I recently enjoyed a weekend break at Hotel Mousai in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It was a quick trip, I checked-in on Friday night and had to leave on Sunday morning. I was loath to leave and I wanted to share the experience I had. Here´s my review of Hotel Mousai´s Rooftop, where I spent most of my time lounging around the infinity pool, which offers a great atmosphere for chic relaxation with highly attentive service, unlimited cuisine and cocktails, plus one of the most spectacular views of the entire city.
Firstly, I visited on the third weekend of April and I couldn´t have asked for more gorgeous weather. During the day it was sunny and warm with an average high of 78°F and at night it got cooler with an average low of 65°F.
Hotel Mousai offers many ways to enjoy your vacation or in my case, my mini-break. Everything about it was fantastic, from my chic Ultra Mousai Corner Suite with a stunning ocean view to the fine restaurants, luxury spa, and spaces for lounging like the Orange Tree and impressive lobby with life-size chess pieces.
The Best Spot
For me the best spot was the Rooftop. It is located on the 18th floor, and the moment you exit the elevator you can see infinite blue where the sky merges with the ocean and white fluffy clouds that punctuate the sky. The Rooftop´s WOW factor is the stunning heated infinity pool that easily has to be Mexico´s best Rooftop pool from where you have unobstructed views of the whole of Banderas Bay.
The ambiance at the Rooftop is ultra-chic, like a luxurious beach club on top of the world with a stunning ocean view and infinite rainforest backdrop. It is the type of place where you expect the elite characters from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s second novel to step out, except with a tan. The sun-loungers are white and super comfortable and you have the option to put umbrellas up for shade or put them down to get a sun-kissed glow. There are also palm trees on the Rooftop, which are quite impressive.
I was on the Gourmet Culinary All-Inclusive plan so I indulged to my heart´s content in all the fine cuisine and sumptuous cocktails on offer at the resort. They have a good cocktail list to choose from, but the bartenders are very friendly and if what you want is not on the list, they will do their best to make it for you. I arrived at the Rooftop right when it opened at 11:00 am. I was craving an espresso martini, and even though it wasn´t on the list, I asked the bartender if he could make one, and he made me the best one I think I have ever had! Throughout the day, I tried several more of the cocktails on the list, which were all refreshing and delicious including the Mezcal Tini, with mezcal, passion fruit, chili liqueur & basil, Mai-Tai with white rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, & grenadine, and, of course, I had to try the margaritas.
The music playlist was super chill and the volume was at a good level. It was loud enough that you could hear it, but not so loud that you couldn´t hear yourself think or carry on a conversation. They played one of my favorite songs, ¨Are You With Me¨ by Lost Frequencies. I thought the lyrics were very fitting to where I was. Part of the lyrics are, ´ I wanna dance by water ‘neath the Mexican sky, Drink some Margaritas by a string of blue lights.´ At certain times throughout the day, a solo violinist came up to play live music sets for around 45 minutes, which also added something special to the unique atmosphere.
Another thing that stood out to mention in my review of Hotel Mousai´s Rooftop is that since Hotel Mousai is an adults-only resort, there were no children screaming and running around the pool. That makes it the perfect place to relax, where you can get peace and quiet for your sun-drenched poolside daydreaming.
Dining at Hotel Mousai´s Rooftop
The food menu offers exactly what you want from light fare to fresh salads, burgers, tacos, or catch of the day. I enjoyed snacks in my sun-lounger before going for a sit-down meal next to the bar. My waiter was so helpful and knowledgeable, he seemed to know what I wanted to order before I figured it out myself. I absolutely loved the Tuna Sashimi with masago, avocado & eel wasabi sauce. For my main course, I tried the Zarandeado Fish Fillet, which is a style of preparing the fish specific to this region. The catch of the day was marinated in adobo and served with potatoes and guacamole. For dessert, I had the Romero Panna cotta which was smooth and velvety served with blueberry compote and I ordered a side of vanilla ice cream that was served on top of delicious cookie crumble. Before leaving the Rooftop late in the afternoon, I ordered some french fries to satiate my hunger before dinner. Just some friendly advice, if you come with a friend ask them to order their own fries, because they are so good you won´t want to share them.
The Rooftop closes at 7:00 pm, and opens again for dinner at 8:00 pm. I didn´t try dinner there since I wanted to try the other restaurants at the resort. Hiroshi serves flavorful Japanese cuisine and Bocados STK serves tender dry-aged steaks. Although I did go up there for a pre-dinner cocktail just after 8:00 pm to catch the view of the sunset, which I definitely recommend doing.
For a memorable rooftop experience, this place is well worth a visit. I hope that my review of Hotel Mousai´s Rooftop will help inspire other travelers to come and soak up the glamor. It´s more than the scenic ocean and jungle views, it´s more than the fantastic cocktails and delicious gourmet cuisine, it´s more than sophisticated sun-drenched relaxation, it´s all these things combined and more. Hotel Mousai´s Rooftop is the perfect way to spend the day, every day.
