u/Alarming-Ganache77

A note before I start: I did not stay at the Sacher, I toured it. I spent a few hours there with my friend who runs sales for the hotel (she is formerly head of sales for another favorite, the Burgenstock). This industry is small and relationships are everything; so I was grateful to her for taking me on an in-depth tour. I also want to say that generally speaking in the reviews I post, I try not to judge hotel by its decor style because, as my dad used to say, "every pot has a lid," but instead share my feelings about things that can be viewed more objectively like service, housekeeping, amenities and the like. All this to say is that Sacher is a singular experience with a very distinctive style, to say the least.

The Hotel Sacher Vienna opened in this location in 1876 and is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. It's the only family-run luxury hotel in the city, currently a mother-and-daughter-led business, and a member of Leading Hotels of the World. The origin story: Franz Sacher created the Sachertorte as a 16-year-old apprentice at Prince Metternich's court, tasked with inventing a dessert on short notice, and with the money he gained from his sudden chef fame, his son Eduard opened the hotel. Eduard's wife Anna then ran it after he died young, became one of the first female hotel managers in the world, smoked cigars, loved her bulldogs, and was the first woman admitted to a Viennese gentlemen's club in the late 1800s. There are 152 rooms, about half of them suites.

About me

I'm a travel advisor and a parent of three kids. I travel 12+ weeks a year, almost always with my children, so I evaluate every property through the dual lens of an advisor and a parent. Vienna is, to me, a city for kids that are 10+ and who are into art/music/walking around looking at old stuff. My kids are decidedly not so I left them at home.

Location and getting there

Directly behind the State Opera, steps from the Albertina, the Kärntner Strasse, and the historic core. It's a different position than Rosewood or Park Hyatt (which are deeper in the old town shopping quarter) but it's still very central and walkable, and the opera-house adjacency is part of the identity. A lot of conductors and performers stay here, and the streets around the hotel are named after operas and operettas.

Accommodations

Categories start at Deluxe (entry level), and within each category there's a "room" and "room with a view" distinction; the view rooms face the State Opera or the Albertina. As is always the case in historic buildings, the rooms and layouts vary a lot. All rooms and suites have double sinks, a bathtub and a shower, and notably good air conditioning, which is no longer something to take for granted in a European summer.

The suites are where the hotel's personality lives. Each one ties to a particular opera or composer, with a detail in the room that relates to it. The Vienna Philharmonic Suite is a two-bedroom with two master bedrooms and bathrooms, connecting through a sitting room. The first floor is the Belle Étage, the most decorated floor with the highest ceilings, because historically the lower floors were the grandest, since before elevators only staff climbed to the top. One suite has a ceiling that was discovered during renovation; it has been carefully restored.

Rooms are very quiet despite the central location, with the opera-facing rooms close enough that on a warm day with the windows open you can hear the State Opera rehearsing. There are connecting rooms across all categories, interior and exterior.

Food and beverage

The Sacher has the deepest F&B bench of the Vienna hotels. The Marble Hall serves breakfast, a buffet-and-à-la-carte combination, and the breakfast team is excellent. The original Sachertorte is the first thing you see at the buffet and yes, you can have it at breakfast. Grüne Bar is the fine-dining restaurant, also used as overflow breakfast space in the morning. There's also the Blue Bar, a cozy cocktail bar that serves dinner late so guests can eat after a concert, with a piano player in the evenings.

One thing to know for hotel guests: the Café Sacher is famously hard to get into, and the queue is brutal. As a hotel guest you can have the concierge handle it.

Spa and fitness

The spa is small but I was told their therapists are quite good - germanically firm and quite intense if you like that. The product lines are Royal Fern (a German doctor brand) and Seed to Skin (an Italian line built on wine-grape seeds), and the team does good massages and facials. The fitness area is compact, a few Life Fitness machines, gets the job done but not a destination.

Service

This is the Sacher's real differentiator and it's worth dwelling on. The Clefs d'Or concierge team is well known beyond Vienna, deeply networked, and gets sold-out things done, including the New Year's Concert. But the thing that genuinely sets the service apart: every employee has a personal allowance to spend on improving a guest's experience, no manager approval needed. The example I was given: a waiter overheard guests mention they liked a particular musician, and on his own he arranged tickets to that musician's show as a gift during their stay.

The one real caveat, and it's a significant one: the public spaces are on the smaller side and they are VERY crowded. This is a working Viennese institution and a tourist destination in its own right, the café is a global pilgrimage site, and the lobby and public areas reflect that.

How it compares in Vienna / Who is it for

Hotel Sacher Vienna is the most iconic and historic choice, famous for old Vienna glamour, deeply personal and empowered service, and its direct connection to the original Sachertorte, but it feels older and more formal (in style and clientele) than the newer luxury competitors, and the public spaces are crowded in a way the others are not. It's the pick for those who want the genuine historic Vienna institution, who value intensely personal service over contemporary design. The Sacher also has sister properties in Salzburg and an Alpine wellness resort in Seefeld near Innsbruck, which makes a multi-stop Austria itinerary easy to keep under one family's roof.

Rosewood Vienna feels the most contemporary and design driven of Vienna's top luxury hotels, with a polished residential vibe, arguably the best location in the old town, and a younger luxury traveler clientele that wants understated elegance instead of old world formality.

