Secrets Vallarta Bay Puerto Vallarta

On the Secrets side, Bordeaux does French with a wine cellar, Oceana serves seafood on the sand, Gohan is a sushi bar, and the Market Café buffet covers breakfast, lunch and dinner, with no reservations or wristbands needed. Oceana's lunch is limited to Preferred Club guests, so standard rooms eat lunch at the buffet or Barefoot Grill. There are two pools, swim-out suites, a 14,000-square-foot spa with a hydrotherapy circuit, and the tennis court, closed until 20 July 2026, should be back in play. Room upkeep is the open question: some recent guests describe wear and unreliable elevators while others report a resort in very good condition, and the membership sales team is a consistent irritant.

It suits couples who rank food and service above beach, and who want a real city on the doorstep. Banderas Bay is calmer than the open Pacific, but the water is darker than Cancún's, so swimmers chasing turquoise should look at the Caribbean Secrets resorts instead. The Malecón and Romantic Zone are a short taxi ride for dinners in town, golf is nearby rather than on site, and Day of the Dead on 1 and 2 November is a good time to be here.