking bottomless champagne and eating pineapple pizza.

We also had our own Bluetooth speaker so we were able to play whatever music we wanted. We listened to all of our college favs, laughing and talking for hours on end. It was the most special bonding moment with my bestie. If you’re looking for a fun way to celebrate an anniversary, special milestone, or just want an Instagram-worthy photo I highly recommend booking one of these. So, so much fun!

Spa Day

To my surprise, the resort also has a spa within it. There are dozens of options to choose from— seaweed wraps, reflexology, and even pedicures! Ally and I booked hour-long massages with a beachfront view.

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I’ve only ever had one other massage (in Africa!) but this was amazing! We had our own little cabana right along the beach with a stunning view of the water. We got their standard massage complete with oils and different salts. Not only was it super relaxing but I left greased up, feeling smooth as a baby’s butt. So worth the additional charge, as these treatments are not included in your basic “all-inclusive” fee.

Restaurant #1— La Ribera

Velas also has two different restaurants within the property—La Ribera and Andrea. La Ribera is right along the beach with gorgeous ocean views and a casual vibe. We ate here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s safe to say it’s all good. I personally enjoyed breakfast best with the omelet station, potatoes, and endless sweets to choose from.

However, you can’t go wrong with a shrimp quesadilla or nachos. We also had a fancier dinner here one night, trying the beefsteak special which was super yummy. Everything is included despite this being a “sit down” restaurant so feel free to eat the day away. I know we did!

Restaurant #2—Andrea

The second restaurant Andrea is a bit fancier and the cuisine changes each night. While one night is Italian, and another Tuscan, we happened to eat here on Aisan night. They had a large array of seafood and sushi to choose from. We got the coconut shrimp and tried a few other dishes. I’m not usually a huge fan of this cuisine but I was pleasantly surprised.

They had a live pianist here and a cozier atmosphere—a fun excuse to get dolled up for the night.

Of course, the resort also offered other amenities—tennis courts, a gym, and a kids club for families to entrain their little ones. Because this is a family resort, they also offer fun events each night like karaoke and poker. These happen in the main lobby and were a fun way to end our evening!

What To Wear 

Not sure what to wear on your spring break vacay to Puerto Vallarta? I’ve got you covered. I shared eight outfits I wore during my spring break vacation in this blog post. Per usual I’m sharing links to everything for you to easily recreate these looks + directions to each photo location so you can grab an Insta-worthy picture.

I cannot say enough good things about my trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Velas Vallarta was the perfect all-inclusive resort for a little spring break getaway—both fun and relaxing. If you’re interested in booking a stay, view the best rates and current availability here.

I’ve got cold weather trips to Boston, Denver, and NYC coming next. Stay tuned for more travel guides…

With love, McKenz

Latest Post: What To Wear In Mexico This Spring Break
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