Park Hyatt Vienna is the grandest and most physically impressive of the modern options, set inside a converted imperial era bank with huge rooms and a famous vault pool spa, and a more traditional "serious luxury hotel" feel than Rosewood or Amauris.

Mandarin Oriental, Vienna is the newest entrant and leans heavily into discreet Asian-style service and calm sophistication, making it the best fit if you care more about service culture and serenity, though it sits on the Ringstrasse, less central than these, with smaller rooms.

The Amauris Vienna (Relais & Châteaux) is the boutique insider favorite, offering a much smaller and more intimate experience with extremely personalized service, newly renovated interiors, and a quieter luxury feel that many luxury travelers now prefer over the bigger brands.

The Mandarin Oriental, Vienna opened December 2025 in a heritage-protected early-1900s building originally used as a commercial courthouse. The court occupied it for nearly a century, moved out in 2003, and the building sat empty and changed hands several times before the current owner (Briesen Group, a German/Austrian/Swiss real estate company, this is their first hotel and their first in Austria) spent roughly a decade turning it into a hotel. It was a full gut renovation: aside from the protected facade and a handful of preserved historic elements, the interior was ripped out and rebuilt new. There are 138 rooms including 52 suites. The design is a three-way mix: Viennese historic character, Mandarin's Asian heritage, and contemporary luxury. In my opinion it’s the most serene of Vienna's top hotels. I personally really loved the aesthetic here - it’s a beautifully done hotel and I was honestly impressed with the service at this early of a stage.

About me

I'm a travel advisor and a parent of three kids. I travel 12+ weeks a year, almost always with my children, so I evaluate every property through the dual lens of an advisor and a parent. Vienna is, to me, a city for kids that are 10+ and who are into art/music/walking around looking at old stuff. My kids are decidedly not so I left them at home.

Location and getting there

First district, central and walkable. The immediate Golden Quarter blocks around Rosewood and Park Hyatt are spectacular but also the busiest, most tourist-dense, most foot-trafficked part of Vienna; stepping out the door there means stepping into the crowds. Mandarin's position gives you a calmer, more residential, more everyday-elegant slice of the first district, while still keeping the major sights within an easy walk and quick tram or metro access for anything farther out.

Accommodations

Two entry-level room categories, Superior (first floor only) and Deluxe (throughout), then a larger Mandarin room category, then suites. If your primary interest is room size, Park Hyatt generally has the biggest rooms, with Rosewood a close second and Mandarin the most compact of the modern three. But Mandarin's entry suite over-delivers: you get a true one-bedroom suite at junior-suite money, which makes the suite tier, not the rooms, the right place to book Mandarin IMO. The rooms are beautiful, with lots of natural light, big windows and lovely soft pastel colors.

One thing I have always appreciated about Mandarin Oriental as a brand is that they are generally very family friendly and list their family connecting rooms on their sites, and this hotel is no exception. They sell "family rooms" as a bookable category (room-to-room, suite-to-room, suite-to-suite), visible on the website, and the connection is guaranteed at the time of booking.

Food and beverage

This is the most distinctive F&B setup in Vienna and it takes a second to explain. It's essentially one large open space with multiple concepts in different zones, branded Atelier 7, all under a glass dome that floods it with daylight and turns moody and dark at night. The all-day dining outlet is an elevated brasserie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (I didn’t take any pics of food except my roll which was insane, but overall it was very good). Within Atelier 7 there's also a Viennese-coffee-culture cafe with in-house pastries, an Izakaya and bar (Oriental heritage, with a cocktail menu inspired by Belvedere Museum art pieces), and the fine-dining outlet, a fish-and-seafood-focused set menu from Austrian executive chef Thomas Seifried, who spent years at the Ritz-Carlton's Blue by Eric Ripert on Grand Cayman. The fine dining runs only three evenings a week with 16 to 20 covers, so reservations are essential. The single-open-space concept is unusual; however the service and food we had was very good.

Spa and fitness

This is Mandarin's competitive advantage in Vienna: very few hotels in this segment have a pool or real spa, and Mandarin has both. The combined spa and gym area is about 8,000 sq ft, with roughly 1,000 sq ft of that gym alone, which is large for a city hotel. Indoor pool, sauna and steam integrated into the changing rooms plus a separate Finnish sauna, ladies-only and gents-only saunas, a relaxation area, and seven treatment rooms, which is a serious treatment count. Spa product lines are 111SKIN, Wildsmith, and Swiss Perfection. Spa and gym access is included for all guests in the room rate. The whole wellness floor is below grade but uses artificial-daylight windows so effectively that the team joked it was brighter down there than outside in winter. The pool has children's hours.

Service

This is a pre-opening team that built the property from the ground up, and you can feel the pride and the polish. Mandarin's service signature is the brand's calling card, and my early read here is the discreet, calm, serene style the brand is known for, executed at a high level even six months in.

How it compares in Vienna / Who is it for

Mandarin Oriental, Vienna is the newest entrant and leans heavily into discreet Asian-style service and calm sophistication, making it the best fit if you care more about service culture and serenity than old-world grandeur or buzz. It has one of the best wellness offerings of any Vienna luxury hotel (pool, large spa, seven treatment rooms), good family connecting inventory, and a genuinely distinctive single-space dining concept, but it sits slightly off the prime old-town axis.

