Holiday Inn Puerto Vallarta Rating: 3.0 Pearls

North Hotel Zone, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

This part of Puerto Vallarta, about halfway between the airport to the north and downtown to the south, is busy, with cars, buses, and people bustling about, and the hectic environment extends right into the lobby of the Holiday Inn -- it's common to see buses loading and unloading crowds of guests, people coming and going, and a general atmosphere of go-go activity. But that’s to be expected in this location, encircled on all sides except the beach by other hotels (this is the heart of the Northern Hotel Zone, after all), apartments, shopping centers, and other commercial buildings.

The centrally positioned free-form pool, with swim-up bars, is a lively hangout during day, as is the lobby bar at night. The beach is a little on the scruffy side, with many passing vendors and hawkers of everything from hammocks to parasail rides and fishing trips -- though if you stay within the hotel's roped-off area, guards should keep the riffraff away from you. The point is, everything from the vendors to the bustling activity to the guests themselves (lots of young folks) give the hotel a sort of party atmosphere.

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Here, just 10 minutes north of downtown Puerto Vallarta, are dozens of hotels, apartment houses, commercial buildings, shops, and restaurants lining the beach. The Hilton controls its own little stretch of beach, but not all the way to the water’s edge -- meaning vendors and hawkers are free to try to sell to you (an annoyance for some). Part of the beach is roped off, though, so if you stay within that area you will be left alone. Many guests appreciate the convenience of having a Wal-Mart and a Sam's Club in the area.

Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico's most picturesque beach destinations, with historic white-washed buildings, and cerulean seas set against a rugged mountain skyline. The massive Banderas Bay alone offers over 25 miles of seashore. With all this ocean comes a variety of water sports, like scuba diving with manta rays off Islas Marietas, boating around Los Arcos' reefs, and parasailing off of the popular Playa Los Muertos.

• 10-minute drive to the Puerto Vallarta Airport
• 5-minute drive to downtown and the Malecon
• 15-minute drive to Old Town

All guest rooms have private balconies big enough for sitting and eating. The newly renovated rooms are contemporary and attractive, with marble floors, blond wood furniture, and pops of red on the beds. Flat-screen TVs and iPod docks are standard, and the bathrooms are modern, with walk-in showers. Kids’ Suites are also available with bunk beds and X-Box consoles in the kids’ bedroom.

• Spacious rooms with contemporary decor -- blond wood and minimalist approach to design
• All have private terraces with seating
• Flat-screen TVs and iPod docks
• New beds, bedding, pillow menus
• Provence Soleil toiletries in baths
• Marble tile walk-in showers (some rooms have tubs)
• No minibars and under-stocked mini-fridges for an all-inclusive
• Suites and Kids' Suites available

• Large free-form pool with swim-up bar and lots of seating
• Separate kids' pool with mini water slide
• 2 tennis courts and an ample fitness center
• European or all-inclusive plans available
• Kids' Club (ages 4-12) with supervised crafts and activities
• Game room with Fusbol, air hockey, and X-Box stations
• View full list of amenities

• Los Mariaches serves traditional Mexican cuisine and tasty margaritas, dinner only
• Guacamaya serves three meals a day, themed; a la carte available
• Piaceres serves pasta and other Italian dishes in a romantic setting with piano music, dinner only
• Snack Pinocho serves easy eats like burgers and hot dogs, lunch only
• Lobby bar with a nightly live music show, and a pool bar
• Kids eat free