Situated on a pristine beach edged by pounding surf on Mexico's stunning Pacific Coast, Las Alamandas is the dream child of Isabel Goldsmith, the daughter of late British billionaire and politician Sir James Goldsmith, and is rated as one of the world's most romantic hotels.
Accommodating just a couple of dozen guests on a tropical estate studded with coconut palms and bougainvillaea, the hotel is the epitome of seclusion and exclusivity. An attribute obviously appreciated by guests including Robert de Niro, Richard Gere, Rod Stewart and Meryl Streep to mention just a few.
Passionate conservationist Isabel opened the hotel – which is named after the prolific yellow Alamanda flower – in 1990 to great acclaim. An uncluttered Mexican hacienda-style estate, it features delicate tile floors, ceiling fans, brightly coloured local fabrics and bedrooms situated in exquisite casitas.
Today, guests can arrive by air at the hotel's private landing strip or by car from Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo, the two resorts between which Las Alamandas is situated. After being greeted with a fresh coconut cocktail, visitors are shown by Isabel's discreet staff to one of the hotel's 11 luxury suites, then offered a tour of the estate along the mosaic walkways which wind through the tropical gardens.
Each suite is decorated in jewel-like colours with carefully chosen local handicrafts and has its own private living area and shady terrace, where a romantic candlelit supper can be served. An alternative is dinner in the ocean-view Oasis restaurant, where the emphasis is always on fresh fish and seafood and organic produce grown in the 70-acre grounds.
A 60ft freshwater swimming pool and a gym, as well as mountain bikes, body boards and kites are available for active guests, who can also enjoy galloping along the shore for an hour at sunset courtesy of the hotel. For those looking for total seclusion, a champagne picnic to an isolated beach or a boat trip fishing out on the Pacific can be arranged.
“It takes only a few hours to fall into the flow of Las Alamandas and feel as free as the wind,” promises the hotel's general manager.
For more information visit www.las-alamandas.com.
