🛬 Nayarit · Closest to Airport

Krystal Grand Nuevo Vallarta

📍 Flamingos / Nuevo Vallarta · ~15 min from PVR · swimmable Banderas Bay beach

⭐ 4.0 / 5 TripAdvisor — 6,974 reviews · 8.0 Hotels.com

"Shortest transfer, swimmable beach, and The Grill — but the infinity pool + swim-up bar are adults-only, and the teen club sits empty. Plan accordingly."

Official site

krystalgrand-nuevovallarta.com

Visit Krystal's site →

CA $10,356

ACV package* · $2,589/adult

~15 min

PVR transfer · closest in class

~25°C

Banderas Bay · swimmable ✓

6,974

TripAdvisor reviews · 4.0★

* Source: Air Canada Vacations live listing, YVR → PVR, Dec 28 2026 → Jan 4 2027, 2 adults + 2 children. Includes flight + hotel + airport transfer, taxes & fees. Snapshot: April 2026. Cross-quote Sunwing + WestJet — Nayarit has less duopoly pricing than Cancún; Sunwing occasionally wins on Krystal. Costco Travel has no stable deep-link for this property; members should search Puerto Vallarta → All-Inclusive manually.

The "land at PVR and be poolside in 25 minutes" resort. Krystal Grand sits in Flamingos, just north of Nuevo Vallarta, a 10 mi drive from PVR — the shortest airport transfer of any resort on the Nayarit shortlist. The beach is actual-swimmable Banderas Bay (humpback watching from the sand in season). Rooms are spacious with real balconies. The Grill is the most-praised venue — prime-cut steak night, oceanfront, reservations fill first. But two honest gotchas for your teen-age kids: (1) the scenic infinity pool + swim-up bar are 18+ only, so 15 and 17 can't use them — they're stuck at the family pool where chair-hogging starts at 7 AM. (2) The Adventure Friends teen club is reportedly dead — multiple reviews call it empty. Plan off-property day trips to compensate (Marietas, Sayulita, Old Town).

Photo Gallery

Click any photo to open the gallery · ← → to navigate · ESC to close

What real guests say

★★★★★

"Everything was very good"

"Staff attention, very friendly — we achieved our goal for the trip."

Patricia A·2026-04·Family·TripAdvisor

★★★★★

"Loved the gardens, turtles, oceanfront room"

"Staff were excellent — only wish the saved-chair policy didn't exist."

Judy K·2026-04·Couple·TripAdvisor

★★★★★

"Fantastic resort"

"Clean rooms, great food, beautiful beach, staff outdid themselves over 14 days."

Linda L·2025-03·Friends·TripAdvisor

★★★★★

"Loved the New Year's celebration"

"Good food and a great NYE party — we'd come back."

Janet R·2026-01·Family·TripAdvisor

★★★★★

"Great service, nice pools"

"Food was great. Pools were nice and there were always lots of chairs at the family pool."

TripAdvisor guest·2025·Family·TripAdvisor

★★★★★

"Exceptional value"

"Beautifully landscaped gardens, pristine swimmable beach, professional staff."

Hotels.com verified·2025·Couple·Hotels.com

★★☆☆☆

"Not good for teens"

"Staff strict at pools — no splashing. Shows only 40 min. My 17-year-old was kicked out of the sports bar at 8 PM, and the kids' area didn't let him in until 9:30 PM. Nothing for that age."

TripAdvisor·2025·Family (teens 17/19)·TripAdvisor

★★☆☆☆

"Resort feels old, WiFi poor"

"Few lounges, limited entertainment, WiFi poor, resort looks dated. Service average."

Kimberly M·2026-03·Couple·TripAdvisor

★★☆☆☆

"Hard beds, mildew, A/C issues"

"Restaurant booking was stressful. Saving grace was The Grill. Rooms need a refresh."

Candice Willetts·2026-03·Family·TripAdvisor

★★☆☆☆

"Can't decide — adult or family?"

