Nestled alongside her older sister Casa Kimberly, Hacienda San Angel stands independently, with its own unique charm.

The former home of Hollywood film star Richard Burton, the property retains the allure of a classical Mexican stucco boudoir, but with the added trappings of Hollywood royalty.

Burton, who purchased the main villa as a Valentine’s Day gift for his wife in 1977, fell in love with Puerto Vallarta as he filmed John Huston’s ‘The Night of the Iguana’ in the 1960s.

Decades later and we are offered a warm welcome by the charismatic concierge, Angel.

He begins an enticing experience, opening the doors on a picturesque central square that encompasses both the lounge area and an astonishing, ornate fountain.

As a focal point for a hotel, it takes some beating.

The boutique oasis envelopes you, leaving an impression of times gone by.

With its classical architecture and designer details, the hotel projects a quintessential Latin American backdrop.

The gardens are full of lush fragrant flowers and foliage, making this a uniquely inviting setting.

Three swimming pools, a roof-top fine dining restaurant, and an open-air chapel all add to the uniquely luxurious escape.

As we are lead up to the ‘Christ Room’, where we are to stay for the night, we discover it positioned perfectly over a private swimming pool area.

Numerous ornate sculptures of angels overlook the pool and courtyard, with the aesthetic really living up to the name.

The room itself is a religious tip of the hat to Mexico’s colonial heritage.

Antique crosses and a Virgin Mary, of such quality she would not seem out of place in Cathedral, are positioned delicately around the room.

The setting is alongside the Pacific Ocean and is framed perfectly from the rooftop guest rooms through bay windows.

Intimate and sophisticated, Hacienda San Angel’s twenty gloriously romantic suites offer breath-taking views of the world-famous Banderas Bay to the west, the Sierra Madre mountain range to the east and the terra cotta rooftops of the charming city all around.

Perched on a hilltop above the renowned Guadalupe Church, guests peer through the bell tower to Puerto Vallarta’s charming cobblestone streets below, lined with stellar restaurants, intriguing shops, and an eclectic collection of art galleries.

Along the shore, a beautiful promenade fronts the waters of Banderas Bay, where giant art installations welcome locals and tourists alike.

From its enviable location, the Hacienda San Angel provides its guests with a luxurious base of operations from which to enjoy everything the city has to offer.

Guests can even occasionally observe migrating whales drifting across the Banderas Bay in the distance.

Each room has a private balcony, offering the perfect space to enjoy an exquisite Margarita from Jose, the expert bartender.

The relaxing experience makes possible to imagine what it must have been like, walking through a Hollywood household, at the height of the golden age of cinema.

We spend a seamless afternoon relaxing by the private pool, it’s tranquillity much welcomed against the bustle of the cobbled streets of Puerto Vallarta.

This is a fantastic location to save energy for inquisitive exploration of the streets below.

Hotel Hacienda is rich in history, this charming household-cum-hotel combining authenticity with the best of contemporary, luxury accommodation.

A uniquely romantic experience awaits anyone who enters the Hacienda.

More Information

Nestled high above the narrow cobblestone streets of Puerto Vallarta, one of the world’s most elegant and romantic boutique luxury hotel experiences awaits.

In 1990, entrepreneur Janice Chatterton purchased Casa Bur-Sus from Susan Burton to use as a vacation home.

After splitting her time between San Francisco and Puerto Vallarta for ten years, she decided to relocate to Puerto Vallarta, and began to spearhead a major renovation.

The renovation of Casa Bur-Sus soon became a newfound passion for Chatterton, and when she was presented with the opportunity to purchase an adjacent villa, she eagerly snapped it up, renovating it and coining it Casa San Angel.

So became Hacienda San Angel, and its original eight room property, which debuted in 2003.

Since opening the Hacienda, she has purchased and renovated several additional neighbouring villas, creating a spectacular property connected by lush interior courtyards filled with bubbling fountains, fiery bougainvillea and dramatic sculptural details.

Find out more about this one of a kind property on the official website.

Adam Kahan