Rosewood Vienna feels the most contemporary and design driven of Vienna's top luxury hotels, with a polished residential vibe, arguably the best location in the old town, and a younger luxury traveler clientele that wants understated elegance instead of old world formality.

Park Hyatt Vienna is the grandest and most physically impressive of the modern options, set inside a converted imperial era bank with huge rooms and a famous vault pool spa, and a more traditional "serious luxury hotel" feel than Rosewood or Mandarin.

Hotel Sacher Vienna is the most iconic and historic choice, famous for old Vienna glamour, deeply personal empowered service, and its connection to the original Sachertorte, but it feels older and more formal than the newer competitors, and its public spaces are very crowded.

Hotel Imperial is a grand historic institution, a former palace on the Ring with preserved imperial interiors and butler service in top suites, the Sacher's true rival for old-world prestige, but heritage-first with small standard rooms that are starting to show their age, and no real spa.

The Amauris Vienna (Relais & Châteaux) is the boutique insider favorite, offering a much smaller, more intimate experience with extremely personalized service and a quieter luxury feel that many travelers now prefer over the bigger brands.

I’m doing an AMA with Etienne Haro, the GM of Cambridge House, Auberge Resorts Collection’s first UK property, and I’ll also be getting a hard hat tour before opening.

So I wanted to post a primer first- drop your questions for Etienne below and he will answer them tomorrow morning during our hard hat tour.

The building

Cambridge House was built between 1756 and 1761 for the 2nd Earl of Egremont, originally called Egremont House. It later became associated with the Duke of Cambridge, a son of George III, who lived there from 1829 to 1850.

Lord Palmerston then owned it until his death in 1865, and during that period the house became a political power center while he served as prime minister.

From the late 1800s until 1999 it housed the Naval and Military Club, nicknamed the “In and Out” after the carriage signage at the gates. Members over the years included Ian Fleming, Rudyard Kipling, and T.E. Lawrence.

Then it effectively collapsed into limbo.

The club sold the property in 1996. After years of failed redevelopment attempts, bankruptcy, and neglect, the building fell into serious disrepair. By the time the Reuben Brothers acquired it out of receivership in 2011 for a reported £130 million, the building was in remarkably poor condition.

Why it’s opening now

This building spent roughly 25 years trapped between failed redevelopment schemes, bankruptcies, planning battles, heritage constraints, financing issues, and the general difficulty of turning a Grade I-listed Mayfair mansion into a functioning modern luxury hotel.

At the same time, the broader Piccadilly Estate redevelopment around it was gradually taking shape. The Reuben Brothers were building out the surrounding residential and retail ecosystem, including One Carrington and Shepherd Market holdings, and Cambridge House increasingly became the missing anchor piece tying the wider vision together.

The other reason is timing on Auberge’s side.
Auberge has been aggressively expanding internationally and looking for exactly this type of property: iconic building, limited keys, heavy food and beverage positioning, strong wellness component, and enough cultural weight to function as a flagship rather than simply another hotel.

What it wants to be

The food program is probably the clearest signal of what they want this property to be and I’m sure some of you are going to have some opinions here.

The signature restaurant, Major’s Grill, is a partnership with Major Food Group, the New York group behind Carbone, Torrisi, ZZ’s, and Sadelle’s.

MFG also operates Carbone at Chancery Rosewood, which opened in London in 2025, so this feels like a serious long-term Mayfair push from them.

The other piece here is that Cambridge House will simultaneously operate as a hotel, a members’ club, and a residential property. There’s also a subterranean club component in the mix.

The spa also sounds unusually ambitious for central London.

Double-level spa inspired by Roman bathhouses, hydrotherapy circuits, two heated pools, treatment rooms, wet zones, heat rooms, gym, studios, and a circular relaxation lounge with a fire pit.

Two pools inside a Grade I-listed Mayfair mansion is very unusual.

Location-wise, it’s hard to beat: 94 Piccadilly, between Green Park and Shepherd Market, basically across from The Ritz.

Etienne Haro is the GM. He previously led The Mark in New York and has also worked at Burj Al Arab and La Mamounia, so some serious management chops.

Final notes

What I genuinely find interesting here is whether Auberge can successfully translate its relaxed, experiential resort DNA into one of the most status-conscious luxury hotel markets in the world. So tell me what you think and what you want to know!

I visited Vienna with a close friend of mine this past week; we went to basically all of the 5* in town and I am grateful to her for letting me drag her around the city, unpacking and repacking while exploring the life and times of some sad royals and tortured artists, while also seeing what hotels the city has to offer.

The Park Hyatt Vienna opened in 2014 inside the former Hungarian and Austrian Monarchy bank, in the Goldenes Quartier. It’s a monumental protected, landmarked building. There are 146 rooms including 42 suites over roughly six floors. The bank history is apparent throughout the design: the main restaurant is the old cash hall with the original stained glass left intact, the spa pool sits inside a former vault, and there’s a wood-clad elevator that once served only the bank directors. An art nouveau influence (shapes, colors, mother-of-pearl detailing) layers over all of it. This is the grandest and most physically impressive of the hotels we stayed in.