"Adults-only infinity pool and swim-up bar shut teens out; kids' zones have age caps; no middle ground."

TripAdvisor·2025·Family·TripAdvisor

🎥 Watch walkthrough videos on YouTube →

⚠️ Teen-with-family gotcha — read before booking. The scenic infinity pool + swim-up bar are strictly 18+. Your 15-year-old and 17-year-old cannot use them. The Adventure Friends Teens Club (10–17) is reportedly often empty, with no peer group to meet. One reviewer's 17-year-old was kicked out of the sports bar at 8 PM while the kids' zone didn't open until 9:30 PM. If "teens have a cool hangout" is load-bearing, strongly consider Grand Palladium Vallarta instead — their Black & White Club (Xbox, DJ nights, pool table, runs until midnight) actually functions. The Krystal win is airport proximity and beach swimmability; the teen experience is where it hurts.

Where you'll eat

The Grill

Steakhouse · oceanfront

Signature: prime-cut steak night, oceanfront setting. The most-praised venue across 2025–2026 reviews — even guests who complained overall called this their "saving grace." Book first on Day 1.

Dinner · smart-casual · reservation

Ayami

Asian · teppanyaki + sushi

Signature: live teppanyaki grill with chef theatrics + sushi bar. Entertainment-dinner for teens.

Dinner · smart-casual · reservation

Hacienda El Mortero

Mexican fine dining

Signature: tableside guacamole, molcajetes, mezcal/tequila flights.

Dinner · smart-casual · reservation

O Restaurant

International buffet

Signature: B · L · D with themed dinners. Crowded during NYE week. No reservations, just show up.

B · L · D · casual

Surfo's Snack Bar

Burgers · pool grill

Signature: quick burgers + grill while you're poolside. No changing.

11 AM – 6 PM · casual

Oasis Snack Bar

Pool snacks · bar

Signature: quick poolside snacks + drinks. Plus Take a Bite 24-hr café, Sky Bar rooftop, Lobby Bar 10 AM – midnight.

11 AM – 5 PM · casual

Verified from Krystal Grand's official site, April 2026. Note: "Aquamarina · Acentos · Cilantros · Ichi · Uva" (which circulate on older listings) are at sister Krystal Grand Puerto Vallarta — NOT here. Send one adult to the reservation desk at 7 AM on arrival day to lock in 3–4 specialty dinners for peak week.

🛏️ Rooms & Inclusions

410–480 rooms/suites — Standard Resort View → Deluxe Ocean View → Junior Suite → Altitude Club tiers
All rooms: real private furnished balconies (not French), separate sitting area, 42" TV, safe, A/C, Pineda Covalín toiletries, coffee maker
Altitude Club Junior Suite Swim-Out (645 sqft) — upgrade with private terrace that has direct pool access from your door
Altitude Club tier: private lounge, afternoon hot/cold sandwiches, premium pour drinks all day, concierge
AI: all meals (buffet + à la carte), unlimited domestic + premium international drinks, 24-hr room service (small surcharge), daily restocked minibar, welcome cocktail, non-motorized watersports
Round-trip PVR transfers included via tour operators (confirmed in ACV package)
⚠️ Adults-only pool restriction — the scenic infinity pool + swim-up bar are 18+. Family pool is fine but less photogenic.

🎮 Teen / Kids (honest read)

Kamp Krystal (4–9, some say 4–12) — 9 AM–10 PM, slide pool, crafts, video games, movies, sandcastle contests
Adventure Friends Teens Club (10–17) — billiards, air hockey, foosball, video games. Confirmed low usage — multiple reviews call it "dead" / empty
Kids' pool with slide + mini-golf · nightly theatre shows (~40 min, wraps by 9:30 PM — no late-night options)
⚠️ For your 15/17-year-olds: main offering is the swimmable beach + non-motorized watersports + off-property day trips (Marietas, Sayulita, Old Town)
Turtle-release program seasonally on the beach
If teen social scene matters most: see Grand Palladium Vallarta — real teen club, Xbox, DJ nights until midnight