Punta Mita, Mexico has no shortage of luxury beach resorts, and there’s a reason everyone raves about the St. Regis Punta Mita. This Starwood property manages to blend classic luxury, tropical atmosphere, and top-notch service in a a laid-back way that has guests leaving with great memories and plans to return.
Located large landscaped grounds where you are chauffeured by golf cart to your room, the St. Regis is refreshingly modern and airy in style. When I asked about wi-fi I got the right answer “wi-fi is free for all our guests.” Not only that, but the signal was strong throughout the property—even on parts of the beach.
St. Regis Playa Panorama
My husband is a Starwood SPG Platinum member, so Starwood Hotels and resorts are always fun for us to check out. We were and upgraded to suite 1601, a beachfront suite with Jacuzzi. The suite was lovely, spacious and made great use of space. The bathroom was a virtual spa, with a lot of natural light, his-and-her sinks, ample Remede Bath Products, and a fabulous huge bathtub (that was filled with bubbles and flowers during turndown service).
Hotel rooms at the St. Regis Punta Mita
Living room 1601
Lobby panorama
Spa-like bathroom 1601
Bathtub room 1601
Remede bath amenities 1601
Upon arrival we were introduced to our butler. Not to be confused with ye olde butlers of yore, the St. Regis has modern-day butlers who are dedicated staff members who are assigned to take care of you during your stay. Our butler made sure I knew how to operate everything in the room and made sure my iPod dock was working. They were quick to respond when we had a question, and were easy to reach via phone.
St. Regis pool pano
While the suite was great, we didn’t spend a lot of time in it because we were having so much fun elsewhere on the property. The grounds are laid out to provide the appropriate environment for couples and families, with a family pool, an adult pool, and the beach club pool all operating in separate little eco-spheres on the same property.
Adult pool and Adult Poolside cabana
The Beach Club Pool
All guests seemed well attended to, and there were plenty of activities available to satisfy guests of all ages.
As a frequent traveler who spends a lot of time of luxury hotels, I can tell you it’s fairly commonplace to see children looking incredibly bored (and clearly not having fun) at five star hotels. There was none of this at the St. Regis Punta Mita. In fact, guests – couples and families alike- were all friendly and mixing and conversing more than you usual, especially during Family Vacation High Season. A lot of this had to do with the attitude of the staff, which was really to make sure you enjoyed your time at the resort. My husband and I actually crashed the Exotic Animal Show at the kid’s club when a staff member told me there was a cool owl to meet on the beach. Exotic birds and snakes mingled with guests and even the animals were on their best behavior.
While enjoying a margarita at the bar, one guest asked Carl, the friendly hotel General Manager, where he could find the best local taco stand for his son. Carl introduced him to the bartender on staff with a deep love of taco stands. I’m active on social media, and the resort let me know via twitter when there was something special going on. There were a lot of special touches at the St. Regis, like flower petals in the bathtub during turn-down service, and elaborate swan towel origami creations.
One fun event was The Fish Ritual- where the catch(es) of the day arrives on the beach via boat and you can place your fresh seafood order after consulting with the chefs from the restaurants on the property on the best way to have it prepared. The fish ritual was a fun diversion that keep guests entertained without too much effort on their part.
Chef taking catch of the day orders
St. Regis, as a brand, has a Champagne Ritual where every property has a weekly Champagne sabering, and mixer with the guests and staff. This sounded a bit corny to me when I first heard about it. By the time I got to the lobby I couldn’t help but notice, guests were mixing, and having a good time. Everyone was smiling and enjoying the complementary margaritas and iced tea. I even met the general manager of another hotel property who was on vacation and told me “everyone who lives in my building insists this is the place to go!” There was also a newly engaged couple who were celebrating their special occasion freely with other guests. Bubbly was passed out as well as delicious finger food were passed around before guests headed towards the beach club pool to watch the sunset.
Carl, the hotel’s General manager, explains The Champagne Ritual
Veuve Clicquot Champagne & The champagne saber
Guests enjoying the champagne ritual
The combination of laid-back beach luxury and great, attentive service is a real winner.
Dining and beverage options were all great, with Sea Breeze being a favorite. Located near the Beach Club Pool, the Sea Breeze Bar is the best place to catch the Punta Mita sunset, which is so colorful and gorgeous, it feels like a 70s soft rock album cover. Sea Breeze has a great Italian born chef who does wonderful things with fresh pasta and seafood.
Sea Breeze Restaurant
Sunsets reminded me of Silk screened 70s T-shirts
Las Marietas restaurant
Most of my daytime was spent in a beachside cabana where I ate shrimp ceviche and watched the surf, and sipped on margaritas for quality assurance purposes (I can assure you, they were quality). Other guests lounged or floated in the daytime pool.
Beach bungalow plus surfer
Watching the surfers was one of my favorite St. Regis activities
Lunch cabana service: Ceviche on the beach
The Remede Spa was modern zen and had a relaxing menu of services at reasonable-by-resort-standards rates ($100 US for a 60 minute massage, inclusive of tax).
Remede Spa airy interior
I never left the St. Regis resort grounds during my stay, but I did leave with a smile, a tan, and every intention of coming back.
Sunset swim in the Beach Club Pool