About me
I’m a travel advisor and a parent of three kids. I travel 12+ weeks a year, almost always with my children, so I evaluate every property through the dual lens of an advisor and a parent. Vienna is, to me, a city for kids that are 10+ and who are into art/music/walking around looking at old stuff. My kids are decidedly not so I left them at home.

Location and getting there
This is probably the best located, along with the Rosewood, for tourist activities. The square in front, Am Hof, hosts one of the city’s Christmas markets, so in season you step out the door and you’re in it. Vienna International Airport is about 20 to 30 minutes by car.

Accommodations
Entry categories start around 35 to 39 sq m but due to the high ceilings they felt bigger to me. Every room has both a bathtub and a shower. The rooms here are darker and more traditional feeling than Rosewood, more old-world than contemporary, and the bathrooms are noticeably smaller.

Pro tip the team gave me: many guests almost always ask for the highest floor expecting the best views, but here the lower floors are the prize, because the older the building, the higher the ceilings on the first few floors. The Presidential Suite is on the second floor for exactly this reason, with ceilings around seven meters. The rooms feel materially more spacious down low than up high.

Rooms are quiet, water pressure and housekeeping were both very good.

For families, there are around 34 connecting possibilities, both interior and exterior. The most common setup is a twin/twin bedroom connecting to a king. Of all the five stars, this hotel has the most connecting options at the best value.

Food and beverage
Bank Brasserie and Bar is the main restaurant and the social heart of the hotel, set in the old cash hall. I appreciated seeing locals come for business lunches and after-work drinks. Open layout, buffet and kitchen on one side, bar on the other, best seat dead center. The breakfast buffet was so good, and I normally do not like breakfast buffets. Service at breakfast was great too.

Spa and fitness
The spa is a standout, with the centerpiece being the 50-meter indoor pool inside the former bank vault, original vault plate still in place, with classical music piped underwater. About 1,000 sq m total: steam room, sauna, separate women’s sauna, and six treatment rooms including one couple’s room. The gym is well equipped and spacious for a city hotel, with a view onto the pool, and they recently added a cryo chamber (I didn’t try but it was the subject of a lot of conversations so apparently this is a big deal). The pool has children’s hours in the morning as well.

Service
Warm, polished, and notably tenured. We really enjoyed the staff here, from bell team to concierge, and the concierge team gave us amazing dining recommendations and was helpful at every turn. The parting gift was a Vienna snow globe (invented here, still made here), and since my kids collect them and I’d been meaning to grab some before I left, that one felt like a very lovely touch.

How it compares in Vienna / Who is it for

Park Hyatt Vienna is the grandest and most physically impressive option, set inside a converted imperial era bank with huge rooms, a famous vault pool spa, and a more traditional “serious luxury hotel” feel than Rosewood or Amauris.

Rosewood Vienna feels the most contemporary and design driven of Vienna’s top luxury hotels, with a polished residential vibe, arguably the best location in the old town, and a younger luxury traveler clientele that wants understated elegance instead of old world formality.

Mandarin Oriental, Vienna is the newest entrant and leans heavily into discreet Asian-style service and calm sophistication, making it the best fit if you care more about service culture and serenity, though it sits on the Ringstrasse, less central than these two, with smaller rooms.

Hotel Sacher Vienna is the most iconic and historic choice, famous for old Vienna glamour, impeccable traditional service, and its direct connection to the original Sachertorte, but it feels older and formal (both in style and clientele) than the newer luxury competitors.

The Amauris Vienna (Relais & Châteaux) is the boutique insider favorite, offering a much smaller and more intimate experience with extremely personalized service, newly renovated interiors, and a quieter luxury feel that many luxury travelers now prefer over the bigger brands.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I visited Vienna with a close friend of mine this past week; we went to basically all of the 5* in town and I am grateful to her for letting me drag her around the city, unpacking and repacking while exploring the life and times of some sad royals and tortured artists, while also seeing what hotels the city has to offer.

The Rosewood Vienna opened in summer 2022 as their fifth European property, housed in 4 historic buildings. There are roughly 100 rooms, suites, and houses. The interiors play on Viennese art nouveau, Josef Hoffmann straight lines softened with round shapes, gold touches nodding to the Secession and Klimt, horse motifs for the Spanish Riding School, and lobby vases colored after the Danube. All rooms have hardwood floors with a rug only at the bed. Stucco ceilings in the suites. It’s a beautiful place and stylistically the one I liked best of all the hotels we stayed in. Guests here are relaxed, discreet, well-dressed, mostly mid-thirties and up.

About me

I’m a travel advisor and a parent of three kids. I travel 12+ weeks a year, almost always with my children, so I evaluate every property through the dual lens of an advisor and a parent. Vienna is, to me, a city for kids that are 10+ and who are into art/music/walking around looking at old stuff. My kids are decidedly not so I left them at home.

Location and getting there

This is probably the best located, along with the Park Hyatt, for tourist activities. There's also a complimentary house car on availability for short hops in the center (which we used and was great to take to the main train station at the end of our stay). Everything in the historic core is walkable from the door.

