Before you can chose a location and the appropriate resort within a location, it is best to understand how Vidanta resorts work. Vidanta Resorts are Private Members Only resorts that you either have to have purchased a contract directly with Vidanta, purchase a week from an existing Member, obtain an Ambassador Certificate from an existing member, or have some other Vacation Club Membership/Timeshare that you can use one of the Vacation Exchange platforms such as RCI, Interval International, Third Home, etc. to gain access. Vidanta does also offer some Non-Member reservations within 20-days of arrival when there is unit availability, however, those are at a Non-Member rates. You can see what the Non-Member rates look like when visiting the website and looking at each different accommodation type within each resort. Vidanta does also have two (2) resort hotels, one in Riviera Maya (Jungala Hotel) and one in Nuevo Vallarta (BON Hotel) that are tied to the theme parks in those locations that have a limited number of rooms as well. We will discuss these different method of obtaining access in a separate post with more details of where to find each type and the pros/cons of each.
One of the other major considerations when booking a vacation with Vidanta is related to the Perks and Benefits that may be included in the fee that you pay to obtain access. These perks and benefits are ONLY applicable when purchasing a contracted week from an existing member as those member contracts have addendums that include these additional perks/benefits. Each member’s contract may be slightly different so if you find a week for rent on one of the Vacation Rental platforms such as AirBnB, VRBO, Redweek, Koala, etc. it is VERY important to understand what perks/benefits are included in the rate and are transferrable to you as a guest. These perks/benefits include things such as Free/Discounted Golf Greens Fees, Free/Discounted Spa Services, Theme Park Ticket Discounts and access to the SkyDream Gondola system in Nuevo Vallarta. We will have a separate post that discusses the different types of perks/benefits that may transfer to you and what to ask the member BEFORE purchasing a week from another remember. Some of these perks/benefits can provides thousands of dollars per person in benefits over a weeks stay depending on the location and benefits that may be important to you.
For the main locations in Riviera Maya and Nuevo Vallarta, there are a lot of different branded resorts (The Emperor’s Pavillion, The Estates, Grand Luxxe, Deluxxe at Grand Mayan, Legacy, Kingdom of the Sun, Celebrate Park, Grand Bliss, Grand Mayan, Bliss, and Mayan Palace) that are all within the same grounds. Depending on the “level” of the resort brand you are booking a reservation for will determine which pools, restaurants, beach areas and other amenities, such as spas and fitness centers, that you have access to during your stay. Even though there are no physical barriers keeping people from accessing these different areas of the resort, they do have people checking your bracelets, which act as your room key as well, as you enter certain areas to ensure that you have the appropriate access included with your reservation. This allows you to see all of the different areas of the properties, but will restrict you from using some of these areas, which is nice because you will probably want to come back or even purchase your own contract and this gives you an idea of what these different resort levels have to offer.
For more details of each of the different resort levels and the locations that each level is available at, you can visit the Vidanta Website at www.vidanta.com. Below we will also give a brief overview of each resort level and our personal feedback on each with a link to the Vidanta website to the pages for each resort level.
Although we have NOT stayed in each of these levels, we have been on most of the properties over the past 12-years and at some point viewed one or more of each room via a sales presentation as we started at the Bliss Level and are now at the Estates level. After probably a dozen sales presentations over our 12-years we have learned about all of the new levels and different perks and benefits so we would be happy to help you navigate your options.
Each of the different Vidanta Resort Brands brings with it a different level of luxury and privacy that you will encounter during your stay. This also impacts some of the different amenities, such as different pools, beach areas, cabanas and transportation that you will have access to during your stay. Based on this it is VERY important to understand each level and what it gives you access to. As a rule of thumb, if you are staying at the HIGHEST level, such as The Estates, you can access all of the amenities that the levels below it have in addition to the Private Amenities that are ONLY accessible by that level. However there are some amenities, such as the Gondola system in Nuevo Vallarta that are only accessible for Members and their guests that have certain contracts so don’t just assume that even staying at the highest level will give you access to everything. That is where the method of how you gained access to Vidanta will come into play that will be discussed later.
