Friday, June 13, 2008

Marival Resort, Policies

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.

Rollaway beds and cribs (infant beds) may be available and should be requested at the time of booking; fees may apply.

Photo identification and credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in. Special requests made via this Web site cannot be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.

* Pets not allowed;
* Check-in time is 3 PM;
* Check-out time is Noon.

Marival Resort, Recreation

The majority of recreational facilities and activities described below are included in the room rate for this resort (scroll up to the All-Inclusive details section for more information).

Each of the Marival Resort's two sides (Grand and Club) features swimming pools accessible to all resort guests. Measuring 48.5 meters (53 yds) long and containing a swim-up bar, the free-form Grand pool serves as the activities pool. It's bordered by a 6-meter-diameter (20-ft) children's pool, a 5.5-meter-diameter (18-ft) spa tub, and a 23-meter-long (25-yd) children’s-only water park with slides and toadstool shower.

On the Club side, an irregularly shaped 26.5-meter-long (29-yd) family pool contains a swim-up bar and a 10-person jetted section. Adjacent is a 6-meter-square (20-foot-square) children's pool. Flanked by the Club side's villas, a narrow, 45.75-meter-long (50-yd) freeform "quiet" pool is reserved for guests aged 12 and older.

The resort's 251.5-meter (275-yd) frontage on the mile-long beach along Banderas Bay's north shore features thatched-roof palapas for shade. Palapas also supply shade on sundecks surrounding swimming pools.

This all-inclusive resort supplies boogie boards, kayaks, snorkeling gear, sailboats, and windsurfers. For surcharges, independent operators offer horseback riding, personal watercraft rentals, banana-boat rides, and parasailing on the beach. On request, a scuba-diving instructor comes to the resort to provide instruction (surcharges).

Land sports include four lighted tennis courts where clinics are offered (racquets supplied); a rock-climbing tower for teens and children; a small soccer field; a miniature golf course; and an archery range.

Equipped with spinners, cardio machines, universal gyms, and free weights, the resort's air-conditioned fitness center also includes a mirror-wall, wood-floor workout room for aerobics, Pilates, yoga, and Pilates classes.

The resort transports guests to Flamingos golf course, 2 km (1.25 mi) away, for complimentary clinics (clubs supplied). Mayan Palace golf course is 4.5 km (2.75 mi) away, and El Tigre golf course is 4 km (2.5 mi).

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the resort; fees may apply.

Marival Resort, Entertainment

Activities include:

# Nightly entertainment, including music/dance shows and casino nights;
# Dancing in Cesar's Club disco;
# Spanish, dance, and cocktail lessons;
# Bicycle and kayak tours;
# Bingo;
# Stretching, spinning, aerobics, Pilates, and yoga classes;
# Pool aerobics;
# Ping-Pong and croquet tournaments;
# Tennis clinics;
# Golf clinics at Flamingos golf course.

Marival Resort, Bellavista Antipasti menu

Bellavista - Renovated 2006. Contemporary ambience. À la carte Italian dinner menu. Reservations required. Dress code: long pants or dress shorts; no sleeveless shirts for men.

Sample menu for Bellavista Antipasti:
# Mushrooms sautéed in garlic butter;
# Beef or salmon carpaccio;
# Fried mozzarella with marinara sauce;
# Vitello tonnato.
Soups:
# Cream of cheese with lobster;
# Stracciatella with spinach and eggs;
# Minestrone.
Salads:
# Caesar;
# Caprese (tomatoes and mozzarella);
# Prosciutto with melon.
Pasta:
# Capellini with tomato sauce;
# Spaghetti alla carbonara or alla Bolognese;
# Tortellini with cream sauce;
# Penne Arrabiata or vodka-tomato sauce;
# Farfalle with shrimp and zucchini;
# Fettucine with chicken or Alfredo;
# Lasagna with beef.
Main courses:
# T-bone steak alla Fiorentina;
# Chicken cacciatore;
# Shrimp with spinach fettuccine;
# Red snapper with parsley sauce;
# Lamb Provençale;
# Ribeye steak.
Desserts:
# Baked Alaska;
# Coffee parfait;
# Cheesecake;
# Apple tart with ice cream;
# Specialty coffees with whiskey, Kahlua, or chocolate.

Marival Resort, Dining

The majority of meals and beverages, plus all gratuities, at the following restaurants, snack spots, and bars are included in the room rate for this resort (scroll up to the All-Inclusive Details section for more information).

Advance reservations are required for à la carte dining at speciality restaurants, for tables with a maximum of eight guests. Guests should contact the resort directly, using the contact information on the reservation confirmation received after booking via this Web site. Groups larger than eight can still contact the resort for special arrangements such as a group of tables or group dinners with special set menus. Reservations may be made 5–7 days prior to arrival at the resort.

