Looking for an adult vacation away from the kids? Casa Velas, a luxury all-inclusive boutique hotel in Puerto Vallarta, offers the ultimate escape for adult travelers. Complete with gourmet dining, private ocean club, elegant suite accommodations, attentive service, and a posh spa at your disposal, the adults-only resort is reminiscent of a Spanish hacienda and nestled on the greens of Marina Vallarta’s 18-hole championship golf course. Just seconds from the beach and minutes from Puerto Vallarta International Airport, Casa Velas is a 15-minute Uber ride to the charming downtown city center, filled with art galleries, shopping and its famous mile-long boardwalk, El Malecon.
By Kinya Claiborne, STYLE & SOCIETY
STAY
An estate-like atmosphere amidst tropical gardens, located in an upscale residential neighborhood, the Casa Velas overlooks the lush greens of the Marina Vallarta golf course. All 80 suites are exquisitely furnished and decorated with textures and colors inspired by traditional Mexican design, each boasting a private terrace with plunge pool or in-suite Jacuzzi. White goose-down comforters, L’occitane amenities, and original artwork by acclaimed Mexican artist Sergio Bustamante are among the other touches.
EATS & DRINKS
The culinary experience is an integral part of Casa Velas, where local flavor and culture blend in delicious harmony. Casa Velas’ signature restaurant Emiliano, is the hotel’s AAA Four Diamond rated à la carte fine-dining restaurant. Serving up gourmet Mexican and international cuisine by Executive Chef Juan Luis Ruelas, the restaurant is known for its unique Mexican and Asian ingredients along with its traditional street food menu from each region of Mexico. The restaurant offers a diverse menu and the kitchen often uses home‐grown albacar, thyme, mint, lemon and cactus in its fresh and innovative culinary creations.
Guests can also enjoy complimentary beer tasting or a selection of mixed drinks crafted with chamomile, lavender, guava, soursop, jackfruit, myrtle, passion fruit, mango, coconut, basil, rosemary and other herbs and fruit from the resort’s on-site organic botanical garden. Using everything from home‐grown mint for Mojitos, to Cilantro for Margaritas and even Hibiscus flowers to make Martinis, herbal cocktails at Casa Velas are both delicious and refreshing.
GOLF
With golf included at nearby signature-designed 18-hole courses, Casa Velas is a golfers’ paradise. As a guest of Casa Velas, you’ll enjoy playing golf on your choice of world-class courses. The 18-hole Marina Vallarta, which nestles against Casa Velas, offers 6,701 yards and a par 71 layout designed by Joe Finger. Vista Vallarta, a short drive from the hotel, has two courses, the easier Jack Nicklaus course and the Tom Weiskopf course offering more extreme terrain of dense jungles, deep ravines and swift creeks. It is the ideal escape for playing endless rounds with friends and family. Casa Velas even offers the services of a golf specialist who provides players with everything they need for a great golf vacation.
SPA
A visit to Casa Velas would not be complete without a visit to the spa. Guests who would rather spend time in the spa than on the golf course will retreat to Spa Casa Velas, which encompasses treatment rooms for singles and couples, a hydrotherapy area, spa boutique, beauty salon, sauna, pressure shower, steam with eucalyptus inhalation and Jacuzzi overlooking the gardens. The world-class spa offers more than 60 holistic spa treatments including a robust array of services infused with a variety of culinary elements plucked from the resort’s onsite botanical garden. Treatments at the 6,500 square-foot sanctuary include massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, equalizing treatments, extreme anti-aging facials, lymphatic drainage and our sumptuous hydrotherapy circuit.
Taking full advantage of the bountiful sun and chilled cocktails, guests can also opt for the poolside designer manicures and pedicures service, which features a relaxing hand massage with reflexology and a paraffin treatment. Specialized spa packages cater to golfers, honeymooners, executives, and more, with luxe treatments that beatify, tone, relax, and invigorate.
WEDDINGS
The perfect blend of sophistication, refinement and seaside atmosphere make Casa Velas the ideal setting for a dream wedding. Their all-inclusive wedding packages include bachelor & bachelorette pre-wedding fiestas, elopement experience, celebrity dancer choreography for first dance, and more taking wedding planning to a new level. The bride and groom to-be can choose from the beautiful pool and garden areas offering a fragrant, tropical setting or the private Ocean Club for a romantic beachfront ceremony.
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but for those hesitant to travel internationally with their prized engagement ring, Casa Velas offers “Rocks for Rent,” where guests can rent diamond rings and high‐end jewelry for the ceremony or duration of their vacation. When the lights go down, the bride and her bridal party can even borrow a designer bag for the evening from Casa Velas’ Handbag Bar where guests can enjoy use of a complimentary “loaner” designer handbag at no extra charge. Designer bags range from BCBG Maxazria to Carolina Herrera, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, and more.
