Unico Riviera Nayarit Wedding Resort Review (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)

I just returned from another trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where I stayed at a fantastic adults-only, all-inclusive resort. As a destination wedding travel specialist, I personally visit resorts so I can give couples real, firsthand guidance.

I was one of the first travel agents to stay at Unico Riviera Nayarit, a brand-new boutique property that opened in July 2025. My husband and I spent a week here, and if you’re considering this resort for your destination wedding, this review will walk you through exactly what to expect—from rooms and food to the vibe, service, beach, and wedding venues available.

Jump to a section:

• First Impressions & Layout

• Resort Overview

• Check-In Process

• Room Style & In-Room Amenities

• Food & Drinks

• Pools & Cabanas

• Activities & Entertainment

• Spa & Hydrotherapy

• Beach & Sunsets

• Off-Resort Notes (quick PV visit)

• Service Standouts

• Who This Resort Is a Fit For

• Unico Riviera Nayarit vs. Unico Riviera Maya Comparison

• Wedding Venues

First Impressions & Layout

The beautiful aesthetic of this resort hits you as soon as you walk into the lobby: sculptural light fixtures, warm wood, textured stone, and artwork by local artists. Set between the Pacific and the Sierra Madre mountains, the whole property has a dramatic ocean-and-mountain backdrop.

The resort is extremely easy to navigate with everything being just a short walk away. Occupancy was still low during my stay since it had just recently opened, which added to the quiet, relaxed vibe.

For location context, Unico Riviera Nayarit sits between Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta on one side (no exchange privileges) and a condo building on the other. You may hear a little music drift over from Hard Rock during peak times or special events, but this wasn’t a big issue during our stay at all.

Unico Riviera Nayarit Wedding Resort Overview

• Only 20 minutes from the Puerto Vallarta International airport (PVR) with no traffic (closer to 40 minutes with traffic)

• New adults-only resort that opened in July 2025

• Unico means “unique” in Spanish

• Boutique size with only 141 rooms (almost all with ocean views)

• One guest-room building with 11 floors (guest rooms to 10; rooftop pool/bar/lounge on 11)

• Local Host for every room (your personal concierge)

• 3 dinner restaurants with extensive menus: Italian, Japanese & Mexican

• 24/7 room service (with a 25-page menu!)

• Craft cocktails, mixologist on staff, high-quality liquor/ingredients

• 3 pools: main pool (swim-up bar), rooftop pool (bar + wait service), and a small pool for Legendary Vacation Club members (swim-up bar)

• Long, walkable stretch of beach with loungers, umbrellas and wait service

• Nightly live music (occasional pop-up casino night), no theater shows or nightclub

• Spa, beauty salon, and fitness center

• West-facing with gorgeous sunsets

Check-In Process

We were greeted with a cold towel and a paloma-style welcome drink on arrival (available with or without alcohol), and then brought to a comfy lounge area in the lobby.

The check-in process was quick and easy, and our room was ready right away. You’ll be given a satin bracelet that doubles as your room key (super convenient!), and you’ll meet your Local Host who is your personal concierge.

NOTE: Someone from the Legendary Vacation Club may sit down to speak with you and invite you on a “tour” of the resort. This is part of the resort's high-pressure timeshare pitch, and I would recommend saying no thank you so you don’t waste any of your precious vacation time. See my blog about how to avoid being sucked into a timeshare trap for what to watch out for.

Room Style & In-Room Amenities

We stayed in an Alcoba Oceanfront room on the 10th floor (room 1007) with expansive ocean views. One of the first things we noticed is that we could hear the waves from our balcony. LOVED that!!

You can click here to see a tour of our room.

The rooms are new and thoughtfully designed. Think light woods, natural textures, soft neutrals, and accents that feel hand-chosen rather than mass-produced. There’s a 65" TV, a comfortable sofa with coffee table, and on the balcony, a soaking tub plus an outdoor sofa and plenty of space. Almost all rooms at the resort face the ocean. One downside for me: no ceiling fan in the room.

The bathroom is fully private with a sliding door that separates it from the bedroom. There are double sinks with enough counter space for two. The shower has both a rain shower head and a handheld with strong water pressure (important for a girl with this much hair!).

Room amenities: 24-hour room service with an extensive menu; in-room minibar restocked regularly; Nespresso; fast Wi-Fi; Bluetooth sound system; USB charging; breakfast nook; custom robe/slippers; Mexican-sourced soaps; hair dryer; aromatherapy and pillow menu; outdoor terrace lounge with custom furniture and local artwork; flat iron and steamer on request; bathroom amenity kit; Local Host service.

