Hotel Mousai: a Lesson in Luxury

I would like to introduce you to one of the best hotel experiences I have ever encountered since my first steps as a traveler. With amazing scenery, amenities, and impeccable service, Hotel Mousai of Puerto Vallarta will truly teach you a lesson in luxury. Although room rates can run fairly high, the prices are undoubtedly worth enduring, and, there is are strategic ways to somewhat offset the burden of this deserving cost.

Throughout all of my travels thus far, I have done my share of staying in the most budget friendly accommodations I could possibly find. These include hostels, Airbnbs, the homes of friends and acquaintances, a door step, random peoples couches, and many airport benches. I never believed in paying so much for an accommodation. It always seemed to be such a waste of hard earned money. My philosophy always was that accommodation only served one vital purpose, a place to recuperate before the next wild experience. All I ever needed was a feasible place to rest my head. Besides, travel is about throwing yourself into a new environment and possibly a new culture. It is very hard to escape the comforts of everyday life while cooped up within four walls of some fancy hotel. However, despite an outlook such as this, it was time for me to step over to the other side and give luxury hotels its fair shot. If I could figure out a way to keep other travel costs down, I agreed to try and look past the bargain stays. What made this all financially possible for me was my new hobby of utilizing credit card points for the benefit of travel. This hobby tends to free up money to be available for those times when you simply just want to splurge.

THE PLAN
I decided to look into a hotel that has always been on my radar. A while back, while sifting through the web and researching possible trip destinations, I came across a place called Hotel Mousai. This hotel is one of a kind and is the first and only AAA Five Diamond hotel in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It exudes a modern, trendy, and mature vibe. Perched on a picturesque mountain side, this adults only hotel is sandwiched between lush green jungle and teal blue waters.

By taking advantage of Southwest Credit cards, I was in current possession of something called the Southwest Companion Pass (read all about what this is here). Because of this, Puerto Vallarta was a perfect choice. Since Southwest now flies to many International locations such as Mexico, I could use the pass, along with some Southwest points, to get flights for my fiancee and I for only the cost of taxes and fees. This significant savings makes forking up the money for a fancy hotel much easier to swallow. If we would have paid for the two round trip flights (Oakland to Puerto Vallarta) without having the Companion pass, it would have cost us around $727. Instead of paying that amount, I booked the flights using around 17,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points along with $83.15 in taxes and fees. After booking that, I simply logged into my Southwest account and added my Fiancee as my companion for the flights. For her to fly with me, the only thing I had to pay for was another set of taxes and fees. So for around $150, we were both able to fly nonstop to Puerto Vallarta. That is a great savings and is the incentive needed to proceed with booking a lavish lodging.

THE ROOMS
Hotel Mousai has a few types of suites. These include the Mousai Suite, the Ultra Mousai suite, the Mousai Corner suite, the Ultra Mousai Corner Suite, and the Penthouse. All regular suites come with king size beds, a mini lounge with sofa, a large bathroom (double sinks, vanity, rain shower, a high tech toilet), a smart iPad that controls most room functions, and a large patio and deck (private hot tub and hammock). Each room also takes up a large enough portion of each floor so that you have views of ocean at the front and jungle at the rear. Oh, and lets not forget about a personal butler for the duration of your stay. The corner suites are obviously situated at the corners of the floors and feature a wrap around deck. The Ultra versions of each of these suites give you access to extra amenities including complimentary access to the hydrotherapy portion of the spa, in room aromatherapy, and access to a pillow menu. Ultra rooms also get you situated on a higher floor. The penthouse has even more in room perks in addition to much more space. The Penthouse is a one bedroom luxury apartment with close to 3,000 square feet of living space!

All rooms also have the option to add an all inclusive package for an additional nightly fee. All inclusive gives you the ability to order any type of food and drinks whenever, and wherever, on the premises you want. This includes the 5 restaurants, 2 bars, beach side food and drink service, poolside food and drink service, in room food and drink service, and the ability to drink anything from the extravagant in-room refrigerator selection. The rooms are not stocked with your typical and pathetic mini bar inventory. They are conveniently, and dangerously, stocked with full size bottles of liquor and wine, in addition to soft drinks and water. It is also important to note that most of the restaurants offer truly fine dining experiences. You can order anything off the menus at these restaurants, which really makes dining decadent and fun.

THE BREAKDOWN
I decided to go with the regular Mousai Suite at first. I booked us three all inclusive nights at a nightly rate of around $440 per night. The total cost after taxes came to $1572.31. If I recall correctly, I think this was during a promotion. Hotel Mousai offers frequent promotions and discounts on room rates. Especially if you are going during off peak season. After booking, I received an email with an offer to upgrade to one of the corner suites and/ or one of the Ultra versions. The cost of the corner suite upgrade was only another $36 per night so I decided to go with that. So the grand total after the upgrade came to $1680.31 for three nights. Now, I know that seems like a lot of money. However, it is important to remember that it is includes food, drinks, and alcohol for the two of us for our entire stay. I don’t know about other people, but I know my fiancee and I can sure go through a lot of gourmet food and top shelf alcohol. Also, this is feasible in part by the ability to save a significant amount of money on flights. Above all, this was also a way for me to check another experience off my bucket list, which, for me, diminishes any monetary fee.

