Best Kid-Friendly Hotels in South Hotel Zone, Puerto Vallarta

The 225-room Las Palmas by the Sea is an all-inclusive hotel on the ocean in Puerto Vallarta's South Hotel Zone, but this isn't the type of place where you can relax in the sand and have staff bring you endless cocktails with little umbrellas in them. With the right expectations, this older two-and-a-half pearl property can be good value and a convenient home base. The no-frills rooms are clean, quiet, and spacious. There are two ocean-facing pools, an organized kids' club, and handful of decent restaurants. Though food and drinks are included, there are charges for in-room Wi-Fi, the electronic safe, and water sport rentals, plus annoying time-share pitches.

Costa Sur Resort & Spa is a family-friendly, mid-range property on a secluded stretch of beach on the Bay of Banderas, and stunning sunsets are not to be missed. The 200 casual suites, some in need of updating, all feature kitchens, living areas, and balconies with full ocean views. Air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi come standard. There’s a Mexican restaurant offering theme dinners and a bar with daily happy hours, as well as a cafe and a snack bar. There are two outdoor pools, one family-friendly and one designated as a quiet pool, as well as a small beach area, water sports, a spa, and a fitness center. Breakfast-only and all-inclusive packages are offered. Tropicana Hotel is a mid-range property offering similar amenities in the city center, but there’s no spa. 

A big and bustling all-inclusive resort, the upper-middle-range Buenaventura Grand Hotel & Great Moments ticks almost every box that travelers have in mind when they arrive in Puerto Vallarta. Situated right on the beach, there are pools for adults and children plus four restaurants, three bars, and 24-hour room service (though there's a fee for the latter). A spa and boutique as well as a gym and kids' club round things out, though food gets mixed reviews and the resort can be hectic. The 234 rooms are mostly modern, with marble details that add a little class, though some corners of the hotel aren't as fresh. Rates are similar at Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta, though the style there is a little more consistently dated and it's farther from town. 

Plaza Pelicanos Club Beach Resort All-Inclusive is a three-pearl hotel on Las Glorias Beach in Puerto Vallarta’s South Hotel Zone. All 186 rooms are Standard Rooms, which feature air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, and coffeemakers. There’s a fee for Wi-Fi in the rooms. Ground floor units have patios, but rooms on upper floors lack balconies. There are three all -inclusive restaurants, a cafe, and a sports bar. A family pool features a kids’ area and a swim-up bar. The beach club, located across the street, features a small beach with many vendors, another outdoor pool with a swim-up bar, a snack bar, and a pizzeria. Other amenities include a spa, a tennis court, and a kids’ club, but no gym. Playa Los Arcos Hotel Beach Resort & Spa offers similar amenities right in the old town, but it’s not all-inclusive. 

This 45-room budget-friendly boutique hotel comes sharply dressed with some attitude and style, but little in the way of amenities (at least compared with the larger megaresorts that permeate Puerto Vallarta's more distant zones). There's a decent rooftop restaurant with outdoor seating and city views, a nice-size rooftop pool looking out toward the ocean, and a basic-use (read: tiny) fitness center. The rooms range from small to smaller, and their views are far from inspiring -- but it's what lies outside the hotel doors that counts. The beach, the Malecon, and the area's most popular dining, nightlife, and shopping are all within a short walk.