Imanta Resorts Punta de Mita

Imanta exceeded my expectations. I was a little bit apprehensive before arriving there. However, once we arrived I was pleasantly surprised. Jeremy greeted us and explained to us that we had been upgraded, which was a nice surprise. Our room was an ocean front room. There are only 12 rooms/villas in the entire property. It's very private. There is no one else on the beach other than us. Breakfast and lunch were great. We had a private heated pool in our patio. We went hiking with Rogelio. This hiking is a MUST! I have hiked all around the world. This hike is very easy and beautiful. It reminds me of Napali Coastline hike and Cinque Terre. The flight was an easy 2 hour flight from Houston. We took Uber from the airport and back to the airport. Cost is about $40. Very cheap. Other than the beach, the hike and the property, there isn't really anything else to do. I would highly recommend this place for a honeymoon couple.

This was our third time to Imanta, a fabulous secluded resort that lives on a mountain surrounded by jungle. It is one-of-a-kind and would be rated 5-star if only they updated the resort since it opened in 2010. We stayed at the Aye suite (there are only ten suites and two villas) which I think is their best suite right off the ocean. So close in fact, you can hear the thunderous waves 24/7 which makes for the best sleeping. The suite is sparse with hardly any amenities (only hand lotion provided in the bathroom) and mini fridge has a few bottles of water, soda and one Snickers bar. However, it is spacious and the shower features a view of the ocean with a window that opens. This suite also features an outdoor shower. The beach is on the small side with crashing waves in the morning and where breakfast and lunch are served. Food is very good here along with service that can't be beat. Steps away is the outdoor spa (literally, no roof here) and you can enjoy outdoor massages and facials. The major disappointment is the gym which I have asked senior management on my both previous visits to update. No treadmill, no spinning bike, no yoga mats and free weights that only go to 35#. It's terrible to say the least. There are two small pools, neither one is used during the day as they are far from the beach. Miguel is the new chef who oversees the beach and main restaurant. As mentioned earlier, both breakfast and lunch are excellent. Dinner menu is a work in progress and needs refinement. We ordered from the lunch menu prior and service and food quality was mediocre. There is a lot of potential here. Most amazing about Imanta is their prices. Suites are half the price of name brand nearby resorts and food prices are less than half. Most likely the original owner, Juan Sahagun, created Imanta for his family and "extended" family so he kept prices more than affordable. Alas, it was with very sad news that we learned Juan passed away two weeks prior and Imanta is now run by his wife, Christine. I think Christine will eventually sell the resort and a high-end name will buy it, update it and double the rates. In the meantime, if you can skip the gym, book now while the season is hot and enjoy all the splendor of Imanta in it's original charm.

Imanta is one of the few places we have returned to for multiple trips. It is a wonderfully relaxing couples escape. The grounds are nicely maintained but hang on to some natural feel. The beach is beautiful with ample privacy given the rocks at both ends. The ocean was refreshing and ideal for a quick dip. Everyone who works there was helpful and friendly. We find it very easy to escape reality while we are here. My only complaint is that getting into Punta Mita or Sayulita is easy but more expensive than you would think.

Girlfriend and I stayed for four nights at Imanta, in room Wadeka. The rooms are close to the beach where at night you are lulled to sleep to the sounds of gentle waves. The landscape was maintained to feel as if you were actually navigating through a jungle, which we loved. The staff were rockstars and attentive to each of our requests, and went above and beyond to make sure our anniversary dinner was perfect (even after we finished the meal). Its also worth noting that the chef is top notch, and made one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever had. Please do not miss out on eating at the restaurant! I highly recommend taking the hike to monkey mountain, enjoying a Suero Imanta (non-alcoholic), and requesting a massage at the spa. The resort had no issues coordinating a ride for us into town when we wanted to explore the surrounding area (Bucerias, Puerto Vallarta, etc.). If all you did was lay out by the beach, enjoy the continental breakfast, and stare at the ocean this would easily be a top notch experience. I didn’t mention how amazing the rooms are but I hope you get a chance to see for yourself.

This place is situated in the middle of nowhere in a rain forest. The rooms are large and designed to suit the environment. Cabins are spaced so that you don’t see them from your own. There is no information about the place only what you are told at the arrival. It has only 2 options for eating. One at the beach for breakfast and lunch and one restaurant that serves a limited choice. There is one small infinity pool and that seems to be the only facility. When it was booked it showed that it was an “All inclusive” resort but that turned out not to be so. Apparently, only a continental breakfast was in included. However, when I took the 148 steps from my cabin needed to get to the beach(certainly not recommended if you have a mobility problem) I was immediately given a menu and was never given the continental breakfast by the waiter. I assumed that I could choose what I wanted for my breakfast. Later, I found I had been charged $US 31 for my breakfast because I had chosen scrambled eggs! I decided to leave a day early, despite having had to pay for the whole 3 days. This place was not for me. It was too remote and didn’t provide any sense of life or activity. It is probably OK for anyone who wants to get away from every thing, is happy to be in the middle of a jungle and is satisfied to do nothing but pay a lot of money for that. One other thing I will mention is that, there are no locks on the cabin doors. A bit disconcerting when you are on your own at night.

My family (husband and two adult kids) and I had a truly incredible time at the Imanta Resort! It’s hard to say in words how exquisitely beautiful and special it is; we absolutely can’t wait to come back! We stayed in Casa Jaguar which was such a dream (although the other rooms we saw were gorgeous as well), the food was delicious, the Temezcal (sweat lodge kind of thing) was a deep and wonderful experience but most of all the staff truly took our breath away. What a lovely group of people; we felt such warmth and felt so well taken care of. I sincerely cannot recommend vacationing there more highly.