All Inclusive Hotel vs. Luxury Villa

One of the greatest misconceptions about villa rentals is that they are significantly more expensive than staying in a hotel. However, that is not the case at all.  As a matter of fact, sometimes they end up being cheaper!  Take, for example, one of our of 3 bedroom homes compared to a popular all-inclusive hotel in Puerto Vallarta. 

Villa Azul Celeste is a gorgeous 3 bedroom home, oceanfront in Conchas Chinas, about a 7 minute drive to downtown Puerto Vallarta.  The rate is $650/night this summer, and there is a great promotion of “Stay 7, Pay 5.”  The total for a week’s stay would be $3250.  This rate includes 2 meals per day, daily housekeeping, and the beach there is shared by less than a dozen homes.  If there are 6 people staying in the home, each person will pay $542 for a week.

Now let’s compare that to the Melia Puerto Vallarta All Inclusive Beach Resort, a beautiful, oceanfront hotel located in the marina area.  The Melia is running a “40% Off” special right now, which brings the nightly rate for an ocean-view room down to $179.20.  The total for a week is $1254.40.  Based on 2 people per room, the cost would be $627.20 per person. 

That means it costs each person $85 MORE to stay in an all-inclusive resort hotel for the week rather than in a luxury, beachfront, fully-staffed villa!   Yes, of course, there are cheaper hotels to compare.  There are also cheaper homes to compare.  Generally speaking, quality for quality, the prices will be comparable between villas and all-inclusive resorts.

 

In addition to the cost, there are other advantages of staying in a home instead of a hotel:

·         POOL:  The home has a private pool, rather than a large, noisy common pool.  Want to float around on a raft in the pool and read a book all day?  Or perhaps, lay by the pool and take a quiet nap?  No problem!  There will be no one there other than your friends and family to take away from your complete relaxation.

·         FOOD: You can choose your own menu. Instead of choosing from a limited-selection hotel menu, when staying at a villa, you create the menu.  Want fresh seafood caught that day rather than chicken piccata?  Would you like a truly authentic Mexican meal rather than nachos smothered in cheese from a can?  Consider it done!  Plus, a private chef cannot be beat.  I have yet to have a hotel meal that has come close to comparing to the delicious meals prepared by our villas’ private chefs.  (And I eat out a lot!)

·         ACTIVITIES:  Our private concierge will take care of arranging any activity you would like from a private in-home massage to a zip line canopy tour.  You can arrange for activities through the hotel concierge too, but most likely, you will be on a tour bus with 30-40 other people.   It is also common that our vendors (such as in-home massage therapists) cost less than vendors used by big hotel chains. 

·         EXPERIENCE MEXICO:  Let’s be honest…unless you are staying in a quaint, family-owned boutique hotel, you could probably be at any “Big Name Brand” hotel in the world and they will all feel the same.  Unless you leave the property, a Hilton is a Hilton, a Melia is a Melia, and a Westin is a Westin.  You never really FEEL like you are in Mexico opposed to Hawaii or the Caribbean.  Staying in a villa, you will truly know and feel the Mexican experience, which is not an experience you want to miss. Trust me, I live here and the Mexico experience is fabulous!

 

Many of our guests who have stayed in a villa for the first time swear they will never stay in a hotel again after being pampered and spoiled by the villa experience. So gather up your friends or family, and start planning your next Mexico vacation…in luxury

 

- Stephanie Watts, Destination Expert