This Mexican Resort Is Packed With So Many Teen Activities, Kids Will Want to *Actually* Put Their Phones Down

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If you’ve ever tried to plan a family vacation for teens and tweens, you probably know finding a destination with enough intriguing activities, events, and spaces for your kids feels like searching for a unicorn. But after a recent stay at the Hilton Vallarta Riviera in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, I am happy to report that the mythical family-friendly destination you’ve been searching for actually exists and is even engaging enough to make teens want to leave their phones in the room.

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Nestled along Mexico’s stunning Pacific coastline, the Hilton Vallarta Riviera is an all-inclusive resort that strikes the perfect balance between relaxation for parents and independence for eye-rolling teenagers. From the moment I checked in, it was clear I had found the rare gem where parents can relax, unwind, and explore while teens find their own slice of vacation heaven—all within the secure confines of a luxurious resort that understands what families with older kids actually need.

Without further ado, let’s dive into what this rare gem offers for families.

What does all-inclusive include?

The Hilton Vallarta Riviera is an all-inclusive resort, meaning once you book your room, you don’t need to worry about paying a single dime extra. The resort features eight restaurants to dine at (at no extra cost!), as well as 24-hour room service. So, whether you want to get dressed up and make reservations at one of the incredible restaurants after a long day at the beach or chill in your room and order room service, you don’t have to pay extra for any of it. Even alcoholic drinks are included!

Your nightly rate also includes tons of activities like cooking classes, sunset pool parties, karaoke, outdoor activities like kayaking and volleyball, and even cultural and arts events that will immerse you in the local history, cuisine, art, and more.

The only extras you will need to pay for are spa treatments. The Hilton Vallarta Riviera‘s Eforea spa offers world-class spa treatments including massages, facials, body treatments, a sauna and steam room, and manicures and pedicures. But we’ll dive more into this a bit later.

The resort has 444 rooms, and every single one of them has oceanfront views and a private balcony to enjoy views like this:

Activities for Teens

Alright, let’s get right into what you came here for: Why is this place so great for teens? In addition to the family events like cooking classes, arts and culture events, outdoor activities, and two oceanfront pools, the Hilton Vallarta Riviera also offers several spaces dedicated just to teens, allowing them a bit of independence and opportunities to meet other teens at the resort.

The eL Rincón lounge was created specifically with older kids in mind. The lounge features a candy bar with unlimited sweets (even some local Mexican candies!), an ice cream station, popcorn for movie watching, lots of lounging and chilling space, board games, and an entire video game area where teens and tweens can play their favorite online games with other kids their age.

The lounge also offers nightly entertainment for both teens and families. Events could include anything from live performances, silent discos, gaming tournaments, DJs, sports competitions, and so much more.

The Hilton Puerto Vallarta has tons of events and activities that change daily. While I was visiting, I attended a paella class, an aguachile class, a healing sound bath, karaoke, and of course, lots of time at the oceanfront pools. The resort also has two food trucks out by the pools (included in your nightly rate!) that seemed to be uber popular with teens. These activities are great for teens to do on their own while their parents relax, or with the family as a bonding activity. The resort offers so many activities that it was tough to choose from the extensive list!

Activities for Young Kids

If you’re also traveling with young kids, don’t worry because there’s plenty for them to do, too. The Hilton Vallarta Riviera offers a super luxe kids’ club that parents can enjoy with their kids, or kids can be left with the kids’ club staff while parents go relax and explore.

I was able to meet some of the incredible staff working at the kids’ club during my trip, and I couldn’t believe how many activities and events they had planned for young kids. While I was there, I saw young kids enjoying a pizza-making class at the La Luce restaurant, making crafts that taught them about the local culture and history, and engaging with other kids. The kids’ club staff was so incredibly warm, welcoming, and accommodating to all kids. And the best part is that all of these incredible services and activities come at no extra cost.

Activities for Parents

OK, so your teens are busy with a Fortnite tournament in the family lounge, your younger ones are making Ojo de Dios crafts in the kids’ club, and you’ve got a full day to yourself to relax, so what are you going to do?

