Maybe it’s the laid-back nature of Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta’s surroundings—nearby Puerto Vallarta provides an authentic Mexican feel, despite an abundance of tourists—but all of the signature experiences and decor that represent the Hard Rock brand feel less in-your-face here.
There’s still plenty of cool rock ’n’ roll memorabilia on display, but there’s also the feeling that the 348-room all-inclusive resort takes its meetings seriously, as illustrated by last year’s debut of the 12,900-square-foot Sanctuary Convention Center, which is the largest convention center in Riviera Nayarit.
While on-site at the property during a recent “Viva Vallarta” FAM, I was able to explore the resort’s facilities in-depth, whether checking out an active event setup on the beach at night or experiencing a press briefing by day and banquet setup in the evening in the Sanctuary Convention Center.
The resort and its facilities were easy-to-navigate and accessible—another one of the benefits of meeting in a Hard Rock-branded facility. You know they have spent a lot of time fine-tuning the guest experience.
When I asked Kevin Edmunds, VP, meeting and incentive sales at Hard Rock All Inclusive Collection about Wi-Fi security measures for groups with privacy concerns, he pointed out that the resort had just hosted a major tech group for an event and are fully able to accommodate those requests and others.
And if you are a planner with safety concerns about meeting in Mexico, rest assured that you could easily keep attendees entertained on-site, but that nearby Puerto Vallarta is also very friendly and safe.
Our media hosts booked a snorkeling cruise to Los Arcos, which provided opportunities for kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkeling or simply relaxing on the boat and enjoying some food. Our crew consisted of a team of locals who provided entertainment in addition to safety instructions.
Similar excursions can be booked through Tropical Incentives DMC, a Hard Rock Vallarta partner company.
My group opted to check out the Our Lady of Guadalupe Festival on its final day in December, and we were able to secure a cab and take a stroll down Puerto Vallarta’s Malecon, a pedestrian walkway set along the beach, frequented by visitors and locals alike—especially during this annual holiday.
While strolling through town on the impromptu excursion, members of my group snapped photos at the Plaza de Armas (Main Square), stopping to check out other hot spots on the walkway, such as the historic Hotel Rosita, various shops that line the cobblestone streets and a sand sculpture on the nearby beach.
We eventually joined up with a crowd of locals making the pilgrimage to the historic church in town (Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, or the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe), which was a fun and fairly easy hike, and one worth taking if you’re into checking out some interesting architecture.
Back on-site, we were granted access to Hard Rock Vallarta’s Rock Star Suite, which could easily be utilized for a smaller breakout session or board meeting for those looking to hold an out-of-the-box gathering. And there’s also plenty of on-site entertainment, with nightly options for music and more.
In total, the resort offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space.
In addition to all of the happenings at Hard Rock Vallarta, my group was also briefed on what was next for Hard Rock’s “All Inclusive Collection,” including the development of a brand-new Riviera Cancun resort, which is set to open in late 2017 with more than 90,000 square feet of function space.
Click here to check out some additional images from the press trip.
FOR MORE INFO
Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta
www.hrhvallarta.com