**Pro tip: If you want to save even more money, consider signing up for a good cash back travel credit card. I would recommend the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard. The card currently gives 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. Since the card gives 2 points per every dollar spent, you will have at least 46,000 points after meeting the minimum requirement and receiving the bonus. This 46,000 points are worth $460 towards a travel related purchase. So you could use the card to purchase the hotel nights and then have $460 of the charge reimbursed back to the account. This will give you one night of all inclusive (at the rate and type of room in which I received) for free! The $89 annual fee for this card is waived for the first year. This means you can get the sign up bonus, take advantage of the sign up bonus (free money) with a trip such as this, keep the card for around 11 months, and then close the card before ever having to pay a fee. For those of you that are new to gaming the system like this, click here to learn more about this and the effect it has on credit score.

LOCATION
The hotel itself is situated about 10 miles, or 30 minutes, outside of main Puerto Vallarta. It’s the perfect distance away from the hustle and bustle of the busy area. However, if you want to head into town, taxis and Ubers are cheap and easy (around $10). The hotel is perched fairly high up on a hillside within a beautifully gated off section of jungle. The views of the bay below are absolutely stunning from practically any angle.

**Pro tip: Opt for taking an Uber from the airport. At around $10 USD, it is much cheaper than the $45 shuttle that the hotel offers.

AMENITIES
One of my undeniably favorite components of this hotel is the epic infinity pool located at the very top floor. This was what originally appealed me to this particular hotel and, I can honestly say, it certainly did not disappoint. Our favorite thing to do was to lounge around the pool with the ability to order food and drinks whenever we wanted and without worrying about the cost (thank you all inclusive). They played great music and we were able to socialize with some really great people. If you somehow get tired of such an amazing pool, they also have a private plot of white sand beach for guests to enjoy. They even provide a personal beach bag for guests in each room. While down at the beach, you can participate in complimentary activities such as kayaking and stand up paddle board. The hotel also holds the best hotel gym I have ever seen. It was one that makes you actually want to work out while on vacation. This was very important considering we splurged on all inclusive! Lastly, the spa was a fantastic addition to the experience. They provide a wide range of services that span from beauty to relaxation. My fiancee and I got a couples massage that was specifically for sunburn care. That Mexican sun can be harsh and it was a soothing way to finish a long day of basking in it’s rays.

SERVICE
The service in this place was impeccable. I cannot stress enough how pleasantly dedicated and attentive the staff was. They truly know how to treat guests like they are royalty. Anything you could possibly need is simply a phone call or a hand wave (don’t be that person) away.

NOTABLE PERKS
In my opinion, the all inclusive option really made the experience for us. It was gluttony and overindulgence at its absolute finest. It was a stay bombarded with, what felt like, a never ending intake of gourmet food and drinks. There is something truly special about ordering anything at any time without the fear of financial repercussions. It is such an amazing feeling, but it can also make you feel a bit guilty (short lived). It’s hard to believe people live this lavishly! Since my fiancee and I love sushi, the Japanese restaurant Hiroshi worked out perfect. Since sushi can be very expensive here in the US, it is the one type of food that we try to limit solely due to cost. That wasn’t even a thought while we dined at the unbelievable Hiroshi. We enjoyed the experience so much that we returned a second time rather then trying out a new restaurant on our last evening. Lastly, my own personal vice has to be a Negroni cocktail. I can’t get enough of these things. As you could probably guess, I was able to have one in my hand practically at all times. Now that’s my kind of vacation!

**Pro tip: The all inclusive package is good until 12pm on the day of departure. If you have a later flight, be sure to wake up early enough to eat a nice breakfast and maybe enjoy some drinks and snacks by the pool before noon. If you really want to maximize it, place an order right before the clock strikes 12 and simply ask the server to spread out the actually delivery. You’re welcome.

NEGATIVES
Although the positives far outweigh the negatives, there are a couple things that slightly hurt our overall experience. First and foremost, the concierge desk staff does try selling guests on what they consider vacation memberships. I am honestly not sure of the details of what this entails since I strategically ignored the spiel. Do yourself a favor and tell them up front not to bother trying to sucker you into this scheme (unless you are into that sort of thing of course). Lastly, although our corner suite was stunning, the corner view was disappointingly obstructed by another hotel tower. The hotel is situated in the middle of two towers of the Garza Blanca Resort. These towers face each corner of Hotel Mousai. It honestly wasn’t a huge deal. I would still prefer this over not having the corner suite with the wrap around deck and slight side view up the coast. However, I would suggest avoiding this if you can. Try to get a corner suite that is higher up in order to peer above the top of the adjacent tower.

**Pro tip: The best way to ensure proper clearance is to upgrade to a Ultra Corner suite. in addition, physically call or email the hotel and request the highest possible floor.

SUMMARY
Overall, I can honestly say that this experience completely changed my perception on fancy hotels. Hotel Mousai was more than efficient in every possible review category. With amazing views, amenities, and impeccable service, this hotel did not disappoint. I am truly beginning to understand and enjoy the concept of luxury travel. However, I can honestly say that this never would have been possible without the ability to manipulate credit cards in order to keep travel expenses low. If you are new to utilizing credit cards for the benefit of travel, click here to learn more about how it all works.