Grand Velas Shifting Focus to Luxury Leisure

A mammoth palapa –the thatched-roof structure that is typical in many Mexican beach areas- covers the entrance and lobby at the Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, and it is an appropriate setting for guests to be welcomed. Everything at this resort is geared to inspire wows.

The only AAA Five Diamond-rated, all-inclusive resort in the Puerto Vallarta area, the Grand Velas provides one of the most luxurious vacation experiences for those who are looking for an all-inclusive on the Pacific coast of Mexico.

The 267-room property opened in 2003, and the owner, Grupo Velas, has since built other resorts that are bigger and even more luxurious (its 490-room Grand Velas All Suites on the Riviera Maya opened in June).

But the Grand Velas here, a 10-minute ride north of Puerto Vallarta Airport in the Nuevo Vallarta development that lies in the Riviera Nayarit, remains a favorite, drawing a loyal cadre of repeat visitors, said Rolando Miravete, general manager.

Miravete was brought in to manage the resort a few months ago and shift business away from the group-and-incentive market that the hotel had focused on for many years.

That market, impacted by the so-called “AIG effect” in which companies are forgoing business meetings viewed as lavish, shows little signs of recovery, said Miravete, who previously worked at Royal Hideaway and several other Mexican resorts. Instead, the property is targeting the U.S. leisure market and working more closely with tour operators that sell packages.

Also to stimulate bookings during these difficult economic times, the hotel is holding prices steady for 2010 and extending a program in which children age 12 and younger can stay and eat for free. The Grand Velas will not engage in the heavy discounting that is rampant in Mexico this winter, Miravete said.

The hotel also offers 89 parlor suites that are more appropriate for families; the suites are fitted with two queens or a king and include a living room with a sofa bed that is separated from the bedroom.

The hotel also has an assortment of even grander suites, including 12 two-story Ambassador Penthouses that have large terraces with panoramic views and hot tubs. The resort’s 16,500-square-foot spa is a sanctuary that starts with a stunning and peaceful open-air lobby made of stone and granite from the region.

With every treatment, whether it’s a massage or facial, guests receive a “bathing ritual,” a six-step process of soaks in plunge pools, lounging in steam rooms and saunas that leave guests with a deep sense of serenity and relaxation. Treatments are not included in the all-inclusive resort fee.