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When you see a Boutique BnB with almost PERFECT ratings across the board, you give it a try! We kept stumbling across Rivera Del Rio on our hotel searches in the Puerto Vallarta area so we took it as a sign that we should book.
I am a huge fan of architecture, anything vintage or antique, and I’m certainly a raving lunatic about hotels with rooms that are not just a ‘box’. I’m pleased to say there is nothing ‘boxy’ about this entire hotel, nor will we every encounter anything quite like it again in our journeys.
The entire hotel is an experience.
Rivera Del Rio, Puerto Vallarta - Review of the Boutique Hotel
Rivera Del Rio Honorable Mentions
- It’s the #1 rated BnB on Trip Advisor for Puerto Vallarta & won it’s 2017 Travellers Choice Award
- Elizabeth Taylor, Kevin Costner and Raquel Welch are just some of the celebs to stay there
- It has been features in magazines like Elle and Vogue and used as a set for films.
The Room -- The Cortez Suite
If you have ever wanted to pretend you are the king of your own castle, the Cortez Suite at the Rivera Del Rio Boutique is for you. Divided over 3 different levels, I promise you will never stay in anything with the same floor plan again.
Because I can’t even begin to describe this room to give it the justice it deserves, I will let the propritor of the hotel do it for me:
The Cortez is the most accessible at ground level facing the river. An historic wealth of scenes from Cortez’s landing in 1825 are elegantly hand painted throughout this apartment. Its high ceilings and large state-of-the-art living and dining area make it heavenly for intimate gatherings. Black trompe-l’oiled bathrooms with sunken tubs, toilet, and bidets, are handily situated on both levels.
A stunning bedroom featuring a plump German Kluft bed envelopes the weary traveler in heavenly slumber, and the living area with two plush couches make entertaining for the holidays a must! A roaring fireplace and fountained, marbled, Arabic patio invite guests. In the morning there is easy access to the chartreuse mosaic glorious double-leveled pool above!
The bedroom opens up with interior windows to gaze at the long formal dining table below, sort of reminiscing something out of a romantic novel. You have sunken tubs, bidets, fireplace, white pillars and even local Mexican art painted directly onto the walls. To bring it up to modern day, they have 2 full bathrooms, a full kitchen complete with fridge and stove, walk in closet, and of course all the other amenities you would expect.
- 1000+ Sq Ft (approx)
- 1 Bedroom
- 2 Full Bathrooms
- Full Kitchen
- Dining Table for 6
- Fireplace
We stayed in the Cortez Suite for 2 nights in Dec/16. Disclosure: The hotel did not host our stay.
Riveria Del Rio - Cortez Suite Video Tour:
Rivera Del Rio Boutique , Puerto Vallarta 'THE REVIEW':
WHY you would want to stay at the Rivera Del Rio Boutique:
- If you LOVE the small details and luxuries of high end boutique hotels
- For an entirely new experience unlike any hotel you have ever been too
- If you like the ability to easily leave a resort and wander on foot
- If you want some great looking photos using the hotel and the rooms as as a backdrop
- For a taste of old hollywood glam in the heart of Mexico
Check in: Greeted by concierge the moment we stepped out of the cab. He took our luggage and brought us inside. Margarita’s (Coca Light for Trevor) guac and chips in the lobby before a personal tour of the entire hotel.
Wifi: Worked! The entire time. Even gave us the ability to live broadcast which is always good for travelling entrepreneurs.
Food: Best part of a BnB is the breakfast! We had the made to order breakfast on the lobby balcony facing the river . Very fast service, big portions, fresh and delicious! Coffee, juice, pastries, eggs, beans, pancakes, all made the way we liked them.
As for other meals: You can order food until about 9pm from a restaurant down the street that delivers, OR, there are TONS of great places near by to eat at (For Pizza, I recommend ‘Los Muertos Brewing‘)
Wine/Drinks: Right beside the rooftop pool is an honour bar where you can make drinks. They have every top shelf liquor and even bottles of wine for around the $20 mark.
Nightlife: You are in the heart of PV, which means walking distance to ANY and all bars, clubs, and restaurants you fancy.
Pool: Rooftop pool beside the honor bar. One more floor up is the jacuzzi with 360 city views!
Beach: If you power walk like us, 5 minutes to the beach. If you stroll 10-12 minutes gets you there! We took the ‘Rio Cuale’ walk there which goes right along the river, through parks, and even areas where vendors set up. It’s incredibly quaint and beautiful.
How we Booked: We always compare sites to get the best deal and we found the best rate for our stay at the Rivera Del Rio HERE
Rivera Del Rio = THE SUMMARY:
And just because we always want to be HONEST above all else with our reviews, here is why we couldn’t give this hotel a perfect rating:
Room for improvement:
– Concierge emailed us to verify they could prepare 1 non-alcoholic margarita (as Trevor does not drink) but upon arrival we were told they could not.
– Air conditioner in bedroom did not function which made 2 VERY hot nights for sleeping. They DID offer to fix this when we mentioned it the first morning, but we only had one more day in the hotel (2 day stay total) and we said it was okay
– The toilet in the upstairs bathroom runs. And runs LOUDLY! Both when you use it and when suites above use theirs. We also brought this to their attention. We has to shut off the water value at night so it didn’t keep us awake. They offered us free drinks at the honor bar for this inconvenience which we appreciated.
– Our fridge had a plate of the previous guests half eaten food. It was pretty gross!
– When we went to claim our free drinks at the honor bar, my husband grabbed a diet coke (as he doesn’t drink alcohol) he cracked it and it tasted sour, it had been expired for a few months.
– These are minor things, and mostly things they were not aware of (service issues like the toilet and the AC) but still worth mentioning!
UPDATE: The general manager of the hotel was training some new staff when we ran into these small issues with our stay. He was very professional and has offered to host us the next time we are in PV, which we will absolutely take him up on!
All in All:
FANTASTIC place, unlike anything we will ever stay in again, great service, full of character and culture, fun and luxurious rooms, we are so glad we gave it a shot.
Room Tip: Cortez is ground level (no stairs) and direct access to river street.
PIN for later:
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