Marival Emotions Resort & Suites Riviera Nayarit by Mercure
Marival Emotions is the suite-heavy, family-weighted option on the Nuevo Vallarta strip, and it changed meaningfully in 2026. Marival Group announced a strategic alliance with Accor in early 2024 while keeping ownership and management, and the resort confirmed in April 2026 that it is now trading as Marival Emotions Resort & Suites Riviera Nayarit by Mercure, with ALL loyalty benefits attached. Improvements came with it and are already finished: a redesigned main lobby, a new elevator in the Club Tower, a refreshed M&M Bar and a new Chic Boutique. Guest sentiment through September and October 2026 runs strongly positive, which is a real shift from the lukewarm, inconsistent picture this property had a couple of years ago.
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +Now part of Accor as a Mercure property, confirmed by the resort in April 2026 after a group-wide alliance announced in early 2024, which means ALL loyalty points and member rates on a Mexican all-inclusive that still runs as a Marival Group property
- +Improvements landed with the conversion and are already open: a redesigned main lobby in light tones, a brand-new elevator in the Club Tower, an upgraded M&M Bar and a new Chic Boutique, all described as complete as of April 2026
- +Genuinely useful suite inventory for families and groups: Emotions Select one, two and three bedroom suites including oceanfront, with the largest sleeping up to seven adults, at rates well under what the same configuration costs at the premium resorts on this strip
- +Blue Flag certified beach in Nuevo Vallarta and about twenty minutes from Puerto Vallarta's airport, so the transfer is short and the beach is one of the better-kept stretches in the bay
- +A wider dining roster than the price suggests: Casa Bella for the buffet, Amalfi for Italian, Silk for Asian fusion, La Pergola for Mexican and Piazzetta dei Forni for pizza, backed by seven bars and Cesar Night Club on property
- +Real children's and teen programming with a Kids' Club and a separate Teens' Club, a pirate-themed children's pool with mini slides, and no minimum age anywhere on the resort
- +An adults-only pool alongside the activities pool and its swim-up bar, so couples are not stuck sharing water with the kids' programming all week
- +Tennis and pickleball courts, a fitness center with yoga, and non-motorized watersports included in the rate, with the IntraMare Spa available at extra charge
Cons
- −The surcharges add up at a resort billed as all-inclusive: room service carries a 10 percent service charge, the free Wi-Fi is the basic tier with premium internet charged in rooms and public areas, the spa is extra, and babysitting is extra with 24 hours notice required
- −The minibar is two beers on arrival, not a restocked fridge, which catches out guests expecting the daily top-up most Riviera Maya resorts do
- −The Champagne Room and the Mai Tai and Capriccio beach clubs sit outside the all-inclusive plan, so the most appealing-looking venues on the property map are the ones you pay for
- −All three specialty restaurants (Amalfi, La Pergola and Silk) are reservation-only and reservations have to be made on arrival, which means spending part of your first afternoon competing for tables
- −Specialty restaurants enforce formal casual dress, with no beachwear, plastic sandals or caps, so pack a collared shirt and closed shoes if you want to use them. The dress code does not apply to children
- −There is no water park here, whatever some booking sites imply. The children's water offering is the pirate pool and its mini slides, which is plenty for under-eights and thin for tweens
- −It is in Nuevo Vallarta in Nayarit rather than Puerto Vallarta proper, so the Zona Romantica and the Malecon need a taxi, and the dining and entertainment roster is smaller than what Hard Rock Vallarta and Hyatt Ziva run a few minutes down the road
The practical experience is built around the suites and the water. Emotions Select suites run from one to three bedrooms with oceanfront options, the largest sleeping up to seven adults, which is why groups and multi-generation families end up here instead of paying premium-brand rates for the same floor plan. The pools cover a family activities pool with a swim-up bar, an adults-only pool and a pirate-themed children's pool with mini slides. Dining is Casa Bella for the buffet plus Amalfi, Silk and La Pergola as reservation-only specialty venues and Piazzetta dei Forni for pizza, with seven bars and Cesar Night Club after dark. The beach is Blue Flag certified. Basic Wi-Fi is free and premium is paid, room service carries a 10 percent charge, tips are not included, and the minibar is two beers on arrival rather than a daily restock.