Minibar: Modelo Especial, Corona Light; Pepsi, Pepsi Light, 7UP, Canada Dry; Gatorade; bottled water; snacks: chips, Snickers, cacahuate japonés (roasted peanuts), Nature Valley granola bars.

Special touch: Each room includes two complimentary sun hats and a purse that you can have custom-painted at no charge. These make a super cute keepsake from your vacation.

NOTE: There are only five swim-up rooms (four Alcoba Swim Up, one Estancia Suite 1 Bedrooms Swim Up). These rooms are all located next to each other which would be really fun for a group of friends traveling together.

Food & Drinks

Overall, the food was good and a lot of it was excellent. This resort is a great choice if you value an elevated dining experience at an all-inclusive. There are only three dinner restaurants, but the menus are so extensive that it never felt repetitive.

My favorite bites:

• KOBO (a la carte Japanese, plus two hibachi tables): bao buns, short rib, gyoza, rock shrimp, maguro sushi, fried rice, sashimi, shrimp pad thai, "crispy bittes" (this was our favorite restaurant, we ate here three times during our stay)

• Alto 20°105° (rooftop): sliders; guacamole and pico with tortilla chips; coconut shrimp; fries; sweet potato tortilla; deconstructed Caesar salad

• Agua Madre (a la carte Mexican): heirloom corn flautas, seasonal crudo, chicken mole, chiles en nogada (served only in September to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day)

• Lia (a la carte Italian): burrata salad, lobster ravioli, braised beef, lasagna, praline craqueline

• Pool/Beach menu: nachos, Baja fish tacos, cheeseburger, ribs

• Lia (a la carte breakfast): açaí bowl; yogurt, granola & honey, avocado toast, chilaquiles   

• Room Service: yogurt, granola and honey; huevos rancheros

Cocktails I loved:

• Paloma with mezcal and tajín on the rim at the Coquita lobby bar

• Tamarind Mezcalita at Agua Madre

• Limoncello Spritz at Lia

• The specialty drink from the poolside cart

• And my go-to, a gin & tonic

Special call out to Inez Café (coffee lovers, this is for you). I don’t drink coffee, but guests rave about this place. It’s located right next to the lobby and offers coffee, tea, and fresh juices. They also serve house-made baked goods in the morning, and later in the day, they have sandwiches, paninis, and salads.

Insider Tip: Dinner reservations are required (currently made after arrival; likely via the app in the future). You'll want to make dinner reservations through your Local Host right away after check-in to ensure you get the restaurants and times you prefer—especially if you want to eat at one of the two hibachi tables at KOBO as seating is limited.

Pools & Cabanas

There are three pools: a main pool (with swim-up bar), a rooftop pool (with a bar and wait service), and a small Legendary Vacation Club pool. They had music playing at both the main pool and the rooftop pool, but neither was overpowering. One day there was a live saxophonist at the main pool, which was such a nice touch.

The rooftop pool doesn’t currently have any shade except for the cabanas and lounge areas, but the management team is working on adding some more shade soon.

The daily rate for a cabana on the rooftop is $150 USD and it’s $100 USD for a cabana by the main pool. We tried both spots so we could compare the two experiences. The rooftop is such a unique setting with stunning views, but I actually preferred our cabana day by the main pool.

Because they’re tucked back a little, there wasn’t as much airflow in our rooftop cabana (22) so it felt a bit hot and stuffy. These cabana beds also didn’t have backs to rest against, so they weren’t quite as comfy. In comparison, our cabana by the main pool (11) had a nice breeze, plenty of shade all day, a comfy backrest to lean against, and a great view of the pool. I loved this spot so much that we booked it again for a second day.

Activities & Entertainment

This isn’t a high-energy party resort with nonstop pool games all day. It has more of a relaxed vibe, but there is still a great mix of daily activities available. They had beach volleyball every day and water aerobics in the pool. Several times per week they do a pool party with a DJ in the main pool with big floaties like rainbow swans.

I really liked the variety of activities with things like: cooking classes, yoga, a mixology class (we did this), agave tasting, artisan experiences (e.g. culturally significant hand crafts), cornhole, wine tasting, Spanish class, dance classes (salsa, bachata).

In the evening, they would have games set up at the Coquita lobby bar like bingo or Lotería (Mexican board game).

Live music draws everyone into the Coquita lounge in the evenings after dinner, and there’s a pop-up casino night a couple of times per week.

Spa & Hydrotherapy

My husband and I did a couples relaxation massage together, and I also splurged and did an Esencia Signature Massage by myself. I thoroughly enjoyed both of them and loved being able to do the hydrotherapy circuit beforehand.

