From the incredible views and facilities to the 5-star staff and service, Casa Tres Vidas is truly amazing and is a must consideration if you are planning on a holiday in Puerto Vallarta. Staff in heavily touristy locales have a tendency to pour on the charm with a thin layer of sincerity. This isn't the case at Casa Tres Vidas. Everyone from the housekeeping staff to those preparing and serving amazing meals did so genuinely and with a true focus of letting us relax and feel as if we were guests in their home.

This was my first time at Tres Vidas, but not my first to Puerto Vallarta. I usually stay next door at Quinta Maria Cortez, the same owners as Casa Tres Vidas.

We stayed in Villa Alta and I loved it. The friends that joined us, who were first timers at Tres Vidas AND Puerto Vallarta, absolutely loved it as well.

The food that we had prepared by the in-house staff was first rate. Imagine wonderful breakfasts and dinners cooked to order with the most amazing views of Banderas Bay!

At first we only planned on having one meal at the villa. But when our chef, Eduardo, blew us away with his classic Mexican preparations on the first night, we ended up having 3 meals at the villa! We chose Mexican but other things were available for Eduardo to prepare. And I'm sure, had we ordered anything non-Mexican, that those items would have ended up as good in Eduardo's capable hands. And our in house server, Marcos, would not let us do anything while we sat down to one of Eduardo's amazing breakfasts or dinner!

The "cocktail hour" margaritas w /homemade guacamole served chips was sooo good! This was all on request but just ask and they will do their best to accommodate you, really!

I could go one but not sure if I have enough room on here!

The reception staff are also the best. I've know José, the manager, for years when he managed Quinta Maria next door. I wish all people of his profession were as genuinely nice and accommodating as he is. And Roberto, also part of the reception staff, looked after us very well!

All I can say is, after this visit I'll hard pressed to decide where to stay next time....Tres Vidas or Quint Maria.

Thank you everyone for everything!

Casa Tres Vidas is a villa built into a cliff on Banderas Bay with 3 units: Vida Sol (top), Vida Alta (middle) and Vida Mar (bottom). My husband and I rented Vida Mar (bottom unit w/ 4BR & 4 BA) the last week in October of 2011. We invited 3 other couples to join us and we had a blast! We rented a van ($90 US) to pick the 8 of us up at the airport w/all our luggage and take us to Casa Tres Vidas. We were greeted by Marco, a handsome, young man with a beautiful smile that said "welcome"!

Vida Mar is casual, comfortable, and quite lovely. There are 3 bedrooms on the entrance level. The master bedroom (w/king bed) is absolutely stunning which includes a lovely, covered balcony with beautiful brick arches that overlook Banderas Bay. The master bath is divine as you step down into a round, tiled area with 2 showers; one rain shower and one European hand-held shower. You can open 2 glass doors/windows while in the shower and look through the bedroom out onto the Bay. You can also fill the tub with water if you want to soak. The other 2 bedrooms are side-by-side; both with king beds and private baths. There are steps which take you up to a patio area above the master bedroom with a round table w/umbrella and double-lounger. We sat there several times and played bridge but often got too hot and went down stairs and played cards on the master bedroom balcony as it was covered.

The downstairs area includes the kitchen, a long bar, a nice round dining table which seats 8 comfortably, and a living area with sofas & chairs and a long area with a ledge and additional seating which overlooks the ocean - a fabulous place to gather with friends. There is an open-air pool with hot tub attached to the living area which was so refreshing to jump in after spending a hot day on the private beach. The 4th bedroom is next to the kitchen with a queen bed and private bath. The bath has a dual purpose - it is the bath to the bedroom but can also be used by the guests when downstairs as it has a door which opens from the kitchen area.