Accommodations

Entry categories rooms are Deluxe and Premier (roughly 36 to 49 sq m), then six Suites, then the Houses. I was in a Premier and it was a lovely room: hardwood floors, art nouveau fabrics, a beautiful bathroom. About 10 rooms face the interior courtyard (don’t advise these), the rest are city-view.

The suites are the headline. The St. Peter's Suite has canted floor-to-ceiling windows looking straight at Peterskirche from both the bedroom and the living room. The St. Stephen's Suites sit on the building's corner with Old City and cathedral views. The Hofburg Suites face the palace directly. View suites have the view confirmed in the suite name, so if a you’re booking specifically for the view, that's how you lock it. Everything else is city-view but not framed on the landmarks.

The Houses are the top of the inventory and they're spectacular. Three Signature Houses (around 900 sq m, one bedroom, connecting to an adjacent room via an open corridor), then named houses: Trehill House, Graben House, and Hoffmann House, which is the Presidential and the crown jewel.

The rooms are spacious for European hotels and are also quiet - we experienced no street noise despite the passing of many horse drawn carriages, lots of orchestra and brass music playing outside etc. Water pressure was also excellent, and housekeeping was very good.

Pro tip: There is a large, secret cabinet just off the reception area that you can borrow all kinds of toys and games for your stay. Throughout the hotel there are little glass dishes with delicious local candy (dangerous!) and a salon off the reception area to sit and work/have coffee.

For families, there are quite a few connecting room options here, both interior and exterior.

Food and beverage

There is one restaurant at the hotel, plus a bar and a speakeasy.

Neue Hoheit Restaurant is the rooftop dining room under sloping glass, Austrian cuisine with international touches. The setting is the best in the building. Neue Hoheit Bar is the day-drinking version: Champagne, cocktails, oysters from early afternoon. Honest take: the views and the room carry it, and the food is fine and expensive - I love Viennese food and the city has no shortage of options; it’s perfectly fine for breakfast but there are so many good options nearby within easy walking distance. If you do dine, ask to be seated where you can see the view.

Spa and fitness

The spa is Asaya, Rosewood's wellness concept, and was the first Asaya in Europe. Two floors: four treatment rooms, a relaxation area, sauna, steam bath. The gym is incredible if only for the view. It may be among my favorites I’ve been in just for that.

Service

Warm, professional, and notably young and earnest. The team is largely a Vienna cluster with a few standouts (Gregor - one of the concierge team is amazing). The concierge team is helpful and well connected with the music scene in town.

How it compares in Vienna / Who is it for

Rosewood Vienna feels the most contemporary and design driven of Vienna’s top luxury hotels, with a polished residential vibe, arguably the best location in the old town, and a younger luxury traveler clientele that wants understated elegance instead of old world formality.

Park Hyatt Vienna is the grandest and most physically impressive option, set inside a converted imperial era bank with huge rooms, a famous vault pool spa, and a more traditional “serious luxury hotel” feel than Rosewood or Amauris.

Mandarin Oriental, Vienna is the newest entrant and leans heavily into discreet Asian-style service and calm sophistication, making it the best fit if you care more about service culture and serenity.

Hotel Sacher Vienna is the most iconic and historic choice, famous for old Vienna glamour, impeccable traditional service, and its direct connection to the original Sachertorte, but it feels older and formal (both in style and clientele) than the newer luxury competitors.

The Amauris Vienna (Relais & Châteaux) is the boutique insider favorite, offering a much smaller and more intimate experience with extremely personalized service, newly renovated interiors, and a quieter luxury feel that many luxury travelers now prefer over the bigger brands.

My question to you all last week got me thinking: What’s the best FAT (or zaftig/chubby) hotel with a great family pool? Bonus if it has a waterslide.

I visited St. Regis Punta Mita at the end of March with my kids. Quick context for anyone who follows my posts: I stayed at the Four Seasons Punta Mita on the same trip, and the natural question for anyone considering the area is which of the two resorts is the better fit. After this trip, my answer is that they're both excellent and the right choice depends entirely on what you want out of the stay. The St. Regis is smaller, more design-forward, and meaningfully more polished than it was three years ago. If you've ruled it out as "the adult-only option" based on old intel, it's worth a fresh look.

About me

I'm a luxury travel advisor and a parent of three kids. I travel 12+ weeks a year, almost always with my children, so I evaluate every property through the dual lens of an advisor and a parent.

Property overview

The resort opened in 2009, sits on 22 oceanfront acres inside the same gated 1,500-acre Punta Mita peninsula as the Four Seasons, and just completed a $45 million property-wide renovation timed to its 15th anniversary in 2024. Phase one wrapped in early 2023 (lobby, eight Ocean Front Beach Villas, Las Marietas restaurant, the Marietas Pool and beach, Altamira Lobby Bar, outdoor wedding spaces). Phase two finished out the rest of the rooms, suites, the Beach Club, and the Remède Spa.

The renovation incorporated travertine marble, blown glass, clay tiles, hammered brass, and silk rugs. The aesthetic is what they're calling Mexican-Mediterranean, with hacienda-style arched patios and commissioned pieces from Mexican artisans like Perla Valtierra (Guadalajara) and Caralarga. I really loved the style. It felt both authentic to the place but wonderfully fresh and new.

