Where service comes first..

Now that the weather is turning chilly, it is time to start thinking of spots to warm up in. If you are looking for somewhere a little off the beaten path, with beautiful scenery and first class service, I would highly recommend the Four Seasons Punta Mita www.fourseasons.com.

Punta Mita is located approximately 45 minutes north of Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. It is a newly developed resort area that will have many other new luxury resorts opening within the next few years.  From the moment you arrive, the service is top notch. You are welcomed with a mango cocktail and cool towel. The check-in process is quick and easy. Within minutes, you are transported around the tropical resort via golf cart with a personalized tour of the pools, beach and restaurant. Since we arrived hours before check-in our room was not immediately available. The bellman had indicated he would come and find us on the property when it was ready. I was slightly suspicious. I have been at many hotels were they are allegedly going to contact you when the room is available and it never happens. That was not the case at the Four Seasons Punta Mita.  Ninety minutes later, the bellman approached us while lounging at the infinity pool to let us know that our luggage was going to be delivered to our room.  Due to our wait, we were upgraded to an ocean view room. The room was lovely and had a great view of the Pacific Ocean.  The sunsets over the ocean were breathtaking.  The resorts amenities are also fantastic. They have a beautiful infinity pool, a quieter spa pool and a lazy river for floating the day away. They have many activities scheduled throughout the day including golf and tennis lessons, nature walks and beach yoga. One of the biggest draws was when the local fisherman brought the fresh catch to the beach for the chefs. The fish were placed in a large tub for all to see. It caused a frenzy of activity and many guests wanted to order their dinner from the fresh catch. The chef is there to take your dinner order and help you determine the best preparation depending on the type of fish. While all of these things helped shape my view of the Four Seasons resort, I think the best thing about the resort is the phenomenal service provided by the staff.

I think the best example of the Four Seasons five star service was discovered by accident. On the first day there, we were eating lunch near the beach and saw two people stranded about 50 yards out into the water on top of a very large rock. The two individuals had been kayaking nearby and were pushed into the rocks by the very strong current. Due to the high tide and rough seas, the kayak had overturned. The waves were crashing over the top of these two people while they clung on to the rocks for dear life.  We then realized that these two people were actually two teenage boys with very worried parents crying out for help from the beach. The Four Seasons staff swung into action. About 10 lifeguards, the Four Seasons management team and emergency medical staff descended on the beach. They formulated a rescue plan and with the whole resort watching, the staff risked their lives to save the two boys.  The boys were getting pounded by the waves as they were perched on the rock. Two of the lifeguards rode out to the rocks via Jet Ski and made their way up the rocks to the boys. While battling the waves, they were able to coax the boys down to rocks and into the water where they were able to get them to shore.  During this whole process, the Four Seasons staff on the beach had set up umbrellas and brought bottles of water for the guests watching the scene unfold. It was an amazing rescue. It showed that the Four Seasons staff was willing to risk life and limb to make sure their guests were safe.