PHOTO: The 452-room Iberostar Playa Mita, on Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit, opened in December.

Not all hotel openings inspire the excitement that Iberostar Playa Mita did this past December when it made its debut on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Maybe it was because of the coterie of international travel journalists that were the first guests to tread the majestic lobby. Or maybe it was the Huichols, an indigenous tribe in the region, who left their mountaintop village to perform an ancient shamanistic blessing on the resort on the night before it opened.

Guests are welcomed to the resort with a Conga, a specially-made cocktail of pineapple, grapefruit and orange juices with a dash of grenadine, as they sit below a giant Huichol-made jaguar mask above the reception desk.

The debut of the 452-room Iberostar Playa Mita, located in the Riviera Nayarit north of Puerto Vallarta, gives Iberostar 10 all-inclusive properties in the country. It also is the first Iberostar resort on Mexico’s west coast. Most of the Spain-based company’s Mexico properties are on the Riviera Maya.

Mexico has grand expectations for Nayarit and, more generally, the Riviera Nayarit, which is being positioned as a luxury destination on the Pacific and is home to such exclusive resort areas as Punta Mita and Nuevo Vallarta. Iberostar Playa Mita only adds to the destination’s allure.

PHOTO: The lobby at Iberostar Playa Mita provides access to all four restaurants, a cigar room, a café, a teen center, billiard room and library.

Public Spaces: The work of local artisans is evident throughout the property, from the stonework to the wrought-iron chandeliers to the carved settees and totems at the end of hallways. Huichol beadwork hangs in many of the guestrooms, and metal plate-work adorns the entrances to meeting rooms. All this as well as the artful landscaping makes guests feel that they are indeed in Mexico.

Most of the materials used to build the immense public spaces are also local, from the marble to the volcanic stones, woods, bamboo and porcelain. Fernando Quirarte, a Guadalajara-based architect, also designed many of Iberostar’s other properties, including Iberostar Paraiso Lindo, Paraiso Maya and Grand Hotel Paraiso. He makes the most of the natural setting, which plays a huge role in distinguishing Iberostar Punta Mita from any other pretty place.

The resort also is dominated by the Pacific Ocean, which is in nearly full view at all times throughout the property. The ocean breezes sweep through the resort all day, while the kids’ water park, the infinity pool and the oceanside elevated spa-treatment deck all have direct views of the sea.

The lobby is at the heart of the resort, offering access to all four restaurants, a cigar room, a café, a teen center, billiard room and library. Eight bars are strategically placed throughout the property, with the sophisticated nightspot SeaSoul overlooking the Pacific.

The resort also features almost 7,000 square feet of versatile meetings and convention space, which can be divided into five rooms, all equipped with high-speed Internet and the latest audiovisual equipment. Vast outdoor areas near the beach and gardens can also be used to stage special events. 

PHOTO: Guestrooms are spacious with separate sitting areas.

Accommodations: Included among the resort’s 452 rooms are two Presidential Suites complete with individual large terraces and hammocks overlooking the Pacific Ocean. There are also 18 adult-only Spa Suites, 90 oceanfront Junior Suites, 30 tropical-view Junior Suites, 78 tropical-view standard rooms and 234 oceanview standard rooms.

Guestrooms are spacious with separate sitting areas, king-size or double beds, radio/alarm clock, safe, hairdryer, bathrobes, cable television, free Wi-Fi, an amenity kit, daily stocked minibars, iron and ironing board, and a coffeemaker. Each room has individual air conditioning and ceiling fans.

Dining: Iberostar’s investment in food and beverage at this property is quite evident. One chef is from Tenerife and another is from Andalusia, both of whom were lured from some of Spain’s best restaurants. Their presence is reflected in the food offered at the resort’s main dining facilities.

Iberostar’s all-inclusive plan offers dining in any of the à la carte restaurants. Nopal is the resort’s main buffet restaurant, offering international and local fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food stations feature Mexican options like chilaquilles and tortillas, while other stations offer American breakfasts of fried eggs, pancakes, waffles, Canadian bacon, freshly made donuts and churros, fresh juices prepared to order, cheese and Serrano ham platters — and even bagels. The restaurant seats up to 340 people and serves breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., lunch from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Pacific Express, a gourmet à la carte restaurant, is open from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations are required and attire is casual elegant (long pants, collared shirts and closed shoes). The restaurant seats up to 70 guests. Tsuba, specializing in Japanese teppanyaki cuisine, is a family-friendly à la carte restaurant. The restaurant requires reservations and is open from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

La Bahia is an à la carte restaurant ideal for families that is open from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. During the day it offers buffet service and at night it is a steakhouse grill. The restaurant seats up to 152 guests and requires reservations.

Cuate Pancho features local Mexican cuisine. Open from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., this restaurant offers a selection of local dishes for the whole family. The restaurant seats up to 180 guests and requires reservations. Twenty-four hour room service is available.

PHOTO: Iberostar Playa Mita has three large fresh-water swimming pools.

Pool & Spa: The resort offers three large fresh-water swimming pools that snake their way through the property. There’s also a Splash Aqua Park and a separate kids’ pool area. Nearby is SPA Sensations, which features hydrothermal treatments, a hot tub, sauna, steam bath, private relaxation garden and treatment rooms. Outdoor massages are offered next to the ocean on a deck far away from the pool. An indoor fitness center, cooled to a chilling temperature, features state-of-the-art cardio equipment.

Activities & Entertainment: Guests can stay busy nearly every hour of the day at this resort, starting with yoga at 10 a.m. under a canopied space near the pool. The property features kayaking, beach volleyball, ping pong, non-motorized watersports, windsurfing, zip-lining, bicycling, horseback riding and hiking in the Sierra Madre mountains.

There are two tennis courts and three 18-hole golf courses are nearby, including a Greg Norman-designed course next door and two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses just a few miles away. The resort has a miniclub for children 4 to 12 and a teen club for those 13 to 17. Babysitters are available at night for $15 an hour.

Guests also can visit historic colonial towns like San Blas and Sayulita, picturesque fishing villages, serene beaches and spectacular Banderas Bay. There’s also a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve that includes an ecological coral reef sanctuary and a sanctuary for endangered birds.

During whale watching season (November to March) guests can take day cruises with Vallarta Adventures to see the whales. A wide array of other excursions can be booked through the resort’s tour desk. At night the resort offers musical performances at the disco/theater featuring Broadway or Las Vegas revues with unique costuming and choreography.

Location: Iberostar Playa Mita is roughly 25 miles north of Puerto Vallarta, the closest gateway. Direct air service is available from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Vancouver and New York. Indeed, Aeromexico recently introduced twice-weekly service on Thursdays and Sundays from New York’s JFK.

Rates & Commission: All-inclusive standard rooms start at $233 per person, per night, while presidential suites begin at $613 per night. Commission is 10 percent, but most bookings come through wholesalers like Apple Vacations, GOGO Vacations, Funjet Vacations and MLT Vacations.

Key Selling Points: The resort’s main attributes are its physical beauty, spacious accommodations and top-notch cuisine. The ambiance is sophisticated but laid back and so are the guests, who ranged at this early stage of operations from about 30 to 65. It is well designed for a full range of customers, from couples to families with young children. But the resort is not well equipped to handle travelers with disabilities.

For more information, call 888-923-2722, email reservas.playamita@iberostar.com.mx or visit www.iberostar.com