Casa Bella - Air-conditioned dining room and terrace seating. Breakfast, lunch, and theme dinner buffets.

La Pergola - Air-conditioned dining room and terrace seating. À la carte breakfast and lunch featuring international and Mexican choices. À la carte dinner with Mediterranean menu. Dinner reservations required. Dinner dress code: Long pants or dress shorts, no sleeveless shirts for men.

Sample lunch menu for La Pergola
Appetizers:
# Barbecued pork ribs;
# Seasonal fruits with sherbet or cottage cheese;
# Caesar salad with chicken;
# Chef's salad.
Soups:
# Vegetable;
# Noodle;
# Chicken consommé.
Snack foods:
# Hamburger, chicken burger, shrimp burger;
# Sandwiches.
Main courses:
# Tacos;
# Chicken "Pergola" or "Papillote";
# Fried, poached, or grilled fish;
# Beef "Tampiqueña" style;
# Grilled sirloin steak.
Desserts:
# Pastries;
# Ice cream.

Sample dinner menu for La Pergola
Appetizers:
# Coquille Saint Jacques;
# Salmon cornets;
# Fried Camembert;
# Avocado stuffed with seafood.
Soups:
# Nut cream;
# Cream of crab with cognac;
# Seafood;
# Mushrooms, spinach, pumpkin in chicken broth.
Salads:
# Asparagus, tomatoes, cheese;
# Mushrooms, beets, peppers in lime vinaigrette;
# Watercress, spinach, tomato, bacon, Roquefort cheese;
# Hearts of palm, lettuce, artichokes.
Pasta:
# Capellini with tomato sauce;
# Tortellini with four-cheese sauce;
# Linguine with mussels;
# Fettucine with vegetables.
Main courses:
# Salmon with honey and ginger in red-wine sauce;
# Parmesan chicken;
# Mushroom-stuffed beef medallions with merlot sauce;
# Veal loin in red-pepper sauce;
# Shrimp with mushrooms, cream sauce;
# Roasted duck in cherry sauce;
# Pork medallions in tarragon sauce with mushrooms;
# Prawns and beef fillet.
Desserts:
# Two-chocolate mousse;
# Cheesecake;
# Chocolate cake;
# Pear Melba;
# French pastry;
# Specialty coffees with whiskey, Kahlua, or chocolate.

Marival Resort, Rooms

The majority of meals and activities at this resort are included in the room rate; guests will not be charged extra for a majority of meals and activities (scroll up to the All-Inclusive Details section for more information).

Divided into Grand and Club sides and featuring all-white buildings with red-tile roofs, the Marival Resort & Suites Nuevo Vallarta All Inclusive offers 495 guestrooms and suites. Guestrooms on the Grand side are located in five- and six-story buildings with elevators. Guestrooms on the Club side are located in a three-story main building without elevators. One- , two- , and three-bedroom suites are located on the Club side in three-story villas without elevators.

Amenities include compact refrigerators with complimentary bottled water and soft drinks; complimentary cribs; and in-room safes (daily surcharge). Irons/ironing boards are available on request in Resort Rooms.

Marival Resort, Property Amenities

The majority of amenities and activities at this resort are included in the room rate; guests will not be charged extra for the majority of amenities and activities (scroll up to the All-Inclusive Details section for more information).

A health-and-beauty spa includes women's and men's saunas and offers massage, body treatments, reflexology, facials, waxing, and hair and nail care. (Surcharges for all services.) A business center contains computers with high-speed Internet access (surcharges), and wireless Internet access (surcharge) is available in the Marival Resort's public areas. An air-conditioned room contains video-game stations, pool, and Ping-Pong tables.

Ground transportation:
Shuttle vans and private cars of varying prices are available. They can be reserved during the process of booking a reservation for this hotel, via this Web site, and added to the total trip cost.


* Swimming pool - outdoor;
* Poolside bar;
* Swim-up bar;
* Swimming pool - children's;
* Spa tub;
* Full-service health spa;
* Sauna;
* Concierge desk;
* Health club;
* Fitness equipment;
* Restaurant(s) in hotel;
* Room service (limited hours);
* Bar/lounge;
* Nightclub;
* Parking (free);
* Self parking;
* Exhibit space;
* Conference room(s);
* Event catering;
* Meeting rooms (small groups);
* Ballroom(s);
* Business center;
* Banquet facilities;
* Internet access - wireless;
* Internet access in public areas - high speed.
* Audio-visual equipment;
* Cell phone/mobile rental;
* Business services;
* Internet access in public areas - surcharge;
* Safe-deposit box - front desk;
* Multilingual staff;
* Number of rooms: 495;
* 24-hour front desk;
* Porter/bellhop;
* Doorman/doorwoman;
* Security guard;
* Number of floors: 3, 5, 6;
* Hair salon;
* ATM/banking;
* Gift shops or newsstand;
* Shopping on site;
* Tour assistance;
* Currency exchange;
* Medical assistance available;
* Beauty services;
* Dry cleaning service;
* Arcade/game room;
* Air-conditioned public areas;
* Supervised child care/activities;
* Wedding services.

