Review: Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit for Families

Two-and-a-half years. That’s how long I must wait until I can drop off my daughter at the Kids’ Club, unchaperoned.

This was the hard truth my husband and I learned, waltzing up to the 4-years-and-up club on our first full day at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, a luxury all-inclusive resort in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, located about 20 minutes away from the Puerto Vallarta airport.

I had visited the beachfront resort 10 years prior — childless and single. I had dined at Piaf, the adults’-only French fine-dining restaurant. I had spent hours poolside, alternating between my lounger and the underwater stump at the swim-up bar. And after a mid-day mixology class, I had walked the sand in front of the resort, admiring the view of the Sierra Madre mountains looming over the crashing waves of Banderas Bay.

The resort largely looked the same as it did back then. At 20 years old, it still feels fresh, thanks to timeless natural materials, three sparkling tiered pools and an abundance of vibrant bougainvillea and palm trees. 

As for me — not quite in my 20s anymore — I had seen better days. Now that I’m married and the mother of an 18-month-old, I was looking forward to some moments to myself.

I had considered other options for our first trip abroad together, but always found something inherently not family friendly about them. Topping the no-go list were destinations requiring long flight durations, extensive time differences, unsatisfactory room arrangements and a lack of childcare and kids’ activities.   

Testing Out Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit’s Baby Concierge and Toddler Services

A two-and-a-half-hour flight from Los Angeles International Airport (our home airport) and a two-hour time difference, Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit and its 267 one- to three-bedroom suites — starting at 1,000 square feet — fit the bill as the ideal soft landing for our first trip abroad as a trio.

After napping during the flight, our Spanglish-speaking daughter was excited to say "adios" to the “aeropuerto” and head over to the resort. Transportation — arranged by the hotel, with a car seat already installed — was there to meet us as we exited the airport. After a quick 20-minute drive, we arrived at the open-air lobby of Grand Velas, which instantly won us over with its ocean breeze, head-and-shoulder massages (mostly just the scalp for our baby) and refreshments (passionfruit margaritas for us, apple juice for her). 

Here, our personal concierge, Luis, met us for the first time. He confirmed what baby items we would need as part of the hotel’s Baby Concierge service and made sure to have them delivered to our room. (A true ally to parents, the Baby Concierge provides bottles, a bottle brush, a bottle sterilizer, a baby bouncer, pacifiers, a baby bathtub, rattles, teethers, gourmet purees and big-ticket items such as a stroller and a crib.)

I had never had much use for concierges and butlers before, but with a toddler, this high-touch service was such a help. With a quick text message, Luis would send us the day’s activities (including morning yoga and watersports), move up or cancel dinner reservations (which are required at the on-site restaurants), schedule spa appointments and more. He would also visit us daily at the pool to check in on our stay.

Customer service differentiates Grand Velas from other family-friendly options also touting kids’ clubs, babysitters and all-inclusive food and drinks. We found excellent service and quality everywhere we went. The staff servicing the pools — the most popular location at the resort — quickly shared menus, took orders and delivered food and drinks ranging from burgers, tacos and oversize bowls of chips and guacamole to strawberry smoothies and top-shelf tamarind mezcal margaritas. Room service delivery was also very fast — and such a lifesaver to lean on for breakfast, when our toddler gets hungry faster than we can get presentable.

The Kids’ and Teens’ Clubs, Babysitters and More 

At the Kids’ Club, the staffers were genuinely warm and beloved by all the kids who came their way. While we had to chaperone our toddler while there, the staffers helped us take a backseat by offering new activities and engaging with her when she wandered toward them, like a baby moth to a friendly flame. 

After only one visit to the Kids’ Club, that was that: She wanted to be there, under the watchful eye of Pancho, the club’s mascot, for the rest of her trip. On our final day, we took up Luis on his offer — to fetch us an accredited babysitter at $20/hour — so we could enjoy the pool, beach and spa while our kiddo finger-painted at the club, fed koi fish and watched the waves with babysitter Maria, who my toddler later told me she “loved the most in the world.” 

