Manon Martel: Experiencing Velas Resorts in the Puerto Vallarta region
Manon Martel, Regional Membership Manager for ACTA Quebec, participated in a training trip organized by ACTA’s partner Velas Resort. The goal of this experience was to visit the Velas properties in the Puerto Vallarta region.
During this trip, the guide Sophie Raymond, Regional Sales Director of the Velas Resorts, introduced the eight travel agents including myself, to the many facets of Mexico and showed us how to have a truly ‘Velas’ experience.
The itinerary:
Property visits: Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, Winner of the AAA Five-Diamond award, followed by Casa Velas, and finally Velas Vallarta, also winner of the AAA Five-Diamond award.
All properties are five-star hotels with balcony, all in-room amenities, mini fridges replenished daily, snack food, tequila bottles waiting for you upon check-in, safety deposit box, 24-hour room service, slippers, bathrobe, beach bag, concierge service, etc. Breakfast or even a late-night lunch can be ordered in the room at no extra charge. The rooms are beautiful, and is set up so that clients have a very comfortable stay with a choice of pillows, etc.
During this trip the participants could see the beauty of the hotels and saw for themselves that the chain Velas Resorts is one of great luxury.
• Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit: 267-room hotel
This hotel has a restaurant with a view on the ocean Azul, open for breakfast and lunch. The ‘à la carte’ restaurants, the Piaf (French cuisine), the Lucca (fine Italian and Mediterranean cuisine), and the Frida (fine Mexican cuisine) are all Four-Diamond restaurants. The food was very refine.
The beach is very beautiful for long walks, the pool is directly on the ocean, and the hotel also has a spa where you can get therapeutic treatments such massages, sauna, cold bath, etc. A kids' club and a Teen Club are available with a multitude of activities. You can also sign up for cooking classes, wine tasting, Tequila, go to the gym, hair salon, meeting room, medical services, center business, wireless internet. And more!
Casa Velas
Here we are now at Casa Velas, a boutique hotel, a Mexican gem that is concealed by its lush vegetation and flowers. Its swimming pool is a haven of peace. The hotel is not directly on the beach, but its magical atmosphere makes us forget this. There is a small shuttle available at all times that takes five minutes to bring you to the beach club. The beach is very beautiful and perfect for long walks. There is also a pool, bar service and a restaurant called the Private, which has an open area for lunch and dinner, always ‘à la carte’. Guests of Casa Velas have unlimited free access to their three golf courses. The hotel has a restaurant, the Emiliano (international), with a menu ‘à la carte’ for all meals. Guests also have access to all services - shop, wi-fi, gym, and there are even rooms with small pools. All rooms are decorated differently, with their own personal charms. Guests can even borrow a luxury handbag for a party. This hotel is more of an ‘adult’ hotel, in the sense that it is very quiet at night, with no animation except for a piano and a singer. It is very relaxing. All guests have access to all the restaurants of the Velas Vallarta at no cost.
Velas Vallarta
And last but not least, the Velas Vallarta, a more family-friendly hotel, with all the same amenities as the other Velas hotels. It has 345 rooms, three restaurants - including the Liberera (international), the Alejandra (gastronomique), a buffet and a snack counter. The hotel also has a kids' club, a small grocery store, two large swimming pools, a small gym, and a conference room. The rooms are very large with the same comfort level as all the Velas hotels. The beach is beautiful, but for amateurs must be careful. Do not forget that you are on the Pacific coast.
Overall it was a trip filled with wonderful encounters and surprises. It was a joy to have been able to discover the Velas properties. We were completely charmed by them and could, without a doubt, sell them with our eyes closed.