In a heavenly experience, breakfast at Rosewood Mandarina includes warm banana bread and fresh fruit spread, with water heated to nearly body temperature. This delightful setting is found at the Rosewood Mandarina, which welcomed guests to the Riviera Nayarit in Mexico last summer.
The hotel offers sweeping ocean views, beachfront dining, and an exceptionally relaxing spa, creating an idyllic vacation atmosphere. The ocean’s hue is remarkably vivid, and the horizon seems endlessly captivating. Even the alligators in Mandarina’s enclosed estuaries appear to be smiling. While it may be a cliché to describe a resort as paradise, there’s an unmistakable divine quality to this new development, reminiscent of Eden. It’s a place that inspires promises and hopes of return. “I’ll be good!” I find myself thinking as I check in, eager for the chance to revisit.
defaultPhoto: Courtesy of Rosewood Mandarina
Following a multi-leg journey from New York through Houston, eventually landing in Puerto Vallarta, I arrived at Rosewood, situated an hour north of the airport, feeling far from ethereal. Clumsy with passports and tickets at the indoor-outdoor reception, I was quickly relieved by attentive staff who offered a refreshing welcome drink as cold and enigmatic as space itself. I discerned hints of pineapple and perhaps corn, consuming it in two gulps. This warm reception continued throughout my stay, with a constant flow of citrus-infused beverages served in stoneware vessels, perfectly complementing the serene surroundings and matching the alligators’ smiles.