The best part about the entire trip was the staff. Marco served us mojitos and margaritas with fresh guacamole and salsa every day at cocktail time while Pablo cooked in the kitchen whatever our hearts desired. One day we bought 10 lobsters from 2 fellows who had been catching them right outside our villa. Pablo broiled them and Marco served them to us as one of our appetizers. Oh my . . . it doesn't get any fresher than that! Then one day, one of the men in our group went fishing and brought back mahi mahi. Pablo cooked it that night with fresh grilled vegetables and rice. We ate like kings!! Every night we had fresh fish: red snapper, sea bass, mahi mahi, and shrimp. Marco had a beautiful table set every night, poured wine, served us, and then he and Pablo cleaned the kitchen. Breakfast was also a treat. Every morning we had FRESH squeezed orange juice (I watched Pablo squeeze the oranges) and a fresh fruit platter which included melon, strawberries, mango, bananas, grapes, etc. That was followed by either eggs & bacon or French toast (fabulous!!) or anything else you wanted. They have a chart with suggested menus by the fridge but Pablo will cook anything you ask. We loved everything he did and it was beautifully presented. The group wanted to pack Pablo and Marco in our suitcases and take them home with us.

Last but not least, I must mention Angelina and Roberto. Angelina was our housekeeper and although she does not speak much English, she always smiled and kept the villa in tip-top shape. She changed the sheets every day and replinished the towels and beach towels. She swept, watered the lovely plants, and cleaned the bathrooms. She even did a load of laundry for each couple for an extremely small amount of money ($2-5 US). Roberto set up our chairs and lounges with umbrellas on the beach. He was always around to answer questions and was most helpful. Oh! I must mention Jose as well. He is the general manager and was also always available to call a taxi or answer questions or take care of any problems. The entire staff is superb. We miss them all!!

I strongly suggest that you take family and/or friends to share this lovely place. My husband and I agree that this was by far one of the best trips we have ever experienced. We had really fun friends with us and the staff just made our trip a real treat - always friendly and always accommodating.

Other comments:
*The only day the staff does not work is Sunday. If you arrive on any other day, your first dinner will be Mexican fare and your first breakfast will be a Mexican breakfast. You won't be disappointed. Both were fabulous!
*Our favorite restaurant was the Blue Shrimp (and it's true that their coconut shrimp is to die for!).
*You can walk to town by the beach (10-15 min.) but it can be a little bit of a hike over rocks and walls so be sure and wear shoes (not flip-flops). It may be tough for people who are out-of-shape, too old, or with health problems. Taxi should be no more than $5US.
*Take water shoes to use out on the beach and into the water outside the villa. It is rocky and will hurt your feet and the sand is coarse. There is great snorkeling right outside the villa.
*We all looked at another villa 2 doors down w/infinity pool, marble floors, 7 BR, etc. - very fancy - but we all decided that we liked Vida Mar MUCH better - we liked the "openess" and casual atmosphere!
*Tips for the staff are given at the end. Marco will leave you 3 envelopes on the last day for Pablo, Angelina, and himself. Be generous!! They are some of the best! I hope they will all still be there next time we go. Marco has been there nearly 12 years and Pablo and Angelina nearly 5 years.
*Marco will meet with you right after breakfast to discuss the dinner menu that night and breakfast menu for the next morning. He goes out and shops for those 2 meals and gives you the receipts the following day which you need to pay in cash. We all threw $150/couple into a food kitty and delegated one person to pay him each day. Towards the end of the week we put another $50 per couple into the kitty. The food was EXTREMELY reasonable. We can't eat that cheaply in the US!! That included at least 1-2 bottles of wine each night and sometimes scotch and/or vodka.

I stayed here over 11 years ago when it was under different ownership. The new owners have really stepped it up. From the time you arrive at the front door until you leave the staff is so accomodating. Meals are so well made and presented professionally. Julian was our house man and he would anticipate our every need. He made arrangements for massages, pedicures and parasailing. He even met us at the beach when it was time to go parasailing. The bedrooms are great and the bathrooms have been renovated since the last time I stayed there. Wet towels were replaced almost immediately. Everyone in my group was very impressed with the level of service. I can not say enough positive things about our experience.