This is a good fit for families who need multiple bedrooms, couples who want an adults-only pool without booking an adults-only resort, and anyone who collects ALL points and would rather earn them than not. It is a weaker fit for travellers who want the biggest entertainment programme in the bay or a slide complex for older children, both of which the neighbours do better. Check-in is 3 p.m. and check-out 11 a.m. with a one-hour grace period, the airport is about twenty minutes away, and Puerto Vallarta's old town is a taxi ride rather than a walk, which is the trade for a quieter, wider beach.
Common Questions
Is this actually in Puerto Vallarta?
What changed when it became a Mercure property?
What costs extra at this all-inclusive?
Is there a water park, and what is there for kids?
Can I book a multi-bedroom suite for a family or a group?
How does the resort handle celiac disease and food allergies?
Restaurants (7)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Buffet | Casa Bella |
| Mexican | La Pérgola |
| Italian | Amalfi, Piazzetta dei Forni |
| Asian | Silk |
| French | Champagne Room (extra charge) |
| International & fusion | Mai Tai (extra charge) |
From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. Venues marked "extra charge" are not covered by the all-inclusive rate; the others are, per the resort.
What's nearby
Zona Romántica25 min drive · 13 mi
Los Muertos Beach25 min drive · 13 mi
25 min drive · 13 mi
Marina Vallarta20 min drive · 7.9 mi
Conchas Chinas Beach30 min drive · 14 mi
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church25 min drive · 13 mi
More things to do (24)
- Whale watching (December to March) · excursion20 min drive · 7.9 mi
- Sunset sail from Marina Vallarta · excursion20 min drive · 7.9 mi
- Splash Water Park · water park7 min drive · 3.2 mi
- Las Caletas beach day trip · excursion20 min drive · 7.9 mi
- Camarones Beach · beach25 min drive · 12 mi
- Destiladeras Beach · beach25 min drive · 13 mi
- Playa Palmares · beach30 min drive · 17 mi
- Puerto Vallarta Malecón · town25 min drive · 12 mi
- Paradise Village Marina · marina5 min drive · 1.5 mi
- Aquaventuras Park · water park9 min drive · 3.7 mi
- Flamingos Golf Club · golf12 min drive · 4.5 mi
- Bucerías · town12 min drive · 5.5 mi
- Evening show and dinner at Las Caletas · excursion20 min drive · 7.9 mi
- Sport fishing charter · excursion20 min drive · 7.9 mi
- Playa de Oro · beach20 min drive · 9.6 mi
- Estero El Salado · nature20 min drive · 9.3 mi
- Boca de Tomates Beach · beach20 min drive · 6.8 mi
- Vidanta Greg Norman Golf Course · golf20 min drive · 6.7 mi
- Marina Vallarta Golf Club · golf20 min drive · 8.5 mi
- La Cruz de Huanacaxtle · town20 min drive · 9.4 mi
- Playa Los Tules · beach20 min drive · 11 mi
- Playa Las Glorias · beach20 min drive · 11 mi
- La Manzanilla Beach (La Cruz) · beach20 min drive · 10 mi
- Jardín Mágico Butterfly Garden · wildlife20 min drive · 8.5 mi
Amenities
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Style & Rooms
Atmosphere
Room upgrades
Google Reviews★ 4.4 · 10,363 reviews
“We had a lovely stay at Marival Emotions! It was our first time here (not our last) and we didn’t know what to expect, but were happily blown away by the beautiful lobby and bars/restaurants, great food, and kids and adult activities throughout the d...”
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We had a wonderful stay at this resort and couldn’t be happier with the experience. Everything was clean, comfortable, and well organized, but what truly made the difference was the hospitality. A very special thank you to Elizabeth, who went...”
“Rooms are good. 1 br suite is very spacious. Good for a family of 4. 2 double beds. The shower in the 2nd bathroom doesn't have a door or anything so half of the shower is exposed and the water from the shower head will splash into the main bathroom...”
