The Hotel Zone

The hotel zone is the area just north of downtown Vallarta and it pretty well straddles both sides of the mouth of the Rio Pitillal. As the name of this zone implies, most all of the huge hotels are located along this stretch of beachfront as well as numerous world class restaurants and activities galore.

There are a number of large condominium buildings along this area with more currently under construction. The largest of the new projects are the Peninsula and the Grand Venetian. The Peninsula consists of three 25 story towers with a total of 300 condos, while the Grand Venetian, also with three towers will have about 420 units. Both of these projects are located at the mouth of the Rio Pitillal and have world class pools and amenities. Prices range from about $300,000 for a very small unit to $3,000,000 for a spacious penthouse overlooking a 50 mile radius.

There are virtually no villas or haciendas in the Hotel Zone, the nearest being about a mile away from the shoreline. Keeping in mind that this area, unlike the area south of town, was a fertile farming valley and is literally flat, i.e., there are no views of the water a block away from the beach unless you’re in a high rise condominium. Therefore, housing prices are dramatically lower and the neighborhoods are primarily occupied by the native Mexicans.

The hotel zone and the marina area have the highest density of condos and should be considered by those searching for a part time vacation property that can be rented out while unoccupied by the owner. Unlike Florida and California, these condos continue to appreciate at a substantial and torrid pace.