The spa has 10 treatment rooms (5 individual, 5 couples) and quite an elaborate multi-step hydrotherapy circuit:

1. Sauna with crushed ice for exfoliating/cooling + icy eye compress

2. Shower jets for legs/body

3. Steam room

4. Cold shower bucket dump

5. Hot tub

6. Cold plunge

7. A sequence of water pressure stations targeting neck, back, and feet

8. Heated lounger to relax and drink some water/juice afterwards

Beach & Sunsets

The resort sits on a long stretch of beach where you can walk for a long way in either direction. We got up early one morning to go for a beach walk at sunrise, which was lovely.

There are loungers with umbrellas on the sand and full wait service. The ocean is pretty active but swimmable, and you’ll see vendors strolling by selling things fairly often.

Reminder that this resort is on the west coast, so the sand is more of a golden brown color and the water is a deep blue (not like the white-sand beaches and turquoise water you find on the east coast/Caribbean side of Mexico).

This resort faces west, so you get epic sunsets at night, with the Sierra Madre mountains framing your view. The beach and mountains combo never gets old for me!

Special touch: There is a separate menu for ordering at the beach and pool, and staff will deliver food right to your lounger. This is a total luxury and not common at all-inclusive resorts.

Off-Resort Notes (quick PV visit)

We spent a day in Puerto Vallarta so I could show my hubby the main sights since this was his first time visiting. He loved checking out the cool tile benches in Lazaro Cardenas Park (Parque de los Azulejos), and then we strolled along the Malecón (oceanfront boardwalk) for a while to check out Los Arcos stone arches, the colorful Puerto Vallarta sign (perfect for photos), and the Vallarta Dancers statue.

We went inside the historic Our Lady of Guadalupe church, and then we decided to head to Andale’s to cool off for lunch. The guac and pico with chips hit the spot and the shrimp tacos were also very good. Our waiter, Audiel, was super fun and they were playing a bunch of great songs from the 80’s. We hung out there for a while and had a few drinks before we walked over to Sonorita Olas Altas to get some of their delicious al pastor tacos (with green sauce and cilantro).

It was about 6:00ish p.m. when we grabbed a taxi back to the resort for 500 pesos (about $27). The ride is around 40 minutes with no traffic, but it can be up to about two hours when traffic is heavy—especially heading north towards Riviera Nayarit. Since we left town later in the evening, traffic wasn’t too bad and it only took us about an hour.

Service Standouts

The level of service we experienced at Unico Riviera Nayarit was top notch. Staff were always going above and beyond to ensure we were having a good time: bringing refreshing cold washcloths, offering to clean sunglasses, bringing fresh dry towels, adjusting cabana curtains.

The restaurant servers were extremely attentive. They repeated your order back to you to make sure they got it right, brought food promptly, were on top of our drinks, and cleared empty dishes from the table right away.

Turndown service was also on point. They consistently cleaned up our room in the evening, gave us fresh towels, turned down our bed, set our slippers out, and put a small piece of chocolate on our pillows. It's always really nice to come back to a freshly cleaned room at night!

Throughout the week our Local Host, Eduardo, was excellent: sending daily activity info, answering questions, making dinner reservations, booking spa services, and even setting up our balcony soaking tub with champagne and fruit to watch the sunset.

We felt truly spoiled during our stay and this was the best service I’ve experienced at an all-inclusive resort.

Who This Resort Is a Fit For

After spending a week at Unico Riviera Nayarit scouting out the rooms, dining, drinks, pools and venues, here’s who this resort is ACTUALLY a good fit for (and who it’s not).

Best fit if you want:

+  Elevated, à la carte dining (no buffets)

+  Craft cocktails (mixologist on staff)

+  Attentive, personalized service

+  Boutique, luxury feel with a smaller, easy-to-navigate layout

+  Chic rooftop pool & bar with panoramic ocean views

+  Refined nightlife with live music (no shows or nightclubs)

+  A new, modern resort infused with local art

+  “Pampered” extras like a personal concierge and balcony soaking tubs

+  Dramatic Puerto Vallarta sunsets with a mountain backdrop

+  A resort that only hosts one wedding per day

Not the best fit if you’re looking for:

❌ A very large resort with lots of restaurants, bars and several pools

❌ A packed daily activity schedule or a high-energy daytime scene

❌ A nightclub on property or lively entertainment late into the night

❌ Turquoise water/white-sand-Caribbean beach (Puerto Vallarta has deeper blue water and golden-brown sand)

Unico Riviera Nayarit vs. Unico Riviera Maya Comparison

If you’re familiar with Unico Riviera Maya (RM), here’s how Unico Riviera Nayarit (RN) compares:

• Size: RN is boutique with only 141 rooms. RM is a medium-sized resort with 448 rooms.

