Tropical Paradise

Celebrity favorite Mexican resort offers ultra-luxe amenities and topnotch service

Even if you’ve never been to Punta de Mita, the name likely strikes a chord thanks to a long list of celebrities, including Tom Cruise, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Rihanna and Jessica Simpson, who have kept the Mexican hotspot in the tabloid headlines.

The lush peninsula, nested in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit where the Banderas Bay and the Pacific Ocean meet, is home to gated development Punta Mita. Behind the guarded entry is a tropical paradise of white-sand beaches and turquoise waters and the famed Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita.

It’s all about you
Soak-up-the-sun frolicking begins at the free-form infinity-edge pool with striking views of the Pacific Ocean, where you’ll spot dolphins and humpback whales during their seasonal migration. Or you can lounge at the adult-oriented pool complex featuring a main pool and a plunge pool and which boasts 10 private cabanas and a full bar with a lavish bites menu that includes sushi and caviar.

The amenity-rich retreat prides itself on fulfilling your every request. Cool off with a frozen piña colada without ever getting out of the water courtesy of a drink-fetching pool butler. Need to clear your sunglasses of sand and water while you lounge? Merely hand over your shades to a sunglass-polishing attendant.

Enjoy frolicking at the free-form infinity-edge pool with striking views of the Pacific Ocean.

There’s never a dull moment with an assortment of classes and lessons, including scuba diving, windsurfing, salsa dancing, stand-up paddle boarding and more. Sign up for tequila class and learn how to distinguish tequila from mescal.

Hit the links
The Pacifico Golf Course offers world-class play designed by Jack Nicklaus. Spread over 200 acres of rolling hills and flowering landscapes, eight holes border either the Pacific Ocean or Banderas Bay, offering picturesque ocean views.

Take your golf game to a new level with the optional Hole 3B. Dubbed “the Tail of the Whale,” the unique par-three, 19th hole is one of only a handful of natural island greens in the world. Tee off from a natural rock outcropping with a green designed in the shape of a whale's tail and an oceanside tee on the beach situated 199 yards off the coast.

Take your best shot as you aim for the putting green set on a natural offshore island. Get a lift to the green in an amphibious golf cart.

Weather proof
And when the weather doesn’t cooperate, seek refuge at the state-of-the-art fitness facility with yoga classes and the latest cardio and weight-training equipment. Better yet, head to the on-property spa where you can indulge in a facial, manicure, pedicure and signature Punta Mita massage, which incorporates agave tequila (lathered on your back, stomach and feet) and traditional Mexican healing techniques.

Family time
The ultra-luxe resort caters to well-heeled singles and family units alike. Inner tube or noodle along to the mild current of the lazy river, the third pool option, which encircles an all-family building with 23 rooms and suites.

Kids will also enjoy nature trails, an outdoor playground with a jungle gym and a 2,400-square-foot game room with PlayStation consoles, Wii, Xbox 360, Guitar Hero and the like. The options are bountiful with a card table, ping-pong, air hockey and foosball tables.

Hey big spender
The expansive property features 143 rooms and 30 suites situated on 26 acres. Most suites have plunge pools, some oceanfront suites are set atop cliffs, and other rooms open directly onto the beach. Mexican-style casitas are richly designed with beach-inspired décor, a flat screen TV and a spacious bathroom (two-basin vanity, glass-enclosed shower and deep soaking tub).

Hospitality is topnotch starting with your arrival when you are served a welcoming tray with chips, guacamole, salsa and make-your-own margarita ingredients (salt, lime, tequila, orange liquor, a martini shaker, ice and a margarita glass).

Of course, having your every whim answered in these luxe surroundings doesn’t come cheap. Be ready to break out your wallet with room rates ranging from $545-$1,175 for a double and $1,685-$16,000 for a suite during high season. During low season, rates hover around $375 to $925 for a double and $1,025 to $8,750 for a suite.

Getting there
The largest nearby airport is Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR), an hour’s drive from Punta de Mita. Southwest begins service from Austin to Puerto Vallarta this fall.

---

Marcy de Luna’s trip to Mexico was hosted by the Mexico Tourism Bureau.

Enjoy frolicking at the Four Seasons Punta Mita free-form infinity-edge pool with striking views of the Pacific Ocean.

Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita infinity pool

Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita

Enjoy frolicking at the Four Seasons Punta Mita free-form infinity-edge pool with striking views of the Pacific Ocean.

unspecified

Airline News

American Airlines employs new tech in Austin to catch early boarders

American Airlines

American Airlines cabin

In what feels like an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, American Airlines is expanding a new system to catch passengers who try to sneak ahead in line.

According to a release, the airline is deploying a program it previously tested in which technology is used to deter passengers who try to board before their official group has been called.

Passengers who try to board early will not only hear a beep when they scan their boarding pass, but a tattletale message will pop up on the scanner, alerting the American Airlines employee of the passenger's correct group.

If a customer boards before their assigned group is called, the new software will not accept the boarding pass. In these instances, the American team member will invite the customer to rejoin the line when their boarding group is called.

The airline trialed this modern technology over the past month at Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and Tucson International Airport. It will now be deployed at more than 100 airports across the U.S., including Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

According to a story in the NY Post, airline employees have a name for these people: “gate lice."

A statement from American Airlines says that those passengers who are paying for early access should get their just desserts. People who are paying extra are mad when others get the same benefits.

"The new technology is designed to ensure customers receive the benefits of priority boarding with ease," it says.

Surely a factor is the way American Airlines' current boarding system has become an exercise in the haves vs. the have-nots, with nine levels of boarding groups, from elite status members and credit card holders all the way down to the Basic Economy nobodies. It's gotten worse since the pandemic, with extra charges applied to every element of flying, including a charge if you want to choose your own seat.

As an explanation of why people might do it, the NY Post cites a theory that travelers try to get ahead "out of a tendency of conformity and a sense of competition."

Public shaming is a powerful motivator, and Larry David fans would surely agree that line-cutters should always be called out — but in this case, there is an actual valid reason for trying to get a jump in line, and that can be summed up in two words: overhead bins.

Too many travelers place their luggage in overhead bins that are not located over their seats. Who has not seen the guy breezily stash his suitcase in whatever bin is closest? And this is an inequity that is not addressed by flight attendants, who admittedly have enough on their hands.

But the fact remains that if you get on the plane when your boarding group boards, the odds are slimmer that your designated overhead bin is going to have room for your suitcase.

If the airline is not going to enforce the overhead bin situation, then it's hardly fair to blame gate lice for worrying about where their suitcase is going to end up — or worse, whether they'll face the horror of having to get their bag checked at the last minute because some other passenger stole their overhead space.

airport

Tropical Paradise

Celebrity favorite Mexican resort offers ultra-luxe amenities and topnotch service

Enjoy frolicking at the Four Seasons Punta Mita free-form infinity-edge pool with striking views of the Pacific Ocean.

Airline News

American Airlines employs new tech in Austin to catch early boarders

Michelin goofs on a few restaurants honored in first Texas guide

19 Austin elementary and middle schools rank among Texas' best for 2025

Affordable housing complex opens in Austin with rent starting at $600