Afternoons were made extra special with picnics starring popular children’s characters — from the pups in "PAW Patrol" to the playthings in "Toy Story." And the kid-friendly touches were obvious and impactful in the small things, from the high-quality Stokke highchairs provided at restaurants to the changing station our housekeeper set up with a sheet and a tiny pillow for our baby’s head (awh).  

And while children ages 4-10 are the most popular cohort at this resort, teenagers are not forgotten: A great Teens’ Club is complete with a light-up dance floor, a TikTok Studio and a staffed bar offering nonalcoholic beverages and snacks.

Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit’s SE Spa 

Of course, a family-friendly resort must serve each member of the family, including those of us with wrinkles, gray hairs and back problems.

This is where the 16,000-square-foot and Forbes Five-Star SE Spa came in, which offers an hour-long, guided Water Ceremony before every treatment. Araceli, a spa attendant, took me through each step. First I cleansed in a shower outfitted with multiple jets targeting the full length of the back body. Then Araceli led me to the sauna, where she placed cucumbers and a cool towel on my eyes while I laid down on the warm bench. 

After 10 minutes, Araceli greeted me with ice cubes, aloe-vera gel and face mist to rehydrate and cool my body. Then, it was off to the Eucalyptus-scented steam room before another quick rinse. At the next step — the Jacuzzi — Araceli offered the day’s herbaceous spa water, which I sipped before fully submerging myself. 

Warm and relaxed, it was time for a quick cold-water plunge, followed by a warm-water plunge, followed by a seat at the reflexology tub where high-powered jets pounded my calves and feet. To cap off the water journey, Araceli reappeared with the day’s rose ice cream and a heated neck pillow while I listened to the crashing waterfall beside me. 

A choreographed orchestra of hot, cold, wet and dry, the hour (included in the cost of a treatment) prepared me for my 80-minute Grand Cora massage, which began with a choice of scent (presented via crushed natural elements), warm slippers for my feet and a neck message all before even placing myself on the table. 

A testament to the restorative powers of the spa, my husband and I both splurged on two treatments each during our stay.

Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit’s Restaurants

I was surprised to learn that out of the four specialty and included restaurants offered at the resort, Lucca (the Italian restaurant) and Sen Lin (the pan-Asian restaurant) are the most popular. 

But dinner at both these establishments — located across from each other but feeling continents away in terms of menus and decor — made me understand why. While we may have been in Mexico, the Vietnamese-inspired noodles and tofu salad at Sen Lin were so good that my toddler happily stole bites to complement her fried rice and shrimp, a dish she devoured with such intensity that I momentarily forgot about her otherwise short attention span. 

And at Lucca, a AAA Four-Diamond restaurant, she ate her cheese pizza with equal gusto, while my husband and I reminisced about our truffle-infused entrees and trifecta of perfect desserts (tartufo, tiramisu and pistachio ice cream) long after the meal was over.

Even though our toddler was not in the mood for a sit-down dinner the night we ate at Frida — the Kahlo-inspired, AAA Four-Diamond Mexican restaurant — the tableside guacamole, plantain tacos, chile en nogada and a tequila tasting more than made up for any tableside tantrums.

Breakfast is served at Azul, an oceanside restaurant that offers a buffet breakfast that ranges from waffles and pancakes to chilaquiles. Each specialty restaurant offers dedicated vegetarian and kids’ menus with excellent options.

Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit’s Suites 

During nap time, nighttime and all the in-between moments, we happily lazed about in our massive two-bedroom, three-bathroom Family Suite. At 2,195 square feet, the suite fits in a bar, a large dining table, a living room and two terraces complete with a Jacuzzi and ocean views. 

And while the resort is intending to refresh some suite categories next year, the Earth-toned palette and teak furniture felt timeless and welcoming.

Together, we read books in bed, shared meals around the table and collectively ogled the orange-and-pink sunset from our oceanfront terrace. Our toddler loves to explore, and having such a large indoor-outdoor space meant that she could entertain herself long enough for us to have a break, too.

So, when our daughter began to proudly call our suite her “house,” it felt right. We couldn’t drop her off at the Kids’ Club, but we ultimately found something so much better — a place where spending precious time together was no effort at all.