Total inventory is 120 rooms, including five new residential-style beachfront villas. Two-story buildings only, no tower. Every room faces the ocean.

Location and getting there

Fly into Puerto Vallarta (PVR). The drive is about 45 minutes. Punta Mita is a gated community with double entry (community gate plus hotel gate), and the only resorts inside are the Four Seasons and St. Regis (with Pendry and Montage planned for 2027/2028, which I'll believe when I see).

Accommodations

Four room categories. They're easy to keep straight, which I appreciated:

1. Casita (entry level). Either one king or two queens. Ground floor or second floor, both with ocean views.
2. Junior Suite. Larger casita layout with a sitting area attached. Bedroom not separated from the living space.
3. One-Bedroom Suite. Bedroom is fully separated from the living space
4. Villa. Five total, beachfront, residential-style. One, two, and three bedrooms. The three-bedroom Presidential Villa sleeps up to ten.

What's standard across all rooms: butler service (even at the entry level), bathtub plus indoor and outdoor shower, espresso machine, walk-in closet, ocean view (some are partial garden, but all face the ocean), thoughtful local-product minibar (handmade beers from Bucerías, artisanal chocolates made for the brand).

There are 35 connecting rooms total. Casita-to-casita connectors are configured one king to two queens. Suites can connect to a casita as either one king or two queens, your pick. Suites are always one king on their own. For families with three or four kids, the two-bedroom villa was my favorite: full kitchen, plunge pool, jacuzzi, lounge area where they'll set up a private barbecue dinner if you want one. Three full bathrooms means kids don't have to share, which (as anyone with multiple kids knows) is its own form of luxury.

My recommendation for most families: connecting casitas on the ground floor. Easier with younger kids, you get the same view, and the property is so walkable that "ocean access" isn't a meaningful differentiator.

Food and beverage

Six restaurants under Executive Chef Pablo Arias, who came on with the renovation:

Carolina is the signature. Contemporary Mexican fine dining with five-course and seven-course tasting menus plus à la carte.

Mita Mary Boat Bar & Bistro is the toes-in-the-sand taqueria and the property's best casual outlet. Shrimp tacos, octopus, fish tacos, ceviche, lobster specials, cold beer. One of the waiters overheard me talking about how I really needed a taco because I was starving after a long day of travel and he brought me a complimentary plate. Service and tacos were 10/10. This place also gets booked up with outside guests- it is popular for a reason.

Las Marietas is the main breakfast and lunch restaurant. Renovated as part of phase one. Buffet breakfast with an omelette and quesadilla station, ceviche bar, fresh juices. It's actually a very strong buffet, which I generally don't say about hotel buffets.

Sea Breeze is the all-day pool and beach restaurant. Lunch is casual (burgers, sandwiches, salads, empanadas, quesadillas, served pool and beach side). Dinner shifts to a trattoria concept with wood-fired pizzas and pastas. Cozy, family-friendly.

Sushi Por Casona (the sixth outlet) is at the adults-only pool. Nikkei cuisine, sushi, sashimi, poke bowls. Open 24 hours for the bar with food service starting at noon.

Kids menus are available at every restaurant.

Pools, beach, spa, fitness

Three pool areas, all renovated in the project:

• Marietas Pool is the new family pool, dual-level infinity design with views of the Marietas Islands.

All

• pools are deep so if your kids are not strong swimmers, bring floaties.
• Adults-only pool
• Sea Breeze Beach Club pool on the swimmable side of the property

(all ages).

The beach is swimmable on the right (north) side of the property. Calm water, white sand, complimentary kayaks, surfing lessons and paddleboards for rent. You can also book private boat excursions out to the Marietas Islands (the famous "hidden beach") directly from the resort beach. The left side of the property is more for relaxing than swimming.

The Remède Spa was completely renovated. Ten treatment rooms, separated humid areas for men and women, outdoor showers, dry sauna, a new Couples Spa Suite with private plunge pool and side-by-side massage tables, and a Temazcal.

The fitness center is open 24 hours and offers complimentary TRX, dance, and power jump classes (did not try but hear they are fun). Outside the resort there's a jogging trail running through the gated community.

Kids club and family programming

The Children's Club takes kids ages 5 to 12. Younger kids can use it with an adult. Activities include cooking lessons, daily handcraft activities (a $35 add-on for some craft sessions, otherwise complimentary), an afternoon movie, and a designated play room. The kids club is on the smaller side compared to the Four Seasons next door.

For teens, there's no dedicated club, but the resort can set up activities.

Service

Service feels warm, intuitive, and highly responsive without being overbearing; everything (to me) felt well-coordinated but not scripted. Every room includes butler service, which acts as a consistent point of contact throughout the stay. Requests are handled quickly, often within minutes, and the team adapts fast to guest preferences after just a short time on property.

Is this a family resort?
Yes, with context. St. Regis Punta Mita works best for families who want luxury first, with kids integrated into that environment rather than the resort being built around them.

It fits a wide age range, from young kids through teens. The kids club is strong enough that parents can comfortably carve out time alone, and the programming holds attention for children who are used to structured activities. Younger children are also well accommodated, but the experience is strongest when kids are old enough to participate independently for stretches of the day.