For starters, how about checking out one of the Hilton’s two oceanfront pools? The largest one even features a swim-up bar with an unlimited supply of delicious margaritas. They also have private cabanas available to rent. The cabana rentals are an extra fee, but you can opt to relax in any of the beachfront or poolside chairs for free.

My favorite part of the resort for parents was the Eforea spa. I started my spa day with a sauna session, a steam room, hydrotherapy, and finished my spa experience with the best massage I have ever had (and I’ve had a lot). I chose a relaxing Swedish massage, but they also offer deep tissue massages, Hawaiian-inspired Soffio d’Polinesia, and even a deluxe Fusion massage that combines lomi lomi and Swedish techniques, acupressure, and hot stones for a total-body escape.

If you want to leave the resort and experience some of the gorgeous natural beauty of Mexico, the city of Puerto Vallarta has endless options. The resort will also help you plan any off-site activities or excursions to ensure you get the most out of your stay. Once you get to the downtown area, it is easily walkable and filled with outstanding dining options, history, shopping, and fun activities like whale watching or zip-lining.

How much does it cost?

I have visited similar all-inclusive resorts, but the nightly rate can easily soar past $1,000, and that kind of hefty price tag isn’t feasible for most families. Luckily, prices start at about $380 per night for a king bed room. Prices do vary by dates, as all resort prices do, but even during the most popular travel dates, Hilton’s all-inclusive prices are much lower than other luxury resorts.

The Hilton Vallarta Riviera offers several room styles, and even adjoining rooms, to accommodate families of all sizes. And of course, the best part is that each room has stunning ocean views and a private balcony.

This resort also allows you to upgrade your stay by choosing the Enclave option. The Enclave offers an upgraded experience, including private check-in and checkout, access to the private Enclave Lounge with food and beverage, in-room welcome amenities, an upgraded mini bar, nightly turndown service, concierge services, and more. To check rates and book your stay, you can visit Hilton’s website here.

Dining Experience

We mentioned it briefly before, but the Hilton Puerto Vallarta features a whopping eight on-site restaurants. While there is no extra charge for these restaurants, you do need to make your reservations ahead of time. I suggest choosing your preferred dinner restaurant in the morning and making the reservation that morning to ensure you get a table at your top choice.

The Hilton’s restaurant selections include:

• La Luce — an Italian restaurant with deep authenticity in both a historic American-Italian articulation and in the contemporary power of seasonal sensibility.

• Maxal — a Mexican restaurant that showcases the rich diversity of Mexican cuisine.

• Sunan — an Asian restaurant with eclectic flavors of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and beyond.

• Cocomar — an approachable cantina with classic Mexican dishes.

• Seasalt — during the day, Seasalt serves American classics with a twist, grilled parilla-style. At night, they offer a more mature mood enhanced by local beers, tropical cocktails, and ocean breezes

• Vela Food Hall — this is a great option for kids and teens because it’s a large buffet with endless options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

• Azulinda — a great bar with classic and fusion cocktails as well as a large selection of beers.

• Sunan Sushi — a dining experience inspired by traditional Japanese Cuisine.

Sometimes, as a food editor, I can be a bit critical of dining experiences, but I have absolutely nothing negative to say about the food at the Hilton Vallarta Riviera. La Luce and Maxal were my favorite restaurants, but I was shocked that even the room service menu was so extensive. All of the food was fresh, vibrant, the kind of quality I would expect from high-end restaurants.

Is it worth it?

Absolutely. I’ve visited a lot of all-inclusive resorts, but never one with so many planned activities for all family members. The activity calendar is more extensive than I could have imagined, with events all day long for adults, teens, tweens, kids, and even babies. For the price, and considering you don’t really need money for anything else once you get there (unless you want to venture off the resort property or book extras), I can’t think of a more perfect family-friendly travel destination.

If you know the struggle of planning a family vacation with your increasingly independent teens and tweens, the Hilton Vallarta Riviera might just be the peace treaty you’ve been looking for.

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