My husband and I just plain didn’t think. We knew the dates for our Puerto Vallarta vacation at least two or three months in advance, but we stupidly put off making a hotel reservation, not realizing that it was the height of the peak Mexico vacation season. By the time we got online, all of the hotels and Airbnb choices that we’d had in mind in the Zona Romantica neighborhood were completely booked. We found just one hotel with vacancies that was in the location we wanted, was within our budget (actually, well below it) and got decent hotel reviews on line: The Belmar Galeria. We lucked out: This Puerto Vallarta hotel turned out to be a great choice for people like us, who were looking for budget-priced yet decent accommodations in a great location.
THE STYLE: Located in the tourist-popular Zona Romantica, the Belmar Galeria is a budget-priced Puerto Vallarta hotel that is easy on the wallet but still has some original style: Most notably in the original artwork that graces the hallways of the five-story building. It sits on a rather busy intersection, and the bright color accents and original artwork is a pleasure to behold. (The hotel’s Website even includes a listing of the various international and Mexican artists whose work is displayed.
••••••
MEXICO TRAVEL TIPS: Top 10 Things We Love to do in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit
••••••
Room rates at the Hotel Belmar Galeria are exceptionally attractive and the hotel is clean and well maintained, but it is a two-star property, and there is no elevator, so it’s not appropriate for anyone not able or willing to use the stairs.
THE HOTEL ROOMS: We stayed in room 27, which is on the fourth floor (again, there is no elevator, so it’s a walkup). Unfortunately by the time we booked there were no outside-facing rooms with balconies (the balconies are rather pleasant), but our room — while quite small in size, was clean and decently equipped for a budget hotel room in Puerto Vallarta, with an interior facing, floor-to-ceiling window that opened, a wall-mounted flat-screen TV, a double bed and tiny safe deposit box (not big enough for a laptop.
••••••
DON’T MISS: Cars, Trains & Pot: 3 Things That May Change How You Visit Cancun
••••••
Unfortunately there was no closet or dresser, so storage was a bit of an issue, and the recently installed air conditioner — not a wall-mounted unit — took up quite a bit of space, but it very efficiently cooled the room. The bathroom was clean and white and had a shower stall. A nice touch was the giant dispenser of purified water in the hotel hallway, making it easy to refill our water bottles.
Hotel guests can also partake of free coffee and tea, as well as small cookies or biscuits, every morning, and there is a small, open-air public seating area on the top floor (as well as in the lobby). Remember, this is a budget hotel, so there’s no pool (but we were able to visit some of the nearby hotel pools for parties that are open to the public; the Zona Romantic is the gay neighborhood and the gay hotels are big on that).
https://departurelevel.com/travel-tips/the-top-3-places-to-live-in-latin-america/
PRICE: The Belmar Galeria hotel in Puerto Vallarta costs only about $56 and up.
BEST FOR: This Puerto Vallarta hotel is an excellent choice for Mexico vacation travelers looking for a budget-priced hotel in the Zona Romantica, with an artistic touch. The hotel is walking distance to shopping, restaurants, nightlife and the beach in the neighborhood.