Traveling with two kids to Hard Rock Puerto Vallarta. Tips on how to travel with kids!
The boys and I got back a few weeks ago from the pretty Hard Rock Puerto Vallarta and I’m still thinking about the fun and the sun! It was my first trip traveling to somewhere tropical by myself and the two boys and we survived! Not only did I want to share the things I loved about Hard Rock Puerto Vallarta, but I also wanted to share my top 5 tips on traveling as a single parent!
Full review of the hotel will be on the bottom of this post!
{1} This one is obvious, but as a first time traveler with the kiddos you may not know. Be prepared for flight time with snacks, coloring books and Ipads with movies they want to watch. Right now all flights vary on TV availability. So far, none of the ones we’ve taken have individual TV’s per seat so the Ipads are a miracle worker. Plus I got a headphone splitter so that both boys could watch one Ipad if needed!
{2} In my carry on, I always bring an extra set of clothes for all of us. Since we were going to Mexico I also packed their suits in it. I’ve had my luggage lost before so I’ve learned to ALWAYS carry on at least one outfit and anything needed right after we land.
{3} During the trip I made the boys take naps everyday so that they would not be crabby at dinner and I let them stay up a hour longer. The night time shows at Hard Rock were great and the kids loved them. With all the swimming they did daily, the naps were much needed although they don’t take naps at home.
{4} If you can, bring a floaty or toys for the water and choose a resort that has a kiddie pool section or kids club. All these things helped with adding to their fun and this Hard Rock had a slide that was super kid friendly. Hours were spent on the slide.
Polka Dot Dress | Heart Sunglasses | Similar shoes
{5} Be prepared to be exhausted, deal with tantrums, and lots of smiles and laughs. We stuck to a schedule of pool/lunch/pool/nap/pool/dinner/show every night. Schedules and organization help me feel less exhausted. At nap time, I napped too!
On to this wonderful hotel that was the perfect family spot for us!
POOL: There was one main pool (as seen by the first photo) and another that was to the side of it and a few mini pools for the kids. This made it really easy for the kids to play and this mama got to hang out on the comfy chairs and relax every once in a while. I loved that there was not a RUSH to get chairs, it was fairly easy to get three together even after 10am (unusual for a resort). Towels were easy to pick up and the pool service was AMAZING. They came by all the time offering drinks. I never had a problem getting a drink or help.
Hat | Romper | Bag | Sunglasses | Similar shoes
On the beach and by the pool were these cabanas that rented out for $100 a day (not bad at all). They looked fabulous, but since I had the two kids I couldn’t lounge in it and enjoy it as they wanted to be in the pool.
Bikini Top | Bottom | One piece version
My oldest did an incredible job taking photos! And here is my little one who just turned four. We had so much fun together, with a little of bit of bumps, but overall such great quality time together.
Our favorite spot to dine at was the Brazilian restaurant Ipanema! My oldest turned 6 and they came around to wish him happy birthday with the largest candles.
Restaurants: The hotel offers 5 spots to dine and a to go pizza place by the pool. Since it is an all-inclusive resort you can eat at any time! We dined at the Brazilian restaurant twice and we also loved the Mexican restaurant (the fresh guacamole was to die for.) For lunch we mostly ate from the outside grill where we did simple things like hot dogs and hamburgers. The food was good and the variety was nice. I definitely recommend getting the guacamole and the fish at the Mexican restaurant, saving your appetite for the Brazilian affair with a ton of meat, and breakfast at the Market. See the full list of spots here.
Tassel Coverup also love this similar here
Kids club: So this is a photo of the outside of the kids club. They have arcade games and planned activities daily with supervision. My kids did not want to go, so this momma stayed with her kiddos. I am hoping when the get a little older they might enjoy this amenity, but for now I feel lucky they would rather spend time with me :)! It is a great perk to have a kids club as it’s free. If you travel with a significant other, you can get some free time alone for dinner or just to lounge.
My boys are only 6 and 4 years of age. With the changes that have gone on this year, I am trying to do the best I can to keep them happy, positive and know that I love them more than anything. This trip was a much needed time to bond, relax and keep this year a happy year. Thank you to the Hard Rock for the wonderful stay and memories that will be with me forever.
Beach: The beach was pretty, sand was soft, and plenty of comfy chair as well. We ventured out to walk and step into the ocean a little, but my kids are more pool guys. If you are a beach person, it is fantastic and I definitely recommend it to you.
Room: We had a two double beds in a deluxe room with a view of the pool (the first photo was taken outside our deck). We had a spa tub (which we didn’t use) a small deck, and a stocked fridge full of drinks. The beds were comfy, they cleaned our room twice a day, and it was a good amount of space for our stuff. The bathroom is smaller but overall, it was a good average sized room.
Overall resort: It was a great getaway from us. 4 nights was perfect, the flight was a little over 4 hours and the resort is close to the airport (less than 30 min). We loved the pool and service was fantastic. We stayed at the resort the whole time and enjoyed the amenities. The night time shows were fantastic! There was one night where they had a Mexican themed outdoor feast and the food was fabulous. The resort is pretty, clean, and easy to walk around in. It was not a large resort so walking around from place to place was easy. I’m a big fan of smaller properties, this resort was in between a boutique and a larger corporate one.
I definitely recommend the Hard Rock chain for family vacations. Last year we went to Hard Rock Riviera May (review post here) and this year we did Puerto Vallarta. Can’t wait to see where I’m headed next. This year has already been incredible in the opportunities I’ve been offered.
As always, any questions, let me know! xoxo
