our stay at The Westin Puerto Vallarta

As you all know by now because I've talked it to death (it's impossible not to!), my friend Shelbi and I traveled to Mexico several weeks ago for a girls weekend and tropical getaway. To say that we enjoyed our stay would be an understatement- we were in absolute heaven the entire trip. We chose to stay at The Westin Puerto Vallarta for several reasons: it had the best reviews online, the photos and videos on the website looked amazing, and Shelbi & I have both stayed at Westins in the states and loved them. It was a no brainer for us and we couldn't be more pleased with our choice. From the moment we pulled into the resort, we were surrounded by impeccable grounds, friendly staff, and breathtaking views. And when we got in our room, we only fell even more in love with the place thanks to a large balcony overlooking the hotel's two vast pools and gorgeous beach. In fact, we could see most of the Puerto Vallarta coastline from our 14th floor room. We couldn't get enough of the views and our comfy beds (I've honestly never slept so soundly away from home) so one morning we opted for delicious room service on the balcony. And boy, was it perfection.

First thing's first, let's talk food. Because The Westin Puerto Vallarta over-delivered in that department! With four excellent on-site restaurants to choose from, there's no need to ever venture outside the resort if you don't have the desire. I can say with all honesty that after trying all four of the restaurants myself, the food was absolutely exceptional. We loved everything we tasted! I was a little weary of trying new things in a different country because I'm a very picky eater, but the chef prepared the most beautiful five course meals for us every evening and we were pleasantly stuffed by the end of each. It's impossible for me to pick a favorite meal during our stay because they were all out of this world, but if I had to I'd say our final breakfast on the beach was one I'll never forget. The resort has these picturesque pergolas lined up on the property along the beach and we had one to ourselves with a set-up right out of a movie. As if the sights and sounds of the Pacific coast that morning weren't dreamy enough, we were waited on and served the most amazing four course breakfast that I'm still drooling over. You read that correctly- a four course breakfast! Needless to say we spent most of that day by the pool napping. :)

The Westin Puerto Vallarta prides itself on being very health and wellness focused, offering fresh meal options, a large work-out facility that is open 24/7, a yoga and pilates studio, 3 lighted tennis courts, and a top of the line spa. Shelbi and I were treated to an hour long massage at the spa and we both walked out feeling like new women- we agreed that they were the best massages we've ever had (and I'm not ashamed to say I've had a lot of them in my 29 years). We lounged around in our robes afterwards, relaxing in the sauna and contemplating booking another massage for the next day (so wish we would have!). 

Now for our favorite and most-loved part of the resort: the pools. Yes, the beach is right there too- and we could've napped in a pergola all day long listening to the waves crash into shore while snacking on guac and tuna tartare. But the POOLS! I'm talking swim-up bar, happy hour with all the Miami Vices you could ever want, pool-side bingo, and so much more. We could have laid out there all day long (and pretty much did). All of the guests were so friendly and fun; one evening we made friends with the most hilarious group in the hot tub- Shelbi and I were both in tears from laughing so much by the time we walked back to the room. The guests were planning a karaoke night for the following day and we were so sad we had to head back to Houston and miss it. We enjoyed making new friends, some of them even being fur friends as The Westin is a pet-friendly hotel and several guests had their cute pups chillin' poolside.

To give you an idea of how friendly the staff was at the resort, I'll tell this little story. Prior to arriving in PV, Shelbi and I booked our transportation to and from the hotel with Gray Line Tours. We wanted to make sure we had something lined up since we didn't know how taxis would be and just thought it would be overall easier. Having lived through it, now we would definitely just get a taxi (they were totally safe and much more reasonable). Anyway we arrived at the PV airport and after being taken to the resort by Gray Line, we were given a receipt and told that they'd come back and pick us up on our departure day. We woke up that last morning, not realizing that we needed to call in advance in order for Gray Line to come get us. As we checked out in the lobby, I frantically began to realize that we didn't have a ride back to the airport. I rushed to the visitor's center of the hotel, right off the lobby, where the friendliest employee immediately made a call to Gray Line for me. They wouldn't be able to get us there in time for our flight, so Juan (I think that was his name? don't quote me) made a few more calls and set up a taxi to come right then and take Shelbi and me to the airport. No charge at all- it was on the hotel. Even though it was my mistake for not calling Gray Line! Thanks to the amazingly accommodating staff at The Westin, our trip was an overall success and we can't wait to go back.

I could ramble on about our Vallarta vacation for days because we really did have the most fun girls trip ever, and there will be a few more posts this week with outfits+a day by day recap. I want to say a special thank you to Yeimira and Moni, who wined and dined us and made our entire trip one we'll never forget. The Westin Puerto Vallarta, you are a dream! See you again soon. ;)
xo, Britt