There’s an intimate, new luxury property on the Costalegre designed for one group of travelers. Las Rosadas Private Resort accommodates up to 14 guests, targeting families, groups of friends or couples looking for a romantic getaway.
It’s a welcome addition to the southern region of (Pacific) coastal Jalisco known for expansive private estate-resorts such as Costa Careyes, Cuixmala and Las Alamandas.
“Clients attracted to these properties have typically been to Mexico many times and want to try something different,” Sean Emmerton, villa program director for Journey Mexico, tells Travel Agent.
He adds that current trends show a marked change in villa requests.
“We used to rent two-bedroom casitas nonstop. But it all started to change as people began to travel in larger groups. Family time is becoming more important. We’re getting more requests than ever for five-to-ten bedroom homes,” says Emmerton.
With nightly price tags often in the $10,000-$15,000 range, the prospective client pool is admittedly narrow.
“There’s of course the perception that these villa stays are quite expensive. But you need to break down the cost compared to several rooms at a five-star resort. Where you really save is food and beverage. Some hotels will charge you $18 for a margarita. Villas can be stocked with food and offer a chef to cook for the family. It’s so much more convenient, and you can hold some fabulous events there, “ said Emmerton.
He singles out Casa La Ceiba in the Costa Careyes enclave as one of his favorites.
“It’s a beautiful, seven-bedroom home with an incredible cliff-top setting overlooking the ocean. It has a wonderful staff, private tennis court and amazing food. I also love the Ocean Castles in Costa Careyes. They have these amazing pools that wrap 360 degrees around the villas,” says Emmerton.
Now, Las Rosadas has entered the luxury scene.
It’s set on a 400-acre beachfront on the Costalegre’s Chamela Bay. The location is renowned for calm, turquoise waters and swimmable white sand beaches.
Las Rosadas has a villa with six master bedrooms, indoor and outdoor living and dining areas plus an infinity pool with ocean views. Guests can enjoy paddle boarding, ocean kayaking and snorkeling. A boat will ferry them to small islands along the bay, prime whale and dolphin-spotting locales. Inland from the beach, professionally-designed mountain biking and hiking trails traverse the property’s eco reserve.
“We wanted to combine the scale of a deluxe villa experience with the same level of service, amenities and activities that you would have at a five-star resort. With 400 acres of nature and 1,500 feet of sandy beach on Chamela Bay, this was the ideal location to make that happen,” Maria Campos tells Travel Agent. Campos is the former GM at Cuixmala who now oversees guest services at Las Rosadas.
“Costalegre is definitely emerging. Hotel companies such as One&Only are building down there. The development will bring job opportunities and better infrastructure to the region. At the same time, there’s still a natural, untouched feel. Accessibility remains a challenge, though. It’s a bit isolated,” says Emmerton.
Las Rosadas spokesperson Wayne Hudson explains the logistics.
“The closest airport to Las Rosadas is Manzanillo. It’s a one-and-a-half-hour drive, with flights out of LAX on Alaska and Houston via United. Puerto Vallarta has flights from all over the country, but it’s two-and-a-half hours away. In both cases it is a pretty easy drive all on Highway 200,” said Hudson.
Like the other villa resorts in the area, Los Rosadas has a grass landing strip for small plane transfers.
“We can arrange eight-passenger planes to take guests there. But the drive from Puerto Vallarta is amazing. You go through forest and jungle. It looks like the plains in Africa. It’s simply incredible,” said Emmerton.