The beach and pool setup supports families without feeling overly communal or chaotic. Guests are spread out across the property, so even at higher occupancy it rarely feels like a heavy family scene. Dining and common spaces stay refined, but still relaxed enough that families do not feel out of place.

Water conditions vary by season and side of the peninsula, but there are typically calm, swimmable areas that work well for kids with supervision. The layout is compact enough that getting between beach, pool, and rooms feels easy, which matters more for families than raw size.

Bottom line: it is a luxury resort that accommodates families extremely well, not a family-first resort.

Final takeaways

The renovation is beautiful. St. Regis Punta Mita went from a property that was admittedly starting to feel dated to one that's holding its own against any new build in Mexico. It's smaller, quieter, and more design-forward than the Four Seasons, with the same level of service polish and a meaningfully better aesthetic point of view than it had pre-renovation. I'd go back myself with my kids.

Who this is for

• Couples and babymooners who want a polished, design-forward beach property with strong service
• Multigenerational families with older kids and grandparents traveling together
• Travelers who want a smaller-feeling resort inside a larger destination they can explore (Punta Mita village, the Marietas Islands, two Jack Nicklaus golf courses)
• Returning Punta Mita travelers who've done the Four Seasons and want a different feel

Who this is not for

• Travelers who want maximum activity programming and a constantly busy resort
• Anyone expecting cheap meals. Food is excellent and pricing reflects the renovation.
• Travelers prioritizing a teen-specific space. Four Seasons still wins on that front.

We got into a heated debate at dinner tonight trying to rank our trip goals for the next year and I thought it would be fun to ask this group:

What’s the best family hotel you’ve ever stayed at, and why? Looking for places that actually nailed it for parents and kids at the same time, not just one or the other. Bonus if there’s a waterslide.

For me the most recent best/standout was Blackberry Mountain. The kids’ programming was awesome, the hiking and activities were fun for grown ups, and the food was beloved by everyone (an unusual feat).

Property Overview

The original Kona Village opened in 1965 as one of the first three resorts on the Big Island, founded by John Jackson, who originally arrived by boat in the 1960s before there were highways out here. The road that runs through the resort was the original landing strip prior to more extensive island infrastructure.

The 2011 tsunami closed the property, and it stayed closed for 12 years before Rosewood reopened it in 2023. 150 keys (thatched-roof hales echo the original 1960s village) spread across roughly 80 acres of beachfront, structured as three villages: South Village, North Village, and Lagoon Village, with the Heart of the Village (front desk, main lawn, restaurants) in the middle. You travel between them by golf cart, walking or on the free bikes scattered throughout the property (both adult and kids sizes. They have updated the bikes with rubber chains so the issue of rust/damaged bikes seems largely solved).

It is also 100% solar-powered, with about two acres of solar panels on property and the largest privately owned microgrid in the state.

About Me

I'm a travel advisor and a parent of 3 kids. I travel 12+ weeks a year, almost always with my children, so I evaluate every property through those two lenses.

Location and Getting There

Fly into Kona International (KOA). The drive is about 15 minutes. Kona Village is one of the closest resorts to the airport on the Kohala Coast. Self-parking is included and you are not getting nickel-and-dimed on resort fees the way you are at other Hawaii properties.

The resort borders the Four Seasons Hualālai to the south. It's an easy walk between the two to get dinner.

Accommodations

The room categories are (thankfully) simple: King Hale (standalone), Two-Bedroom Hale, Four-Bedroom Suite. There is no three-bedroom. If you need more than four bedrooms, they cluster nearby hales together; multi-gen groups can effectively rent five, six, or seven rooms in close proximity.

King Hale — 850 square feet total. 650 inside, 200 on the lanai. Every King has an outdoor shower. Consistent across the property.

Two-Bedroom Hale — King side plus a living room and a queen room with a lock-off door between them. The two-bedroom we stayed in was in Lagoon Village and was very comfortable for our family of five - my kids all got their own beds.

Four-Bedroom Suites — Two types. The Presidential Four-Bedrooms are oceanfront with detached bedrooms around a large central common area, private pool, hot tub, fire pit, full kitchen, laundry room, dedicated butler. The Ohana Four-Bedrooms are more family-oriented: enclosed layout instead of detached, connected to the main building rather than scattered, sleeps up to 12. If you have small kids, choose Ohana over Presidential.

Legacy Rooms — Six rooms total, all built on the exact footprint of structures that pre-dated the tsunami. Grandfathered in closer to the water than the current 60-foot setback rule would otherwise allow. They look slightly different from the rest of the inventory but they get you the closest to the ocean of any room category.

My recommendation: South Village beachfront. White sand on this side, angled slightly more toward sunset. The North Village has black sand and faces northwest with views of Maui across the channel, also lovely, but the rooms sit higher above the water, so you lose the direct ocean access the South Village provides.

Food and Beverage

Moana — main restaurant. Breakfast and dinner. Closed for lunch. Located right at the main beach. Food was fine.

Kahuwai Cookhouse — dinner spot. Hosts the weekly Pulehu Night every Thursday — Hawaiian cowboy cookout, all-you-can-eat, kiawe-smoked steaks and lobster and crab and poke, oysters, sides, live music. No reservation required but suggested. We thought the food was great and the service was good here.