The following will provide a general overview of each of the different resort brands from our point of view. To learn more details of each different level and the room options for each level click on the links provided.
The Emperor’s Pavillion
All we can say is WOW…. If you have the means and want access to one of the most amazing experiences of your life then this one is it. These 4 Bedroom, 4.5 Bath units are sit atop the Punta building in Nuevo Vallarta. Overlooking the Bay of Banderas and downtown Puerto Vallarta these units are the epitome of luxury. There are only 2 of these units, but with 4 bedrooms, 2 of which have 2 beds, these can easily handle 2 families or 4 couples. The maximum occupancy is 10 so if you have kids that don’t mind sleeping on a pull out sofa or sharing a bed with someone this is a great option. Heck I would sleep on the pool chair out on the patio of this unit if I had to 😊.
This is on par with any of the best penthouse suites that we have seen in our 35 years of travel. These accommodations also come with a full staff from the time you arrive until the time you leave to meet your every need. Although we have never stayed in one of these units, we did have a funny story that we went up to see the unit one day and apparently someone was scheduled for arrival for their stay at around the same time we came up. Upon getting off the elevator we got greeted as “Mr & Mrs XXXXXX” and offered some refreshments and drinks as the team of over a dozen people in formal uniforms greeted us. We thought about playing it off as if we were “Mr & Mrs XXXXXX” atleast for a bit, but thought otherwise and didn’t want to get kicked out and ruin the rest of our vacation.
These units are currently ONLY available in Nuevo Vallarta.
The level of luxury here would be on the level of private homes/penthouses you would find at some of the must luxurious destinations around the world where people pay in excess of $5,000/night to stay. Plus at the Vidanta Resorts you have access to all of the other amenities right on property including 20+ restaurants, golf courses, pools, beaches and entertainment.
Here’s a link to a video that we took while doing a quick walk through of this unit to give you an closer look at these units. https://youtu.be/KvRwx44oHDM
The Estates
You want luxury, privacy and peace and quiet, then The Estates is the ultimate for this. Offering different units from 1 Bedroom suites to palatial 4-bedroom villas these units offer a level that includes anything and everything you could ever want. The quality of the accommodations and the private amenities that are only accessible by guests staying at this level are impeccable. There are Adult Only areas for those that want a little more peace and quiet and other more family friendly areas that even have kid sized pool chairs 😊. The service and attention to detail of the staff is second to none as many times you feel like you are in your own private oasis.
The one downside to these units is that in order to provide the level of privacy, they have been built away from the main resort amenities so accessing all of the restaurants, the beach, other pools and night life/entertainment isn’t all that easy. They do have a great transportation system that will take you where you want to go, but in some cases walking to most of these other amenities is not an option.
These units are available in Riviera Maya, Nuevo Vallarta and East Cape (Just outside Cabo)
The level of luxury here would be on the level of the Best-of-the-Best in luxury resort brands such as St. Regis, One-and-Only, Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental where people pay in excess of $3,000/night to stay just in a hotel room much less 1, 2 and 4 bedroom villas.
The Grand Luxxe
Want high end luxury, but also want to be part of the high energy of the resort life then Grand Luxxe is the ultimate blend of luxury and convenience. When staying in a Grand Luxxe unit, you will have the option to walk to anywhere on the resort or be pampered by private shuttles that will take you wherever you want to go within the property. The Grand Luxxe does offer some Adults Only areas as well for those looking for a little more peace and quiet at times, yet have easy access to all of the other exciting areas throughout the other resort properties. The Grand Luxxe also has its own private Spa and Fitness Centers offering an additional level of luxury.
