Casa Cupula Rating: 3.5 Pearls

South Side, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Just a minute’s drive out of Old Town, whip a left off of the coastal road, climb a steep cobbled hill, and you find yourself in…Spain? Not quite, but it sure feels that way. The white stucco buildings -- with vibrant pops of rich yellow and orange at every turn -- hug the side of a steep, lush hillside. The surrounding landscape features stairways and pathways winding in and out of the buildings, the occasional fountain or mermaid statue, plenty of comfortable lounging areas, and stunning ocean views.

Each of the 21 rooms and suites filling the various levels of the property are individually designed with a hodgepodge mix of styles and tastes. The same goes for the common areas, especially the lobby, which feels more like someone's private hacienda than a hillside hotel. This architectural and stylistic mash-up could be a recipe for design disaster, but instead it all works perfectly, and makes for an eccentric, amusing, and comfortably chic place to stay. But if you're straight, you may not feel as comfortable as other guests -- the hotel primarily caters to LGBT travelers (though everyone is welcome).

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The property is located on a steep cobbled street just off the coastal road that winds south out of Old Town Puerto Vallarta. The charming, evocative street curves round a bend and up a slope in the style of a European hillside town.

• 30-minute drive to Puerto Vallarta Airport
• 7-minute walk to Old Town and Los Muertos Beach
• 15-minute walk to downtown Puerto Vallarta

The hotel contains 21 guest rooms and suites in three types -- Standard, Vista, and Suite -- with distinct decor ranging from Mexican rustic to modernist. Each is individually designed but consistently comfortable, thoughtful, and fully loaded with interesting furniture and objects. Some, however, are so packed with unusual stuff they might take some getting used to.

• iPod docks, DVD players with extensive DVD library
• Flat-screen TVs in most rooms; older tube TVs in others
• Free Wi-Fi
• Pillow-top mattresses with pillow selections, and 400 thread-count cotton sateen sheets
• L’Occitane toiletries
• Mini-fridges and coffeemakers
• Some rooms have garden views and shared balconies; others have private balconies and ocean views.
• Four Vista rooms feature a two-person shower, and extra single bed.
• Suites contain private balconies with a Jacuzzi or dipping pool (except in junior suites), continental breakfast, free airport service, extra full-size pull-out bed, and washer/dryer.

• Two pools including rooftop infinity pool and clothing-optional pool, as well as Jacuzzis
• Popular on-site restaurant serving worldly cuisine three meals a day
• Extensive gym with modern equipment
• In-room spa treatments
• High-season barbecues and brunches on pool deck
• Purified water (safe to drink from tap)
• Computer and printer for guest use in the Guest Study
• Free Wi-Fi throughout
• View Full List of Amenities