Paniolo Night — once a month, usually the third Thursday, at the event center near the lagoon. Same concept as Paniolo Night but bigger. Horses for the kids, fire dancers. Effectively their luau.

Island Roots — twice weekly (Wednesday and Saturday), 28 guests max, in the Kiawe Grove. Traditional imu pit, communal long-table seating, family-style. Two property executives host. The head chef cooks on the open fire in front of you. Adults only. If you can swing the timing, this is a fun dinner to attend.

Kahuwai Market — casual daytime spot for coffee and snacks in the Heart of the Village.

Talk Story Bar — main bar, also in the Heart.

Shipwreck Bar — small bar built on the actual ship that belonged to founder John Jackson. He had it parked in the bay in the early 1970s, the bilge was open, it sank, and they brought it up too damaged to repair, so they made it into a bar.

Service

A mixed bag.

The property sat closed for 12 years so the team was hired entirely from scratch after the reopening: nobody coming over from prior tenure, no muscle memory on the property. That's a meaningful structural challenge. They are still working through it.

What we experienced:

The resort was at capacity when we were there. It did not feel crowded except at Moana breakfast, where service was slow. Not catastrophic, but slow enough to notice every morning, and some things took longer than I wanted to arrive; a golf cart scheduled for a pickup for dinner next door, responses to texts I sent the concierge, etc.

Things that were good: In-room dining was fast. Genuinely impressive turnaround (although does anyone else have the same problem as me in that their kids never freaking eat it??!). Pool service was good - they kept the food and drinks coming.

Spa treatment was solid.

We also overheard a couple arguing because the husband hadn't made dinner reservations; a staff member quickly jumped in and offered to find them a spot to dine. I thought that was pretty smooth. We had several managers stop by to greet us throughout our stay, and if we mentioned anything to them that needed addressing it was taken care of immediately.

This is a young property staffed by a young team. They take feedback well — the GM and Managing Director both made it a point to ask for honest feedback during my stay, and I saw them around the property every day we were there - interacting with guests, helping with staff, and present and available if someone needed them.

Beach and Activities

The Big Island is mostly rocky/lava coastline, and Kona Village has a good sand stretch in the South Village plus a separate small black-sand swimmable cove in the North Village. We loved the snorkeling and the rafts. This beach is most fun if you and your kids are strong swimmers. The water is generally calm but the waves can pick up, and the snorkeling rewards getting out a bit. My kids loved it.

Kids Club was good - my kids were happy there and there were a lot of kids who participated so it was pretty fun for everyone. Complimentary as part of the resort fee, no appointment needed, runs five hours a day, ages 5-11. Shave ice, lei making, swimming/snorkeling, lots of organized activities.

Fitness center - solid.

All ocean activities (sunrise canoe, snorkel gear, paddle boards, kayaks) are complimentary, as are spa facilities (cold plunge, hot tub, sauna, steam room), even without a treatment booked, Tennis and pickleball, Self-parking, Pool cabanas at both pools, adults and family.

Two pools:

Adult pool with hot tub on top and lap pool below.

Moana family pool. Two big hot tubs flanking it, plus a sand-bottom splash pad area that is perfect for younger kids. Right across from the Kids Club.

Spa

The spa facility is beautiful. The treatment rooms look out over the lava rocks. The communal spaces (cold plunge, sauna, steam, hot tub, indoor shower, outdoor shower) are open to all guests without a treatment booked.

Is This a Family Hotel?

Yes, but it depends on the age and independence of your kids.

We saw a mix of families, couples, and babymooners. The detached hales are nice for keeping noise out and making sure guests have privacy, and the resort is spread out enough that it never feels overrun with kids.

Where it becomes more specific is logistics. This is a large property. You are walking, biking or using a golf cart to get most places, and you are not casually running back to your room mid-day. The beach is beautiful but the water can be rough.

IMO, it works best for families with kids 5 and up who can bike, and who are confident swimmers, comfortable being active throughout the day. Otherwise if you’re coming with a baby ask for a hale near the Moana pool so you’re not too far of a walk back to your place.

Final Takeaways

The land, the architecture, the history, and the beach are all reasons to come. So is the sustainability profile, the included amenities, with the caveat that service is still catching up to the rest of the operation. Still - I will be back.

Who This Is For

Multi-generational families who want big, distinct accommodations with private pools, butlers, and full kitchens.

Travelers who care about architecture, history, and sustainability as part of what they are paying for.

Outdoors-oriented travelers who want the ability to see active volcanoes, lava fields, black/green/white sand beaches on one island, Mauna Kea stargazing at 14,000 feet, snorkeling with manta rays, the most varied ecosystems in the chain (you can drive from desert to rainforest to alpine in a day).

Strong swimmers and snorkelers who want a good beach in Hawaii.

Travelers who want included amenities (cabanas, kids club, watersports, spa facilities)

Who This Is Not For

Those with very young or non-swimming/biking kids who need a swimmable beach.

Those expecting flawless service. (Hawaii in general is not the place for that IMO)

Anyone who wants nightlife or off-property action. The Big Island is wild, rugged and much quieter than Maui or Oahu.