The Grand Luxxe Resort offers a vast array of different accommodation offerings from Studio Suites to 4 Bedroom Residence Club units. No matter what type of accommodation your are staying in, the quality and accessibility to the different pools, beach areas and other Grand Luxxe level amenities is the same. Some are restricted by which building you are staying in just do to size (such as Tower 5 and it’s rooftop pool), but other than that the amenities are shared for the most part. Units that are 1 Bedroom or larger have full kitchen with full-size refrigerators, stove tops and microwave in case you want to buy groceries and cook on your own. The Luxxe Loft unit has a small kitchenette with 2 burners and a smaller refrigerator with small appliances such as microwave, toasters, coffee machines and blenders if you want to keep some snack and drinks in the room or warm up your leftovers.
All of these units have balconies with a small plunge pool and have jacuzzi bathtubs inside the master suite.
These units are available in Riviera Maya and Nuevo Vallarta, with some priority usage to certain units in Los Cabos.
The level of luxury here would be on the level of high end luxury resort brands such as Ritz Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, and Fairmont where people pay in excess of $1,000/night to stay just in a hotel room much less 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom villas.
DeLuxxe at the Grand Mayan
Personally, we have not stayed in nor seen the DeLuxxe at the Grand Mayan level so we can’t really give an accurate representation of these accommodations. From our understanding, DeLuxxe was a level created that converted some rooms in the Grand Mayan towers into more of a higher end Grand Luxxe level. If the level of luxury in your accommodations is important to you, but you may not care about access to some of the Grand Luxxe privacy, this may be a great option for you as the location of these units is VERY convenient to access all of the other resort amenities and restaurants.
These units are ONLY available in Nuevo Vallarta.
Kingdom of the Sun
If you are a theme park person and want to visit the new BON (Beauty of Nature) Theme park in Nuevo Vallarta, the Kingdom of the Sun Resort may be the perfect fit for you. This resort is located right inside the BON Theme park providing easy access to the rides and attractions that will be offered upon its scheduled full opening in the Fall of 2026. This is also where the new Cirque du Soleil Ludo theater is located along with a number of restaurants that will be part of the BON park as well. Admission to the BON Theme park is separate from the resort and requires a separate ticket, however this resort is right on the periphery of the resort providing easy access to and visibility to the beauty of the park when lit up at night.
Access to the other amenities of the Nuevo Vallarta property will require being transported via the shuttle service unless you have a gondola pass. Since the BON park has not opened yet, there are still some questions as to how all of this will flow once it’s open. Although we have not physically stayed in one of these rooms, we have visited one of the 1-bedroom units which we own a contract at and they are very nicely appointed units.
A variety of units are available from a 1-Bedroom suite to a 2-Bedroom Loft. The 1-Bedroom units actually sleep 4 adults (pull out sofa) and have 2 full size bathrooms with showers to accommodate this. 1-Bedroom units have kitchenette with 2-burner stovetop, bar refrigerator, microwave and other small appliances (toaster, coffee maker, blender). These 1-Bedroom units do NOT have any balcony and have restricted views of the BON Theme Park. The 2 bedroom units have full size kitchens with dining tables. The 2-bedroom units also have a balcony with a plunge pool and provide views of the BON park.
These units are ONLY available in Nuevo Vallarta. These units are the Private Members Only units, however there is also a BON Hotel that will allow non-member access to stay and access the park as the theme park will be publicly accessible.
The level of luxury here would be on the level of luxury resort brands such as JW Marriott, Conrad, and Intercontinental where people pay in excess of $500/night to stay just in a hotel room much less 1 and 2 bedroom villas. This also doesn’t take into account all of the amenities with 20+ restaurants, pools, beaches, golf and entertainment that is on property at the Vidanta locations.
Legacy Resort
Legacy is new product that currently is only available at Riviera Maya on a limited basis. This includes Legacy and Grand Legacy which are currently under construction at both Riviera Maya and Nuevo Vallarta.