Marival Resort, General Information

What to expect: Packed with recreational facilities, Marival Resort & Suites Nuevo Vallarta All Inclusive attracts families seeking active vacations as well as couples more interested in sunning, swimming, and leisurely dining.

Amenity highlights: Each of the Marival Resort's two sides ("Grand" and "Club") features pools accessible to all guests. The free-form Grand pool offers activities and is bordered by a children's pool, a spa tub, and a children’s-only water park with slides and toadstool shower. The Club pool contains a jetted section. Adjacent is a children's pool, and nearby is a "quiet" pool. The resort supplies guests with complimentary use of boogie boards, kayaks, snorkeling gear, sailboats, and windsurfers.

Insider tip: The central area of Nuevo Vallarta 3.5 km (2.25 mi) away features an air-conditioned shopping/dining mall called Paradise Plaza.

Marival Resort & Suites Nuevo Vallarta

The majority of amenities, activities, and gratuities at this resort are included in the room rate; guests will not be charged extra for on-site meals, drinks, activities, entertainment, and use of non-motorized water-sports equipment. See below for more details.

All-Inclusive food and beverages
* Meals at all resort restaurants;
* Unlimited non-alcoholic drinks;
* Room service food and drink, and delivery charges.
Not included:
* Wine by the bottle;
* Gift-shop snack foods and beverages.

All-Inclusive activities
Water sports:
# Kayaks and tours;
# Snorkeling gear;
# Hobie Cat sailboats;
# Boogie boards;
# Windsurfers;
# Pool aerobics;
# Pool volleyball;
# Water polo;
# Water basketball;
# Introductory scuba-diving lesson in pool.
Not included: Motorized water sports; scuba-diving instruction/excursions offered by an independent operator.

Land sports
# Golf clinics;
# Tennis and clinics;
# Miniature golf;
# Bicycles and tours;
# Rock climbing;
# Croquet;
# Archery;
# Beach and court volleyball;
# Beach and field soccer;
# Basketball;
# Bocce;
# Shuffleboard;
# Horseshoes;
# Ping-Pong;
# Pool;
# After-dark tennis.

Classes/instruction
# Pilates;
# Spinning;
# Yoga.

All-Inclusive children’s club:
Supervised activities for ages 4-12 in air-conditioned clubhouse and outdoors from 9 AM–5 PM, with campouts some nights.
Not included: Child care outside children’s-club hours.

Not included:
# Wine by the bottle;
# Gift-shop snack foods and beverages;
# Motorized water sports;
# Scuba-diving instruction/excursions;
# In-room safes (daily surcharges);
# Spa and beauty services;
# Hair braiding;
# Henna tattoos;
# Ceramics painting;
# Child care outside children’s-club hours;
# Coin-operated laundry machines;
# Staff laundry and dry cleaning;
# Photo services;
# Telephone calls and faxes;
# Internet access;
# Incidental purchases;
# Outside tours;
# Airport transfers;
# Airport departure tax (approximately $22 per person; price subject to change).

All-Inclusive transportation:
To Flamingos golf course for golf clinics.
Not included: Transportation to Flamingos or other golf courses for regular rounds of golf.

Slice of heaven on earth

Ecological wonders abound on this “slice of heaven on earth,” like whale watching on a catamaran, viewing of sea turtle preservation efforts and snorkeling in crystal clear aquamarine waters to get closer to colorful coral reefs and underwater species. Precious ecological sanctuaries for rare birds are located in Islas Marietas and La Tovara National Park. In Nuevo Vallarta and the Banderas Bay, visitors can even swim and interact with friendly seals. For outdoor adventurers the rich natural habitat that is Sierra Madre beckons culminating in a visual hike and 2,000 feet stop above sea-level. Canopying from tree top to tree top, jungle expeditions, or horseback riding are just a few ways that clients can dare to conquer this majestic mountain chain.

North of Banderas Bay and Punta Mita are miles of seemingly endless white sand beaches, the somewhat bohemian surfing town of Sayulita and friendly fishing villages where new tourism facilities will be developed in the next decade. Driving along the thickly forested and scenic two lane highway north of Punta Mita to San Blas, visitors cannot resist stopping in colorful roadside markets to sample homemade candies, fresh juices and succulent tropical fruits.