• Vibe: RN is very relaxed and intimate. RM feels livelier with more going on.

• Aesthetic: Both are aesthetically beautiful with local art incorporated throughout.

• Views: RN has the Sierra Madre mountains in the background and sunset views. RM has sunrises and Caribbean ocean views.

• Beaches: Both are on swimmable beaches. RN has deeper blue water and darker sand. RM has lighter sand and the classic Caribbean turquoise tones.

• Sargassum (seaweed): RM (east coast) often experiences seasonal sargassum, especially in the spring, summer, and fall. RN (west coast) isn’t affected by sargassum specifically, and while seaweed can still appear, it’s typically minimal.

• Pools: RN has main two pools including a chic rooftop pool. RM has three main pools.

• Dining, drinks, service: Both deliver on excellent food, craft cocktails, and attentive service.

• Swim-up rooms: RM has 74 swim up rooms. RN only has five total.

• Weddings per day: RM can host up to two weddings per day. RN will only host one wedding per day.

• Price and availability: RM generally prices lower. RN’s smaller size will keep occupancy high and rates higher, especially in peak months.

Choose Unico Riviera Nayarit if you want a boutique feel with personal service, a chic rooftop pool, quieter atmosphere, and a mountain backdrop with sunset views.

Choose Unico Riviera Maya if you prefer a medium-sized resort with more pools, restaurants, and activities plus a white-sand beach and a lower price point. If you're leaning this way, read my full Unico Riviera Maya resort review for photos, food notes, and wedding venue details.

Stress Less, Celebrate More

Planning a destination wedding should be exciting, not overwhelming. I help couples find the right resort for their group, and coordinate guest travel so you can focus on celebrating.

Two ways to get started:

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Unico Riviera Nayarit Wedding Venues

A few things to note:

• Because this is a boutique-sized resort, there are only a handful of venue options available.

• My favorite event set up would be to have your welcome party at the Alto 20°105° rooftop bar/lounge the evening before your wedding, and then have your ceremony on the beach, your cocktail hour at the Pacific Garden, and your reception up on the Agua Madre terrace.

  
  

• There is not a separate "bridal suite" on property, but there is a small area in the spa that can be used for hair and makeup for a couple of people at a time; the wedding party will want to get dressed back in their room(s).

  
  

• All outdoor reception venues have a curfew of 10:30 p.m. and the ballrooms have no curfew.

  
  

• Unico Riviera Nayarit only hosts one wedding per day.

  
  

• Ceremonies start at 3:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. from October to February and 4:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. from March to September.

Playa Pacifico Beach | Ceremony, Cocktail and/or Reception

Ceremony Max: 400 guests

Cocktail: 400 guests

Reception Max: 200 guests

Set Up Fees: $18 pp for cocktail, $30 pp for reception (no fee for ceremony)

NOTE: There is a walkway along the right side of the resort that gives wedding vendors private access to the beach for setting up.

Agua Madre Terrace | Ceremony, Cocktail and/or Reception

Ceremony: 170 guests

Cocktail Max: 170 guests

Reception Max: 140 guests

Set Up Fees: $18 pp for cocktail, $30 pp for reception (no fee for ceremony)

NOTE: This terrace is located on the second floor above the Agua Madre restaurant and has its own bar and bathrooms (can be accessed via stairs or an elevator).

Pacific Garden | Ceremony, Cocktail and/or Reception

Ceremony Max; 170 guests

Cocktail Max: 170 guests

Reception Max: 140 guests

Click here to see a reel I posted on Instagram of this venue.

NOTE: This grassy area is located between the Agua Madre restaurant and the beach.

Inez Terrace | Cocktail or Reception

Cocktail Max: 90 guests

Reception Max: 70 guests

NOTE: This terrace is located just outside of Inez Café and close to the lobby.

Alto 20°105° Rooftop | Cocktail

Cocktail Max: 80 guests when using the whole space for a private event (8:00-10:30 p.m.) or 35 guests when using just the lounge area for a semi-private event)

Venue Fee: This venue has a $3000 fee

Set Up Fees: $18 pp for cocktail hour

NOTE: This rooftop is on the 11th floor and has panoramic ocean views.

Ballrooms | Ceremony, Cocktail and/or Reception

Ceremony Max: 320 guests

Cocktail Max: 320 guests

Reception Max: 240 guests

NOTE: There is no curfew for indoor events held in the ballrooms.

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