Grand Bliss
We would liken Grand Bliss this to one of the higher end timeshare resorts such as Disney, Vistana, Hyatt or Marriott Vacation Club (which we were Marriott Vacation Club members before visiting Vidanta and trading in our Marriott contract for a Vidanta contract). The units are very nicely appointed, comfortable and provide a lot of luxury amenities. The towers that contain these units are VERY centrally located in the resorts with easy access to all of the amenities and Ocean Views. This resort level provides access to some exclusive pools such as the Beach Club in Riviera Maya and it’s own private pool at Nuevo Vallarta that these pools alone are well worth the extra to stay at this level.
A variety of units are available from a Master room which would be comparable to a studio apartment/luxury hotel room, to 1 and 2 Bedroom units with full kitchens. The 1 and 2 bedroom units also have a plunge pool on the deck.
These units are available at the Riviera Maya and Nuevo Vallarta locations.
Grand Mayan
The Grand Mayan is very similar to Grand Bliss in its level of luxury as relates to the accommodations, however it is quite a bit older, thus the buildings and rooms are a bit more dated. They are very comparable to the same luxury timeshare companies such as Marriott, Hyatt and Disney. The Grand Mayan was originally the highest luxury brand in the Vidanta resorts when it built its resorts in Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Maya, Puerto Pensacso, Los Cabos and Acapulco before it started it’s Grand Luxxe and then Estates resorts.
The Grand Mayan seems to be more family focused with a lot of amenities such as kids areas in the pools, lazy rivers and large expansive pools with multiple swim up bars. Since they were some of the first buildings built on the resorts, they are typically located very close to the beach and centrally located within the resort for easy access to all the amenities. If luxury and privacy are not that important to you then this is a GREAT option.
The unit options and amenities in each unit vary by location so visit the link to the Grand Mayan to see the unit options and amenities available at each location.
These units are available in Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Maya, Puerto Penasco, Los Cabos and Acapulco.
Celebrate Park Hotel
Celebrate Park is part of the BON Theme Park accommodations, however it is outside the actual gates of the park. These units are all 1-Bedroom units with at Junior Suite that can sleep 2 adults and 2 children and the Junior Loft that only allows for 2 adults. The Junior suite has a 4-person dining table and a small kitchenette that includes bar frig, microwave and other small appliances. The bedrooms are separate from the living room area so much nicer than a standard master suite or hotel room layout as it provides for privacy. The resort also has its own pool and also allows access to the primary Beachland Pool within the resort.
These units are ONLY available in Nuevo Vallarta
Bliss
Bliss is an entry level offering that is more for families looking for a low cost option to gain access to the Vidanta resort and some of its amenities. The accommodations are very nice, but of lower quality than the upper levels and the buildings where these units are housed are a bit out of the way from other offerings. Guests staying in this level only have access to the Grand Mayan pool, which is a nice pool, but you have no access to any other pools on property and this resort does not have its own exclusive pool.
There are a variety of unit offerings from a Master Room to 2-bedroom suites that can sleep up to 5 adults and 1 child.
This level is ONLY offered at Riviera Maya.
Mayan Palace
Mayan Palace is the original entry level resort for Vidanta. Just because it is the lowest level in Vidanta, don’t try to compare it to a “Cheap” resort. Remember that each of these different “resorts within a resort” share the same grounds and many of the same amenities such as restaurants, golf courses and entertainment venues that are all additional costs to all guests, so it’s really just about the different level of luxury in accommodations, access to pools and access to certain beach areas that make the difference. Vidanta is very well known for its attention to detail and the meticulous nature of its grounds all throughout the property.
One benefit of the Mayan Palace level is that most Vidanta locations have a Mayan Palace offering and some are ALL Mayan Palace level such as Puerta Vallarta and Mazatlan. The only locations that do not offer Mayan Palace are Los Cabos and East Cape.
Since this level is offered at a variety of locations, the type of units and actual layouts at each location may vary so click the Mayan Palace link to the right to see all of the locations and unit options.