Riviera Nayarit’s cultural history dates back thousands of years, encompassing four ethnic traditions, including pre-Columbian cultures and the Huichols. Nayarit’s excellent preservation of its culture can be seen in its native Huichol tribe who have preserved their rich culture and ancient beliefs through their art. The Huichols are renowned for the detailed bead sculptures that contain elaborate symbols borne out of their culture and shamanistic traditions. Mexcaltitan is a small island of floating mangroves that is reputed to be the birthplace of the Aztecs. Archeological sites with hundreds of petroglyphs and vestiges of ancient villages remain still waiting to become accessible to visitors.

With every visit to Riviera Nayarit, there is always something new to discover and the essence of this destination will rejuvenate and excite the most jaded of travelers.

For more information on Riviera Nayarit please visit RivieraNayarit.com.

Mexico's Newest Destination is Unveile

There’s a great new destination in Mexico and now it has a name: Riviera Nayarit. With the launch of this exciting destination, comes an amazing transformation of 100 miles of Pacific coastline that unfolds just minutes north of the Puerto Vallarta International Airport which will continue to develop over the next decade. Already this spectacular new destination has over 12,000 hotel rooms, two-thirds of which are four-star to five diamond; four major golf courses and protected ecotourism.

At Tianguis Acapulco on March 27, 2007, the Governor of the Mexican state of Nayarit, Mr. Ney González, officially named this new destination “Riviera Nayarit”, delineating its location from the Rio Ameca at Nuevo Vallarta to the colonial town of San Blas including the exclusive resort enclave, Punta Mita.

This week Mr. Marc Murphy, director general of the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau is launching Riviera Nayarit in the U.S. and Canada. He is introducing Riviera Nayarit’s official logo that features its mascot, the sea turtle which is a protected species in the region.

Riviera Nayarit’s official website, www.rivieranayarit.com will also be launched at this time and will provide travelers with key information so that they can plan their vacation accordingly. Information on the website will include features on the region’s attractions like eco-tourism and major events.

To garner North American interest in the destination, Riviera Nayarit will kick off an engaging online contest called “Treasures” for agents and the traveling public to use their creativity to name Riviera Nayarit’s attractions. The most creative entrants can win a trip to be the first to experience the wonders of Riviera Nayarit.

Mr. Murphy will also share news of new developments that are taking place in Riviera Nayarit. These include:

• A major new resort area called Litibu which will inaugurate a Greg Norman golf course in December
• An elegant St. Regis Resort in Punta Mita
• A second Jack Nicklaus designed golf course at the spectacular Four Seasons Resort in Punta Mita
• A new marina and future resort development at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.

“I am so thrilled to be part of the launch of such a spectacular new vacation region in North America’s favorite destination – Mexico,” said Mr. Murphy. Born in Canada, he and the tourism industry of the region have been working closely over the last three years to make the dream that is Riviera Nayarit become a reality.

“We plan to make Riviera Nayarit a haven for luxury travel, matchless golf and experiencing our protected ocean and mountain nature and wildlife,” he continued.

Hugging 100 miles of Pacific coast north of Puerto Vallarta and protected by the dramatic Sierra Madre Mountains, Riviera Nayarit blends the timeless authenticity of Mexican culture and hospitality with the latest in tourism facilities and services. The Four Seasons and St. Regis are among the hotel companies bringing a new level of luxury; superstars like Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus are redefining the game of golf here. An extraordinary abundance of wildlife from giant manta rays and whales to protected sea turtles and rare migratory birds draw both vacationers and experts from around the world. And, with ambitious plans for new resorts, hotels and recreational facilities, Riviera Nayarit is well on its way toward making a major impact on North American tourism.

For visitors, the gateway to Riviera Nayarit is Puerto Vallarta International Airport, only ten minutes away from Nuevo Vallarta. Most of the region’s current tourism facilities are located on Banderas Bay, one of the world’s largest bays, which is also renowned for its extensive variety of water sports from diving and snorkeling to sailing and deep sea fishing.

Riviera Nayarit is also fast-becoming one of Mexico’s foremost golfing destinations. Renowned professionals and designers such as Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Robert Von Hagge, Jim Lipe and Joe Finger have created aesthetically pleasing golf courses with varying degrees of difficulty. Among the highlights is the El Tigre Golf Club at Paradise Village designed by Von Hagge; the Jack Nicklaus designed course at the Four Seasons Golf Club in Punta Mita; and the Mayan Golf Resorts Vallarta by Lipe.

And there is so much more to discover in Riviera Nayarit.